On November 16, 2023, a meeting of the board of the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus was held

On November 16, 2023, a meeting of the board of the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the Department) was held.

Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus O.N.Kot took part in the work of the Department’s board.

At the meeting of the board the following issues were considered:

1. Advertisement financial resources from state archival institutions in the first half of 2023.
2. On the work to implement by republican archival institutions the Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus of March 11, 2004 No.1 «On measures to strengthen public safety and discipline».
3. On the work of the Department of Archives and Records Management and State Archives to implement administrative procedures in 2023.

On the first item on the agenda, First Deputy Director of the Department O.A.Ledovskaya made a report.

In her speech, O.A.Ledovskaya noted that the target indicators for the main areas of archival activity are being fulfilled in full.

Since the beginning of the year, state archival institutions have held 354 exhibitions (147% of the annual target), of which 220 exhibitions were held in the first half of the year.

240 exhibitions were organized at stands and showcases (144% of the annual target), of which 158 exhibitions were held in the first half of the year.

114 virtual exhibitions were prepared and posted (156% of the annual target), of which 62 in the first half of the year.

Among the high-profile exhibition projects of the second half of 2023 are the exhibition «Government House: History and Modernity», which was shown in the foyer of the Oval Hall of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly from October 31 to November 3, 2023, and the exhibition «Partisan Republic», exhibited in the Palace of the Republic as part of the solemn ceremony of presenting the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus «For Spiritual Revival»; exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus (Palace of the Republic); exhibition «History of the development of the electoral system in the Republic of Belarus» (Government House), etc.

During the reporting period, 11 collections of documents were published (122% of the annual target), of which 10 collections of documents were prepared by the republican archives.

Together with the Belarusian Telegraph Agency, the popular science publication «Archives. Nothing but the truth», prepared based on documents from the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus. On July 6, 2023, a republican presentation of the publication took place with the participation of representatives of government bodies. Currently, the publication has been transferred to all government bodies, local authorities, and state archives for presentation at special events.

On November 10, 2023, the presentation of the second volume of the collection of documents «Restoration of Agriculture in Belarus: 1946 – 1950» took place.

As part of the «Archives to School» campaign, 878 events were held.

The entire range of work to fulfill the instructions of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus was carried out in the following areas:

1. Strengthening the information and educational activities of state archival institutions.
2. Implementation of a project to create a chronicle of the modern Belarusian state using film, photo and audio materials reflecting every year of its history, starting with the creation of the BSSR.
3. Presentation on the Internet of information about military operations on the territory of the Republic of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War, information about the heroic resistance of the Belarusian people to the Nazi invaders.
4. Digitization of documents by state archival institutions, taking into account the significance of such documents for the history of the development of the Belarusian state and society.
5. Providing open access to digitized documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus.
6. Development of financial resources by state archival institutions as part of strengthening the material and technical base:
– 6.1. repurposing buildings for 5 state archives (State Archive of the Vitebsk Region, State Archive of the Gomel Region, State Archive of Public Associations of the Grodno Region, State Archive of the Mogilev Region, State Archive of Minsk);
– 6.2. modernization and major repairs of buildings of state archival institutions;
– 6.3. carrying out routine repairs of buildings of state archival institutions;
– 6.4. purchasing equipment for working with archival documents.

Co-reports on this issue were made by the director of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Audio Documents A.N.Gonchar, the deputy director of the Belarusian Research Center for Electronic Documentation A.A.Paplevka, and the director of the Zonal State Archive in Bobruisk E.D.Zayats.

Assessing the work of state archival institutions, the Director of the Department O.L.Voinov noted that the process of implementing the instructions of the Prime Minister is carried out within two directions – informational and educational and financial and economic.

The first direction is generally being implemented quite successfully.

In particular, the active use of social advertising videos created by BGAKFFD in the Mogilev region was noted. This process is not carried out sufficiently in Minsk.

O.L.Voinov was instructed to bring the videos created by BGAKFFD to the regions through the Department. Structural divisions for archives and records management in the regions should conduct a monthly analysis and report on the organization and conduct of demonstrations in public places of film documents within the framework of the «Open Film Archive» project. We brought this day closer as best we could». At the same time, the Department needs to build an effective system of monitoring the implementation of this order.

With regard to the development of the Internet site «Documentary Chronicle of Belarus», the head of the archival industry was tasked with formulating proposals for filling the site and developing a schedule for its filling by December 25, 2023. The basis should be based on information from the calendar of significant and memorable dates.

Based on the results of the report of the director of the State Administration in Bobruisk, O.L. Voinov, the task was set to prepare a plan for eliminating fire safety violations identified in the archive that had not been eliminated since 2021, and after its approval by the Department, approve it in the Main Department of Justice of the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee.

Deputy Minister of Justice O.N. Kot set the task, taking into account experience and funding levels for the next year, to introduce in those archival institutions where major repairs and construction are planned for a special position to ensure control of construction work.

On the second item on the agenda, the head of the department of organizational work, information and use of documents of the Department, G.S.Zholnerkevich, made a report.

In his speech, he noted that this year in all republican archival institutions (hereinafter referred to as RAU), in fulfillment of the requirements of the Action Plan of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus for the implementation of Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus of March 11, 2004 No.1 «On measures to strengthen public safety and discipline», approved by the Minister of Justice on August 25, 2022 No.59, in general, planned work is being carried out to ensure healthy and safe working conditions, fire safety, traffic safety and transport operation, the formation of law-abiding behavior, a healthy lifestyle, skills to ensure personal and property security of citizens.

In order to meet labor safety requirements, RAU held World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28, 2023 under the motto «A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work») and Zero Injury Week (April 26–29, 2023). ), as well as other measures aimed at strengthening public safety and discipline.

RAU annually conducts training on emergency evacuation of workers in the event of emergencies, including the use of extinguishing agents, and training by representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

In October 2023, at the RAU, as part of a single awareness day, meetings of workers on security issues were held with the designated topics «Concept of National Security of the Republic of Belarus» and «Social Security: Basic Principles and Priorities».

The speakers noted that, along with coordinated work to implement the provisions of Directive No.1, violations of labor discipline occur in certain RAUs.

Following the results of the speech, the director of the Department pointed out the need to analyze the work on the implementation of Directive No.1 also among regional archives.

O.L. Voinov noted that the analysis of the work of archival institutions in the light of the instructions of Directive No.1 should be based on more specific examples of their activities in this direction: the creation of special labor protection corners; carrying out routine repairs that specifically affect the increase in the level of safety of workers during the performance of their official duties.

Deputy Minister of Justice O.N. Kot drew attention to the fact that in the course of implementing the instructions set out in Directive No.1, it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of performance discipline and performance practice.

On the third item on the agenda, the head of the department of organizational work, information and use of documents of the Department, G.S.Zholnerkevich, made a report.

In his report, he noted that in January – October 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, the number of requests of a social and legal nature considered in state archives increased by 21.4%.

Requests come mainly from citizens of the Republic of Belarus, the share of incoming requests from foreign citizens is only 1.9%.

The vast majority of requests do not concern archival documents containing information related to the personal secrets of citizens (89.7%).

In the course of working with requests of a socio-legal nature, state archives made mainly administrative decisions on the implementation of administrative procedures (97.3%).

The speakers noted that the Department issued 140 apostilles during the specified period of time (106 in 2022). At the same time, since the end of October 2023, the number of applications from citizens for affixing an apostille on documents coming from state archives has sharply increased.

Participants in the meeting were informed that by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated September 4, 2023.

No.278 «On the procedure for issuing documents and performing actions» (came into force on September 7, 2023) significant changes were made to the procedure for carrying out the administrative procedure for affixing an apostille.

In particular, in order to further improve the procedure for implementing administrative procedures and optimizing the activities of diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Republic of Belarus, it has been established that an application for the implementation of administrative procedures is submitted to the authorized body by the interested person personally or through his representative on the basis of a power of attorney executed in the Republic of Belarus. Moreover, for the purposes of this Decree, an interested person is understood to be a citizen of the Republic of Belarus in respect of whom an administrative procedure is being carried out, a notarial act is being performed.

Separately, when implementing the administrative procedure for affixing an apostille, the intensity of the use of archival documents increases significantly, which should be reflected in the approaches when determining the strategy for their digitization.

Based on the results of G.S. Zholnerkevich’s speech, the Director of the Department, in connection with a significant increase in the number of incoming applications for apostille, instructed to develop a schedule for receiving these applications and issuing documents to citizens.

The director of the State Archive of the Minsk Region, Yu.S.Romashko, made a co-report on this issue.

Based on the results of consideration of all issues on the agenda of the board meeting, the director of the Department emphasized that the full utilization of financial resources by state archival institutions is one of the key issues in the development of the archival industry, and also pointed out the need to pay special attention to the state of performance discipline.

After the end of the work of the board, Deputy Minister of Justice O.N.Kot for active participation in the preparation and holding of the exhibition «Government House: History and Modernity (90th anniversary of the Government House)» presented awards of gratitude from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus to Deputy Director of the Department A.E.Tsvetkov, Director of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus A.K.Demyanuk and Director of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents A.N.Gonchar.

Director of the Department O.L.Voinov presented awards of gratitude for active participation in the preparation and holding of a professional meeting of the heads of archival services of Belarus and Russia Department to the director of the National Historical Archive of Belarus M.M.Glushakov and the director of the Belarusian Research Institute of Documentation and Archival Affairs A.E.Rybakov.