Кривошей Д А. Проблема возвращения культурных ценностей в культурной политике Беларуси (1991–2018 гг.)

The practical implementation o f steps towards the retrieval of cultural values done by the Republic
o f Belarus is being analyzed in the article. The author gives a review o f the legal framework o f the
restitution, international two-part commissions on heritage and the state commission on restitution.
Considerable attention is paid to the aspects o f virtual reconstruction o f the cultural values o f the people of
Belarus kept abroad.
During the analysed period o f time the state policy on returning o f the cultural values illegally taken
from the territory o f Belarus had gone through three stages. From the year 1991 till 2002 a regulatory
framework had been developed, restitution aspects had been included in a number of international treaties,
the public commission “Vyartanne” had functioned, the methodology of identifying o f cultural values had
been established, and the database had been generated. The joint Belarusian-Polish commission on
historical and cultural heritage had been working actively. Under the circumstances of numerous
obstacles on the way to direct restitution, which consisted o f regulatory framework as well as developed
mechanism o f practical realization absence, focus had been on “mild restitution”. The first projects of
virtual reconstruction o f the Belarusian artefacts abroad were implemented.
The work o f the public commission «Vyartanne» had been stopped in 2002. But the experts
continued the co-working. The significant attention had been paid to the heritage o f the Radzivil. In 2006
the International council on development o f the virtual reconstruction o f the documentary heritage and the
library of Nesvizh ordination o f the Radzivil was created. In 2007 archivists o f Belarus and Poland
exchanged the document copies o f archive heritage o f the mentioned aristocratic family.
The new stage started in 2009, when State inter-ministry commission on restitution was created. The
work at improving of the methodology o f documentary heritage description and the legislation was
activated. The register of the cultural values of the Republic o f Belarus kept abroad was designed during
that period o f time. Also, joint commissions on cooperation with Ukraine and Lithuania in the sphere of
heritage were created. Similarly, to the previous years the main practical activity was held in the sphere of
«mild restitution». Apart from creation and exchange o f electronic copies joint use o f the values was done
by organising exhibitions and transferring antiques to the long-term depository safekeeping. Museums and
libraries o f Belarus started an active work on purchasing Belarusian history related cultural objects and
works o f art abroad.
Keywords: restitution, cultural values, international relations, cultural policy, Belarus.