Standardization of access to archival documents in Russia of 20th – beginning of 21st century. Experience, objectives and issues of development

Abstract

The aim of the paper consists in definition of the topical for practice of archival work development in Russia issues of securing an access to archival documents and of organizing the use of those documents. The research presented in the article is based on the use of the method of comparative analysis of norms existing in legislative and other legally relevant documents with the existing practice of organizing the use of documents in public archival institutions. Also the author uses a retrospective method for the evaluation of historical experience in standardization of access to archival documents in Russia and systematic approach for analyzing the whole of existing norms and practices realizable in access to documents at Russian state archival institutions. The paper is based on a combination of scientific approaches used in the archives and records management and the juridical science. Besides the interdisciplinary methodology its novelty consists in identifying the global methodical problems of archival development in Russia caused by gaps in legislation. The main conclusion of the article is in confirmation of the need to improve the archival legislation in force in the Russian Federation in accordance with other normative sources of law that are more significant in the systems of constitutional and of information law and with determined in the paper specific features of archival practice in conditions of an information society.