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Anniversary Celebration for Vyacheslav Dmitrievich Selemenev

Published: October 08, 2026

On October 6, 2026, a gathering was held at the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as NARB) to mark the 80th birthday of the renowned Belarusian archivist, historian, and scholar Vyacheslav Dmitrievich Selemenev. Vyacheslav Dmitrievich served as the director of NARB for nearly three decades; he is a laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus and the author of over 100 documentary collections, monographs, reference books, and guides.

Colleagues, friends, and associates gathered on this day to offer their congratulations.

O.L.Voinov, Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the Department), addressed the honoree with congratulations. He highlighted V.D.Selemenev’s high level of professionalism, diligence, and personal qualities, and expressed gratitude for his extensive work in training young specialists for the archival profession. O.A.Ledovskaya, First Deputy Director of the Department, recalled joining the archival sector at the Central State Archive of the October Revolution (TsGAOR) — which was headed by the honoree at the time — and the warm, attentive welcome she received. She noted V.D.Selemenev’s outstanding personal and professional qualities, his openness, and his readiness to assist in resolving any issue.

V.F.Gigin — Director General of the National Library of Belarus, Deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, and Candidate of Historical Sciences — highlighted V.D.Selemenev’s significant contribution to the field of publishing through the preparation of numerous documentary editions covering various topics in the modern history of the Republic of Belarus. V.L.Lakiza, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor, noted the close cooperation between Belarusian archivists and Academy of Sciences scholars — a foundation laid by the honoree — and highlighted Vyacheslav Dmitrievich’s significant work regarding the criminal investigation into the genocide of the Belarusian people during the war. Prominent military historians A.M.Litvin, A.A.Krivorot, and V.N.Nadtachaev joined the Institute of History Director in offering their congratulations. The honoree was presented with a Certificate of Honor from the Institute of History of the NASB.

T.A.Yatskevich, a colleague and Head of the Partisan Movement Collections Department at the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, offered congratulations on behalf of the museum. She highlighted Vyacheslav Dmitrievich’s contribution to the study of wartime events and the close collaboration between the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus (NARB) and the museum.

A.N.Karlyukevich, Director of the «Belarus» publishing house and Chairman of the «Union of Writers of Belarus» public association, shared memories of working with V.D.Selemenev and presented him with a commemorative badge.

The Faculty of History at the Belarusian State University (BSU) was represented by M.F.Shumeiko, a longtime colleague of Vyacheslav Dmitrievich, Professor of the Department of Source Studies, and Candidate of Historical Sciences. He shared recollections of working with Vyacheslav Dmitrievich and spoke about his role in establishing the department.

S.E.Novikov, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor, offered his sincere congratulations and best wishes to V.D.Selemenev, speaking about their collaborative work on various publishing projects. Both former and current heads of archival institutions — A.K.Demyanyuk, A.V.Zapartyko, A.E.Rybakov, and E.A.Makarenko — came to congratulate the honoree. Each of them recalled many memorable and interesting moments from their shared work and time spent together.

The staff of the NARB Publications Department offered a creative tribute to V.D.Selemenev: a film about his life and career.

To conclude the evening, NARB Director E.A.Stukanova presented the honoree with a well-deserved award — the NARB Certificate of Honor — as well as a commemorative photo album prepared by the archivists.

The event took place in a warm and heartfelt atmosphere.