Department of conservation and use of the archaeological heritage

In the composition Centre of archeology and ancient history of Belarus.
The department was formed in 2005.
Kontakt: Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220072, Minsk,
str. Akademicheskaya, 1, room. 501.
Phone: (+375 17) 294-90-93
E-mail: voitehowich@tut.by

Head of the department:
Candidate of Historical Sciences Andrei V. Voitekhovich

The staff members of the department include:
– Vadim I. Shadyro, PhD, assistant professor, leading researcher;
– Marat V. Klimov, PhD, senior researcher;
– Polina S. Kurlovich, PhD, senior researcher;
– Ivan I. Spirin, PhD, senior researcher;
– Anna N. Belitskaya, researcher;
– Anastasiya V. Kostyukevich, researcher;
– Pavel M. Kenko, researcher; 		– Elona A. Lyashkevich, researcher;
– Maria I. Tkacheva, researcher;
– Evgeni V. Vlasovets, junior researcher;
– Kiryl А. Medvedev, junior researcher;
– Painters: Tatyana V. Zinchenko,
Halina D. Molotkova, Olga V. Petrushenko.


Is being taught as a post-graduate students of the department:
Alexei L. Kots, Alena M. Kasparava.

The staff of the department provides accounting, systematization, preservation and scientific processing of the archaeological heritage of the country. The structure of the department includes «Scientific archaeological funds», more than 500000 archaeological artifacts are being stored in:
• «Fund of the Stone and the Bronze Ages»;
• «Fund of the Iron Age»;
• «Fund of the Middle Ages and the New Age»;		 • «Fund of the Ancient and Medieval Minsk»;
• «Fund of the Burial Grounds’ Artifacts»;
• «Fund of the Collections of Pre-war Period».

Researchers of the department provide the account, ordering, preservation and scientific processing of the archaeological heritage of Belarus.

The support of «Archaeological Scientific and Museum Exposition of the Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus» is also provided by this department.

The main directions of scientific research of the department:

  • • archaeological researches of sites of the Stone Age, the Iron Age and the Middle Ages;
  • • processing, accounting and storage of archaeological materials in the scientific funds of Institute;
  • • making and preparation for the edition of scientific catalogues, including bringing into scientific operation of the materials of researches of the 1920s – 1930s;
  • • information and educational activity on the basis of «Archaeological scientific and museum exposition of Institute of History of the NAS of Belarus».

The general research subject matters in 2016–2020:
• «Belarusian territories in the Middle Ages and Early Modern History (the 16th – 18th centuries)»,
• «Scientific systematization and accounting of the archaeological collections, sites, preparations of the codes of sources and reference editions, illustrative materials».

The major results of scientific research of the department:

  • • unique materials testifying to genetic connection between the population of the Bantserovskaya Culture and Early Kryvichy and their part in the system of European interactions have been revealed on the archaeological complex of Biruli;
  • • grave goods of the 10th century connected with the western Slavs (Great Moravia) has been found out on the burial grounds of Ozertso near the archaeological complex of the River Menka;
  • • archaeological excavations of the Baltic burial grounds with cremations dated back to the 13th – 15th centuries were i rstly carried out in Oshmyany and Novogrudok districts (the sites of Markinyaty, Holshany and Zaroi), that enable to receive the unique collection of grave goods of the medieval Balts in Western Belarus.


The major products of the department have found reflection in a number of scientific articles, as well as in monographs:

  • Археалогія Беларусі: каталог архіўных навуковых матэрыялаў. У 3 ч. Ч. 3 (1923—2015). Сярэднявечны перыяд і Новы час / склад. і аўт. анат. В.У. Мядзведзева, К.А. Мядзведзеў. – Мінск: Беларус. навука, 2018. – 491 с.
  • Клімаў М.В. Археалагічны комплекс Лучна-1 у акрузе Полацка (ХІ–ХVІ стст.). – Мінск: Беларус. навука, 2019. – 567 с.