On the participation of the state archives of the Gomel region in the interregional (international) scientific and practical conference «The Great War – the Great Victory»

On September 5, 2025, the international scientific and practical conference «The Great War – the Great Victory» was held via videoconference between the institution «State Archives of the Gomel Region» and the Central State Archives of the Republic of Mordovia. Colleagues from Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, and in an online format, colleagues from Ulyanovsk, Yoshkar-Ola, Kirov and Ufa also took part in the conference. The conference was timed to coincide with a memorable date – the Day of the End of World War II. The topic of war is multifaceted and new facts from its history are discovered every year.

The participants of the event from the Belarusian side were: First Deputy Head of the Main Department of Justice of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee A.A.Gurzhiy, Senior Researcher of the State Archives of the Gomel Region M.V.Vaschenko, head of the department of the Zonal State Archive in Zhlobin O.N.Pavlyukova, leading archeographer of the Zonal State Archive in Rechitsa S.A.Zharnosenko, employees of the State Archive of Public Associations of the Gomel Region, the Zonal State Archive in Mozyr took part in the conference in absentia.

From the Russian side, the participants of the round table: representatives of the Ministry of Culture, National Policy and Archival Affairs of the Republic of Mordovia; representatives of the State Assembly of the Republic of Mordovia; scientists of the Research Institute of Humanities under the Government of the Republic of Mordovia, museum researchers and archivists.

The first deputy head of the Main Department of Justice of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee Andrei Anatolyevich Gurzhiy addressed the organizers and participants of the scientific and practical conference with a welcoming speech at the plenary session. Today’s conference is not only a tribute to the history that unites Russia and Belarus. It is an opportunity to understand historical facts, learn lessons and strengthen our common responsibility for preserving peace. In his speech, he particularly emphasized the role of archives in preserving the memory of the heroic deeds of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War.

The speech of the senior researcher of the State Archives of the Gomel Region, Maya Valentinovna Vashchenko, was devoted to the patriotic education of youth using the example of the heroism of compatriots – famous Gomel residents.

The report «We are proud and remember!», which was dedicated to the Hero of the Soviet Union Simon Kremer, showed the combat path of our famous compatriot. The work of the archive in the patriotic education of schoolchildren in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory is especially significant. The report was accompanied by a virtual exhibition of documents.

The conference was held at a high professional level, became a real event in the scientific and cultural life of our republic.

Based on the materials of the scientific and practical conference, a collection will be prepared in electronic form.

1. Scientific and practical conference «The Great War – the Great Victory»

2. Employees of the GAGO archive at the conference and A.A.Gurzhiy

3. Speech by the First Deputy Head of the Main Justice Department of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee A.A.Gurzhiy