United States, Russians to America Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of data files from passenger lists of the U.S. Customs Service which part of Record Group 36 relating to the immigration of Russians to the United States for arrivals 1834-1897. Created by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Center for Immigration Research.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Russians to America
 * Passenger’s full name
 * Age
 * City and town of last residence
 * Country of origin
 * Occupation
 * Port of arrival

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor at the time of immigration
 * The country of origin
 * The destination city or country

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the residence and name of your ancestor to locate church and land records
 * Their occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * The country and town of residence can lead you to census records
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals with the same family number

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.