Ukraine Maps

Tutorial
Online Webinar: Using Maps and Gazetteers to Locate the Hometown (Ukraine Maps and Gazetteers, Ukrainian Research Series)

Online Maps

 * Google Maps
 * David Rumsey Historical Maps Collection
 * Old Maps Online Collection
 * Library of Congress Maps Collection
 * Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
 * Archive.org
 * Harvard University Scanned Maps
 * UWM American Geographical Society Library Digital Map Collection
 * Historical Maps of Ukraine
 * The Gesher Galicia Map Room

Arcanum Maps
Arcanum Maps offers many 18th - and 19th -century maps of the Habsburg Empire and its successor states, including military survey, cadastral, and city maps. Use the "How to" Guide to learn how to use the website: Arcanum Maps - [[Media:Online Maps Arcanum Maps HTG Instructions.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:Online Maps Arcanum Maps-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:Online Maps Arcanum Maps-Answer Key.pdf|Answer Key]]

Eto Mesto
Find historic maps from the Russian Empire time period and view them through time on EtoMesto. Search using the town name or with GPS coordinates. This is a Russian language website, but can be navigated by using Google Translate. When using the Google Chrome browser, right click anywhere on the page and select the option Translate to English.

Retro Map
Retro Map contains thousands of historic maps for various locations throughout the Russian Empire. This is a Russian language website, but can be navigated by using Google Translate. When using the Google Chrome browser, right click anywhere on the page and select the option Translate to English.

Historical Maps Collections
Historical map collections are helpful because they can show you the geography of your ancestor's residence at or around the time they lived there. The following collection is helpful:
 * Maps of districts (povit) with villages existing about 1900 for the areas of Ukraine from which people emigrated to Alberta, Canada can be found at the website of the Ukrainian Cultural Village. This is not a direct link to the maps. In the second paragraph introducing the website, you will see the phrase "maps, interviews, music....". Click on the word "maps".

Austrian pre-WWI maps for western Ukraine. Generalkarte von Mitteleuropa (General Maps of Central Europe). Vienna, 1898-1967. 249 maps. Scale 1:200,000. Cover southern Belarus, western Ukraine, and Moldova. This map set uses Ferro as the Prime Meridian, which is 17˚ 39' 44"degrees west of Greenwich. URL: 3rd Military Mapping Survey of Austria-Hungary

Modern Soviet military maps, 1:100,000 are found at UKR Maps.

Tips for Using Maps
Maps must be used carefully for several reasons:


 * There are often several places with the same name. You may want to use a  Gazetteer to help you.
 * The spelling and even names of some towns may have changed since your ancestor lived there.
 * Place-names are often misspelled in English sources. Difficult names may have been shortened and important diacritic marks omitted.
 * Political boundaries are not clearly indicated on all maps. Look for neighboring towns and geographic features to find the area where your ancestor came from.
 * Boundaries changed over time. Use historical maps to understand boundary changes.

For more tips and information on using maps, go to the general Maps Record Page.

Finding the Specific Town on the Map
To successfully research maps from Ukraine, you must identify the town where your ancestor lived. Because there are several towns that have the same name, you may need some additional information before you can locate the correct town on a map. Using gazetteers can help you to identify a place's the jurisdiction and help you locate it on a map. See the Ukraine Gazetteers article for more information.

Types of Maps
Different types of maps help you in different ways, for example:


 * Historical atlases describe the growth and development of countries, showing boundaries, migration routes, settlement patterns, military campaigns, and other historical information.
 * Road atlases are useful because of the detail they provide.
 * Other types of maps include: parish maps, state maps, tourist maps, topographical maps, and air navigation maps. City maps are extremely helpful when researching in large cities.

To learn more about different types of maps, go to the general Maps Record Page.