The absence of an entry in an employment record book or the liquidation of a collective farm where a person worked during the Soviet era does not automatically mean the loss of work experience. According to lawyer and insolvency practitioner Serhii Lytvynenko in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine, "losing an employment record book, sloppy entries, or a liquidated collective farm is a typical problem for older people." At the same time, he emphasizes that work on a collective farm or another organization of that period can be documented even if the business entity itself no longer exists. The key principle, he says, is that work experience is "missing" only when evidence has not been gathered, rather than when a single document is lost.
Where to Start: Archives and Legal Successors of Enterprises
The first step, as recommended by Lytvynenko, is to search for written documents, primarily in archives. Collective farm documents are kept in district and city state archives, as well as in administrative archive departments. Materials are often found in village council archives and also with the legal successors of enterprises: agricultural firms, farming societies, and other organizations that took over the functions of the liquidated collective farm. The lawyer points out that archival certificates of employment and wages are needed: they confirm both the fact of work experience and the earnings, which affect the final pension amount.
If No Documents Remain: Witness Testimony
In cases where documents are lost due to farm liquidation, hostilities, catastrophe, or the loss of archives, work experience can be established through witness testimony. This requires at least two people who worked together with the applicant on the same collective farm or other organization to confirm the period and type of work performed. Testimonies are generally drawn up in writing, and the identity of the witness is verified. The procedure for this, according to Lytvynenko, is explained by the Pension Fund in accordance with the Procedure for Confirming Work Experience approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 637.
Pension Fund Refusal and Court Proceedings
If the Pension Fund refuses to credit work experience, the refusal is issued in writing and can be appealed. To do this, a lawsuit is filed with the district administrative court, which checks the legality of the Pension Fund's decision and evaluates evidence, including witness testimony. The court fee for such a case, according to Lytvynenko, is UAH 1,211. Thus, even with a formal refusal by the agency, the applicant retains a procedural mechanism to protect their pension rights.
Combination of Evidence and Deadlines for Application
The lawyer emphasizes that in practice, a combination of evidence works best: an archival certificate for part of the periods, written testimonies from colleagues, and confirmation from the village council. "Do not expect a single document to close all gaps," he notes. In addition, it is better to contact the archive in advance, before applying for a pension, as responses from there can take weeks. This means that preparing the evidentiary base should begin before applying to the Pension Fund, rather than after a refusal.
Context: Electronic Registers and Related Pension Rules
It is important to consider that some information about work experience is already stored electronically: according to the lawyer explaining the position of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, information on official employment from July 2000 is recorded in electronic registries if employers submitted data on time. This means that for the post-Soviet period after 2000, some records may be available without collecting paper certificates, whereas the Soviet period more often requires archival or witness confirmation. In parallel, the Pension Fund explained the procedure for accounting for entrepreneurial work experience, which may not be fully credited depending on the years of work, taxation system, and paid contributions, and also reminded that pensioners are obliged to notify the fund within 10 days of changes, including employment, change of data, or travel outside Ukraine.
