Professional Meeting of Heads of State Archival Services and Archival Institutions of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation

On October 2, 2025, on the second day of the forum of heads of state archival services and archival institutions of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, work continued in Rechitsa.

Before the professional meeting, delegations of archivists from Belarus and Russia visited the Zonal State Archives in Rechitsa, where they learned about document storage conditions and modern approaches to ensuring the preservation of collections. The guests were presented with document digitization projects implemented by the archive, as well as new forms of interaction with users.

Following the archive visit, the forum continued at the Neftyanik Palace of Culture, where a discussion took place on organizing the presentation and use of digital copies of archival documents on the global internet.

At the opening of the event, Oleg Leonidovich Voinov, Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management, noted that the topic of today’s meeting was highly relevant and that its effective implementation was an effective tool for our informational, ideological, cultural, and educational work.

During the meeting, current issues of the digital transformation of archival affairs were discussed:

Denis Valentinovich Shabrov, Director of the Belarusian Center for Digitalization of Archival Activities, reported on projects being implemented on the «Archives of Belarus» online resource;

Natalia Vasilyevna Glishchinskaya, Head of the Department of Interarchival Information and Communication Projects at Rosarkhiv, spoke about interarchival initiatives on the «Archives of Russia» portal;

Andrei Nikolaevich Gonchar, Director of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents, shared his experience promoting informational and educational projects and using video clips online;

Larisa Aleksandrovna Rogova, Director of the State Archives of the Russian Federation, presented the practice of creating and subsequently using digital copies of documents.

Andrei Konstantinovich Demyanyuk, Director of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, presented a joint Belarusian-Russian collection of archival documents, «Nazi Punitive Operations in the Belarusian-Russian Borderland. August 1942 – January 1943», which has also been prepared in digital format.

Participants at the meeting focused on issues related to expanding access to archival documents online, as well as promoting historical and documentary heritage among schoolchildren and students through educational projects.

Forum participants noted that only by combining efforts in the digitalization of archival affairs can we ensure the preservation of historical truth and its transmission to future generations.

1-4. Participants at the Zonal State Archives in Rechitsa.

5-8. Participants at the Zonal State Archives in Rechitsa. Professional meeting of heads of state archival services and archival institutions of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.