Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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March 10 marks Archives Day in Russia. To mark the occasion, the Moscow Main Archives Department presented the results of large-scale digitalization and recent projects improving access to archival documents for residents and researchers. These include robotic tools, genealogical services, educational programs, and social initiatives.
Today, the agency stores over 20 million files, each containing up to 200 different documents. While in the 2000s, the capital's archive could accommodate no more than 10 million files, today the new robotic complex "Mosarchive" alone can accommodate up to 100 million storage units.
"The Moscow Main Archive is actively developing and combining traditional archival work with modern digital and educational projects. Much attention is being paid to expanding electronic services and implementing new data storage technologies. The largest robotic complex, Mosarchive, has been operational for several years, and a long-term storage system for electronic documents was recently created. The online service "My Family," which brings together millions of pages of genealogical sources and helps Muscovites discover their family histories, is generating considerable interest. Educational initiatives remain an important focus, particularly the project "Unique Documents. A New Generation's View," where schoolchildren and college students study historical materials together with specialists from the Moscow Main Archive. Thanks to these initiatives, the history of Moscow is becoming closer and more accessible to citizens," said the head of the Moscow Main Archive.
The Main Archives Department of Moscow was the first in Russia to implement an optical media archiving system designed for storing digital documents that must remain unchanged for decades. Such materials include, for example, documents confirming employment history, education, and other important events. The central element of the system is the ELARobot NSM robotic long-term digital data storage system. It provides automated recording and reading of information and enables the secure storage of large volumes of digital documents. The use of optical media with its immutable recording nature eliminates the possibility of altering or deleting data, preserving it for a long time.
Glavarkhiv's digital services are rapidly growing in popularity. The online service "My Family" celebrated its fifth anniversary. During this time, the database has expanded by nearly 14 million pages of genealogical documents, including parish registers, confession records, census records, and other materials. Over 20 million users have already used the service in search of information about their ancestors. Furthermore, in collaboration with Yandex, the "Archive Search" platform was created, using neural network technologies to recognize handwritten texts from past centuries. This significantly accelerates archival searches and automates the decipherment of complex documents.
Schoolchildren can also study their family trees: the Moscow Electronic School platform offers the "Archive Search" service. Its database is regularly updated, and its functionality is expanded. One of the new tools is a map that helps match genealogical documents with actual historical addresses in Moscow. With it, users can find information about their ancestors based on the locations of Moscow churches.
Furthermore, the Main Archives of Moscow currently holds over 400 unique documents—archival materials that are unique in content or appearance, and irreplaceable if lost. These include designs for lost churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow province, birth records of prominent figures in science and culture, engravings by archaeologist Giovanni Piranesi, a previously unknown musical manuscript of Dmitry Shostakovich's "Impromptu Op. 33," and documents related to the proposal to erect a "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" monument with an Eternal Flame near the Kremlin wall.
The number of such materials is gradually increasing, thanks in part to research by Glavarkhiv specialists and the educational project "Unique Documents. A New Generation's View," whose participants help identify and study the documents. The project is being implemented jointly with the Moscow Department of Education and Science Based at the Moscow Center for Educational Practices, schoolchildren in grades 8-11 and college students, together with specialists from the Main Archives, research historical documents, learn about archival work, and participate in the study of materials. Over the course of the project, with the participation of schoolchildren and students, more than 35 archival files and documents were recognized as unique.
In the first season, participants examined nearly 1,500 archival files and helped recognize the unique documents of 21 prominent figures in science, art, and culture. The second season focused on the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and scientists from the Khristophor Ledentsov Society for the Promotion of Experimental Sciences and their Practical Applications. The third season of the project covered several key areas: Arctic exploration, the development of aeronautics, and the history of astronomy and aviation. One of the results of this work was the recognition of documents related to the lives and exploits of test pilots Georgy Baidukov and Anatoly Lyapidevsky as unique.
Social initiatives also remain an important part of the archive's work. The "Life Line" memoir writing club, created by the Moscow Main Archives Office in collaboration with Moscow Longevity Centers, celebrated its fifth anniversary. The project, implemented as part of the "Moscow Longevity" program, aims to preserve the memories of Moscow's older residents. Over 500 residents have participated in the club, and their recollections have formed the basis of two published collections of memoirs. 210 manuscripts have already been transferred to the Moscow Main Archives Office for permanent storage.
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