ACKU now has an interesting collection of copies of archival documents relating to the development of Russian-Afghan relations (118 pegs). A letter from Amir Sher Ali Khan (1869) complains to Russia about being mistreated by the British and asks for help. Exchanges of expressions of friendship from King Amanullah (1919-1929) begin in1919 with his correspondence with Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, head of the Soviet state from 1917-1924, regarding the new Afghan Ambassador General Mohammad Wali. These letters of friendship continue down through the reign of King Zahir to Hamid Karzai and Vladamir Putin. 

Initially artistically hand-written in graceful calligraphy, the documents mark the advent of the mundane typewriter. MoUs concerning commercial issues emphasize the importance of trade; those about the installation of radio and telegraph service, dutifully accompanied by teams of aid experts, make familiar reading, as does the document detailing the $3.5 million loan for the construction of the silo in 1957. A few news photos of visiting diplomatic and commercial missions are also included text in Dari, English and Russian. The PDF file is accessible at ACKU online database www.acku.edu.af