Russia Census

' Russia Census

A census is a count and description of the population.

Census records can provide family relationships, age, year of birth, description of property, religion, and place of birth. Microfilm copies are available at many repositories and through interlibrary loan. Generally, more recent censuses are more complete. They can provide information missing in other records. Use census information with caution because information (which may have been given by any family member) may be incorrect or deliberately falsified.


 * Russian Empire Census (1897), the only complete population census conducted in Imperial Russia
 * Russian Census (2002), the only population census conducted in the post-Soviet Russia

Russian Census of 2002 (Russian: Всеросси́йская пе́репись населе́ния 2002 го́да) was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics (Rosstat).

The census was primarily intended to collect statistical information about the resident population of the Russian Federation. The resident population included:


 * Russian citizens living in Russia (including those temporary away from the country, provided the absence from the country was expected to last less than one year);
 * non-citizens (i.e. foreign citizens and stateless persons) who were any of the following:
 * legal permanent residents;
 * persons who have arrived to the country with the intent to settle permanently or to seek asylum, regardless of whether they have actually obtained the appropriate immigration status;
 * authorized foreign workers or students, provided the period of temporary residence in Russia was expected to last at least one year.
 * All detailed census tables are for the resident population.
 * All (resident) participants were asked questions on their gender, birth date, marital status, household composition, birthplace, citizenship, ethnic or tribal self-identification (национальность), education level, language competence, sources of income, and employment status. A sample of the participants were also asked more detailed questions about their economic and housing situation.

1897 Russian Empire Census (perepis 1897)
The 1897 census was the only universal census in tsarist Russia. It was conducted on January 28, in the middle of the winter because this was the time when the populace was least mobile. On the appointed day, 150,000 census takers spread out into the environs of the nation and completed over thirty million sheets of returns. Some census workers traveled as much as forty miles to gather the required data. There is a separate list (Form A, B or V) for each household. For those who belong to the household, the following information is listed: name; note if blind, deaf, mute, or insane; relationship to head of family and 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 or graduation; main profession; additional profession; military status. The first page of each enumeration form notes state (guberniia), county (uezd), 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. 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. The St. Petersburg copy is no longer extant but the local copy has survived in some regional archives.

Family lists / local censuses
Research use: Value is the same as for revision lists.

Record type: Population enumerations were conducted after the revisions for the purpose of assessing a poll tax and identifying those for conscription into the military.

General: The term supplemental revision lists was used in some areas when referring to family lists. Since there was no universal mandate as in the case of the revisions to create these records, they occur randomly at different times for different places. Family lists were also created by conscription offices that listed all male members of a family along with their parents.

Time period: 1860-1918.

Contents: Head of household, family members, ages; other details vary.

Location: State archives.

Population coverage: 30% coverage because conducted randomly on a local basis and not always preserved.

Reliability: They are not completely reliable because of efforts to evade taxation or conscription by avoiding correct enumeration.

Household Censuses
Research use: Identify male lineage and residence.

Record type: Census of taxable households conducted before revisions instituted taxation by the number of males in a household.

General: The registers were compiled by scribes sent out from the central government. They compiled a work copy and then made a final copy that was sent to the Estate Office (Pomestnyi Prikaz).

Time period: 1646-1717.

Contents: Names, ages, and social rank of males by household.

Location: Archive of Ancient Acts in Moscow. Population coverage: 40% coverage.

Reliability: The scribe collected local estate serf lists (podvornye vedomosti) and transcribed the information. He was supposed to verify this information in person but did not always do so.

Sources in Print
Dunai, Alexander. "The 1897 All-Empire Russian Census." In AVOTAYNU Vol. XXIV, no. 3 (Fall 2008); pp. 12-14. [FHL INTL.296.79 vol. 24].