On January 30, 2025, an extended meeting of the Board of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus was held, at which the results of the work of the archival industry of the Republic of Belarus for 2024 were summed up and the tasks for 2025 were defined

The following took part in the work of the Board: Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus E.I.Kovalenko; Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus O.N.Kot; First Deputy Minister of Culture D.G.Shlyakhtin; Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization A.N.Ryabova; Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physics, Mathematics and Informatics of the NAS of Belarus, Doctor of Economics A.G.Shumilin; Head of the Department of Records Management and Protocol Work of the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus N.V.Shastilovskaya; Director of the Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus, Candidate of Historical Sciences V.L.Lakiza; Chief Advisor of the Department of Education and Social and Cultural Sphere of the Office of the Council of Ministers M.V.Leshkevich; Dean of the Faculty of History of BSU, Doctor of Historical Sciences A.G.Kokhanovsky; members of the board of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus; heads of structural divisions of the main justice departments of regional (Minsk City) executive committees supervising the archival sphere of activity; employees of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus; directors of republican archival institutions, regional and zonal state archives.

The board presented the exhibitions «The Partisan Republic», «30 Years of the Institute of the Presidency» and «The Archival Industry of Belarus at the Present Stage», as well as publishing projects of state archives in 2024.

The final report was made by the Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management O.L.Voinov, who dwelt in detail on the main results of the archival industry in 2024. O.L. Voinov noted that the work of state archival institutions was carried out within the framework of the following areas:

– staffing of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus, during which the state archives accepted 131,547 storage units, which amounted to 121.4 percent of the annual plan;

– digitization of documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus, during which the state archives created 1,980,181 electronic pages (15,131 storage units), which amounted to 107.2 percent of the annual plan;

– use of archival documents, during which the state archives held 405 exhibitions, which is 79 exhibitions more than in 2023. The main topics of the exhibition events are dedicated to: the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the 30th anniversary of the institution of the presidency, as well as the 85th anniversary of the reunification of Western Belarus with the BSSR.

In 2024, 23 books were published, which is 9 publishing projects more than in 2023. The main theme of the direction was the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belarus. A number of significant publishing projects were implemented: a fundamental illustrated collection of documents «Operation Bagration: partisans of the Belarusian land ..». under the auspices of the Library of the Union State; the series «Partisan Archive» was launched (2 editions); the series «Without Statute of Limitations. Belarus» was continued (2 collections of documents). The Director of the Department noted the significant place of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus in the publishing work of the industry.

The Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents created five documentaries for the anniversary dates: «Liberation», «Operation Bagration», «Partisan Republic», «Reunification» and «Chronicle of the Epoch».

The archival industry systematically works with young people. As part of the republican campaign «Archives for School», state archives held 1,538 events, which were attended by more than 22,000 schoolchildren and students.

For the second year in a row, the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents, together with the Russian public organization «Boomerang», with the support of the Department of Archives and Records Management, organized and held the Media Marathon for Teenagers «No Statute of Limitations: Unconquered» in Mogilev from November 12 to 14, 2024. The project is aimed at filling the media space with content that prevents the distortion of the history of our countries.

For the first time in December 2024, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus organized and held Children’s Partisan Readings.

In the reporting year, state archives intensified their work with the media. 466 articles were prepared for newspapers and magazines, which is 102 articles more compared to the same period in 2023.

As part of explanatory and preventive events, state archives held 174 seminars during the reporting period, including one national seminar, and provided more than 6.5 thousand consultations on the organization of office work and the work of organizational archives.

Voinov O.L. noted the active work to strengthen the material and technical base of state archival institutions: the introduction of new areas of archival storage facilities in Vitebsk, Gomel, the opening of an archive building in Grodno in January 2025, the completion of construction in Mogilev, as well as the construction of an archive in Minsk.

Deputy Director of the NARB E.A.Stukanova made a report «On the experience of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus in digitizing archival documents: status and prospects». The speech noted the importance of maximum intersection of the digitization process and thematic development of archival files, including when filling the Open Access System to documents of the National Archival Fund of the Republic of Belarus.

Director of the Zonal Archive of Molodechno I.Z.Pudakevich made a report «On the process of digital transformation in the Zonal State Archive of Molodechno». It presented the main achievements in the work of the archive on the implementation of the «artificial intelligence» system in information work, and also covered the work on promoting the unique media project «Archival Bulletin».

After the main report, the invited guests of honor addressed the participants of the extended meeting of the board: First Deputy Minister of Culture D.G.Shlyakhtin; Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization A.N.Ryabova; Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physics, Mathematics and Informatics of the NAS of Belarus, Doctor of Economics A.G.Shumilin; Head of the Office Management and Protocol Work Department of the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus N.V.Shastilovskaia; Director of the Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus, Candidate of Historical Sciences V.L.Lakiza.
D.G.Shlyakhtin noted the close interaction of the archival industry with museum institutions of our republic. He emphasized the importance of the work of archivists in preserving and enhancing the cultural heritage of Belarus.

A.N.Ryabova thanked the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Archives and Records Management for active interaction in various areas of informatization in the sphere of public administration and expressed confidence in further deepening of cooperation in this direction.

N.V.Shastilovskaya expressed wishes for further fruitful cooperation of the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus with the Department of Archives and Records Management in the framework of improving record keeping processes.

A.G.Shumilin noted the importance of the work of archivists in preserving the documentary heritage of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus and made proposals for cooperation in the framework of the digital transformation of the archival industry.

V.L.Lakiza thanked archivists for close and fruitful cooperation with scientists in preserving historical truth and memory. He noted the contribution of the industry to ensuring the humanitarian security of our state and expressed confidence in further cooperation.

The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus E.I.Kovalenko in his final speech noted that the material support of archivists has significantly improved and all conditions have been created for the successful completion of the five-year task of the State Program «Culture of Belarus».

E.I. Kovalenko expressed confidence that the archival industry will adequately provide information support for the anniversary year of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, and also emphasized the importance of continuing systematic work with young people.

In the second part of the work of the board, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus E.I.Kovalenko and the Director of the Department of Archives and Records Management O.L.Voinov presented awards to employees of state archival institutions and state archives.

According to the results of 2024, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus was the best among the republican state archives, among the regional state archives – the State Archives of the Vitebsk Region, among the zonal state archives – the Zonal State Archive in Molodechno.

1. At the stele «Minsk – Hero City»

2. Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus E.I.Kovalenko, Director of the Department O.L.Voinov will get acquainted with new publishing projects of state archives

3. Speech by Director of the Department O.L.Voinov

4. Speech by First Deputy Minister of Culture D.G.Shlyakhtin

5. Speech by Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physics, Mathematics and Informatics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus A.G.Shumilin

6. Speech by Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus V.L.Lakiza

7. Speech by the Head of the Office Management and Protocol Work Department of the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus N.V.Shastilovskaya

8. Speech by the Minister of Justice E.I.Kovalenko

9. Awarding of the First Deputy Director of the Department O.A.Ledovskaya

10. Presentation of the award to the best republican archive (NARB)

11. Presentation of the award to the best regional archive (SAVt)

12. Presentation of the award to the best zonal archive (ZSA in Molodechno)

13. Presentation of the badge «Honor Archivist of Belarus» to the Deputy Director of the Department A.E.Tsvetkov

14. Presentation of the badge «Honor Archivist of Belarus» to the Deputy Director of NARB E.A.Stukanova

15. Presentation of the Certificate of Honor of the Department of Archives and Records Management to the Director of BSAMLA E.A.Makarenko

16. Presentation of the Gratitude of the Department to the Director of ZSA in Krichev T.E.Ryskova