The occupation of Lithuanian in June 1940 marked the beginning of the destruction of the country's political system and self-dependence as well as an all-out sovietization of the archives and enforcement of the Soviet archival system. On August 5, 1940 the Council of Ministers of Lithuanian SSR, following suit of other Soviet republics, laid the responsibility for archives management and preservation with the ministry of the Interior.Archives of Lithuania, vol. 11, 1998, The Lithuanian archives department, pg. 30-31. In 1961 the Archival Board under the Council of Ministers of the LSSR was established. In 1957–68, the basis was laid to the network of state archives consisting of central and regional archives. It should be mentioned that during those years (1940–90) Lithuanian archives made some notable progress as well, namely the recovery of a number of archival records from other countries, and the development of a sound state archival system.Archives of Lithuania, vol. 10, 1998, The Lithuanian archives department, pg. 13.
