MINSK, 23 December (BelTA) – On 23 December the Belarusian news agency BelTA marks its 102nd anniversary. BelTA is a credible source of prompt and reliable information about events in Belarus and the world. Every day, by covering developments in Belarus, the news agency chronicles the country's history and records the achievements of its citizens.
BelTA's story began on 23 December 1918 when the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) at the Russian Central Executive Committee opened a Belarusian office in Minsk. In January 1921 it became known as the Belarusian Bureau of the Russian Telegraph Agency (BelROSTA).
During the years of the New Economic Policy (NEP), the bureau was reorganized into the Belarusian branch of the Soviet Union Commercial Telegraph Agency (BelCTA) in January 1924. The office published the Belarusian Commercial Bulletin for the BSSR trade organizations.
By a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR of 7 March 1931, the Belarusian branch of the Soviet Union Commercial Telegraph Agency was transformed into the Belarusian Telegraph Agency BelTA. The agency had the status of a self-sustaining organization, was subordinate to the BSSR government and had the right to send its own correspondents abroad.
BelTA set up a photo department in 1939.
When the Great Patriotic War broke out, the agency was evacuated from Minsk and suspended its work. In July 1942, the Council of People's Commissars decided to resume BelTA's operation. The agency's war correspondents wrote about Belarusians who fought in the Red Army and in partisan units against the Nazi invaders. But due to wartime difficulties, the agency was temporarily closed again in 1943.
In February 1944, the agency began to distribute national news and reports by Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) within Belarus. It also provided TASS with updates about daily life in liberated areas and post-war economic reconstruction.
By January 1946, BelTA's materials accounted for more than a half of the content of newspapers and radio stations of the BSSR. The agency was the main supplier of information about the BSSR not only for the USSR but also for foreign mass media. As of 1 January 1965, BelTA consisted of a secretariat, a national news desk, a Soviet and foreign news desk, a photo department, a press bureau and a communications center.
The main news desk for the national, USSR and foreign press and the main publication and translations desk were set up at the agency in 1975. In the same year, the agency moved to a new building on 26 Kirova Street.
BelTA set up a communications and automated systems department in 1988. The agency was one of the first Belarusian mass media outlets to use new computer and digital technology and explore the possibilities of the internet.
The 7 Dnei social and political weekly was set up as part of BelTA in 1989. The first issue of the newspaper came out in January 1990.
After the collapse of the USSR and proclamation of the sovereign Republic of Belarus the Belarusian Telegraph Agency was affiliated with the Information Ministry in February 1992 and was renamed into Belarusian Information Agency (Belinform) in May 1992. On 10 October 1995, by the decree of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, the agency regained its original name.
BelTA's Publishing Center was established in 1997 to implement the Memory project to publish historical and documentary chronicles of cities and districts of Belarus. The center has published 46 Memory books, dozens of other books and brochures. BelTA's major publishing projects include the illustration books Creative Belarus, One Victory for All, the photo books 20 Years of the CIS, Moments of the Century, Traditions of Sovereign Belarus.
In 2004, BelTA expanded the range of its periodicals and became a co-founder and publisher of the Economy of Belarus Magazine quarterly.
In line with the Belarusian president's executive order, in September 2007, the editorial desk of the Belarus President Administration Information Bulletin was added to BelTA. In late 2007, BelTA took charge of one more magazine – Belaruskaya Dumka, a social and political popular science monthly.
In December 2010, BelTA opened a press center which is now one of major press venues in Belarus.
In 2018, BelTA celebrated its centennial anniversary. Having marked this milestone, BelTA has continued to grow and develop. For example, in 2019, BelTA ran a large-scale campaign “Your Question to the President”, launched a project “Traditions of Sovereign Belarus” timed to the 25th anniversary of the Constitution of Belarus, and became an official media partner of the 2nd European Games in Minsk. In association with the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research, BelTA has initiated the analytical project “Expert Community”.
In 2020, BelTA launched a large-scale multimedia project “With Pride in Heart”. Every part of the project highlights Belarus' achievements in a certain field – from high technology and national security to healthcare and culture.
The special multimedia project “Partisan Chronicles” developed by BelTA in collaboration with the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War History was published on the news agency's website in the run-up to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory.
The Heroes of Partisan Land book was presented at the Minsk International Book Fair in 2020. The book was compiled by BelTA with support of the Standing Committee of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The theme of the partisan movement in Belarus is further explored in five films that can be found with the help of QR codes from the book. The stories of the heroes are illustrated with documents: letters of commendation, personal records, and, of course, archive photos.
On 19 March, BelTA launched the website BelTA+ featuring only positive materials without criminal and accident reports. The best journalists and photographers prepare high-quality materials for this project.
The online resource to raise public awareness about coronavirus StopCOVID went online in 2020. This website publishes updates on the pandemic and official documents, photos, videos and infographics.
In 2021, the news agency plans to implement a wide range of projects using cutting-edge technologies and exploring new formats.
