The most interesting archival institutions in the world. General history of archives and leading archives of modern times

Political Archive – German Foreign Office

The project documents reflect the events of the eve and beginning of World War II. Internet project “1939. From “pacification” to war” is a logical continuation of the virtual project “Before and after Munich. Archival documents tell the story. To the 80th anniversary of the “Munich Agreement”, opened in 2018.
The complex of archival documents allows us to illuminate in sufficient detail the causes of the world conflict of 1939–1945, understand the logic of the actions of the Soviet leadership on the eve of the war and understand why in 1939 it was not possible to create an anti-Hitler coalition with the participation of the USSR, prevent the outbreak of World War II and save Polish statehood.
The chronological scope of the Internet project covers the period from March to September 1939. The first milestone date is March 1939 (this month Czechoslovakia was liquidated as a sovereign state, the Munich agreements were broken by Berlin, after which the political crisis that immediately preceded the German attack on Poland broke out). The second milestone date is September 1939 (this month the Polish Republic ceased to exist, abandoned to its fate by the Western allies).

Federal Archival Agency

State Archive of the Russian Federation



Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents
Russian State Archive of Phonological Documents
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History

Archive of the President of the Russian Federation
Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire
State Council of the Republic of Crimea
State Archives of the Republic of Crimea
Central Museum of Tavrida
Hall of Fame and History of the Federal Security Service of Russia

As part of a unique Internet project, an extensive corpus of archival documents has been published, covering a significant chronological period: from the baptism of Prince Vladimir in ancient Chersonesos to the admission of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation in March 2014. About a thousand presented documentary evidence reflects the special role that Crimea played in the historical destinies of Russia.
The presented documents and electronic images of museum exhibits tell about ancient Taurida and Korsun - the cradle of Orthodoxy in Eastern Europe, about the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between the Moscow State and the Crimean Khanate since the 15th century, about the fate of Crimea at the crossroads of big politics in the 17th-18th centuries. The history of the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire in 1783, the economic and urban development of the peninsula in the 18th–19th centuries, and the creation of the base of the Black Sea Fleet - Sevastopol are reflected in detail. The key stages of the Crimean War (1853–1856) and the heroic defense of Sevastopol are shown. The materials of the Internet project also tell about the events of the Civil War, the establishment of Soviet power and the creation of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the first constitution of which (1921) secured the entry of Crimea into the RSFSR with the rights of autonomy.
The fate of Crimea during the Great Patriotic War and in the first post-war years is introduced through photographic documents, decisions of the State Defense Committee of the USSR, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, and military councils of armies. Documents from party and government bodies, including those recently declassified, highlight the circumstances of the deportation of Tatars, Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians, Germans, Italians in 1944, as well as the process of their rehabilitation and return. The exhibition includes historical documents on the political and administrative affiliation of Crimea in the post-war period: the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 30, 1945 on the transformation of the republic into the Crimean region within the RSFSR, as well as the decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR on the separation of Sevastopol into a separate administrative and economic region center (1948) and the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the transfer of the Crimean region from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR (1954).
The period of the late XX - early XXI centuries. is presented by archival documents, leaflets, photographs, testifying to the self-determination of Crimeans, which ended with the entry of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol into the Russian Federation, the return of the Crimean peninsula to its native harbor.

Federal Archival Agency
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History
State Archive of the Russian Federation
Russian State Historical Archive
Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents

State Historical Museum-Reserve "Gorki Leninskie"
State Museum and Exhibition Center "ROSIZO"
State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia
Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

The virtual exhibition continues the series of exhibitions within the framework of the historical and documentary series “Leaders of the Soviet Era.”
The exhibition is an online version of the historical and documentary exhibition “Lenin”, which opened on September 28, 2017 in the Exhibition Hall of the Federal Archives in Moscow.
Based on the most important documents and memorial objects published for the first time, the main stages of the life and socio-political activities of V.I. Lenin. The historical and documentary basis of the exhibition consists of documents from the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History and other federal state archives and museums.
The exhibition features more than 490 documents, photographs of memorials and museum objects (more than 1,400 electronic images). Chronologically, the exhibition covers the period of V.I.’s life. Lenin (April 10 (22), 1870 – January 21, 1924), also includes individual documents from 1924–1926.

Federal Archival Agency
Russian State Military Archive
State Archive of the Russian Federation
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History
Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents
Russian State Archive of Economics
Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation
Archive of the President of the Russian Federation
Archive of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service

The exhibition project is an online version of the historical and documentary exhibition “Munich-38. On the threshold of catastrophe,” which opened in the Exhibition Hall of the Federal Archives in Moscow on September 19, 2018.
As part of the project, more than 480 documents from the Archive Fund of the Russian Federation (over 2 thousand electronic images) are presented to the general public, which reflect the dramatic events of 1937–1939, which became the prologue of the Second World War. More than half of the archival materials are published for the first time. The exhibition includes captured documents that were identified in the funds of foreign origin of the Russian State Military Archive.
The organizers of the Internet project were the Federal Archival Agency and the Russian State Military Archive. The electronic exhibition includes documents from the collections of Russian state and departmental archives: RGVA, GA RF, RGASPI, RGACFD, RGAE, as well as the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, the Archive of the President of the Russian Federation and the Archive of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

Federal Archival Agency
Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts

The documents presented in the electronic publication make it possible to reconstruct the history of Hetman Mazepa’s betrayal. They date back to the summer of 1708 – autumn of 1709. The collection includes correspondence from Count G.I. Golovkina with I.S. Mazepa, correspondence of Russian military leaders dedicated to the participation of the hetman and Zaporozhye Cossacks in military operations on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine, reports of Mazepa’s contacts with supporters of the Polish king S. Leshchinsky, an ally of Sweden, documents about the hetman’s treason, the rite of anathematization, diplomatic correspondence regarding the extradition it from Bendery and other sources.
The presented documents are stored in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts and were previously published in the collection “The Battle of Poltava on June 27, 1709: Documents and Materials” (M.: ROSSPEN, 2011).

Federal Archival Agency
State Archive of the Russian Federation
Russian State Archive of the Navy
Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts
Russian State Archive of Literature and Art
Russian State Archive of Contemporary History
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History
Russian State Archive of Economics
Russian State Military Archive
Russian State Military Historical Archive
Russian State Historical Archive
Archive of the President of the Russian Federation
Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation IDD MFA of Russia
State Historical Museum
Russian State Library
Russian National Library

The exhibition project “100 Rarities of Russian Statehood” is an online version of the historical and documentary exhibition, which took place in March 2018 at the Moscow State Exhibition Hall “New Manege”.
The project presents more than 2,400 electronic images of one hundred most valuable documents - evidence of the centuries-old history of Russia. These rarities are stored in the funds of the federal archives - GA RF, RGADA, RGAVMF, RGALI, RGANI, RGASPI, RGAE, RGVA, RGVIA, RGIA, as well as the Archive of the President of the Russian Federation, the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation of the Historical and Documentary Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian State Library, Russian National Library. Most of the exhibits are included in the State Register of Unique Documents. Some documents are not just important historical sources, but also relics of high memorial, artistic, and spiritual value. The exhibition is structured chronologically and covers an almost thousand-year period - from the 11th to the 21st centuries.

Federal Archival Agency
Russian Historical Society (RIS)
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (RGASPI)
State Archive of the Russian Federation (GA RF)
Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents (RGAKFD)
Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (RGALI)
Russian State Archive of Phono Documents (RGAFD)
Russian State Archive in Samara (RGA in Samara)
Russian State Military Archive (RGVA)
Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (CA MO RF)
Scientific archive of the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (NA IRI RAS)
Rodimtsev family archive
Rokossovsky family archive

The virtual historical and documentary exhibition was prepared in accordance with the Plan of main events for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi troops by Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 6, 2017 No. 1174-r). In total, the Internet exhibition presents 14 sections, including more than 450 documents; including 444 paper-based documents and photographic documents (1,748 images), 17 sound documents (total listening duration - 1 hour 25 minutes 9 seconds), 1 film document (duration - 22 minutes 8 seconds).
The Internet project makes it possible to get acquainted not only with the course of hostilities, but also with the activities of state, political, military authorities, as well as public organizations. The exhibition presents archival materials related to both the battle itself and the events immediately preceding the Battle of Stalingrad. In addition, the virtual exhibition includes documents dedicated to mine clearance, restoration of public utilities, architecture and life of the city on the Volga. The exhibition also includes literary works about the Battle of Stalingrad, audio recordings and transcripts of the memories of its participants, made in 1943-1979.
The exhibition includes documents from the State Defense Committee (GKO) of the USSR, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, documents from the personal funds of I.V. Stalin, G.M. Malenkova, V.M. Molotova, N.S. Khrushchev and others. For the first time, documents of the Stalingrad City Defense Committee, created in accordance with the decree of the State Defense Committee of the USSR dated October 22, 1941, are published in digital format. Materials for the exhibition were provided by the RF Civil Aviation, RGASPI, RGALI, RGA in Samara, RGACFD, RGAFD, RGVA, as well as Central Asia Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Scientific archive of the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, family archives of the Rodimtsevs and Rokossovskys.

Federal Archival Agency
Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation
State Archive of the Russian Federation
Russian State Archive of Contemporary History
Russian State Archive of Economics
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History
Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents
Russian State Archive in Samara
Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation
Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Applied Mathematics named after. M.V. Keldysh Russian Academy of Sciences
State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after. K.E. Tsiolkovsky

Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA)
Main Archival Department of the City of Moscow (GAU Moscow)
Central State Archives of Moscow (TsGA Moscow)
Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire of the Historical and Documentary Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (AVPRI)
GIKMZ "Moscow Kremlin"
State Historical Museum (GIM)
State Museum of the History of Religion (GMIR)
Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. Andrey Rublev (CMIAR)
Institute of Russian Athos
Private collector V.V. Selivanova

The Internet project is an Internet version of the historical and documentary exhibition “Rus and Athos. To the 1000th anniversary of the presence of Russian monks on the Holy Mountain,” which took place from September 21 to October 23, 2016 in the museum gallery of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The Internet project presents 437 documents and museum objects (1552 electronic images of documents and photographs of museum objects) from the funds of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Historical Archive, the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire of the Historical and Documentary Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation, Central State Archives of the City of Moscow, State Historical Museum, State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Moscow Kremlin", State Museum of the History of Religion, Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev, Library of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, Library of the Pavlovsk St. George Monastery, from private collection of V.V. Selivanova. The project presents 27 modern audio recordings of Athonite prayers with a total duration of 3 hours 9 minutes. 21 seconds recorded during a pilgrimage trip to Athos Fr. Dimitri.

The Internet project is an online version of the historical and documentary exhibition dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding historian and writer, held from March 24 to June 29, 2016 in the Exhibition Hall of the Federal Archives (St. Petersburg).
The Internet project presents 229 documents (993 electronic images) from the collections of the Russian State Historical Archive, the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the Russian State Military Historical Archive, the Russian State Archive of the Navy, the Russian State Archive of Literature and art, Central State Archives of Moscow, Central State Historical Archives of St. Petersburg, State Archives of the Ulyanovsk Region.

Imagine that you need to prepare an interesting presentation or need to write a report for a seminar about the latest achievements in science and technology. Perhaps you have a desire to read ancient manuscripts? In any case, you will contact the library.

Here, the long-term funds contain not only books, manuscripts, but also various paintings, microfilms, transparencies, audio and video cassettes. Various electronic media are also becoming more widespread.

The largest libraries in the world are located in the USA. However, it’s nice to know that Ukraine also has something to be proud of! The largest libraries in the world are presented to your attention. Despite the development of e-books, hundreds and thousands of visitors come to these book temples every day.

Library of Congress, Washington, USA. Over the course of its two-hundred-year history, one of the largest libraries in the world suffered two devastating fires, but each time it was restored, and the remains of the library collection were replenished. A total of 740 books and only three geographical maps of America - this is the entire original collection of the Library of Congress.

Today, the US National Library contains a huge collection of 33.5 million books, photographs, maps, manuscripts and records in more than 460 languages. The library building is one of the oldest government institutions in the United States. The Citadel of Knowledge is a complex of three very large buildings. Like a castle, the largest library in the world is difficult to explore on your own in one day.

Apparently, this is why visitors are offered free walking tours of the library. In just one hour you can learn a lot of interesting things about the history of the building and the work of the National Library. Moreover, there is also a store where you can find various books, gifts and souvenirs.

Harvard University Library, Cambridge, USA. Today, the Harvard University library consists of many structural units. In total, there are more than eighty centers of various directions. These are libraries from Yale research centers, colleges, and museums such as the Loeb Music Library or the Oak James Orchid Library. The collections of these libraries are formed in accordance with the profile of each division. But still, the library is united - it is led by only one director. It is he who controls all services that work on common projects for all local centers.

In total, the library collection includes more than 16 million printed publications. In addition to specialized literature, the library contains many ancient manuscripts. This collection includes several million items. Numerous European publications of the 16th-17th centuries are also collected there. However, access to the library is strictly limited. Are you not a Harvard student or university staff member? Nothing, because you still have the opportunity to work with the library archive. How? It's simple - via the Internet.

Boston Public Library, Boston, USA. Boston is a paradise for students. It is here that the most extensive library network is located. There are only two buildings assigned to the central library. However, there are more than 25 branches. Every year the library hosts on average 50 different programs and hosts about 150 exhibitions. In this way, the library gives the public the opportunity to view books and documents that would normally only be available for scholarly research.

The Boston Public Library is one of the largest public libraries in the United States. Above the main entrance there is a sign: “Free for all.” This library was the first where it was allowed to borrow books and other materials from home. The institution contains more than 15 million volumes. In 1986, the library building was designated a National Historic Landmark, one of America's finest examples of neo-Renaissance architecture. Inside the building there are beautiful frescoes, collections of rare books and manuscripts, maps and engravings. The library can also please with its developed infrastructure, represented by a restaurant and cafe, a quiet courtyard, and several conveniently and accessible Wi-Fi points.

British Library, London, UK. The British Library emerged from the merger of the British Museum library and a number of lesser collections in 1972. Since the time of King George II, it has held legal deposit rights to all books published within the UK. The library's collection includes more than 150 million items, including 310 thousand volumes of manuscripts, 60 million patents, more than 4 million maps, over 260 thousand journal titles, etc.

Every year, about 3 million new items are added to the archives of the world's largest library. The entire stock requires more than 625 kilometers of shelves, with an increase of 12 kilometers per year. The total area of ​​the library is more than 112 thousand square meters. The building has 14 floors, 5 of which are underground. The British Library serves business and industry, researchers, academics and students in the UK and around the world. More than 16,000 people visit the library every day, many of them access materials using the Internet.

Yale University Library, New Haven, USA. Yale University Library is one of the leading libraries in the world. It conducts various research, replenishes and stores its funds and, of course, provides access to unique sources of human thought and creativity. This institution supports teaching and research at Yale University as well as the scientific community around the world.

A distinctive feature of the library is its large volume of resources. We are talking about approximately 13 million volumes, ranging from ancient papyri to electronic databases. The library occupies 22 premises and has a large staff - over 600 employees. The pride of the university library is the Yale Center for British Art, which presents a collection of various paintings, sculptures, drawings, and rare books. It is also home to the Yale Collection of Babylonian Art, one of the five largest in the world.

New York Public Library, New York, USA. The New York Public Library was founded in 1884. Today it includes 87 divisions (including 77 district branches). Four scientific libraries do not allow lending books and materials at home. Subscription distribution is carried out at four other main centers. Among the departments there is also a library for people with disabilities.

Today the New York Library is one of the most extensive libraries in the world. It serves more than 16 million readers every year. Access to library collections is free for everyone. In total, the New York Public Library archives contain more than 50 million items. Over 20 million are books, and the remaining 30 million are audio recordings, maps, paintings and drawings, films and newspaper clippings in dozens of languages. About 44.5 million items of the library collection are in the main collection and 8.7 million in branches. Every day the archives are replenished with 10 thousand new titles.

Interesting fact: The New York Public Library maintains a special unit - the library police. The tasks of special patrol officers include maintaining order and ensuring security. Moreover, these individuals are authorized to arrest violators. But, at the same time, some library branches use the services of various security agencies to ensure proper security.

National Library named after Vernadsky, Kyiv, Ukraine. The Vernadsky National Library is the main scientific and information center of Ukraine. It was founded in 1918. During those quiet years, the country found an opportunity to think about data collection and preservation. The library collections here amount to more than 15 million items. The library's information resources are used by about 500 thousand readers a year. Also, up to 5 million documents are issued annually for personal use.

The establishment has a large staff of more than 900 employees. The National Library carries out book exchange with similar organizations in 80 countries and with 1.5 thousand scientific institutions. The local archives contain the largest collection of Slavic writing and Jewish folklore. This is a unique collection. Since 1964, at the initiative of the UN, the National Library has been the custodian of UN documents and materials in Ukraine in Russian and English.

Deutsche Bibliothek, Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Germany. The National Library of Germany is the central archive and national center for the study of writing in that country. It appeared as a result of the merger of the libraries of Frankfurt and Leipzig, once central in Western and Eastern Germany. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the largest German book archives also merged with the music archive in Berlin.

The main task of the unique library is to collect, process and store various documentation and publications in German from all over the world. Processing of the accumulated archives began in 1913. The library contains local publications, foreign articles about Germany, translations of German works, as well as works by emigrants who left the country, dating from the period 1933-1945. Currently, all three library branches hold more than 24 million items (Leipzig - 14.3 million, Frankfurt am Main - 8.3 million and Berlin - 1.5 million).

Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Library and Archives Canada collects and preserves Canada's cultural heritage. We are talking about texts, images related to the history, culture and politics of the country. Various materials come to the library and archive from government agencies, private donors, and also through the legal deposit system. The director of an institution is far from the last person for his country. He holds the rank of Deputy Minister and holds the title of Librarian and Archivist of Canada.

The library and archive contains about 350 thousand works of art. Including 16th-century paintings, drawings, 21.3 million photographs and over 71 thousand hours of full-length and short films since 1897. Moreover, the library collection contains an electronic database of over 3.18 million megabytes and the largest collection of Canadian folk music.

National Library of China, Beijing. The National Library of China has many statuses, among them - Scientific Library, National Bibliographic Center, National Network Center for Library, Information and Science and Technology Libraries and Development Center.

The library covers an area of ​​about 170 thousand square meters and has not only the largest collection of Chinese books in the world, but also the largest collection of foreign language materials in the country. Its collection includes more than 270 thousand volumes of rare books, as well as 1.6 million volumes of ancient books and manuscripts, 35 thousand parts of manuscripts and bones with writing.

Today the library occupies three buildings. The main building was built in 1987. The oldest building was built in 1931; it was previously the main building of the library. Today there is a rare book depository here. The third building opened in 2008, located north of the main building. It can accommodate up to 8 thousand visitors at the same time. The library is open to the public all year round, and through the Internet, library resources are available 24 hours a day.

ARCHIVE ARCHIVE (Latin archivum, from Greek archeion - public place), an institution or part of it that stores documents; a set of documents formed as a result of the activities of institutions, enterprises and individuals. Modern large archives typically contain more than 1.5 million items. The largest archives in the world are the National Archives in Paris; National Archives and Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress in Washington; in Russia - Russian State Historical Archive in St. Petersburg, Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts in Moscow, etc.

Modern encyclopedia. 2000 .

See what “ARCHIVE” is in other dictionaries:

- (lat. archivum). A place where completed cases are stored in a public place. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ARCHIVE lat. archivum. A storage place for completed cases of a public office... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

ARCHIVE. A. is called, firstly, an institution whose responsibility is to store documentary sources, secondly, a premises in which documents are stored, and thirdly, the collections of sources (collections of archival materials). The last one is accepted... ... Literary encyclopedia

ARCHIVE, archive, husband. (Latin: archivum). 1. An institution for storing old documents and written monuments. Archive of Foreign Affairs. Military historical archive. Work in archives. 2. Department of the institution where old documents, books, completed ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

archive- a, m. archives pl., German. Archiv, lat. archivum. 1. An institution engaged in the storage, systematization and description of written and graphic monuments of the past. BAS 2. 4 of them secretaries will be the guardians of the Archives... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

Archive.. Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. archive card index Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary

- (archive) Storage of documents, magnetic disks and tapes containing rarely required information. Many computer users have their own archives, consisting of copies of disks or tapes containing the necessary information. When… … Dictionary of business terms

In computer science, an organized set of information arrays or programs stored for a long time on external machine-readable media in order to ensure the possibility of their further use. In English: Archive See also: Archive... ... Financial Dictionary

archive- [V.A. Semenov. English-Russian dictionary of relay protection] archive In automated control systems, a set of arrays or files that ensure storage and constant availability of all information necessary for normal... ... Technical Translator's Guide

Archive- (from gr. archeion public place, institution; lat. archivum; eng. archive, Record Office, registry) 1) a set of documents, photographs, correspondence, manuscripts, files related to the activities of any organization or citizen.… … Encyclopedia of Law

- (Latin archivum from the Greek archeion public place),..1) an institution or part of it that stores documents2)] A set of documents formed as a result of the activities of institutions, enterprises and individuals ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Archive, Ilya Shtemler. “In still waters there are devils,” says the proverb... Is it possible to imagine a more “quiet” institution than an archive? But the proverb is true! This is about this, hidden from prying eyes, life of the archive and...

ARCHIVES [from the Greek αρχε?α, literally - superior (records), that is, official documents; Late Latin Archium, Archivum - archive], 1) a set of archival documents formed as a result of the activities of institutions, organizations, enterprises, as well as individuals; 2) institutions or structural divisions of organizations or departments that receive, store and process documents for the purpose of their further use; 3) information systems, which are organizationally ordered sets of archival funds, collections, documents, created and used information technologies, scientific reference apparatus, databases and data banks. At the beginning of the 21st century, archives are considered as an important element of the social and cultural memory of society, necessary for the self-identification of an individual and a nation.

Archives abroad. In Ancient Rome, the terms “ararium”, “tabularium”, etc. were used to designate the place where documents were stored. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476), the word “archive”, which was briefly used during the time of Emperor Justinian I in Byzantium, was forgotten. In Europe in the 10th-15th centuries, the following terms were used to designate the place where old documents were stored: “scriptorium”, “chartularium” (repository of charters) and so on. The term “archive” reasserted itself on the eve of modern times. In the German language, the word “Archiv” (singular) was fixed, in French - “archives” (preserving the Latin root, reproduced the Greek plural), denoting both documents and the premises and institution where they were stored.

At the first stage of development of archives, their main function was the storage of books and documents. The appearance of the first clay “cuneiform” archives coincides with the emergence of writing at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. In all the ancient centers of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, scientists have excavated archives containing the most valuable letters and documents. In Ancient Greece (Metroon in Athens) and in Ancient Rome (Erarium or Tabularium in Rome), archives were more administrative in nature than in the Ancient East. Archives of institutions (censors, city councils, etc.) were formed. Archives of governors and military garrisons were compiled locally. Temple (priestly) archives continued to play a major role. Private archives of traders, moneylenders, landowners, writers, and scientists became widespread. In both Greece and Rome, archival documents began to be used in writing historical works. For the first time, attempts to concentrate knowledge recorded in writing were made in large repositories: the Library of Alexandria, the Pergamon and Antioch libraries. The archives continued to remain closely connected with the treasury, the office, and museum and library materials, without becoming independent institutions. In the middle of the 1st millennium AD, the archives of the Christian Church were born (Vatican Archives, or Archives of the Popes, 4th century; archives of the monasteries, 6th century). Rich book and archival collections were concentrated in the scriptoria of the monasteries (Montecassino, Farfa, Bobbio, Saint-Germain, St. Gallen, etc.).

The first attempt to restore “Roman traditions” in the early Middle Ages belonged to Emperor Charles I the Great, who organized an office and a palace archive at his court. From the 10th-11th centuries, feudal lords, as their economic, political and military power strengthened, created their own offices. In Byzantium, legislative, administrative and foreign policy documentation was assigned to the imperial office, and financial and fiscal documentation was assigned to central and local institutions (the governors in the provinces). At different periods there were archives at higher educational institutions: the University of Constantinople, the Higher Patriarchal School, the Higher Law School, the Higher School of the Holy Apostles, etc. A variety of documentation was deposited in church archives, among which the repository of the Patriarchate of Constantinople played an important role. Archival work was also developed in the Caliphate. At the beginning of the 9th century, there was a huge library in Baghdad, in which scientists from the “House of Wisdom” worked at the court of Caliph al-Mamun. Even more handwritten books (up to 400 thousand volumes) were kept in the library-archive of Caliph Hakam II (2nd half of the 10th century).

During the period of mature feudalism (12-13 centuries), with its predominance of property law over public law, there was a significant growth in seigneurial and especially royal archives, such as the Treasury of Charters in France, the Chapel of the Rolls in England, and the Archive of the Aragonese Crown in Zaragoza in Spain. As the apparatus of public administration developed, new types of archives appeared: the Parliament and the Court of Accounts in France, the Parliament and the Chamber of the Chessboard in England. City, notary, hospital and university archives arose in cities (Bologna, Paris and Montpellier, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.).

During the Renaissance, the emergence of printing gradually led to the fact that archival and library materials began to be stored separately. Archives were viewed as repositories of legal papers, which recorded the rights of the upper classes to certain privileges. They were often called “treasuries of charters”, “true archives”, “treasury”, which reflected the evolution of social and legal relations of society. By the end of the 15th century, the functions of archives as a place for storing legal, legislative and regulatory documents became predominant.

The second stage in the development of archives (from the 16th century to the turn of the 19th-20th century) was marked by the emergence of a wide variety of archives in European countries. The emerging administrative-fiscal apparatus of the absolutist states, preserving the crown archives, created numerous office archives and registry archives (departmental archives). To preserve the most important documents in many countries, central repositories were reorganized or created anew, which in the literature were called the main political archives. Thus, at the court of the Spanish kings in the mid-16th century, the famous Simancas Archive arose. In France, the functions of the main archive of the kingdom continued to be performed by the Treasury of Charters. Central archives are created in Great Britain (State Papers Archive), Sweden, Austria (Secret Palace State Dynastic Archives) and in most German states. In 1612, the Vatican Secret Archives became an independent repository, separated from the library. In countries where the Reformation was victorious, church documentation fell into state custody. During the French Revolution of the 18th century, feudal archives were largely destroyed. After it, the process of concentrating archives and centralizing their management accelerated. First in France, then in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and in the German states, national (central) archives appeared.

During the colonial conquests of the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, their archival wealth was stolen, ancient manuscripts were taken to the metropolis or destroyed. Only towards the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, archives of colonial administrations began to be created in a number of colonies: the British - Archive of the Empire in India (1891), the French - in West Africa (1913), etc. The main sets of documents on the development of the colonies were concentrated in the central archive of the metropolises (Archive of the Indies in Spain, State Archives in Great Britain, National Archives in France, etc.).

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a new stage in the development of archives began; archiving became a branch of government activity, headed by general (main) directorates or national (central) archives. Gradually, in the 19th and 20th centuries, a network of local and regional archives developed. Nowadays we can distinguish three main types of organization of archives in the world:

1. Centralized: archival directorate - national archives - network of local archives (Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, etc.).

2. Decentralized: national archives - regional and local archives (Great Britain, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Japan, etc.).

3. Mixed (mainly countries in Africa, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Latin America).

In some countries, archives are managed jointly with library and museum services. Although in most countries the country's archival service is subordinate to separate departments (in France - the Ministry of Culture, in Germany - the Ministry of the Interior, in Belgium - the Ministry of Education), there is a clear tendency for archives to be resubordinated to a supra-ministerial body under the president or prime minister. In countries with a federal management system, professional societies of archivists have taken on the scientific coordination role. The functions of archives are acquisition, examination, custody of office work (from the moment documents appear in the offices until they are placed in the archives). In archives, non-traditional media are increasingly used (film-photo-phonological documents, computer databases, etc.), various types of scientific reference apparatus have been created (lists, inventories, calendars, catalogs, reviews, guidebooks, and so on).

Among the foreign archives, there are several that are particularly significant for researchers. One of the largest archives in Western Europe is the Vatican Archive, which stores sources on church history (Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, etc.), the history of Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. The National Archives of France (founded in 1790) stores the most important sets of documents on the history of Western and Central Europe (the earliest date back to the 7th century), as well as numerous sources on the history of Russia and the USSR. The State Archives of Great Britain (1838, London) contains materials on its history and the history of other countries of Western Europe, starting from the 12th century (the earliest document is “The Book of the Last Judgment,” 1086), as well as a large volume of documents on the history of colonial policy. The US National Archives and Records Service (1934, Washington) houses documents from federal agencies dating back to 1787, as well as a large complex of captured documents.

UNESCO, the International Council of Archives (MCA), formed under it in 1948, the Round Table Conference of Archives and other international specialized organizations make a major contribution to the development of standard standards for all aspects of the work of archives and universal methods for managing records. Their recommendations formed the basis of international treaties on the restitution of archival documents. Archives become part of national and then international automated information structures.

Archives in Russia and the USSR. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the appearance of the first archives dates back to the 1st millennium BC (they arose on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus). In Ancient Rus', archives were located for a long time together with the treasury in the treasuries of princes and large feudal lords. With the adoption of Christianity (late 980s), churches and monasteries began to store collections of handwritten books, charters and other valuable documents along with religious objects. St. Sophia Cathedral, the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv, and others had significant collections of documents. The traditions of office work were brought to Rus' by Byzantine clergy. Russian chroniclers used chronological and weather records, hagiographical tales, teachings, messages, letters, etc., when compiling chronicles. The first painting (inventory) of documents is found in the Ipatiev Chronicle (1288). In Novgorod, Pskov and others, so-called city archives were formed. Valuable collections were also formed in the houses of the noble nobility (for example, a collection of documents of the Pskov mayors Doinikovich, including a collection with the text “Tales of Igor’s Campaign”).

After the formation of the Russian state in Moscow in the 16th century, the so-called Tsar’s Archive (“Kept the Tsar’s”) arose - in fact, the first all-Russian state archive, which, along with documents on domestic and foreign policy, incorporated papers from Smolensk, Chernigov, Yaroslavl, Tver and other princes. From the 16th century, archives of orders gradually began to be created, and locally - archives for governors, volostels, and from the 17th century - archives for the voivodes' huts. The most important documents for the state were placed in the archive of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, which became the main political archive of the country in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Rich collections of documents continued to be kept in the archives of churches and monasteries (Kirillo-Velozersky Monastery, Solovetsky Monastery, Spaso-Evfimiev, Trinity-Sergius; Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, etc.).

The reforms of Emperor Peter I led to the design of archives as independent structural units of government institutions. According to the General Regulations of 1720, archival documents were separated from current office work, the procedure for transferring cases to the archives was determined, and the position of an archivist was introduced at each of the newly formed boards. The term “archive” was coined for the first time. The repositories that possessed the most ancient documents were classified as historical: the Moscow Archive of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs (1724; see Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, AVP RI), the Discharge-Senate Archive (1763; about 500 thousand files), the Land Survey Archive (1768; 1 ,3 million files by 1918), St. Petersburg (1780; over 1 million files) and Moscow (1782; about 6 million files) state archives of old files, Local-patrimonial archive (1786; over 40 thousand files), Moscow branch of the Inspectorate archive department of the War Ministry (1819; since 1865, the Moscow branch of the General Archive of the General Staff, or Lefortovo Archive; see Russian State Military Historical Archive, RGVIA), etc. The development of science, culture and art led to the creation of the archive of the Academy of Sciences (1728; see Archive Russian Academy of Sciences), archives of the Hermitage, Academy of Arts, Moscow University, etc. Significant contributions to the organization of archival documents were made by G.F. Miller, N.N. Bantysh-Kamensky, M. M. Shcherbatov. Collecting documents by private individuals became widespread (in the 18th century A.A. Bezborodko, I.N. Boltin, D.M. Golitsyn, V.N. Tatishchev, etc. had archival collections).

The formation of ministries at the beginning of the 19th century did not change the departmental principle of organizing archival affairs in the country. Current archives were created at each institution. The following received national significance: the State Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1832; until 1834 - the 2nd Main Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, now part of the AVP of the Republic of Ingushetia), the Moscow Archive of the Ministry of Justice (1852; united a number of historical archives, became the center of publishing activities for the publication of historical documents). In 1852, the highest approval was given to the decision to create 3 large regional historical archives - Vilna, Kiev (opened in the same year) and Vitebsk (opened in 1863), archives of ancient acts (contained audit, judicial and other materials of courts, audits of the ruler's estates, The Main Lithuanian Tribunal and other legal acts related to the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, including Belarusian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, as well as some Great Russian lands and a number of other regions). Since 1872, the Moscow Palace Archive has been operating (founded in 1869). In Kharkov in 1880, a Historical Archive was created (materials on the history of Left Bank and Sloboda Ukraine from ancient times to the end of the 18th century). Large archival collections in the 19th - early 20th centuries were owned by N.P. Rumyantsev, A.I. Musin-Pushkin, P.M. Stroev, M.P. Pogodin, V.M. Widolsky, A.D. Chertkov, I. E. Zabelin, L.M. Savelov and others. In the 19th - early 20th centuries, due to the rapid overcrowding of archives, their disorder, the lack of special buildings, and a unified management, repeated attempts were made to reform archival affairs (projects by G. A. Rosenkampf, N. V. Kalachov, D.Ya. Samokvasov, as well as archival commissions). At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Russia came close to creating a special branch of the state economy - archival affairs.

The period of the October Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War of 1917-22 was a time of significant losses and destruction of archives as a result of the destruction of documents by the political police and judicial institutions of Russia (most likely by former provocateurs and informers), the destruction of documents during military operations, the nationalization by the Soviet government of church and private archives, liquidation of state papers during so-called waste paper campaigns and political processes. At this time, there was an active export of documents abroad by emigrants and their purchase by representatives of foreign embassies. In the 1920-30s, a significant number of documents from institutions of the Russian Empire were transferred to the newly formed states: Poland, Finland, and the Baltic countries. Abroad, enormous work on the concentration of documents on the history of the social and revolutionary movement, the culture of Russia was carried out by employees of the Russian Foreign Historical Archive in Prague (created in 1923; see Prague Archive), the Hoover Institution for War, Peace and Revolution in Stanford (1923; see Hoover Institution archive ), International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam (1935). The Bakhmetevsky Archive, the Russian Archive in Leeds, etc. also have large collections of Russian documents abroad.

The task of saving archives in Russia during the transition period was taken over by the Union of Russian Archivists (1917-24; chairman A. S. Lappo-Danilevsky in 1917-19, S. F. Platonov in 1919-24). Prominent historians and archivists took part in the work of the Union: I.A. Blinov, N.V. Golitsyn, K. Ya. Zdravomyslov, A. I. Lebedev and others, who, along with taking practical measures to protect and save archives, significantly contributed to the preparation of archival reform. Based on the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR dated June 1, 1918, “On the reorganization and centralization of archival affairs in the RSFSR,” the process of concentrating documents in central and local state archives became widespread. The archives of government institutions of the Russian Empire were liquidated, and the documents contained in them formed the Unified State Archive Fund (EGAF). To manage the archives, the Main Directorate of Archival Affairs was created in 1918 under the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR. At the direction of V.I. Lenin, V.D. Bonch-Bruevich wrote the brochure “Save the Archives,” which was distributed through “ROSTA Windows” to government agencies. After a series of reorganizations in 1938, archival management was transferred to the NKVD (since 1946 - Ministry of Internal Affairs) of the USSR.

In terms of basic parameters, archival work in the USSR developed in the same way as in Western Europe and the USA. With the development of technology, the sources for collecting archives diversified: they received more and more documents created on new media (film, photo, background). The 2nd World War of 1939-45, which caused a huge increase in the volume of documentation, confronted the USSR, as well as other countries, with the problem of modernizing archival services. Strict centralized management of archives in the USSR contributed to the concentration of documents in central and local archives, effective control over the safety of documents in departments and their transfer to state storage, and taking into account the national interests of the republics in the creation of national archives. At the same time, there has been a lag in the provision of Soviet archives (since the 1970s) with the latest technology and modern buildings; the process of describing archival documents and compiling scientific reference apparatus has slowed down. There was also the practice of creating secret funds, special storage facilities, etc. in archives, which limited access to archival documents.

Since 1956, the USSR Archive Service became a member of the MCA. In 1960, the Main Archive Directorate (GAU) of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was transformed into the GAU under the USSR Council of Ministers, which was in charge of the central archive of the USSR (13 in total), archival departments and departments of the union republics, central state archives of the union and autonomous republics, archives of territories, regions and districts, city archives with a permanent composition of documents. Archives with a variable composition of documents (district and city) remained under the jurisdiction of the executive committees of district and city councils. The system of party archives, led by the Central Party Archive of the NML under the CPSU Central Committee (now part of the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, RGASPI), was under the jurisdiction of party bodies.

According to the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation (August 1991), a significant part of the archives of the CPSU and documents of the KGB of the USSR was transferred to the jurisdiction of the archival authorities of the RSFSR. Roskomarchiv became the successor to the GAU under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The network of central and local archives that stored documents from the party fund automatically became part of the Archive Fund of the Russian Federation. The materials of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee were received by the Archive of the President of the Russian Federation (founded in 1992). In 1992-96, the governing body of the archival industry of the Russian Federation was the State Archive Service of Russia, renamed in 1996 into the Federal Archive Service (FAS) of Russia (until 2004). In 1993, the Basic Legislation of the Russian Federation on the Archival Fund of the Russian Federation and archives was adopted. Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation “On the Federal Archive Service of Russia” (1998), “On the Federal State Archives of Russia” (1999) clarified the structure, status, functions of the federal archives and the FAS. The archives of various special and secret services of the state, the Archive of the President of the Russian Federation and the like, which continue to store secret documentary complexes, as in all countries of the world, are inaccessible to researchers. Since 1992, the publication of the “Historical Archive” magazine, established by the Committee for Archives under the Government of the Russian Federation, has been resumed. After 1992, the Russian Federation, under the terms of restitution, transferred to France, Germany and other countries a number of archival complexes that ended up in the “Special Archives” after the end of World War II (1939-45).

Since June 17, 2004, the functions of providing public services and managing federal property in the field of archival affairs have been carried out by the Federal Archival Agency of the Russian Federation, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. Relations in the field of organizing storage, acquisition, accounting and use of documents from the Archival Fund of the Russian Federation and other archival documents (regardless of the form of ownership, i.e. in state and non-state institutions, organizations, enterprises) are regulated by the Federal Law “On Archival Affairs in the Russian Federation”. Federation" dated October 22, 2004. An agreement is concluded with the owner who stores the documents of the Archival Fund of the Russian Federation, defining his responsibilities for the storage, recording and use of documents that are subject to future transfer to state storage.

There are 15 central federal archives in the Russian Federation: the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the Russian State Historical Archive; RGVIA; Russian State Archive of the Navy, Russian State Archive of Economics, Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, Russian State Military Archive (it also includes the “Special Archive”, which includes two complexes - documents about prisoners of war and prisoners of camps during the Great Patriotic War and subsequent period; captured documents); Russian State Historical Archive of the Far East; Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation; Russian State Archive of Phonological Documents; Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents; RGASPI; Russian State Archive of Contemporary History; Insurance fund storage center. There are archival authorities in 89 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, 203 state archives and centers for storing modern documentation (former party archives), 2,427 municipal archival institutions subordinate to local governments. Documents on foreign policy are concentrated in two archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - ΑΒP RI and the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation. Materials of a military nature (since 1940) are stored in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense and the Central Naval Archive. Documents related to the activities of the Academy of Sciences, personal funds of scientists are stored in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences, large scientific and branch archives are located in the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Valuable monuments of written culture are at the disposal of the manuscript departments of the largest libraries, museums and research centers. In total, the archival fund of the Russian Federation contains over 460 million storage units. Archives of religious, political and public organizations, private banks, firms, etc. are in the process of creation. Archival science deals with the history, theory and practice of archival science.

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Chronological framework of the existence of ancient Eastern civilizations. Features of the source base. The largest archaeological finds of archives in the countries of the Ancient East. Features of writing materials in the Ancient East (clay and wooden tablets, palm leaves, animal bones, stones, metal, etc.). Types of archival materials and methods of their storage. The role of the state in the Ancient world in preserving information about the historical past.

Ancient Mesopotamia. Features of the emergence and development of the state in Mesopotamia. An early form of government organization was the city-state. The largest archives of central (Ebla palace archive, palace archive of the kings of Mari, palace library-archive of Ashurbanipal), temple (in Lagash, Nippur and other cities), local authorities. Archive repositories and written monuments in the states of Ugarit and Urartu. Private archives. General characteristics of the culture of Ancient Mesopotamia. The evolution of writing and the improvement of document storage. Methods of using written sources in ancient times. The fate of the archives of ancient Eastern states is the fate of the states themselves.

Hittite state. Periodization of the history of the Hittite state. Features of the ethnic basis and writing of the Hittite state. Palace archive of the Hittite state in Hattusas. The role of aggressive campaigns in replenishing archives and the position of the Hittite military power in the system of international relations in the region. Organization of archives and their fate during the period of decline and defeat of the Hittite state.

Assyrian power, Neo-Babylonian kingdom. Assyria in III- II thousand BC The importance of state archives in the Middle Assyrian and New Assyrian periods, the transformation of Assyria into a great power. Defeat of Assyria by Media and Babylonia. The fate of the archives of the conquered state. The Rise of Babylonia in the Neo-Babylonian Period. The evolution of writing. Reflection in documents of the social system of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, domestic and foreign policy. The social system of Assyria and the Hittite kingdom according to legal documents. The rise of the centralized state of Babylon (XX-XVII centuries BC). The government system of Babylon under Hammurabi. The role and place of the archives of the king, community and temples in management. Conquest of Babylonia by the Persians, destruction and removal of archives.

Ancient Egypt. Early and Ancient Kingdoms in Egypt. Periodization of the history of the state in Ancient Egypt. Early creation of a single centralized state (end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd millennium BC). The economic function of the state and its influence on the formation of a special social structure of the country. Organization of public administration and storage of documents. Papyrus and methods of recording information. Scribes and their functions. Formation of archives of priests and temples as centers of science (in Karnak, Luxor, Thebes). Archives-libraries (in Edfu).

Ancient India. Periodization of the history of the state in Ancient India. Information about Indian civilization based on the results of archaeological excavations - Mohenjo-Daro, Chanhu-Daro, Harappa. Features of Indian writing and storage methods. The role of natural and climatic features in the preservation of documents. The role of temples in the creation and storage of documents. The emergence of large hegemonic states (VI-IV centuries BC). Empire of the Mauryas (IV-II centuries BC), Nandas, Shungs, Kans. Written monuments of the state of Magadha.

Ancient China. Formation of statehood. State of Shang-Yin (XV-XI centuries BC), Western and Eastern Zhou. Socio-economic system, features of spiritual culture. Archives at the service of scientific knowledge. Confucius and his activities as custodian of the imperial archive of the Zhou dynasty. Document storage system in Ancient China. The reasons for the poor study by archeology of the history of archives in China. Influence on the preservation of documents from the era of the “Warring States” in China - Zhan Guo (V-III centuries BC). Excavations of the palace archive in the city of Anyang. The imperial period in the history of China - the Qin and Han dynasties (III century BC - III century AD). Invention of paper. Features of storage and use of documents.