«Time Speaks Here» – on the 85th Anniversary of the Founding of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents (BSAFPSD)

March 29, 2026, marks the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Central State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents (now the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents). Its inception was marked by Resolution No.723 of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR «On Approving the Regulations on the State Archive Fund and the Network of State Archives of the USSR» of March 29, 1941. However, the Great Patriotic War significantly altered the actual operations of our archive. It was not until November 16, 1943, that Resolution No.172 of the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR approved the structure and staffing schedule of the BSAFPD of the NKVD of the BSSR, which included five people.

Today, the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents (BSAFPSD) is a unique institution in the archival sector of the Republic of Belarus, serving as a repository of audiovisual history. Chronologically, the archive’s documents can be divided into the following groups: the 1860s to 1922, the interwar period (1922-1941), the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), documents from the second half of the 20th century (1946-1990), and documents from the period of the formation and development of the sovereign Republic of Belarus. Some of the audiovisual documents stored in the archive’s collections reflect the history of the BSAKFFD and the entire archival sector of the republic.

A promotional video for the exhibition «Here Time Speaks» has been posted on the BSAFPSD YouTube channel to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the archive’s founding. The archive’s staff is constantly working to collect and preserve film, photo, and audio documents for a wide audience, as well as to promote them through exhibitions, television and radio programs, social media, the YouTube channel, and the BGAKFFD website.

The BGAKFFD management expresses its deep gratitude to the archive’s staff and veterans for their work. We sincerely wish you creative inspiration, professionalism, good health, family well-being, and happiness. May your work bring you joy and satisfaction! We wish you new professional victories, the achievement of your goals, and the successful implementation of all your plans. Thank you for your dedication!

1. Archive #0-061181. Deputy Director of the BSSR TsGAKFFD Yu.A.Kapitsa and Junior Researcher S.M.Potapova viewing a film strip with newsreel materials, October 25, 1966, Minsk, BelTA Photo Chronicle, P.Novatorov

2. 0-061186. Director of the BSSR TsGAKFFD I.S.Lukeliev and Senior Researcher L.N.Yankovskaya preparing a photo collection dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Soviet power, October 26, 1966, Minsk. BelTA Photo Chronicle, P.Novatorov

3. 0-070238. Employees of the TsGAKFFD of the BSSR during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR on the reorganization and centralization of archival affairs, June 1968, Minsk, TsGAKFFD of the BSSR

4. 0-092996. The building of the TsGAKFFD of the BSSR at 78 Storozhevskaya Street in Minsk, October 1974, Minsk, TsGAKFFD of the BSSR, V.Ivanov

5. 0-107260. Director of the TsGAKFFD of the BSSR V.A.Voynov and construction engineer D.M.Grubin discussing the construction plan for the new archive building, 1978, Minsk, TsGAKFFD of the BSSR, V.Ivanov

6. 0-125435. View of the construction site of the TsGAKFFD BSSR building in Dzerzhinsk, 1981-1982, Minsk Region, Collector I.Shabalinsky

7. 1-007402. Senior custodian of the Department for the Preservation of Documents and Collections of the TsGAKFFD BSSR, T.A.Tishkova, determining the stability of the nitro base of film documents, 1983, Minsk, TsGAKFFD BSSR, I.Poluchankina

8. 0-125146. Head of the Main Archival Administration under the Council of Ministers of the BSSR V.V.Lashkevich and Director of the TsGAKFFD BSSR S.I.Murmylo cut the red ribbon during the ceremonial opening of the new archive building in Dzerzhinsk, February 20, 1987, Minsk Region, TsGAKFFD BSSR, I.Goncharuk

9. 1-010520. Head of the Sound Document Preservation Laboratory of the TsGAKFFD BSSR V.V.Varenik in the laboratory, 1987, Minsk Region, TsGAKFFD BSSR, I.Goncharuk

10. 1-010654. Photographers of the Laboratory for the Preservation of Photographic Documents of the BSSR TsGAKFFD in Dzerzhinsk, N.Vashkevich and I.Poluchankina, at work, 1987, Minsk Region, TsGAKFFD BSSR, I.Goncharuk

11. 0-147122. Head of the Laboratory for the Preservation of Audio and Video Documents of the BSSR TsGAKFFD A.S.Tyukhai at work, November 1999, Minsk Region, BSSR TsGAKFFD, A.Mayevsky

12. 0-147143. Meeting of members of the BSSR EPMC, November 1999, Minsk Region, BSSR TsGAKFFD, A.Mayevsky

13. 0-147125. Employees of the Automated Information Retrieval Systems (AIRS) Department of the Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation at work, November 1999, Minsk Region, BGAKFFD, A.Mayevsky

14. 0-147123. Head of the Photographic Document Preservation Laboratory of the Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation P.N.Kravchuk (right), senior foremen of the restoration section for archival photo documents with fading text G.N.Dubatovka and I.N.Lapkovskaya at work, November 1999, Minsk Region, BGAKFFD, A.Mayevsky

15. 0-158620. Head of the Department of Information, Publication, and Scientific Use of Documents at the Belarusian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents (BSAKFPD), T.L.Rakhmanko, introduces the photo exhibition «Images of War» to the Academic Secretary of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus, Candidate of Historical Sciences, E.I.Baranovsky, organized by the archive jointly with the European Humanities University. During the international seminar «War and Captivity», held at the International Educational Center of Minsk, May 7, 2004, Minsk, BGAKFFD, A.Maevsky.

16. E044667. During a visit to the BGAKFFD by employees of the Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents (RGAKFD), Deputy Director for Organizational Issues and Public Relations at the RGAKFD, R.M.Moiseyeva, hands over the two-volume work «The Great War of 1914-1918» to the Director of the BGAKFFD, V.V.Balandin. «Film and Photo Chronicle», December 10, 2015, Minsk Region, Collector G.Dubatovka

17. E079464. Head of the Technical Control Department of the Belarusian State Archives of Film and Television (BSAF) Zh.P.Meleshkevich (1st from the right) conducts a tour for part-time students of the History Department of the Belarusian State University; at the desk is T.D.Shishko, archivist of the Technical Control Department of the Belarusian State Archives of Film and Television, June 21, 2016, Minsk Region, BAF, G.Dubatovka

18. E079060. Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of the BSSR R.G.Garetsky and Head of the Department for the Formation of the National Archival Fund of the Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation L.V.Dubatovka (right) during the transfer of documents deposited as a result of the creative work of R.G.Garetsky for permanent storage at the Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation; in the center: R.G.Garetsky’s wife, G.G.Garetskaya, April 12, 2017, Minsk, Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation, G.Dubatovka

19. E070278. Employees of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and Sciences during a tour held as part of the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and Sciences at the Minsk City Hall. From left to right: leading archivist of the technical control department I.V.Karachun, archivist of the technical control department P.A.Rudaya, head of the technical control department Zh.P.Meleshkevich, archivist of the 1st qualification category of the organizational and personnel work department S.V.Mesha, head of the document restoration laboratory G.A.Burkovich, head of the department for ensuring the safety of documents and funds L.V.Kopat, leading archivist of the department of state registration and scientific reference apparatus O.N.Murashkina, head of the department for the formation of the National Archival Fund L.V.Dubatovka, archivist of the 2nd qualification category of the department for ensuring the safety of documents and funds S.N.Adashkevich, leading archivist of the technical control department T.V.Arinovich, chief custodian of funds A.K.Kot, leading archivist of the department of state registration and scientific reference apparatus I.N.Lapkovskaya, head of sector Digitization of audio and video documents by A.S.Tyukhai, Leading Archivist of the Document and Information Use Department E.I.Tretyak, Leading Archivist of the State Accounting and Scientific Reference Apparatus Department K.A.Lozhechnik, April 20, 2021, Minsk, BGAKFFD, G.Dubatovka

20. E078978. BGAKFFD employees (left to right): Leading Archivist of the Document and Information Use Department M.V.Garelik, Head of the Archive Storage of the Document and Collections Preservation Department T.P.Novikova, Deputy Director E.M.Grinevich at the BGAKFFD exhibit presented at the XXXII International Agricultural Exhibition «Belagro-2022», held at the Exhibition Center of the China-Belarus Industrial Park «Great Stone», June 7, 2022, Minsk, BGAKFFD

21. E078903. BGAKFFD employees (left to right): Leading Archivist of the Document and Information Use Department A.S.Khachatryan, Head of the Archival Storage of the Document and Collections Preservation Department T.P.Novikova, Chief Custodian of Collections A.K.Kot at the BGAKFFD exhibition pavilion at the Slavic Bazaar 2022 International Festival in Vitebsk, July 14, 2022, Vitebsk, BGAKFFD

22. E078988. Leading archivist of the State Records and Scientific Reference Apparatus Department of the Belarusian State Archives of Cultural Property (BSAPF) O.F.Chernenko during a tour for 7th-grade students of the Dzerzhinsk Gymnasium in the BSAPF reading room, organized as part of events marking the Year of Historical Memory, Knowledge Day, and the «Archives for School» campaign, September 1, 2022, Minsk Region, BSAPF.

23. E088599. BSAPF Director A.N.Gonchar (left) and BSAPF Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus V.L.Lakiza, PhD in History, after signing a cooperation agreement during a working meeting at the BSAPF, April 6, 2023, Minsk Region, BSAPF, G.Dubatovka.

24. E092192. During the international film marathon «Boomerang», held as part of the «No Statute of Limitations: Unconquered» project in Minsk at the State Educational Institution «Minsk Secondary School No.224», organized by the Belarusian State Academy of Film and Television Arts (BSAFTA) with the support of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus and the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus; filming is being conducted by A.S.Tyukhai (left), Head of the Document Digitization Department of the Belarusian State Academy of Film and Television Arts (BSAFTA), November 11, 2023, Minsk, Belarusian State Academy of Film and Television Arts (BSAFTA), G.Dubatovka.

25. Unspecified No.Director of the Belarusian State Archives of the Russian Federation (BSAKFFD) A.N.Gonchar and leading archivists-restorers of the laboratory for the restoration of archival documents M.A.Shmaliy (left) and P.L.Makhnach in the archive’s exhibition pavilion during the celebration of Victory Day in Dzerzhinsk, May 9, 2025, Minsk region, BGAKFFD, N.Trukhanovich