Tokayev congratulates National Archive on 20th anniversary
Kazakhstan’s National Archive today marked its 20th anniversary with an international conference focused on digital transformation, constitutional values and the preservation of historical heritage, Qazinform News Agency cites the press serice of the Culture and Information Ministry.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the staff and veterans of the National Archive on the milestone, expressing appreciation for their contribution to safeguarding the country’s historical legacy. The president’s message was delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva during the opening of the international scientific and practical conference titled “Archives: Digital Transformation, Constitutional Values, Historical Heritage.”
The event brought together representatives of Kazakhstan’s state bodies, the Presidential Administration, archival institutions from Türkiye, Russia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan, as well as leading scholars and specialists in the archival field.
In his congratulatory message, President Tokayev highlighted the importance of the National Archive’s work in preserving documents reflecting the formation and development of independent Kazakhstan.
“The archive’s collections contain valuable materials reflecting the establishment and development of Independent Kazakhstan. Specialists have carried out significant work to study historical documents discovered in foreign archives and return them to the homeland,” the president said.
He noted that these efforts have enriched the archive’s collections with unique materials spanning fourteen centuries and emphasized the importance of further developing the archival sector in line with modern requirements.
Addressing the conference, Balayeva thanked archive employees and veterans for their contribution to the development of archival work, stressing the role of historical memory in shaping the country’s future.
“Historical memory of the people is the spiritual foundation of the state. One of the key institutions responsible for preserving this heritage is the archive. The National Archive makes a significant contribution to the revival of national history and its transfer to future generations,” Balayeva said.
She added that the National Archive will receive the national status this year.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, state awards were presented on behalf of the president to archive veterans and specialists who contributed to the development of the archival sector.
A commemorative exhibition titled “Archive: 20 Years Connecting the Past and the Future” was also opened, featuring materials dedicated to the institution’s history and achievements.
Today, Kazakhstan’s 237 state archives preserve around 30 million documents belonging to the National Archival Fund. More than 3,500 specialists work in the archival sector, with collections continuing to expand through personal documents of prominent statesmen, scientists, cultural figures and public leaders.
The National Archive has also made significant progress in digital transformation. In recent years, the share of digitized documents has increased from 3% to 26%, while the Unified Electronic Archive of Documents information system has been introduced to improve access to archival services for citizens and organizations.
Special attention is also being paid to professional training, with more than 1,000 archival specialists receiving professional certificates to date.
During the conference, the participants discussed the development of archival collections, scientific publication of historical documents, international cooperation, digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence technologies in archival work.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Kazakhstan’s National Archive had digitized more than 110 million pages of documents.
