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»

Pictured: The staff of the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Grodno during the meeting.

An employee of the Zonal State Archive in Mozyr, Yulia Mikhailovna Suponenko, focused the children’s attention on why this day became an act of historical justice in relation to the Belarusian people.

During the event, the staff and students of the institution were presented with the documentary film «Reunion», prepared by the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo and Sound Documents.

1-2. During the event

3-5. While watching a documentary film

As part of the event, the National Archives of the Republic of Belarus (NARB) prepared a documentary exhibition dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States. This was a joint project involving NARB, the Belarusian State Archives of Scientific and Technical Documentation, and the Belarusian State Archives of Film, Photo, and Sound Documents.

The exhibition brought together unique historical documents offering a fresh perspective on the key stages of the Commonwealth’s formation and the architectural history of one of the Belarusian capital’s landmark buildings. Items on display included the Statement by Heads of State and the Agreement on the Commonwealth of Independent States; declarations and protocols documenting the birth of the new international organization in December 1991; rare design materials tracing the planning and construction of the CIS Executive Committee building at 17 Kirov Street; and unique photographs capturing official meetings and visits by heads of state.

M.A.Starostenko, a department head at NARB, presented the exhibition to I.V.Petrishenko, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS; E.I.Kovalenko, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus; and the participants of the meeting of the Consultative Council of Heads of State Archival Services of the CIS member states.

1. Poster for the documentary exhibition

2. Documentary exhibition dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States

3. M.A.Starostenko, Head of Department at NARB, introduces the exhibition to I.V.Petrishenko, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS, and E.I.Kovalenko, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus

4. Archival documents on display at the exhibition

Svetlana Igorevna Lavrentyeva, Head of the Department for Document Preservation, Registration, Reference Systems, Use, and Publication at the Zonal State Archive in Baranovichi, participated in the Republic of Belarus Open Half-Marathon Championship (Minsk Half-Marathon), completing the 21.097 km course.

1.S.I.Lavrentyeva at the finish line after completing the 21.097 km distance

2.S.I.Lavrentyeva