10 February 2012
The staff members of the State Archives of Grodno Region have prepared a compilation of documents, The Augustow Canal and its Environment.
The scholarly editor of the book is S. Kul-Selvestrova, Ph.D., professor at the Grodno Yanka Kupala State University, who also authored the introduction and commentaries. The commission for documents selection and arrangement was headed by A. Kisel, director at the State Archives of Grodno Region.
In all, the book includes 40 documents which have been published for the first time. Many of them were originally secret but now declassified. The documents are arranged in chronological order from 1945 to 2004 and in the original language without any literary and other corrections. These contain lots of information about the history of the Augustow Canal and the adjacent localities, the work of the starch plant and agricultural factories in the former Sapotkin District, the names of the frontier posts, the damage inflicted by the Nazis in the Second World War, the restoration of the economics and organisation of the cultural public events within the Augustow Canal in the Culture of Three Nations progamme. The book is supplemented with illustrations, maps and drawings.
The book was released by the Slonim press with the funds of the Grodno Region Executive Committee. It is intended for scholars, students and everyone interested in the history of the Nioman Region and Belarus. The book will indeed contribute to the development of tourism in the Grodno region.
The scholarly editor of the book is S. Kul-Selvestrova, Ph.D., professor at the Grodno Yanka Kupala State University, who also authored the introduction and commentaries. The commission for documents selection and arrangement was headed by A. Kisel, director at the State Archives of Grodno Region.
In all, the book includes 40 documents which have been published for the first time. Many of them were originally secret but now declassified. The documents are arranged in chronological order from 1945 to 2004 and in the original language without any literary and other corrections. These contain lots of information about the history of the Augustow Canal and the adjacent localities, the work of the starch plant and agricultural factories in the former Sapotkin District, the names of the frontier posts, the damage inflicted by the Nazis in the Second World War, the restoration of the economics and organisation of the cultural public events within the Augustow Canal in the Culture of Three Nations progamme. The book is supplemented with illustrations, maps and drawings.
The book was released by the Slonim press with the funds of the Grodno Region Executive Committee. It is intended for scholars, students and everyone interested in the history of the Nioman Region and Belarus. The book will indeed contribute to the development of tourism in the Grodno region.
09 February 2012
The Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science (BelNIIDAD) issued the procedural recommendations on Ensuring Optimum Conditions for Storage of Paper Records of the National Archival Holdings of the Republic of Belarus.
The recommendations describe the requirements for archive buildings and facilities and the storage of records on paper media. They also dwell on the issues of records preservation during their storage, transferrence, usage and transportation.
The guidelines are intended for institution heads, archivists, workers in museums and libraries which hold manuscript collections, builders.
The Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science (BelNIIDAD) issued the Album of Forms of Organizational-Administrative Records with Commentaries (based on the unified record forms in the Unified Administrative Records System).
The Album offers examples for the formation of records based on the unified record forms included in the Unified Administrative Records System (USORD), adopted by order of the director at the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus of 14.05.2007 ¹ 25.
The recommendations describe the requirements for archive buildings and facilities and the storage of records on paper media. They also dwell on the issues of records preservation during their storage, transferrence, usage and transportation.
The guidelines are intended for institution heads, archivists, workers in museums and libraries which hold manuscript collections, builders.
The Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science (BelNIIDAD) issued the Album of Forms of Organizational-Administrative Records with Commentaries (based on the unified record forms in the Unified Administrative Records System).
The Album offers examples for the formation of records based on the unified record forms included in the Unified Administrative Records System (USORD), adopted by order of the director at the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus of 14.05.2007 ¹ 25.
20 January 2012
On 18 January 2012, the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus held an enlarged board meeting to review the results of work at the archive and records management agencies and the state archive institutions in the Republic of Belarus in 2011 and to set the objectives for 2012.
Attending the board meeting were the Justice Minister of the Republic of Belarus O.L. Slizhevsky, heads and deputy heads of justice administration and archives and RM divisions at the regional executive committee and the Minsk City Executive Committee, directors of the state archival institutions, members of the Department for Archives and Records Management. In all, 78 people attended the meeting.
The Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management V.I. Adamushko delivered a report. Seven members took part in the debates. In 2011, the state archival institutions started the Archives of Belarus State Programme for 2011-2015, adopted by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 15 September 2010 ¹ 1322. The central archival institutions successfully fulfilled the activities within the State Programme for 2011 at the amount of 1, 470 billion rubles assigned from the republic’s budget.
Considerable attention was devoted to the legislative provision of the state archival agencies and institutions. The Law on Archives and Records Management in the Republic of Belus was adopted on November 25, 2011 and became effective on December 18, 2011. The House of Representatives of the Republic of Belarus passed in first reading the Law on Official Heraldic Symbols.
At present the state archives hold 50 145 fonds, 12 295 267 paper items; 37 733 film records; 258 134 photographic records; 15 602 sound records; 2193 video records; 13 electronic fonds, 502 electronic items; 569 museum items. In 124 local (municiple and district) archives there are 32 755 fonds, 802 500 items. In 2011 the state archives handled about 29 000 inquiries from individual and juridical persons; more than 13 000 people visited and consulted the archives in person. Special attention was focused on handling citizens’ inquiries based on a "single window" principle. In the last year the archivists organized 88 exhibitions, published 14 books of documents, monographs, handbooks, and scholarly editions relating to the history of Belarus. 120 official heraldic symbols were entered into the State Heraldry Registry of the Republic of Belarus.
Attending the board meeting were the Justice Minister of the Republic of Belarus O.L. Slizhevsky, heads and deputy heads of justice administration and archives and RM divisions at the regional executive committee and the Minsk City Executive Committee, directors of the state archival institutions, members of the Department for Archives and Records Management. In all, 78 people attended the meeting.
The Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management V.I. Adamushko delivered a report. Seven members took part in the debates. In 2011, the state archival institutions started the Archives of Belarus State Programme for 2011-2015, adopted by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 15 September 2010 ¹ 1322. The central archival institutions successfully fulfilled the activities within the State Programme for 2011 at the amount of 1, 470 billion rubles assigned from the republic’s budget.
Considerable attention was devoted to the legislative provision of the state archival agencies and institutions. The Law on Archives and Records Management in the Republic of Belus was adopted on November 25, 2011 and became effective on December 18, 2011. The House of Representatives of the Republic of Belarus passed in first reading the Law on Official Heraldic Symbols.
At present the state archives hold 50 145 fonds, 12 295 267 paper items; 37 733 film records; 258 134 photographic records; 15 602 sound records; 2193 video records; 13 electronic fonds, 502 electronic items; 569 museum items. In 124 local (municiple and district) archives there are 32 755 fonds, 802 500 items. In 2011 the state archives handled about 29 000 inquiries from individual and juridical persons; more than 13 000 people visited and consulted the archives in person. Special attention was focused on handling citizens’ inquiries based on a "single window" principle. In the last year the archivists organized 88 exhibitions, published 14 books of documents, monographs, handbooks, and scholarly editions relating to the history of Belarus. 120 official heraldic symbols were entered into the State Heraldry Registry of the Republic of Belarus.
03 January 2012
On 2 January 2012, the Justice Minister of the Republic of Belarus O. L. Slizhevsky on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Belarus presented the Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management at the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus, V. I. Adamushko, with the Honorable Diploma of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. For high professionalism and significant personal contribution in archive business, Mr Adamushko is awarded with with the breastplate of the Justice Ministry "For Distinguished Service" 1st level, the breastplate of the Department for Archives and RM "A Honorary Archivist of Belarus", and the breastplate of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus "A Jubilee Medal for 80th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus".
29 December 2011
On 21-28 December 2011, the republic-level state archive institutions held meetings of work collectives to summarize the results of work in the year 2011 and set up objectives for 2012. Attending the meetings were chiefs and division heads at the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus.
Participants at the meetings noted that all planned assignments in the main directions of archive activity have been fulfilled. In 2011 the central state archives and institutions performed the activities within the Archives of Belarus State Programme for 2011–2015, conducted intensive work on the security protection of archival fonds, strengthening of material, technical and resources basis in archives, the formation and acquisition of the National Archival Holdings of the Republic of Belarus. The important directions were, as before, the provision of information service to users, use of archival records, provision of information to government institutions and local self-government. The main directions of archive activities have been automatized, which makes possible a transfer to new, more effective methods of work.
At the same time there are many unsolved issues. Due to objective reasons, the reconstruction of a number of archive buildings have not been finished. The material and technical base of archives needs further development, etc. Belarusian archivists are expected to solve these tasks in the new year 2012.
Participants at the meetings noted that all planned assignments in the main directions of archive activity have been fulfilled. In 2011 the central state archives and institutions performed the activities within the Archives of Belarus State Programme for 2011–2015, conducted intensive work on the security protection of archival fonds, strengthening of material, technical and resources basis in archives, the formation and acquisition of the National Archival Holdings of the Republic of Belarus. The important directions were, as before, the provision of information service to users, use of archival records, provision of information to government institutions and local self-government. The main directions of archive activities have been automatized, which makes possible a transfer to new, more effective methods of work.
At the same time there are many unsolved issues. Due to objective reasons, the reconstruction of a number of archive buildings have not been finished. The material and technical base of archives needs further development, etc. Belarusian archivists are expected to solve these tasks in the new year 2012.
23 December 2011
On 21 December 2011, within the framework of the New Year charity action Our Children, the deputy director at the Department for Archives and RM of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus O.A. Ledovskaya, the chairwomen of the primary trade union organizations at the National Historical Archives of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science V.A. Khodina and I.N. Shpilevskaya, visited a Social Orphanage in the Sovetsky district in Minsk. The orphanage children were presented with New Year gifts.
12 December 2011
On 25 November 2011, President of Belarus signed the Law of the Republic of Belarus on Archives and Records Management in the Republic of Belarus. On 7 December, this law was published in the National Register of Legal Acts No. 136 and will become effective on 18 December 2011.
07 December 2011
On 6 December 2011, at the meeting of the ninth session the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus discussed a draft of the Law of the Republic of Belarus on Official Heraldic Symbols. The report on the issue was delivered by the Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus V.I. Adamushko. Mr Adamushko noted that this Law is aimed at conducting a single government policy in the creation, establishment, state registration and use of official heraldic symbols and the legal regulation in this field.
The draft law was adopted by the deputies in first reading.
The draft law was adopted by the deputies in first reading.
06 December 2011
On 29 November 2011, the National Technical Committee on Standardization TC BY 28 "Records Management" held a meeting in Minsk.
The key issue on the agenda was the discussion of the draft of the Preliminary State Standard of the Republic of Belarus STB P ISO 15489-1 "Information and Documentation - Records Management. Part 1. General Requirements".
The main focus at the meeting was terminological contradictions connected with the translation into Russian of Standard ISO 15489-1:2001 being passed in the Republic of Belarus. The meeting participants had a vibrant discussion about the translation into Russian of such English terms as "record" and "document". In view of the necessity to define the translation of a number of other English terms (such as "procedure", "control", "retention") the voting on the final draft of STB P ISO 15489-1 was transferred to the next meeting of the technical committee.
The meeting supported the proposal by the Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science (BelNIIDAD) to join the ISO technical committees on standardization in the field of documentation at international level and to submit the required documents to the State Committee for Standardization of the Republic of Belarus (Gosstandart).
The meeting participants approved the plan of standardization in records management for 2012 and discussed the report of the technical committee for 2011.
The key issue on the agenda was the discussion of the draft of the Preliminary State Standard of the Republic of Belarus STB P ISO 15489-1 "Information and Documentation - Records Management. Part 1. General Requirements".
The main focus at the meeting was terminological contradictions connected with the translation into Russian of Standard ISO 15489-1:2001 being passed in the Republic of Belarus. The meeting participants had a vibrant discussion about the translation into Russian of such English terms as "record" and "document". In view of the necessity to define the translation of a number of other English terms (such as "procedure", "control", "retention") the voting on the final draft of STB P ISO 15489-1 was transferred to the next meeting of the technical committee.
The meeting supported the proposal by the Belarusian Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Science (BelNIIDAD) to join the ISO technical committees on standardization in the field of documentation at international level and to submit the required documents to the State Committee for Standardization of the Republic of Belarus (Gosstandart).
The meeting participants approved the plan of standardization in records management for 2012 and discussed the report of the technical committee for 2011.
25 November 2011
On 24 November 2011, the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus held a board meeting to discuss the results of a complex inspection at the Belarusian Research Centre of Electronic Records (BelNITsED) and the issues of the development by the state archives of the automated inventory system for records of the National Archival Holdings of the Republic of Belarus.
Having discussed the results of the inspection at BelNITseD, the Board accepted its work as satisfactory. The Centre was noted for its active participation in conducting applied research in provision of long-term preservation and access to electronic records, the introduction and development of information technologies for access to traditional archival records etc.
On the second issue the Board noted that the administrative bodies of the State Archives Service and the state archives achieved a positive success in the development of the automated state inventory system. The state records inventory system has a three-layer structure and is run with the software program package "Fonds Catalogue. Version 5.0", installed at the Department for Archives and Records Management and at the archives and records divisions in the regional executive committees, as well as the program package "Inventory. Version 4.1" installed in the state archives of the Republic of Belarus.
By the 1st January 2012, the database of the State Fonds Catalogue, the main information resource, will have been completed. The Belarusian Research Centre of Electronic Records is currently developing a technology for presenting the State Fonds Catalogue in the Internet.
Having discussed the results of the inspection at BelNITseD, the Board accepted its work as satisfactory. The Centre was noted for its active participation in conducting applied research in provision of long-term preservation and access to electronic records, the introduction and development of information technologies for access to traditional archival records etc.
On the second issue the Board noted that the administrative bodies of the State Archives Service and the state archives achieved a positive success in the development of the automated state inventory system. The state records inventory system has a three-layer structure and is run with the software program package "Fonds Catalogue. Version 5.0", installed at the Department for Archives and Records Management and at the archives and records divisions in the regional executive committees, as well as the program package "Inventory. Version 4.1" installed in the state archives of the Republic of Belarus.
By the 1st January 2012, the database of the State Fonds Catalogue, the main information resource, will have been completed. The Belarusian Research Centre of Electronic Records is currently developing a technology for presenting the State Fonds Catalogue in the Internet.