The National Archives of the Republic of Belarus presented a documentary exhibition, «At the Origins of Planning: The Historical Legacy of the Ministry of Economy», dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus

On June 16, 2026, on the eve of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, the opening of a documentary exhibition of archival documents, «At the Origins of Planning: The Historical Legacy of the Ministry of Economy», was held. The agency, which traces its history back to the State Planning Commission (Gosplan) of the BSSR, has served for over a century as the main strategic and analytical center determining the economic development vector of the Belarusian state.

The exhibition is dedicated to the Soviet period of the agency’s formation and clearly demonstrates how the foundation for the country’s major economic achievements was laid.

A unique array of retrospective information on the history of the Belarusian economy is concentrated in the collections of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus. These include excerpts from the minutes of the meeting of the ECOSO of Belarus; Reports to the People’s Commissariat of Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection of the USSR on the scope and content of the work of the Trade and Industrial Section of the Gosplan of Belarus; employee IDs, employment contracts, and staffing tables of the Gosplan of the SSSR; the Regulation on the State Planning Commission of the BSSR, minutes of meetings of the Presidium of the Gosplan of the BSSR; work plans of the Interdepartmental Council on Economic Science under the Gosplan of the BSSR; the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the governments of other countries on the principles of trade and economic cooperation; draft agendas of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia; and other documents reflecting key milestones in the history of the planning and economic bodies of Belarus.

Wartime documents occupy a special place in the exhibition. Poignant archival materials tell the story of the employees of the Gosplan of the BSSR, who traded pencils and calculators for weapons during the Great Patriotic War. Personal files, combat records, and reports testify to their courage and significant contribution to the partisan movement and underground struggle in the occupied territory of Belarus. Minister of Economy of the Republic of Belarus Y.Chebotar and Director of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus A.Demyanyuk addressed the exhibition participants with welcoming remarks. M.Starostenko led a tour and introduced employees of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus to archival documents.

1. Exhibition of archival documents at the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus

2. Welcoming remarks by Minister of Economy of the Republic of Belarus Yury Chebotar and Director of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Demyanyuk

3. Presentation of publications from the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus to the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Belarus

4-5. Head of Department of the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus M. Starostenko introduces Minister of Economy Yury Chebotar to archival documents

6-9. Employees of the Ministry of Economy view the exhibition of archival documents