Archival material of the Eoka struggle will be given to the National Struggle Museum, in response to a bill with effect from 2026, aiming to transfer state archives from the justice ministry to the culture deputy ministry, it was announced on Wednesday.

Culture deputy minister, Vasiliki Kassianidou, stated that “state archives are not only the body protecting the historical documents of Cyprus, but they are a living organisation that will contribute to the ministry’s mission to preserve the island’s identity for future generations.”

She highlighted that the natural positioning of the state archives is the culture deputy ministry, to form a collaboration with other departments and services.

Kassianidou pointed out this change will create a “unified strategy for the preservation, management and promotion of cultural heritage, while highlighting the role of the state archives”.

Through this bill and an agreement signed between the deputy ministry and the National Struggle Museum, the ministry was granted the archival material of Renos Lysiotis of the Eoka struggle.

“We thank Lysiotis because he gave us valuable documents and personal items, such as the camera he used to document life inside the detention centre,” said Kassianidou.

The culture deputy ministry promised to take responsibility for the preservation of the archives through the National Struggle Museum, “while the digital cataloging of the finds will begin soon, to proceed to an upgraded museographic study.”