«I Live Only by Your Letters»: Molodechno Archivists Present a Special Edition of «Archival Bulletin» for Mother’s Day

To mark Mother’s Day, celebrated on October 14, archivists from the Zonal State Archive in Molodechno prepared a special edition of the «Archival Bulletin» media project. The project is based on a single letter, with young researcher Milaniya Gorbach — a student at Molodechno Secondary School No.5 and a member of the «Otvaga» (Courage) military-patriotic club — serving as the connecting thread between eras. It was she who had the opportunity to touch history and share with viewers how a mother’s love and a son’s hope helped people endure the hardest of times.

«My beloved, dear mother! I am sending you word from a faraway land… I live only by your letters. Whenever I receive a letter from you, I read it over and over, and it feels as though I can see you…». These lines were written from the World War I front by Mikhail Lipsky, a soldier of the 152nd Vladikavkaz Infantry Regiment. To him, his mother was an invisible beacon—a guiding light and the ultimate reason to survive, hold fast, and return home.

On the yellowed sheet of paper, Mikhail had carefully inscribed not only his name but also the precise route for his mother’s reply. Today, this letter is preserved in the Molodechno Zonal State Archive as a priceless witness to the era and a reminder of just how important a mother is to every person.