Documentary exhibition «Notaries of Belarus: through the prism of time»

On April 8, 2024, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus opened the documentary exhibition «Notaries of Belarus: through the prism of time», which is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first congress of notaries of the enlarged Belarusian SSR, during which their general meeting took place.

The development of the history of modern notaries is closely connected with the history of the state. As part of the work to improve legislation in the new Soviet era, on April 10–11, 1924, the first congress of notaries of the enlarged Belarus was held, which was attended by the leadership of the People’s Commissariat of Justice headed by People’s Commissar A.Kh.Getner, members of the civil department of the Supreme Court, representatives of the notary department Vitebsk provincial court. The agenda included questions: about the tasks of the notary; reports from notary employees; issues of organizing and instructing notarial institutions, about the paperwork of notarial bodies, about contracts subject to execution and notarization, about contracts and supplies, about testamentary and deeds of gift; questions of notarial practice that raise doubts. As a result of the congress, resolutions were adopted on measures to improve further work, which determined the rules of work of Belarusian notaries for many years.

In the early 1920s. (in connection with the NEP policy and the adoption of new civil legislation) new state notaries appeared. Since its establishment, the Ministry of Justice has been managing the notary office.

In the 1960s, civil and procedural legislation changed significantly – on June 11, 1964, the new Civil Procedure Code of the BSSR was adopted. In this regard, in January 1967, a new Regulation on the state notary was approved, in which for the first time the tasks of the state notary were clearly established, the range of notarial actions performed was expanded and regulated in detail. The Regulations defined the requirements for persons applying for positions of state notaries, including the presence of a higher legal education.

The Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus dated November 26, 1992 provided for the organization of private notarial activities in the city of Minsk as an experiment, and since 1994 the experiment has spread to the territory of the entire republic.

Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated November 27, 2013 No.523 «On the organization of notarial activities in the Republic of Belarus» carried out a fundamental reform of the organization of notarial activities.

The National Archives of the Republic of Belarus presented at the exhibition unique documents from their funds: Minutes of the meetings of the First Congress of Notaries of Belarus, questionnaires of notaries who arrived at the congress, staff of notary institutions of the BSSR for the 1924 – 1925 budget year, impressions of corner stamps and mastic seals of notary offices of the People’s Commissariat of Justice of the BSSR, reports on the work of notary offices, certificates, mandates, Regulations on the notary department, the Law of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic on the State Notary and other documents.

The head of the department for the use of documents and information M.A.Starostenko introduced the exhibition to those present at the event.

Also, as part of the event, Deputy Director S.V.Kulinok presented the banner exhibition «Let’s Restore Belarus Together».

1. Head of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information M.A.Starostenko and Leading Archivist V.P.Garmatny introduce the exhibition to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus S.N.Khomenko and Deputy Minister of Justice N.M.Starovoitov

2. Head of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus S.N.Khomenko and Chairman of the Belarusian Notary Chamber N.V.Borisenko

3. Head of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition to the event participants

4. Head of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition to the event participants

5. Head of the Department for the Use of Documents and Information M.A.Starostenko introduces the exhibition to the event participants