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The new building of the Russian State Historical Archive is 57 thousand square metres. Original documents of the key state agencies of the Russian government between the 18th century and beginning of the 20th century are stored there. It also holds archives from the State Council, State Duma, Senate, Synod and personal archives of important Russian governmental, public and religious figures. There is also an academic and research library with more than four hundred thousand volumes, including rare hand-written books and early printed editions in the Russian State Historical Archive.

The President examined the Archive's premises and also the unique historical documents which have been already brought to the new building.

Vladimir Putin called opening the new building of the Russian State Historical Archive a global event and pointed out that in scale and in value the State Archive is comparable to the Hermitage.

The head of state charged Archive Director Aleksandr Sokolov with estimating in the near future the time and means which will be needed to digitize the documents so that experts could work with them at any time.

First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vice Premier of the Government Aleksandr Zhukov, Presidential Aide Aleksandr Abramov, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the North Western Federal District Ilya Klebanov, Governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, Administrative Board of the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Kozhin and head of the Federal Archival Agency Vladimir Kozlov took part in the Archive's opening ceremony.