09.06.2025
June 9 is celebrated as International Archives Day, a professional holiday for archivists around the world. This holiday was established to commemorate the creation of the International Council on Archives (ICA) on June 9, 1948.
It’s probably only in a nightmare that one could imagine what would happen to our study and understanding of the historical past if archives and archival documents were to suddenly disappear. We’ve grown accustomed to taking archives for granted, often not realizing the unique opportunity their very existence offers to anyone who cares about history. It is a fortunate chance to hear the voices of people from the past, to obtain firsthand testimonies about what happened in both distant and recent history.
Archives are the foundation of the documentary memory of nations, a reliable bedrock for accurate knowledge of the past. It is no exaggeration to say that archives and documents are unique throughout human history: everything else changes – states and societies rise and fall, the world transforms beyond recognition, but archives and documents exist in almost every era.
The professional activity of preserving archives is one of the most important and noble missions. At our Institute of History and Archives, the legendary Professor Sigurd Schmidt once worked. In 2022, and, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the facade of our building at Nikolskaya Street in his honor. He used to say that the profession of archivist was the most futurist profession in the sense that the documents an archivist selected for permanent preservation would shape the image of the past in the minds of the generations to come. This is, of course, an enormous responsibility.
At the Institute of History and Archives, we strive to provide archivists with a solid historical and humanities-based education. An archivist must be able to deeply understand historical periods and epochs, possess professional skills in historical analysis and information verification, and be capable of determining the authenticity, reliability, and value of historical documents. Archives are the bread and butter of historical science as historical research work is practically impossible without archival documents.
Another vitally important social function of archives and archivists is the reference and informational role. Many crucial life issues, related to a citizen’s work history, benefits, awards, pensions, and more, are resolved based on archival references.
I would especially like to highlight the educational function of archives. Archival documents cultivate a taste for authenticity and foster interest in the search for reliable information, which can relate to many spheres, from family and ancestral history to local heritage, commemoration of ancestors, restoration of historical and cultural monuments, and so on.
A separate topic is the transformation of the archival profession. Today, archives and archivists are agents of the technological changes characteristic of our era. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, electronic document management, systems for electronic storage, remote access to archival information, digitization of documents, and electronic archival catalogs – all of these are part of the current reality, increasing the accessibility of archival information. We also teach all of this to our students.
Let’s not forget that archival documents are not just paper documents. Archives contain large collections of audiovisual materials (films, photographs, audio recordings, etc.), working with which requires the use of special methods and skills.
I have a dream to compile an anthology of references to archives and archivists in world literature. Perhaps there won’t be many such references and images, but those that come to mind are always inspiring.
One such example is the short story by Ivan Bunin about an old man named Fisun. The author characterizes the protagonist as a “most devoted archivist” who “began service at about fourteen and worked exclusively in archives”.
In the conclusion of the story, Bunin makes a generalization that reflects his recognition of the exceptional importance of archives and archivists:
“I, for example, fully share the great reverence that the late Fisun felt for archives. Equality is all well and good, but he was absolutely right in saying that life was unimaginable without archives, and that they must be protected. For if they didn’t exist – if there were no Fisuns – how would even this little page survive, the one on which I am writing the poor and pitiful story of Fisun? But with Fisuns around, it will surely be preserved and surely be found by someone – and the later, the better: the lines of this old story will strike the eyes of a new person all the more sharply then. Fisun used to say: ‘And what if a reference is needed?’ So if a reference about our time is ever needed, perhaps my reference about it will come in handy.”
Happy International Archives Day, dear colleagues!
