On September 11, 2026, the conference proceedings continued at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. That day, Olga Volkova moderated Section 2, titled «History of Mir Castle and the Region: Restoration and Museification of Historical Complexes, Monuments, and Artifacts», and presented a research paper titled «War and Mir: Pages from the History of the Front-Line Town of Mir During World War I».

1. Conference participants

2. A.Ch.Loiko, Director of the «Mir Castle Complex» Museum; V.L.Lakiza, Director of an Institute at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; and O.N.Popko, Director of the Center for the Study of Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature (NAS of Belarus) and Director of Mir Castle from 2012 to 2016

3. Leading Researcher O.V.Volkova presenting a commemorative gift to the Director of the «Mir Castle Complex» Museum

4. A commemorative gift and a congratulatory address from the staff of the National Historical Archive of Belarus

5. The conference in progress

6. During the tour of the museum exhibition

7. During the tour of the museum exhibition

8. During the tour of the museum exhibition

9. During the tour of the museum exhibition

10. During the tour of the museum exhibition

11. During the tour of the museum exhibition

12. During the tour of the museum exhibition

The events of September 1939 rectified the historical injustice of the Treaty of Riga, which had divided Belarus into Western and Eastern parts. The country’s territory regained its integrity and returned to the path of its centuries-old historical tradition. Conditions for building a new life were established in the liberated lands of Western Belarus. From that time on, national unity served as the foundation for further national and state development and progress.

To conclude the event, a film screening and lecture were held for the school staff, featuring the film «Independence Day: A Chronicle of Belarusian Statehood», produced by the Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents.

1–3. During the event

The exhibition offers a profound and metaphorical exploration of the Great Patriotic War through three key symbolic «chords» of the era: courage, unity, and victory. The project’s five conceptual sections—»Dissonance of June 22», «Requiem for Leningrad» (marking the 85th anniversary of the start of the Siege of Leningrad), «March to the Front Line», «Personal Symphony», and the artistic section «Dedication»—introduce visitors to the activities of the Belarusian State Conservatory and frontline performance brigades, as well as artistic depictions of musical heroism. Alongside materials from other leading cultural institutions, BGAMLI contributed documents from its holdings to the exhibition, enriching the historical record of the country’s musical life during the war years.

During the opening ceremony, BGAMLI Director E.A.Makarenko addressed the guests. She emphasized the enduring significance of musical art during times of great hardship and highlighted the rich documentary heritage of Belarusian composers, which is carefully preserved in the archive-museum’s collections. Elena Alexandrovna spoke about the unique archival collections of Belarusian composers Anatoly Bogatyrev, Vladimir Olovnikov, Genrikh Wagner, Yevgeny Tikotsky, Lev Abeliovich, and Nikolai Aladov. These documents serve as a reliable primary source for reconstructing the authentic history behind the creation of legendary musical works that led the people to Victory.

The «Symphony of Courage and Victory» project highlighted the effectiveness of the professional partnership between BGAMLI and the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, a collaboration aimed at preserving historical memory and promoting the musical heritage of the war years.

1. Address by BGAMLI Director E.A.Makarenko

2. BGAMLI staff visiting the «Symphony of Courage and Victory» exhibition

In her address, NARB Director E.A.Stukanova outlined the history of the archives and its key areas of activity, answered questions, and presented the delegation members with the archives’ publications.

The meeting participants toured the NARB reading room and viewed the document storage facilities. NARB Deputy Director S.V.Kulinok spoke about the wartime documents held in the archives’ collections. Additionally, a documentary exhibition was presented to the visiting archivists highlighting the participation of natives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in the partisan movement within the occupied territory of Belarus during the Great Patriotic War.

1. Presentation of the documentary exhibition dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War

2. Welcoming remarks by O.L.Voinov

3-4. Address by E.A.Stukanova

5-6. Delegation members at NARB

7-11. Visit to the document repository and viewing of documents related to the history of the partisan movement

«National Unity Day as a Factor of National Pride» was the theme selected for discussion during meetings between information and outreach groups and workforce collectives.

Yuri Shestopalov immersed the event participants in the historical context of the holiday, noting, among other things, that under the Peace of Riga—signed on March 18, 1921, without the participation of a Belarusian delegation—nearly half of Belarus’s territory, home to over 70% of the indigenous population, was ceded to Poland:

«The Belarusian nation was divided artificially and against its will. Neighbors, families, and relatives were separated by barbed wire and border cordons. But the most alarming aspect was that Western Belarusians found themselves on the verge of extinction—specifically as Belarusians, as a nation. Yet, the Polish authorities encountered the unyielding will of the Belarusians to pursue independent national and state-building efforts», the archive director noted.

«In 1939, when Western and Eastern Belarus were reunited following the Red Army’s campaign, and the multinational People’s Assembly of Western Belarus voted unanimously to establish Soviet power in the region and reunite with the BSSR, history once again demonstrated that only by standing shoulder to shoulder and through arduous, persistent labor can any challenge be overcome». Addressing the audience, Yuri Shestopalov emphasized that the proposal to establish National Unity Day was first voiced at the highest level in February 2021 during the 6th All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, held under the slogan «Unity. Development. Independence». By June 7, 2021, the new holiday had been added to the calendar by decree of Head of State Alexander Lukashenko.

«The citizens of our country have embraced the September 17th holiday—National Unity Day—with their hearts; for without preserving the historical memory of the sacrifices made, and without a sense of respect and love for the compatriots who gave their lives for us—for the sake of a united and indivisible Belarus—it is impossible for a strong nation-state to exist», Yuri Vasilyevich said in his concluding remarks.

As part of the event, college students were also shown a documentary titled «Reunification of the Belarusian People», prepared by the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents.

1. Address by Archive Director Yu.V.Shestopalov

2. Event participants

3. Participants watching documentary footage

Among the forum’s experts was Sergei Zharnosenko, an archaeographer (First Qualification Category) from the Zonal State Archive in Rechytsa. During the meeting, he shared his personal and professional perspectives on National Unity Day and discussed the significance of the events of 1939 for the Belarusian people.

1–2. During the «Let’s Talk Together» discussion forum

3. S.A.Zharnosenko, an archaeographer (First Qualification Category) at the Zonal State Archive in Rechytsa, speaks about his personal and professional views on National Unity Day

Lead Archivist T.V.Kekeleva guided the guests through current exhibition projects on display in the reading room: the documentary exhibition «Sincere Friendship» («Shchyrae syabroustva»), which reflects the history and depth of Belarusian-Uzbek literary and cultural ties; and the exhibition «Walking to Poetry…» («Idu da vershau peshshu..».), prepared to mark the anniversary of the prominent Belarusian poet Gennady Buravkin.

The guests showed particular professional interest in the history of theatrical art, which is carefully preserved within the walls of the archive-museum. Notably, BGAMLI serves as the primary repository for documents from Belarusian theatres. Its holdings contain unique materials directly linked to the development of opera and ballet in the country, including set design sketches, rare programs, playbills, and the personal archives of legendary stage figures.

This tour marked a continuation of the bilateral cooperation between BGAMLI and the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of preserving and promoting national cultural heritage.

1. T.V.Kekeleva conducts a tour for staff members of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.

2. During a tour of the reading room at BGAMLI.

The plenary session was attended by the heads of archival services from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the CIS Executive Committee and heads of archival institutions from the Republic of Belarus. The event was held in a hybrid format (combining in-person and remote participation).

The conference focused on the following key themes:

– legal regulation and scientific-methodological support for the preservation of archival documents;
– modern methods for maintaining temperature, humidity, lighting, and security conditions for storage;
– current techniques for the restoration of archival documents;
– digital transformation of archives and ensuring the preservation of electronic documents;
– specialized methods for preserving film, photographic, and audio records, as well as scientific and technical documentation;
– international cooperation in ensuring the preservation of documents within national archival holdings.

Conference participants unanimously noted the high level of organization, the relevance of the topics addressed, and the practical focus of the event. Delegations from CIS countries emphasized the importance of holding such meetings regularly and expressed their readiness for continued cooperation.

A collection of conference proceedings is planned for publication.

1. Group photo of conference participants

2. Welcoming remarks by O.L.Voinov, Director of the Department for Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus

3. During the conference proceedings

4. During the conference proceedings

During the event, the documentary film «Independence Day: Chronicles of Belarusian Statehood», produced by the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents, was screened.

1–2. Third-year History Education students from the P.M. Masherov Vitebsk State University watching the documentary film «Independence Day: Chronicles of Belarusian Statehood»