Joint meeting of the boards of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and the Federal Archival Agency

On October 15, 2024, a joint meeting of the boards of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and the Federal Archival Agency, as well as a professional meeting of archivists from Russia and Belarus on the topic «Experience in creating a scientific reference apparatus for archival documents using modern information technologies» were held in Veliky Novgorod.

The following took part in the events from the Belarusian side:

Voinov Oleg Leonidovich – Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus

Kochetkova Anna Vladimirovna – Deputy Head of the Department of Records Management, Formation and Preservation of the NAF of the Department;

Gonchar Andrei Nikolaevich – Director of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents;

Demyanuk Andrei Konstantinovich – Director of the National Archive of the Republic of Belarus;

Glushakov Mikhail Mikhailovich – Director of the National Historical Archives of Belarus;

Shabrov Denis Valentinovich – Director of the Belarusian Research Center for Electronic Documentation;

Rybakov Andrei Evgenievich – Director of the Belarusian Research Institute of Documentation and Archival Affairs;

Gorkavy Boris Nikolaevich – Director of the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus;

Pudakevich Inna Zenonovna – Director of the Zonal State Archives in Molodechno.

The following took part in the events from the Russian side:

Yurasov Andrei Viktorovich – State Secretary – Deputy Head of the Federal Archival Agency;

Rogovaya Larisa Aleksandrovna – Director of the State Archives of the Russian Federation

Tyurina Elena Aleksandrovna – Director of the Russian State Archive of Economics;

Shtukova Svetlana Viktorovna – Director of the Russian State Historical Archive;

Kung Pavel Alekseevich – Director of the All-Russian Research Institute of Document Science and Archival Affairs;

Osekina Marina Igorevna – employee of the Federal Archival Agency;

Paderin Eduard Arkadyevich – Head of the Archival Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;

Panteleychuk Maria Nikolaevna – Chairman of the Archival Committee of the Novgorod Region.

Savchenko Andrey Vladimirovich – Head of the Archival Administration of the Leningrad Region

In accordance with the agenda of the board meeting on the issue «On the experience of digitizing documents in the federal archives of the Russian Federation and the state archives of the Republic of Belarus», Deputy Head of the Department of Records Management, Formation and Preservation of the NAF of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus A.V.Kochetkova and Director of the Russian State Historical Archive S.V.Shtukova spoke.

The boards noted that in recent years, both states have been paying increased attention to this area of archival work. Its importance is evidenced, in particular, by the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation dated 10.02.2022 No.Pr-290 on organizing the digitization of documents of the Archival Fund of the Russian Federation and other archival documents, including those located in the state archives of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and municipal archives, including using artificial intelligence technologies. In the Republic of Belarus, work to increase the pace of digital copying of archival documents and the acquisition of scanning equipment is carried out as part of the implementation of the instructions of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus dated 05.08.2022 No.05/28pr. The Boards of the Federal Archival Agency and the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus decided: to consider the task of digitizing documents and presenting the results on the Internet through state information systems relevant; to recognize that before digitizing archival documents, it is necessary to digitize the scientific reference apparatus; to exchange experience between archivists of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus as part of the creation of archival information content.

The heads of the delegations – Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management O.L.Voinov and State Secretary – Deputy Head of the Federal Archival Agency A.V.Yurasov:

– summed up the results of the implementation in 2024 of the activities envisaged by the Joint Action Plan of the Federal Archival Agency and the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus for 2023-2025, and discussed the joint action plan for 2025;

– decided on the need to finalize the draft Regulations and Rules.

As part of the joint board, a meeting was held between Deputy Governor of the Novgorod Region Ilya Sergeevich Malenko with Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus Oleg Leonidovich Voinov and State Secretary – Deputy Head of the Federal Archival Agency Andrei Viktorovich Yurasov.

The members of the delegation were given a tour of the building of the Scientific and Technical Center «Intellectual Electronics – Valdai».

Representatives of archival institutions of both countries discussed issues of theoretical and practical importance.

During the professional meeting of archivists from Russia and Belarus on the topic of «Experience in creating a scientific reference apparatus for archival documents using modern information technologies», the following reports were heard:

Gonchar A.N. on the topic of «Experience of the BGAKFFD in creating and developing a scientific reference apparatus and a system of state registration of film, photo and sound documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus»;

Shabrov D.V. «Scientific reference apparatus in the System of open access to documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus»;

Pudakevich I.Z. «Information technologies for creating a scientific reference apparatus and using archival documents on the example of the Zonal State Archive in Molodechno»;

Kung P.A. «Development of a scientific reference apparatus in archival institutions of the Russian Federation in the context of digitalization»;

Savchenko A.V. «Using modern computer technologies (technical capabilities) in creating and using a scientific reference apparatus for archival documents in the information system «Archives of the Leningrad Region»;

Panteleychuk M.N. «Creating a scientific reference apparatus using new information technologies in the state archives of the Novgorod Region».

The report by Rogova L.A. «New technologies in information retrieval systems of the state archive of the Russian Federation» aroused great interest among the participants.

All speakers noted the importance of work on the development of a scientific reference apparatus and the introduction of information technologies.

In addition, representatives of the delegations visited the new building of the State Archives of the Novgorod Region. The area of the building, which opened in 2023, is more than 11 thousand square meters. In addition to 8 storage facilities, the archive territory includes a reading room, a library, a conference room, a microfilming and document restoration laboratory.

1-2. Participants of the next meeting of the heads of archival services and state archives of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation

3. Interview with the Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus O.L.Voinov

4. Speech by the Deputy Head of the Department of Records Management, Formation and Preservation of the NAF of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus A.V.Kochetkova

5. Speech by the Director of the Russian State Historical Archive S.V.Shtukova

6. Participants of the meeting in the State Archive of the Novgorod Region