Terms
The terms, in plain language.
Every engagement is governed by an individual written contract you sign before paying anything. This page summarises the standard terms so there are no surprises inside that document.
How commissioning works
Everything starts with a free written assessment of your request. If we take your case, you receive a written scope and a fixed quote. Work begins only after you have signed and paid the first instalment — never on a running meter.
Payment is staged
Research: half on commissioning, half on delivery. Journeys: 25% deposit to reserve dates, 50% one month before travel, 25% after you return home. You are never asked for the full amount up front.
If we find less than promised
Archives have gaps, and honest research sometimes hits them. Your contract defines the promised scope; where we deliver substantially less, a stated portion of the fee returns to you. Hopeless cases are declined at the free stage instead of billed.
If circumstances change
If the security situation worsens before a journey, your dates move or your money returns — your choice. If a journey must shorten while underway, unspent days are refunded. Details are on the Safety page and in your contract.
What we ask of you
Accurate information about identity, health and — critically — any Ukrainian citizenship of any traveller; respect for the safety protocol during travel; and patience with archives, which move at their own century-old pace.