The Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry held an extended board meeting
On 25 January 2018 the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Justice Ministry of the Republic of Belarus held an extended board meeting to review the results of state archival institutions in Belarus in 2017 and to set up the objectives for 2018.
Attending the meeting were First Deputy Minister for Justice S. Zadiran, heads and deputy heads of the main justice boards at the regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee, heads of the structural divisions for archives and records management, directors of the state archival institutions, members of the Department for Archives and Records Management. In all, 67 people attended the meeting.
Mr. V. Kourash, Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management delivered a report. Directors of the state archival institutions and regional representatives participated in the debates.
In 2017 the state archives participated in the implementation of the “Archives of Belarus” Sub-Program as part of the “Culture of Belarus” State Program for 2016-2020. Much attention was paid to strengthening the material and technical basis of state archival institutions, introducing modern information technologies, improving the level of customer services provided to persons and institutions, social protection of citizens etc.
As on 1 January 2018 the state archives hold 48 151 fonds of 12 829 050 paper storage units; 42 930 film records; 262 958 photographic records; 20 579 sound records; 5 750 video records; 13 electronic fonds of 700 electronic records; 771 museum items. Particularly important and valuable records make up about 2,5 percent of the total.
The database of the Republic of Belarus National Archival Fonds Catalogue presently includes information on 59 576 archival fonds.
As part of the State Program for Digital Economy and Information Society in 2016-2020, work has started to modernize the Information System to receive from government institutions electronic records of the National Archival Holdings for permanent preservation at the archives.
In accordance with the Presidential Edict of 4 April 2013 No. 157, electronic recordkeeping systems were introduced into operation in the republic-level archival institutions in 2017 and their interaction provided with the State Archives Inter-Agency Recordkeeping System.
In 2017 the state archives organized 97 exhibitions (including online) and released 14 publications: 12 books of documents, one directory and one jubilee edition.
The state archives have executed 21 249 social and legal inquiries, 20 316 biographical inquiries and 289 genealogical inquiries.
