Belarus in the War of 1812
About the project
The project “Belarus in the War of 1812” is a special rubric on the Archives of Belarus website, an internet resource of the archives and RM autthorities and the state archives network in the Republic of Belarus, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the historical event.
Purposes and expected results
The project aims to show by means of documentary sources the situation on Belarusian lands in the context of European events in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, mainly against the military conflict between France and Russia in 1812, which caused a huge damage and suffering in Belarus and numerous losses among the participants. The presented data are expected to create in the Internet a more complete picture on the subject, to simplify access to records held in the archival institutions of the Republic of Belarus, to increase interest in the national history, to foster patriotism among the Belarusian citizens, and to raise awareness of Belarus among the international community.
Structure of the project
The rubric consists of three main sections containing the following material:
- An overview of the events of 1812 in Belarusian territory
- An online exhibition of records held at the state archives of the Republic of Belarus
- A summary information on the published collection of documents relating to the war of 1812 in Belarusian territory from the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Minsk and the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Grodno
The online exhibition features 440 records and materials available from the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Minsk, the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Grodno, the Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art, the Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, and the Belarusian Research Center of Electronic Records.
The exposition consists of 23 thematic groups illustrating different stages and aspects in the war of 1812, in particular the events on the eve of the war, the situation in Belarusian territory in the wartime and after the expulsion of Napoleon’s army, the war aftermath and commemoration in Belarus etc.
The material is structured in two levels:
– List of records and materials, including their title, date, type, language and location
index. The records are basically arranged in chronological order. On the right are the
links to view a full-size record.
– Digital copies of records and materials.
The bulk of the exposition (almost two thirds) are the textual records – prints, typescripts and hand-written documents (in full and fragments). The largest part of the texts are in Russian, many records in Polish, and some records in French and Belarusian, including the translation from Polish into Belarusian. On display are the historical records from the pre-war, war and post-war periods, in particular the official documents of the participating sides created by different authorities and self-government and personal records (diaries, reminiscences, contemporary correspondence).
The rest of the exposition are the photocopies of pictures and portraits mainly illustrating the hostilities in Belarusian territory and their participants. In addition, there are drawings, maps, charts.
General coordination of the project – Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus.
Main executor in the development of information contents and web design – Belarusian Research Center of Electronic Records.
Identification of archive records and materials and the making of digital copies – National Historical Archives of Belarus in Minsk, National Historical Archives of Belarus in Grodno, Belarusian State Archives-Museum of Literature and Art, Belarusian State Archives of Films, Photographs and Sound Recordings, National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, Belarusian Research Center of Electronic Records.
Notes
The use of the material featured in the project requires a reference to the source of the information – the Archives of Belarus website and the individual archive in which the records are held. For other issues relating to the featured records, please contact the individual archive (the contact information can be found on the website page “Archives and records authorities and the state archives network”).
For comments and opinions on the project please email: ed@archives.gov.by.