The Voice of Authentic History: The Molodechno Archive Plays a Major Role in the District’s National Unity Day Celebration

Published: September 18, 2026

On September 17, the Molodechno district celebrated National Unity Day with a grand ceremony. The Zonal State Archive played a significant and substantive role in the festivities, serving as a key conceptual partner to the organizers.

The archive’s mission to preserve historical truth served as a unifying theme throughout the concert program. For the first time, the district celebration’s format involved archivists deeply in the stage production itself: Inna Pudakevich, Director of the Zonal State Archive in Molodechno, served as a co-host of the event. However, the most innovative feature was the archive’s multimedia presence within the concert program. Specially produced videos featuring commentary by the archive’s director were seamlessly integrated into the overall script. Appearing on screen during the pauses between performances, Inna Pudakevich immersed the audience in the atmosphere of bygone eras. Spectators watched as archival maps, documents, and photographs came to life. These segments transformed abstract historical dates into tangible, emotionally resonant testimonies, underscoring that the archive preserves not merely papers, but human destinies and the irrefutable truth of the times.

The journey into history began for guests even before the concert started. In the foyer of the Palace of Culture, the archive mounted a thematic exhibition dedicated to the reunification of Belarusian lands. Copies of authentic documents from 1921–1939 took center stage in the exposition. Visitors showed particular interest in a section dedicated to the national liberation movement as portrayed in the periodicals of that era; this display vividly illustrated the struggle of Western Belarusians to preserve their native language, schools, and cultural identity amidst the country’s partition. The exhibition was complemented by a screening of the BGAKFFD film «Independence Day: A Chronicle of Belarusian Statehood».

The archive clearly demonstrated its role as a modern center of historical memory—one capable of engaging with the public in a contemporary language, upholding historical justice, and fostering a sense of pride in a united Belarus through authentic documents.

Video highlights from the ceremony.