March 548
ge

Results of the 8-year Work of the Ministry of Justice - Renovated Infrastructure of the National Archives and New Services

"Renovation of the infrastructure of the National Archive of Georgia  started in 2013. At the initiative of the Minister of Justice of Georgia and with the financial support of the system of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, large-scale projects have been implemented for the first time in decades, ”said Thea Tsulukiani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, summarizing the 8-year-work results.

Namely: 

 The first regional archive building was built in Rustavi and opened in 2015;

 Kakheti Regional Archive building was opened in Telavi in ​​2015, for which large-scale reconstruction works were carried out;

 In 2016, a regional archive building was reconstructed and opened in Zugdidi;

 Reconstruction of the National Archives building in Poti was carried out in the same year;

 A new regional archive building was built in Kutaisi in 2017;

 In 2019, the project of Shida Kartli Regional Archive building was prepared;

 Reconstruction/rehabilitation of the regional archive in Akhaltsikhe is underway and will be completed in 2021;

The archive, created in 1920, never had a space for exhibitions or cultural-educational events. That is why the exhibition pavilion of the National Archives was built and opened in Tbilisi in 2016, where, along with the exhibition space of modern standards, houses a mediathek, shop of branded products and a cafe. Books, notebooks, posters and other branded products, created using archival documents, are available in the shop, and books and wireless internet can be used in the cafe;

- New Reading Room was opened in 2017; 

- In 2018, a new cinema hall of the National Archives was opened, where film festivals, archival and modern film screenings are held; The cinema hall was opened with the screening of one of the first Georgian animated films shot in 1934-1935 - "Argonauts - Kolkhida" (author Lado Mujiri, artist - Lado Gudiashvili, composer - Shalva Azmaiparashvili). The multi functional cinema hall for 140 spectators, equipped with the modern equipment, is the only cinema in Georgia, where it is possible to screen a movie from a from a film type. Throughout Georgia, the National Archives is the largest repository of documentaries and news-reels. It preserves 5252 documentaries, 3194 news-reels, 1032 film documents, 111 feature films and 38 cartoons.

In 2014, the Document's Restoration Laboratory was renovated. In 2013-2020, up to 142 thousand sheets of archival documents were restored.

With the support of the Minister of Justice of Georgia and the personal involvement of prominent representatives of Svaneti, in 2020 it became possible to transfer the unique 12th century Four-Gospels from the village of Lakhamuli in Mestia Municipality to the National Archives Laboratory and start the restoration. The conservation/restoration works of the Four-Gospels will be completed in 2021, after which it will be returned to Svaneti.

Archival documents have been actively transferred to electronic format since 2013 - up to 7 million pages, 2950 film documents, 47000 photos, 900 hours of audio recordings were scanned.

In 2018, the National Archives purchased a 4K resolution film scanner, which is the only in Georgia. As a result, for the first time in our country it became possible to digitize high quality film types with high quality.

In order to develop e-services, improvement of the searching system began. 5 web programs for searching documents were developed: church records (metric books); household records; Catalog of National Archival Fonds; Catalog of the documents about the First Republic of Georgia; Catalog of the Gendarmerie of Tbilisi Province. From 2020, three more web programs will be available: database of old Georgian manuscripts and historical documents; Catalog of documents reflecting German-Georgian relations; Catalog of film documents. 

In 2013-2020, 14 374 researchers were served at the National Archives's reading rooms, including 821 foreign citizens.

In 2013-2020, 404 426 certificates were issued to citizens, and since 2016, 426 150 certificates of ownership have been prepared based on Public Registry Agency adjustments and in the interest of citizens, as part of the land registration reform.

Centralization of the territorial bodies of the National Archives has been underway since 2013 – 14 municipal archives have been merged with the relevant regional archives, and local archive offices have been opened in 25 municipalities.

In 2013, a scientific department was established in the National Archives, and in the following years, the implementation of active scientific, research and educational projects began.

With the involvement of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, from April 2020 it is possible to receive archival information online through my.gov.ge unified portal of electronic services.