Congratulations from the Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus O.L. Voinov on the 60th anniversary of the creation of the system of zonal state archives

November 11, 2023 in our country marks 60 years since the creation of the system of zonal state archives.

The changes that took place back in 1963 represented a whole complex of serious transformations in the domestic archival industry.

According to the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR dated November 11, 1963 «On measures to improve archival affairs in the BSSR», city and district state archives were abolished. On their basis, branches of regional state archives were created in the cities of Baranovichi, Bobruisk, Borisov, Glubokoe, Zhlobin, Kobrin, Krichev, Lida, Mozyr, Novogrudok, Orsha, Rechitsa, Polotsk and Slutsk. Additionally, this decree ordered the consolidation of state archives of the regions and their branches in the cities of Molodechno and Pinsk at the expense of regional state archives.

Later, in accordance with the Regulations on the state archives of the regions of the Byelorussian SSR and their branches, approved by the head of the Archival Department under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR on January 12, 1965, the status of the newly created archives and their composition was determined. They were classified as research institutions that were under the direct control of the archival departments of the executive committees of the regional Soviets of Working People’s Deputies.

Branches of state archives in the regions received the status of directly zonal state archives in accordance with Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated September 20, 1996 No.373 «On approval of the Regulations on the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus, as well as the network of state archival institutions».

The network of zonal state archives is officially established by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated March 20, 2012 No.243 «On approval of the system of state archival institutions of the Republic of Belarus».

The creation of a network of state archives, which have their own specific service areas, made it possible to solve one of the most important problems in the field of archival science: to concentrate, if possible, as much as possible in a single point a group of documents related by territorial basis.

The current anniversary is also memorable for the six regional archives, since for the period after 1945 they also perform the functions of zonal archives.

Today, the zonal state archives of the Republic of Belarus contain 3,446,122 archival files, which is about 30% of the total number in the state archives.

Every year, zonal state archives fulfill about 20 thousand requests, organize over 30 traditional and more than 40 virtual exhibitions, welcome about 700 users in reading rooms,

On this day, I would like to sincerely congratulate the management, all employees of the zonal state archives, as well as their colleagues from the regional state archives on the 60th anniversary of the creation of a system of regional archival institutions.

I wish all archivists good health and success in their professional activities.

Special thanks and congratulations to the veterans who stood at the origins of the creation of zonal state archives and laid the foundations of the archival heritage of the regions.

May peace, goodness and prosperity always live in your life, in the lives of your family, loved ones and friends.
 
 

11.11.2023