History of the modern Archive begins from1878. This year the so called military-historical division was opened at Caucasus Army Staff. At the same time Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians began to work on the same direction. With the efforts of the members of the society, documentary materials were collected in different parts of Georgia. Active work of searching documents was delayed because of the murder of Ilia Chavchavadze, as well as the complicated economic conditions connected with the World War I, decreasing of financing society and other factors. Materials, already collected, were sent in North Caucasus with a security purpose.

In May 26, 1918, after declaring the Independence of Georgia, the question of gathering archival materials, scattered throughout the country, were gathered. In June of the same year, the government decided to create the commission of describing warlike conditions of World War I, which should gather the documents depicting the World War I existing in Georgia. The essence and importance of the archive was discussed in the report. Draft law about the organization of archives and archival fonds was added to the report. Letter of analogue content was sent to the Democratic Government of Georgia on January 12, 1920 by the Georgian historian and public figure Ekvtime Takaishvili. After that, question of organizing archives was set finally.

On the basis of the law promulgated on April 23, 1920 Central Scientific Archive was established. Its base were the materials of the departmental archives of the royal institutions, created on the territory of Georgia. These materials, since 1914, because of the World War I were sent in different cities of Caucasus: Vladikavkaz, Kuban, Kizlyar and Georgievsk. At the same time Military Historical Archive, Archive of Old Documents, Historical-Revolutionary Archive and Legal Archive were created. In 1939 abovementioned archives were unified and one departmental archive, named as a State Historical Archive of Georgia, was established.

From the history of supplement and formation of the Historical Archive, several events should be mentioned:

• In 1923, the materials sent in the North Caucasus, during the World War I, were returned to the archive for preservation according to the respective rules;
• Expeditions of Giorgi Bochoridze, Shalva Chkhetia and other scientists on the territory of Georgia to elicit the old documents; also picking out the documents of the same thematic from the fonds of vicegerent chancellery, manager of Transcaucasia and other main fonds. The scientists hold great work to rewrite the damaged copies of the old documents and create separate fonds;
• Bringing the documents, depicting the activities of the government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, so called “Harvard” and “Leuville” to Georgia by Guram Sharadze;
• Modern epoch, when the digitalization of the documents and the receipt and processing of the Electronic Archives from different institutions began.

Chronologic frames of the documents of the Historical Archive are 9^th century-1990. Central Historical Archive represents the structural unite of the National Archives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

Central Historical Archive is one of the important scientific institutions of our country. Documents, preserved here represent the best source for the research of the history of not only Georgia, but Caucasus peoples.

Central Historical Archive preserves 865 fonds, unifying 1.720.817 preserving unites. Documents of personal origin are also received. Their scientific-technical processing passes on gradually.

Administrative fonds represent the important part of the documents of the Historical Archive. Documents of the 9^th-18^th centuries were picked out by the scientist employees from these fonds and the collection of old documents was created, most important documents of the Central Historical Archive. Forty five fonds are of the private origin. They depict the life and the activities of the state and public figures.