Visit to the National Historical Archive of Belarus of the Pastor of the Lutheran Church in the Republic of Belarus V. V. Tatarnikov and Press Secretary of the Lutheran Church in the Republic of Belarus A. D. Ksenzova

On April 17, 2023, as part of the Year of Peace and Creation proclaimed in the Republic of Belarus, the National Historical Archive of Belarus was visited by pastor of the Lutheran Church in the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Vladimirovich Tatarnikov and press secretary of the Lutheran Church in the Republic of Belarus Alexandra Dmitrievna Ksenzova.

During the visit, Deputy Director of the NIA of Belarus Irina Kovganova told the guests about the history and funds of the institution, as well as about the specifics of its activities and main areas of work. Leading Researcher of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information Vladimir Denisov conducted a tour of the archives, where he presented a number of unique documents, as well as samples of sources (registers of birth, lists of parishioners) stored in the archive and used to study the genealogy of representatives of the Lutheran denominations living on the territory of Belarus. Then V. Denisov acquainted the distinguished guests with documents reflecting the life of the Lutheran community in the Belarusian lands in the 17th – early 20th centuries, special attention was paid to the functioning of the Lutheran community in Minsk, the construction of Lutheran places of worship.

It should be noted that for centuries Belarus has been a country where representatives of different peoples and confessions lived peacefully, all of them had opportunities for free development and creative work. This fact is confirmed by documents covering the life of the Lutheran community in Belarus.

As a result of the visit, the parties agreed on cooperation, which should contribute to interfaith dialogue and the consolidation of the Belarusian society, which becomes especially significant in the Year of Peace and Creation.