Kovna Gubernia Taxation

Introduction to Revision Lists
Taxation records, also known as ревизские сказки, or revision lists, are an important source in Russian genealogy. These records, similar to a US census, can be used to track a family across time.

Revision Lists
In 1718, under the rule of Peter the Great, a new taxation system was created. This new taxation system was nicknamed the "soul" tax, as it taxed individuals rather than land or households as was done under previous taxation systems. Keep in mind that revision lists enumerated only the taxable population which excluded individuals, which in some revisions, meant nobility and clergy.

The first revision, or enumeration of the taxable population, was taken in 1719. There were ten revisions taken sporadically over the next approximately 150 years as illustrated below:

** Incomplete due to the Napoleonic War, the revision also contained only males.

Revision lists are organized first by uyezd or district, and then by social class, so you should know which uyezd and social class your ancestor belonged to. The most common social class was that of the крестьянин, or peasant class.

For more information about revision list history please read The Imperial Russian Revision Lists of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries by Joseph B. Everett.

Digital Copies of Revision List Records through FamilySearch
Keep in mind that some FamilySearch records may not be accessible online - they may be accessible at your local Family History Center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Revision list records for the entire Kovno gubernia are available through FamilySearch. These records have not yet been divided into uyezds or towns. Use the film notes section to determine the revision years desired (there may be more than one film for the desired year). Within the film itself, use cover pages and/or locations written at the top of the records to help you locate the right records. Keep in mind that revision list records are typically stored at the uyezd level, so if you can locate the film(s) in which records for your uyezd are stored you can then look for the town.


 * Lithuania, Kaunas, taxation: Revision lists, 1698-1916