On the Roundtable Discussion «Connecting Times: From the History of the Formation of the Gomel Provincial Militia» Held at the State Archives of the Gomel Region

On February 12, 2026, in the lead-up to the national holiday «Defender of the Fatherland Day», the State Archives of the Gomel Region hosted a roundtable discussion titled «Connecting Times: From the History of the Formation of the Gomel Provincial Militia» for employees of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. Participants in the event included Archive Director Yuri Shestopalov, Deputy Archive Director Zoya Aleksandrovich, Senior Researcher Maya Vashchenko, and invited guests—employees of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Kreich, Tatyana Budai, Sergei Shulyar, Andrei Nazarov, Elena Borisenko, and Andrei Mikhed.

The topic of discussion was the history of the formation of the young Soviet state in the 1920s, specifically the role of the workers’ and peasants’ militia in the fight against banditry in the Gomel region. Senior researcher Maya Vashchenko spoke about the history of the provincial militia’s fight against banditry and the measures taken to restore order under difficult conditions in the early years of Soviet power. She presented archival documents on the post-war events of the Russo-Polish War of 1920. The documents include information about the White Poles’ military campaign against Mozyr and Rechitsa, which was successfully repelled by detachments of the Gomel Provincial Militia, part of the 1st Fortress Regiment of the Red Army. Archive Director Yuri Shestopalov told the guests about the Bulak-Bulakhovich gang, which undermined the development of the young Soviet Republic, and the damage caused by various gangs.

Ministry of Internal Affairs employees were introduced to documents from the Great Patriotic War—files from the archival collection «Collection of Filtration Files and Captured Documents on Former Prisoners of War and Repatriated Soviet Citizens». Information about Soviet citizens deported to Germany for slave labor, as well as photographs and documents issued by German authorities, aroused genuine interest.

The roundtable participants emphasized the importance of using historical heritage in the form of archival documents in training young police officers.

A tour of the archive was organized for Ministry of Internal Affairs employees.

1. Archive Director Yu. Shestopalov and Senior Researcher M. Vashchenko during the roundtable.

2. Ministry of Internal Affairs employees reviewing archival documents.

3-4. Archival documents of the Gomel Provincial Police.

5. Roundtable participants at the State Archives of the Gomel Region.