A lecture for students of the State Educational Institution «Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Personnel of the State Forensic Examination Committee of the Republic of Belarus»

On June 10, 2026, a unique lecture was held at the National Historical Archives of Belarus for forensic cultural experts of the State Forensic Examination Committee.

The event was held as part of the advanced training program of the Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Personnel of the State Forensic Examination Committee of the Republic of Belarus. The training focused on selected aspects of forensic cultural examination of static images containing signs and symbols.

The lecture was delivered by Aksana Zenko, Head of the Research, Publication, and Exhibition Sector at the National Historical Archives of Belarus, and Olga Volkova, Leading Researcher in the same sector.

During the lecture, the forensic experts were shown rare historical documents from the archive’s collections, which contain ancient seals, coats of arms, and watermarks.

The audience was particularly interested in unique documents from the collections of the famous Radziwill princes. One of the participants shared his impressions of working with archival collections: «In cultural analysis, it is crucial to understand the context of the era, to recognize original watermarks, seal features, and handwriting. Today’s lesson will significantly improve the accuracy of our research when working with complex historical symbols and images».

The knowledge gained will help experts more effectively conduct state examinations and protect cultural heritage.

1-4. Conducting the lesson

5. Heraldic images in archival documents

6. Archive guests