Tobolsk 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: * First revision to include females.

** 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
Digital images of revision lists for 11 uyezdi in the Tobolsk Gubernia are available online. These records generally cover the fourth-tenth revisions; however, there are some uyezdi that have a smaller range. To access these records and see which years are available for your ancestor's uyezd, follow the instructions below

1. Click on the uyezd that your ancestor lived in:


 * Berezov (Березов)
 * Ishim (Ишим)
 * Kurgan (Курган)
 * Omsk (Омск)
 * Surgut (Сургут)
 * Tara (Тара)
 * Tobolsk (Тобольск)
 * Turinsk (Туринск)
 * Tyukalinsk (Тюкалинск)
 * Tyumen (Тюмень)
 * Yalutorovsk (Ялуторовск)

2. Scroll down on the page until you find the section entitled Film/Digital Notes. Under the heading Note you'll find a description of what is found on each film, as in this example: Ф. 154, о. 8, д. 1 Ревизские сказки 1782.


 * Titles begin with the fond (Ф.), opis (о.), and delo (д.) number, or the archival call number.
 * Next, you'll see Ревизские сказки (Revision lists)
 * Ревизские сказки is followed by the year.
 * In some cases you might find a location following the year. This is especially common with large cities.

Locate the film(s) for revision year you are looking for.

3. Within each revision grouping, the records are typically organized by social class and occasionally further by locations such as volost or okrug, and then town/village. You may have to browse several films before you locate the revision lists for your ancestor's social class and village.

Keep in mind that there may be gaps in record coverage. If you do not find the records for your location, that does not mean they do not exist - they are likely available through the Electronic Archive of the Tyumen Oblast. Read the next section in this article to learn how to access those records.

Digital Copies of Revision List Records through the Electronic Archive of the Tyumen Oblast
The Electronic Archive of the Tyumen Oblast has recently digitized revision list records, and are viewable for up to a month after you have purchased temporary access to the records. It is important to note that many of the records they have digitized are not available through FamilySearch.

Website Translation Assistance
The Electronic Archive of Tyumen is available only in Russian; however, for non-Russian speakers, you can use Google Translate to help you navigate the site.


 * If you use the Google Chrome browser, simply right click anywhere on the page and select the option Translate to English.
 * If you prefer to use another browser, just go to https://translate.google.com/, and change the language settings to translate from English to Russian. Copy and paste the URL of the website you want translated into the English box and click on the link that appears in the Russian box. This will take you to a translated version of the site. Keep in mind that Google Translate often translates Revision Lists as "Revision Tales" or "Fairy Tales."

Accessing Records
In order to view revision list records, you'll first need an account. See the instructions below. Instructions are in English with the Russian equivalents in bold/italics and parenthesis. English translations are what you would find using Google Translate and are not perfect translations.

1. Go to the Tyumen Electronic Archive site.

2. Register (Регистрация) for an account. It's free but requires a valid email address and it could take a few days for your account to be verified. If you already have an account, type in your username and password and select Войти. You can also use the Guest Access (Гостевой вход) to browse what records are available, but in order to place an order and access digital images of the records, you'll need an account.

3. There are two ways to locate revision lists. Both are listed below:


 * Option 1 - Use the Search Box:


 * 1) Try searching for the name of your town, volost, or okrug in the search box at the top of the page. You'll need to search using Cyrillic characters. Keep in mind that even if your search term doesn't bring up results, that doesn't mean the records don't exist, they may just be categorized under a different jurisdiction. Revision list entries will often have in the title "Revision Tales (Ревизские Сказки)" included in the title. You may also wish to use a resource like the online forum at VGD to read/inquire about locations of records in the archive.


 * Option 2 - Browse:

Most revision lists are held in Fond I154 (Фонд/Ф. И154). Use the steps below to navigate to that fond. If you don't find anything, try using the


 * 1) From the main page, select Funds Guide (Путеводитель по фондам).
 * 2) Next select Pre-Soviet Funds (Фонды досоветского периода).
 * 3) Then choose Economic and economic institutions, organizations, enterprises (Хозяйственно экономические учерщдения, организации, предприятия).
 * 4) Select Financial, tax and statistical institutions (Финансово-налоговые и статистические учерждения).
 * 5) Choose I154 Tobolsk treasury chamber, Tobolsk, Tobolsk province (1782-1919) (И154 Тобольская казенная палата, г. Тобольск Тобольской губернии (1782-1919 гг.)).
 * 6) From here, choose the number 8 or 20 opis, or cases of permanent storage (Дела постоянного хранения).
 * 7) You'll then need to sift through the entries (delo) to find applicable revision lists. Here are a few tips to help you locate the right revision list.
 * 8) *Each revision list has title, usually beginning with Revision tales [lists] about [social class and/or location (volost, okrug, etc.)]. (Ревизские сказки о...)
 * 9) *Pay attention to the year in the deadlines column (Крайние даты).
 * 10) If you do not find anything in Fond I154, you might try the following fond and opis numbers that are known to contain revision lists. Keep in mind this list is not comprehensive, rather it's a good starting point to being your research in the fonds and opisi of the archives.
 * 11) *Fond 3, Opis 1
 * 12) *Fond 18, Opis 1
 * 13) *Fond 33, Opis 1
 * 14) *Fond 95, Opis 1
 * 15) *Fond 99, Opis 1
 * 16) *Fond 111, Opis 1

4. Once you have located the records you would like to access, check the Digital Copy (Электронная копия) column, to determine if there are digital images available. If there are records available, there is (есть) will appear in that column.

5. To order records, click on the first icon in the Act (Действие). This is the Add to Shopping Cart (Добавить в корзину) button.

6. A box will appear with the price of the record. The archive currently (as of July 2021) charges a price of .5 rubles for each sheet/page in the collection.

7. To purchase a record, click on the shopping cart icon (в корзину).

8. When a record has been added to your cart, a number will appear in the shopping cart icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen. To check out, click on the cart and then select Continue Checkout (Продолжить оформление заказа).

9. Follow the instructions on the screen. You can pay using a bank transfer or a card (you'll have to register for YooMoney (also known as Yandex Money)).

10. After you have successfully paid the archive, you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to the records. You can also access the records from the electronic archive itself, by navigating to the proper fond, opis, and delo and then clicking on the title of the delo. Keep in mind that you have only temporary access for a month after you have purchased them. Be sure you have plenty of time to research before purchasing records.

Family Lists
There are family lists available for Ishim and Tyumen uyezdi. Follow the instructions below to access these records:


 * 1) Click on the uyezd that your ancestor lived in:


 * Ishim (Ишим), 1911-1914
 * Tyumen, 1908

Reading Records
Revision list records for the Tobolsk Gubernia were recorded in Russian. For help reading revision list documents, see the Reading Russian Revision Lists "How to" Guide.

You may also wish to utilize the help of other researchers via the Russian Empire Genealogy Research Group in the FamilySearch Community.

Additional Research Assistance
Need additional research assistance with the Tobolsk Gubernia Revision Lists? Get help through Virtual Genealogy Consultations, a free service provided by the Family History Library, or via the FamilySearch Community.


 * To meet with a research specialist who can provide you with research assistance and next steps, schedule a free 20-minute consultation. To sign up for a consultation, see Virtual Genealogy Consultations.
 * To ask a question via the FamilySearch Community, an online forum where you can get free research assistance from the broader genealogical community, click here. Be sure to join the Russian Empire Genealogy Research Group!