BGAKFFD Photo Exhibition for Teachers’ Day

«Teaching is a profession of far-reaching impact,
The most important one on Earth!»
R.Rozhdestvensky

In the USSR, Teachers’ Day was officially established by a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 29, 1965, and was celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Following the attainment of independence, the celebration of Teachers’ Day on the first Sunday of October was officially enshrined in Belarus by Presidential Decree No.157 of March 26, 1998, «On State Holidays, Observances, and Memorable Dates in the Republic of Belarus».

A promotional video for the exhibition «Teaching is a profession of far-reaching impact, the most important one on Earth!» has been posted on the BGAKFFD YouTube channel in honor of Teachers’ Day.

The holdings of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents (BGAKFFD) currently contain a vast array of audiovisual documents related to school education.

Pre-war photographic records include views of «gymnasium» and rural school buildings, photographs of «gymnasium» students and peasant children near educational institutions, and portraits of teachers.

Post-war and contemporary photographs capture all aspects of school life: the reconstruction of schools after the Great Patriotic War; classroom lessons, extracurricular activities, and competitions; teachers’ meetings; the opening of new schools; and much more.

The archive’s film collection houses newsreels such as «Savetskaya Belarus» (Soviet Belarus), «Piyaner Belarusi» (Pioneer of Belarus), and «Navuka i Tekhnika» (Science and Technology), as well as documentaries including «Our School – Our Home» (1960), «People’s Teacher of the USSR O.S.Avramenko» (1985), and «Hello, School!» (2010), and the television program «Karani» (Roots)…». The Music Teacher» (2011), «Reboot: Is «Teacher» a Title to Be Proud Of?» (2015), and «Science Mania: School» (2018), as well as the weekly news programs «Contours» and «The Week», which feature segments dedicated to various aspects of school life.

The archive’s audio collection holds recordings of prominent Belarusians sharing memories of their school days and teachers, alongside radio programs such as «Romantics», «Musicians Speak», «Memories of Childhood», and «Towards the Dawn», all of which cover topics related to school life.

People describe true educators as «teachers by the grace of God». These words embody appreciation for their work, respect, gratitude, and admiration.

1. Arch. No.A49-234 Photo album of World War I participant G.A.Lukovnikov. Graduates of the Class of 1913 from the Mogilev Men’s Gymnasium (named after Emperor Alexander I the Blessed). 2nd from the left in the front row: German teacher F.F.Fibikh; 5th from the left in the back row: G.A.Lukovnikov 1913, Mogilev. Collector: M.Lukovnikova.

2. Arch. No.E052071 Pupils, teachers, and a priest outside the primary school building in the village of Kupisk, Novogrudok County 1930s, Novogrudok Voivodeship. Photographer: S. Sovko. Collector: G.Dubatovk.

3. Arch. No.0-019256 Schoolchildren from the village of Studenki returning from school with their teacher, O.M.Mateychuk 1940, Minsk Region. Central State Archive of Film and Photo Documents (TsGAKFD) of the USSR.

4. Arch. No.0-001624 Honored Teacher of the BSSR E.M.Veselitskaya conducting a lesson in class 6B at Belarusian Secondary School No.1 in Brest September 2, 1950, Brest. BelTA Photo Chronicle; photographer: V.German.

5. Arch. No.0-037847 N.T.Shaburov, an 80-year-old primary school teacher from the Novotukhi 7-year school in the Dubrovno District, during an excursion along the banks of the Dnieper River with schoolchildren May 11, 1954; Vitebsk Region; BelTA Photo Chronicle; S.Kapelko.

6. Arch. No.0-030700: At a rehearsal of a string orchestra composed of teachers from a secondary school in the Oshmyany District February 23, 1957; Molodechno Region; BelTA Photo Chronicle; A.Gorelchik.

7. Arch. No.0-020996: V.A.Doroshuk, a biology teacher at the Dolbnevo 7-year school in the Vysokoye District, collecting plant samples for the biology classroom with a group of young naturalists September 14, 1959; Brest Region; BelTA Photo Chronicle; V.German.

8. Arch. No.0-048954: Physics teachers L.G.Astapenko (from Liskovo Secondary School) and V.M.Maslichenko (from Budo-Koshelevo Secondary School) assembling vacuum-tube radio receivers during a training course organized by the Gomel Institute for Teacher Advancement July 9, 1960; Gomel; BelTA Photo Chronicle; F.Romanov.

9. Arch. No.0-049468: Inside the hall during the Congress of Teachers of the BSSR, held at the State Order of Lenin Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the BSSR August 1960; Minsk; Photo archive of the «Pioner Belorussii» newspaper editorial office; V.Vekhotko.

10. Arch. No.0-056399 A.E.Koroleva, Chairperson of the Board of the Bobruisk Teachers’ House (3rd from left), with board members discussing the long-term work plan December 12, 1964; Mogilev Region; BelTA Photo Chronicle; N.Zheludovich.

11. Arch. No.0-084166 Young participants of the radio sports club at the children’s center of Housing Management Office No.29 in Minsk—students of Secondary School No.114 Oleg Smirnov, Misha Koryakin, Volodya Pikulik, and Oleg Yaroshevich—along with their teacher M.I.Kalmaeva, go on the air March 26, 1969; Minsk; BelTA Photo Chronicle; I.Zmitrovich.

12. Arch. No.0-102754 A.P.Alshakova, a Russian language and literature teacher at the boarding facility of Ostrovo Secondary School (Lyakhovichi District), helps students with their homework February 9, 1972; Brest Region; «Nastauunitskaya Gazeta» (Teachers’ Newspaper) photo archive; P.Nikitin.

13. Arch. No.0-109774 M.K. Ravenkov, a physics and manual arts teacher at Shchedrin Secondary School (Zhlobin District), conducts a lesson in the metalworking workshop 1977; Gomel Region; «Nastauunitskaya Gazeta» (Teachers’ Newspaper) photo archive; Yu.Zakharov.

14. Arch. No.0-114853 Piano teacher L.A. Korenevskaya (Secondary School No.1, Vitebsk) during an individual lesson with 6th-grade student L.Vladimirova February 14, 1979, Vitebsk; «Nastavnicheskaya Gazeta» photo archive; A.Sosinovsky

15. Arch. No.0-127279 Industrial arts teacher and club leader G.R.Khorovets (Zhemchuzhny Secondary School, Baranovichi District) during a class 1988, Brest Region; «Nastavnicheskaya Gazeta» photo archive; A.Sosinovsky

16. Arch. No.0-147955 E.P.Yakhont, teacher of Belarusian language and literature and founder of the museum dedicated to Belarusian poet V.Tavlay (Secondary School No.4, Baranovichi), conducting a tour of the museum June 1992, Brest Region; BelTA photo chronicle; V.Mezhevich

17. Arch. No.0-163223 P.A.Shakel, a teacher at the Braslav Gymnasium, during a lesson with student O.Kardel in the computer lab February 1997, Vitebsk Region; BelTA photo chronicle; E.Kozyulya

18. Arch. No.E024229 T.Omovskaya, a primary school teacher at Danilovichi Secondary School (Dyatlovo District), with first-grade students September 1, 2003, Grodno Region; BelTA photo chronicle; N.Ablozhey

19. Arch. No.E003011 Finalists of the «Teacher of the Year 2004» contest; among them: mathematics teacher Dmitry Gennadyevich Matskevich (1st from left), Onoshki Secondary School Principal P.V.Yalkovich (2nd from left), mathematics teacher A.I.Redko (3rd from left), computer science teacher and contest winner I.V.Yakimenko (4th from left), history teacher Z.E.Vinogradova (6th from left), and industrial arts teacher V.V.Guzov (3rd from right) receiving badges of distinction and cash awards from the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus January 2005, Minsk; photo archive of the «Respublika» newspaper editorial office, V.Strelkovsky.

20. Arch. No.E007069 E.Vartseva, a music teacher at Boarding School No.5 for orphans and children left without parental care in Minsk, conducting a lesson in class 7A May 2005, Minsk; photo archive of the «Minsky Kuryer» newspaper; V.Zamirovsky

21. Arch. No.E039110 I.Kudelko, a physical education teacher at Secondary School No.25 in Minsk (a school with integrated education), conducting a class in the gymnasium December 2012, Minsk; photo archive of the «Minsky Kuryer» newspaper; T.Khamitsevich

22. Arch. No.E043667 L.I.Tymanovich-Eremeeva, a speech therapist and graduate of the Maxim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University, conducting a speech development session with a child named Elizaveta at the Minsk City Center for Medical Rehabilitation of Children with Neuropsychiatric Disorders August 2015, Minsk; photo archive of the «Meditsinsky Vestnik» newspaper; A.Nikolaev

23. Arch. No.E073886 A.M.Markevich (left), Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus and Inspector for the Brest Region, presents a Certificate from the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus to M.M.Makoed, a physics teacher at the A.S.Pushkin Lyceum No.1 in Brest, during a ceremony marking Teachers’ Day at the Brest Youth Creativity Center October 1, 2020 (Brest; photo archive of the «Zarya» newspaper; photo by A.Shulgach).