Kovna Gubernia Census

The 1897 Census
The 1897 Russian Imperial Census was the first and only census carried out in the Russian Empire. The census enumerated the entire population of the Empire (excluding Finland) and was designed to gather population and statistical data. The census was conducted on January 28, 1897 as winter was the time when the population was least mobile. On the appointed day, 150,000 census takers completed over thirty million sheets of returns.

There were three forms: (Form А (A), Б (B) or В (V). Form A (A) enumerated peasants residing on farms; Form Б (B) listed landed estates and form В (V) was for city dwellers, military, clergy, etc.

The first page of each form notes state (gubernia), county (uyezd), district (volost), village, name of head of household, number of dwellings, number of souls found on day census was taken (divided by sex), number living there permanently, how many people are there who are not peasants, those who live there but are not official residents, and signature of person who compiled the form.

The second page includes the census return form which contains a wealth of information - both genealogical and personal details! The census recorded: A copy was made locally and both copies forwarded to the provincial census commission. One of these was kept by that commission and the other sent to the Central Census Bureau in St. Petersburg. After statistical data from the census was gathered, many of the census returns were destroyed. The St. Petersburg copy is no longer extant but the local copy has survived in some regional archives.
 * name (given name, patronymic, and surname)
 * note if blind, deaf, mute, or insane
 * relationship to head of household
 * age
 * marital status
 * social rank
 * birthplace
 * where registered
 * residence
 * note if person is absent at the time of the census
 * native tongue
 * literacy
 * place of study (past or current)
 * main profession
 * additional profession
 * military status

Some portions of the 1897 census for the Kovna, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, Ponevezh, Rossieny, Shavli, Telshi and Vilkomir uyezdi of the Kovna gubernia have survived and are stored in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius, Lithuania.

JewishGen
If your ancestors were Jewish, 1897 census records for Kovna gubernia are indexed and available through the Lithuania 1897 Census Database at JewishGen. Note that only Jewish records were translated.

To see a list of place names that appear in the Lithuania 1897 Census Database, see the Place Names appearing in this Database section of this article. Note that some place names in this list are located in the Vilna gubernia.

To search the database, search the JewishGen Lithuania Collection and look for search results under the category entitled "Lithuania Census 1897."

The indexes contain the location, head of household, name, age, father (derived from patronymic), relationship to the head of household, and place of birth, registration, and residence. In some cases, additional information has been indexed in the comments section. To obtain a copy of the original, which often provides more information than what was indexed, contact the Lithuanian State Historical Archives and provide them with the information from the index (names and places), and the source (fond, opis, and delo number) that are listed in the index. Inquires should be in Lithuanian.

Lithuanian State Historical Archives (Vilnius)
Some portions of the 1897 census for the Kovna, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, Ponevezh, Rossieny, Shavli, Telshi and Vilkomir uyezdi of the Kovna gubernia have survived and are stored in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius, Lithuania. These records are stored in fond 768, opis 1.

See the Archival Funds of the First General Population Census of the Russian Empire in 1897 for a list of available records. Uyezds, and volosts (a district level within an uyezd) are listed, along with the specific delo within fond 768, opis 1. This webpage is in Russian. To translate, use the Google Chrome browser, then right click anywhere on the page and select the option Translate to English.

Note that these records are not available online. In order to get a copy, you'll need to either visit the archive, write to the archive, or hire an onsite researcher. Locate contact information for the Lithuanian State Historical Archives on their website, and for help writing to an archive, see Russia Archives and Libraries.

Reading Records
The 1897 Census records were primarily recorded in Russian. For help reading your ancestor's 1897 census return, please see the Reading the 1897 Census "How" To Guide.

For free translation help, consider the FamilySearch Community - a place where you can get research and translation assistance. Be sure to place your translation request in the Russian Empire Genealogy Research Group.

Additional Research Assistance
Need additional research assistance with the 1897 Census? 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.
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