Czech Archives:
A Vital Resource for Eastern European Historical Research

National Archives (Národní archiv)

The first point worth emphasizing is the enormous body of documents relating to the history of Russian emigrant communities. Researchers studying the consequences of the 1917 Revolution for the Russian intelligentsia will find the following fonds particularly valuable.

NAD 820: Associations and Organizations of Russian and Ukrainian Emigrants in Czechoslovakia (Prague and Poděbrady) 
NAD 1294: Collection of Documents on the Activities of Russian and Ukrainian Emigrants 
NAD 908: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia – Russian Relief Center, Prague 

These fonds contain the statutes of emigrant organizations, membership lists, reports, correspondence, diaries, and documents produced by official state institutions.

Researchers examining state administration in Czechoslovakia and the management of political crises — particularly the Prague Spring of 1968 — should pay special attention to the records of state authorities, including the following.

NAD 865: Office of the Presidium of the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Prague 
NAD 1261: Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic (1945–1989), Prague 
NAD 1332: Collection on the Events of 1968 

In addition to official documents reflecting government decisions and actions — including meeting minutes, reports, and memoranda — the 1968 collection also contains unique recordings of Czechoslovak Radio broadcasts, as well as professional documentary photography.

Military Historical Archive (Vojenský historický archiv)

Special collections of the Military Historical Archive include the records of the 1st Russian-Czech Volunteer Regiment (1. rusko-český dobrovolnický pluk; 1918–1919). These materials include orders, reports, operational and combat maps, and manuscripts relating to the regiment’s history. The collection is particularly valuable for research on relations between Czechoslovak and Russian anti-Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War.

Masaryk Institute and Archives of the Academy of Sciences (Masarykův ústav a Archiv AV ČR, v. v. i.)

The holdings of this archive are especially useful for research on the history of science, Soviet-era intellectual history, and the history of concepts such as socialism, tsarism, and Pan-Slavism, among other ideological categories that are part of the scholarly discourse.

The most effective way to identify relevant materials is through the archive’s inventory records (Inventární záznamy), which provide access to the personal papers of scholars in the humanities and natural sciences, as well as politicians and publicists. Important fonds include the following.

NAD 5001: Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 
NAD 394: Jiřina Popelová-Otáhalová 
NAD 393: Josef Podpěra 
NAD 258: Jaroslav Bidlo 
NAD 386: Milada Paulová

Security Services Archive (Archiv bezpečnostních složek)

The Security Services Archive contains an extensive body of declassified records produced by the Czechoslovak secret police, which worked closely with the KGB. In addition to documents relating to the routine activities of state security, the archive preserves the records of institutions such as the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Counterintelligence Directorate.

The Main Intelligence Directorate functioned as the principal intelligence administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Its responsibilities included conducting intelligence operations in the interests of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Bloc, countering foreign intelligence operating against socialist states, disrupting disinformation campaigns and covert operations conducted by capitalist countries, and protecting state secrets. The archival holdings contain operational plans, performance assessments, orders, directives, meeting minutes, conference protocols, and numerous other administrative and informational documents. Records of a limited number of subdivisions of the Main Intelligence Directorate remain subject to Section 15 of Act No. 181/2007 Coll., which entails a special administrative procedure and requires formal approval before access can be granted.

The Counterintelligence Directorate was responsible for intelligence gathering and surveillance directed against both internal and external enemies of the state. Its archival holdings include meeting minutes, organizational statutes, records of meetings of the chief’s staff, work plans, performance evaluations, situational reports, and routine operational documentation.

National Library (Národní knihovna České republiky)

The National Library holds two particularly important collections through the Slavonic Library.

The first is “Public and Cultural Life of Russian Emigres (1921–1944): Posters, Invitations, Leaflets”. The collection covers the period from 1921 to 1944 and is geographically focused on Europe, with some materials relating to countries such as China and Australia as well. It contains visual and textual materials connected to the activities of charitable, social, and religious organizations established by Russian emigrants. Note that the collection has been digitized and is accessible through the library’s website.

The second collection is “Russian Historical Archive Abroad — Collection of Administrative Documents”. This unique archive was assembled by Russian emigrants, who grew it through the acquisition of books, journals, and newspapers connected to the 1917 Revolution. Due to financial difficulties, however, the archive became part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1928 and was later incorporated into the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Part of the collection was subsequently transferred to the Soviet Union, while the portion that remained in Czechoslovakia consists primarily of administrative records dated 1923–1946. These include the archive’s founding documents, annual reports, meeting minutes, personnel records, and an extensive body of correspondence with institutions and individuals around the world concerning access to and relocation of the archive.

The collection also documents the archive’s day-to-day operations, including its publishing and cultural initiatives. The Russian Historical Archive Abroad is unique in the sense that individuals exiled and forced to leave Russia devoted themselves to preserving, organizing, and systematizing knowledge about their homeland and the decisive turning points in its history.

Overall, the paradox of the Czech archives is that documents created either within the framework of Soviet influence or in opposition to it are now openly accessible in Czechia, while their Russian peers are increasingly restricted or reclassified. The Czech archives make it possible to study Russian history beyond the limits imposed by archival policy in Russia today. 

If you're working on a research project that demands access to Russian or post-Soviet archival collections — whether for academic, journalistic, or personal purposes — our team is here to help. With on-site specialists, deep knowledge of archival systems, and experience navigating institutional procedures, we can assist you in uncovering the sources that matter.

Just reach out — and we’ll take it from there.