The article attempts to address the problem of preservation of archival documents on the example of the state archives Lower Volga region in the period 1918-1938. Author provides information about the buildings and premises of public archives conditions characterized archival documents; sanctified actions of heads of state archives for fire-fighting and security regimes , marked the most important administrative documents of federal and regional authorities in relation to the preservation of archival documents. The territorial scope of the study covers the Lower Volga region comprising the modern regions of Astrakhan, Volgograd , Saratov and the Republic of chronological framework defined by the following deadlines : 1918-1938. The lower limit includes the territory of the Lower Volga region. The upper limit includes of archives in the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). Scientific novelty of this article is to highlight neglected issues related to storage, loss, theft of archival documents in the state archives in the Lower Volga region 1918-1938; In the introduction to the scientific revolution of previously unknown archival documents of the State Archive of the Astrakhan region (State Archive of Archangelsk), the State Archives Volgograd Region (GAVO) and the State archive of the Russian Federation (SARF). The findings and conclusions, it is important to note that in the period of 1918-1938. The formation of regional archives assigned them premises unfit for storage of archival documents (former building of churches, monasteries, basements, barns). Accommodation archive files on shelves suffered excessive density, or the documents piled loose. Central authorities regularly published regulations concerning preservation of archives. But local authorities were not ready to carry out the directive center. Financing archives went on leftovers. In this context, marked by a slow pace of improvement of the system of preservation of archival documents in the state archives Nizhnevolzhsky region.
