National Archives of Estonia

Eesti Rahvusarhiiv

The National Archives of Estonia is the center of archival administration in Estonia. The main task of the National Archives is to ensure preservation and usability of society’s written memory, documented cultural heritage for today’s and future generations. On the other hand, the National Archives guarantees the protection of citizens basic rights and duties and the transparency of the democratic state through the holding and preservation of authentic documents. The National Archives is a government agency in the domain of Ministry of Education and Research. The National Archives has 3 departments in Tallinn, 3 departments in Tartu (i.e acquisition / preservation / access and enquiry), one unit in Rakvere and one in Valga. Also, film archives, Digital Archives, Research and Publishing Bureau as well as Administrative Bureau are the units of the National Archives. All Estonian public archives, except Tallinn City Archives and Narva City Archives, belong to the National Archives’ system. The National Archives is located in the centre of Tartu.