«Living History» Instead of Gadgets: How Students from Maladzyechna Spent the End of Their School Break at the Archives

The final days of school break are a special time—a period some students choose to use productively by taking a step toward genuine historical discovery. This is exactly what a group of students from Secondary School No.9 in the city of Maladzyechna did. As part of the national «Archives for Schools» initiative, they visited the Zonal State Archive in Maladzyechna.

A guided tour was organized for the students. Beyond simply viewing the exhibition displays, they gained insight into the «inner workings» of the archive, learning about the functions of every single department. They discovered that an archive is far more than just shelves of documents; it is a living organism—a true research center where the work of preserving history unfolds every day.

The young visitors were particularly fascinated by the technical aspects of archival work. They were shown the meticulous process of restoring historical records and saw a demonstration of a specialized machine used for binding documents. The highlight of the tour, however, was the chance to handle and leaf through original, authentic documents—some of the oldest items in the archive’s collection.

The archivists also placed a special emphasis on multimedia. The students were shown recent issues of the «Archival Bulletin» and viewed documentary footage from the collections of the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Phonographic Documents. Seeing events from the past come to life on screen provided a vivid, tangible supplement to the guide’s narrative.

The students noted that such experiences are an excellent way to get into an academic mindset; they broaden one’s horizons and prove that history is not merely a collection of textbook chapters, but an engaging journey.

1–5. During the event.