BSAMLI expands international cooperation

On October 8-10, 2025, Director of the Belarusian State Archives and Museum of Literature and Art (hereinafter referred to as BSAMLI) E.A.Makarenko took part in the seminar «Features of Working with Personal Collections and Documents of Participants in the Great Patriotic War and Residents of the Siege of Leningrad» held by the Organizational and Methodological Center of Archival Institutions of the Northwestern Federal District for Working with Personal Documents at the Central State Archives of Literature and Art of St.Petersburg (hereinafter referred to as TsGALI SPb) and the round table «Traditional Methods and Modern Approaches to Restoring Archival Documents from the Great Patriotic War» held at the Central State Archives of St.Petersburg (hereinafter referred to as TsGALI SPb) and the Laboratory for Preservation of Documents of State Archival Institutions of St. Petersburg (hereinafter referred to as LOSD GAU SPb).

The first day of the seminar was held at the New Archive Complex of St. Petersburg at 54 Zanevsky Prospekt. The second day was held at the Pavlovsk State Museum-Reserve, and the third day was held at the Leningrad Regional Archives and Museum Collections of the State Agrarian University of St.Petersburg and the Central State Archive of St.Petersburg.

The seminar featured thirty-eight presentations by specialists from archives, libraries, and museums, discussing the acquisition, scientific description, and use of personal collections and document collections of WWII veterans and residents of besieged Leningrad. Participants included representatives from the Republic of Belarus and twenty-seven regions of the Russian Federation.

In her presentation, «New Acquisitions of Documents on the History of the Great Patriotic War in the Collections of the Belarusian State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art», E.A.Makarenko described the current work on acquiring documents of literary and artistic figures who participated in the war at the archive-museum. A roundtable discussion held by the Leningrad Regional Archival Documentation Department of the St.Petersburg State Agrarian University focused on traditional methods of restoring archival documents from the Great Patriotic War and new approaches developed using modern tools and equipment.

During the event, participants were introduced to the facilities and equipment of the Central State Archives of Literature and Art (TsGALI), the Central State Archives (TsGAI), and the Leningrad Regional Archival Documentation Department of the St. Petersburg State Agrarian University. Particular attention was paid to prospects for collaboration in archival affairs, joint cultural and educational events, and the exchange of best practices in preserving and promoting documentary heritage.

The Belarusian State Archival Literature and Art Museum expresses its sincere gratitude to the management and staff of the Central State Archives of Literature and Art (TsGALI) and the Leningrad Regional Archival Documentation Department of the St.Petersburg State Agrarian University for organizing and conducting these events at a high professional level.

1. Participants of the Seminar «Working with Personal Archives and Document Collections of WWII Veterans and Residents of Siege of Leningrad»

2. During the speech by Acting Chairman of the St.Petersburg Archives Committee V.N.Nemina

3. During the speech by Director of the Central State Archives and Literature of St.Petersburg E.A.Mikhailova

4. During the speech by E.A.Makarenko at the Seminar

5. Center: E.A.Makarenko; left: Deputy Director of the Central State Archives and Literature of St.Petersburg B.A.Illarionov