Russia Societies

Many genealogical societies emphasize Russian research. They publish helpful periodicals and compiled genealogies. They may also have special indexes, collections, and projects. Some publish queries about Russian ancestors or maintain a list of members' research interests. Some specialize in immigrants to a specific area.

In 1989, the Russian Genealogical Society was founded in St. Petersburg and Dr. Igor V. Sakharov was elected its first president. In 1992, the National Library of Russia created the Institute of Genealogical Research, the first post-communist governmental institution of its kind in Russia.

Many societies cannot give research assistance, but they will inform you of addresses of researchers and other sources that may assist you in your research. They can usually help you find and hire a researcher to investigate local records that an archivist does not have time to search. When contacting a society for help, remember the following:


 * Have the dates when your relative was born and when he/she died.
 * Have the name of the town or township where your relative lived.
 * For emigration, have the date they left Russia, the ship name if known.
 * For immigration, know the date of arrival, the port and the ship name.


 * FEEFHS Federation of East European Family History Societies http://feefhs.org/
 * Russian Genealogical Society http://iro.newmail.ru/index.htm