Russia Research Tips and Strategies

Russia Research Strategies

 * Russia Online Records
 * Beginning Russian Research
 * Reading Russian Handwriting
 * Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting, part 1
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting, part 2


 * Finding Lost Russian and Ukraine Families

Russia Research Tips
'''Census Records. '''Census records can provide family relationships, age, year of birth, description of property, religion, and place of birth. Russian Census Records

Civil Registration.   Civil governments have created records of births, marriages, and deaths, commonly called vital records because they refer to critical events in a person’s life. Russia Civil Registration

GENEALOGY SOURCES - SOVIET PERIOD
Golovko, G.V., ''Putevoditel' po fondy spravochno-bibliograficheskogo otdela biblioteki Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Vyp. 2 Akademii Nauk Respublik Byvshego SSSR 1919-1991, Sankt-Peterburg, 1995.'' Biographical index to the fonds of the Reference-biographic Department of the library of the Russian Academy of Sciences of the republics of the former USSR, with index to names.12262, Vyp. 2, Paper cover, 130 pages, 700 copies printed.

Leningradskii martirolog 1937-1938, Tom I avgust - sentiabr' 1937 goda, Sankt-Peterburg, 1995. Short biographies of victims of terror in Leningrad during the time of Stalin, covering the period 1937-1938. 12741, ISBN 5-7196-0951-2, Cloth cover, 804 pages.

Sharapov, Yu. P., ''Litsei v sokol'nikakh. Ocherk istorii IFLI - Moskovskogo instituta istorii, filosofii i literatury imeni N. G. Chernyshevskogo (1931 - 1941 gg.), Moskva "AIPO-XX", 1995''. The first history of the IFLI (Institute of philosophy literature and history), based on archival documents, published memoirs and private materials of students and faculty, with index to names. 12021, Paper cover, 205 pages.

GENEALOGY SOURCES - PRE-REVOLUTIONARY AND SOVIET PERIOD

Bogdanova, N.B., Moi Otets Men'shevik, Sankt-Peterburg, 1994 Nataliya B. Bogdanova's recollections of her father, B.O. Bogdanov (1884-1960), one of the leaders of the Menshevik party who played a significant role in 1917. Includes short biographies of 22 members of the socialist party and an index to names. 11611, ISBN 5-87427-003-5, Hard cover, 255 pages.

Shoshkov, E.N., Repressirovannoe ostekhbiuro, Series: Istoricheskie sborniki. Volume 3., Sankt-Peterburg, Russia: Memorial, 1995. By drawing upon the previously secret fates of bureau employees, this book recreates the history and activity of the Special Technical Bureau of Military Inventions from 1908-1990. Among the published materials are photos and a large number of documents, some of which are from the KGB. The appendix contains a table of arrest dates and executions of people who were connected with Ostekhbiuro (Special Technical Bureau) as well as lists of leaders and secretaries of various branches of the Party organization of Ostekhbiuro.12203, ISBN 5-87427-006-5, Soft cover, 208 pages.

Dobkin, A.I., Sorokina, ''M.Yu., In Memoriam. Istoricheskii sbornik pamiati F.F.Perchenka, Moskva-S.-Peterburg, Russia: Feniks-Atheneum,'' 1995. Collection of materials about the Russian intelligentsia from the l9th century to the 1960's including discussion about antisemitism in 1915 and the repression of academics, including biographical sketches and index to names. 11891, ISBN 5-85042-039-8, Hard cover, 152 pages.

GENEALOGY SOURCES - PRE-REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
Bokhanov, A.N., Delovaia Elita Rossii 1914 g., Moskva: Institut Rossiiskoii istorii RAN, 1994 Describes the structure of capitalism on the eve of the revolution, including a short description of several hundred Russian business leaders. 11551, ISBN 5-201-00593-4, Paper, 274 pages, 500 copies printed.

Shilov, L.A. et al, Sotrudniki Rossiiskoi natsional'noi biblioteki - deiateli nauki i kultury: biograficheskii slovar': Tom 1 Imperatorskaia Publichnaia biblioteka 1795-1917, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia: RNB, 1995. Biographies of workers of the Russian National Library between 1795-1917. 12511, ISBN 5-7196-0964-4, Tom l, Hard cover, 688 pages.

Trukan, G., ''Rossiia antibol'shevistskaia. Iz belogvardeiiskikh i emigrantskikh arkhivov., Moskva: Institut rossiiskoii istorii RAN,'' 1995. This book comprises the publication of documents, letters and fragments of diaries from the archives of leaders of the anti-Bolshevik "Whites" in the Civil war following the 1917 revolution. An annotated list of names provided.12631, ISBN 5-201-00582-9, Soft cover, 433 pages, 300 copies printed.

Ivanova, N., ''Promyshlennyii tsentr Rossii 1907-1914 gg. Statistiko-ekonomicheskoe issledovanie, Moskva: Institut rossiiskoii istorii RAN,'' 1996. This monograph analyzes the development of industry in the central economic region of Russia from 1907-1914. Different aspects of this problem are investigated based on analysis from archival documents, the press, reference-books, and statistic data. Numerous tables are provided. 12601, ISBN 5-201-00617-5, Soft cover, 284 pages, 500 copies printed.

Anan'ich, B.V. et al, Krizis Samoderzhaviia v Rossii 1895-1917, Leningrad, 1984. Collection of monographs on the internal politics of Tsarism between the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, with index to names. 11371, Hard cover, 662 pages.

Yakovleva, I.G. et al, ''Dorevolyutsionnye izdaniya po istorii SSSR v inostrannom fonde GPB, Sistematecheskii ykazatel' Vyp. IV, Otechestvennaya viona 1812 g. Uchastie Rossii v kampaniyakh 1813-1814'' gg., Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 1993. Lists of over 1000 foreign publications about Russia's participation in the war against Napoleon in 1812-1814 in the Russian National Library 12291, Paper cover, 243 pages, 300 copies printed.

Dudzinskaia, E.A., Slavianofily v poreformennoi Rossii, Moskva, 1994. Slavofiles in Russia during the reforms. This book researches the problems of bourgeois reforms in Russia in the middle of the 19th century, including descriptions of the activities of I. Aksakov, A. Koshelev, Iu. Samarina, V. Cherkasskii, F. Chizhov and others. Includes index to names. 12791, ISBN 5-201-00573-X Paper cover, 278 pages, 500 copies printed.

GENEALOGY SOURCES - 18th CENTURY AND EARLIER
Krom, M.M., ''Mezh Rus'iu i Litvoii. Zapadnorusskie zemli v sisteme Russko-litovskikh otnoshenii kontsa XV - pervoii treti XVI v., Series: Issledovaniia po russkoii istorii, Moskva: Arkheograficheskiy tsentr, 1995. '' A study of the fate of western Russian lands under the system of Russian Lithuanian relations from the end of the 15th century to the first third of the 16th century. Useful for genealogy studies, includes an index to names. 11931, ISBN 5-86169-011-1 (T.4); 5-86169-013-8, Vypusk chetvertyi, Soft cover, 304 pages.

Demkin, A.V., ''Zapadnoevropeiskie kuptsy i ikh prikazhiki v Rossii v XVII v., Moskva, 1992. ''Western European traders and their clients in Russia in the 17th century with large index to names. 12711, Paper cover, 56 pages.

Yukht, A. I., ''Torgovlia s vostochnymi stranami i vnutrennii rynok Rossii. 20-60-e gody 18 veka.'', Moscow, Russia: Institut rossiiskoii istorii RAN, 1994 Monograph examining questions of Russian trade with Eastern countries in the mid 18th century. Based on an unique collection of customs books and other archival materials, includes references and index to names. 11441, ISBN 5-201-00648-5, Paper cover, 262 pages, 500 copies printed.

Kuznetsov, V.I., Iz istorii feodal'nogo zemlevladeniya Rossii (po materialam Kolomenskogo uezda XVI-XVII w.), Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, 1993. History of feudalism in the Kolomenskoe uezd during the 16th and 17th centuries, comparison of different types of private property under feudalism and statistics on economic development during this time. Includes large index to landowners.12421, ISBN 5-211-02207-6, Paper cover, 174 pages, 500 copies printed.

Rogozhin, N.M., Posol'skie knigi Rossii kontsa 15 - nachala 17 w., Moskva: Logos, 1994. Monograph of research into a series of ambassadorial books of Russia from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 17th centuries. Contains a list of Russian and foreign diplomats and an index to names.12461, ISBN 5-201-00591-8, Soft cover, 228 pages, 500 copies printed, $24.00.

Demkin, A.V., Zapadnoevropeiiskoe kupechestvo v Rossii v 17 v., Moscow: Institut rossiiskoii istorii RAN, 1994 Describes 17th century trade with Western Europe. Includes archival references and list of Western merchants by country. 11431&amp;2, ISBN 5-201-00660-4, 1&amp;2, Paper cover, 268 pages, 500 copies printed

Enin, G.P., Opisanie dokumentov XIV-XVII w.v kopiinykh knigakh Kirillo-Belozerskogo monastyrya khranyashchikhsya v otdele rukopisei Rossiiskoi Natsional'noi Biblioteki, Sankt-Peterburg, 1994. Lists of over 2000 documents from the 14th-17th centuries in copy books of the Kirillo-Belozersk Monastery in the Document Department of the Russian National Library, with index to names, places and years.12281, Paper cover, 452 pages, 300 copies printed

Voskoboinikova, N.P., Opisanie drevneishikh dokumentov arkhivov Moskovskikh prikazov XVI- nachala XVII v.v. (RGADA, f.l41. Prikaznye dela starykh let), Series: Spravochniki po russkoii istorii., Moskva.: Arkheograficheskii tsentr", 1994. Description of Fond 141, Chancery Documents of Ancient Years, from the Russian Archive of Ancient Acts which contains diverse, eclectic and even surprising materials from tsarist coronations to mortgages and deeds and even petitions by military men for back pay. Includes geographical index and index to names.12011, ISBN 5-86169-015-4 (T.2); 5-86169-014-6, Vypusk 2, Hard cover, 424 pages

Eskin, Yu.M., Mestnichestvo v Rossii XVI - XVII v.v. Khronologicheskii reestr, Series: Spravochniki po russkoii istorii, Moskva: Arkheograficheskii tsentr, 1994. A chronological register of materials regarding the "mestnichestvo" in Russia in the 16th-17th centuries, including an index to names.11951, ISBN 5-86169-015-4(T.1); 5-86169-012-X Vypuskpervyi, Soft cover, 264 pages