Kars Oblast, Russian Empire Genealogy

Guide to Kars Oblast ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, and tax records.

Historical Background
The Kars Oblast was a province (oblast) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire between 1878 and 1917. The Kars Oblast included parts of the contemporary provinces of Kars, Ardahan, and Erzurum Province of Turkey, and the Amasia Community of the Shirak Province of Armenia.

Getting Started
Before jumping into records for this area, you MUST know the name of the village in which your ancestor lived.

Once you have the name of a village you believe was located in this province, take the following steps:

1. Identify the standard spelling of the town using a gazetteer. (See the Kars Oblast Gazetteers page.) 2. Use the gazetteer and maps to determine the approximate location of the village. 3. Determine if there are religious records available for the village. Keep in mind that the closest religious center (i.e. churches, mosques, etc.) may be in a nearby village so check the gazetteer to see if any villages nearby had religious centers. (See the Ėrivan Gubernia Religious Records page.)

If you have specific questions about research in the former Kars Oblast, sign up for a Virtual Genealogy Consultation (choose "Ancestors in Armenia") or post your questions to the FamilySearch Community - Russian Empire Genealogy Research group.

More Research Strategies and Tools

 * Armenia Handwriting

Online Classes
Records and Record Access
 * An Overview of Metrical books and Tax lists for Armenia - Camille Andrus, AG®
 * Accessing Records for Armenia using the FamilySearch Catalog - Camille Andrus, AG®

Russian Handwriting
 * Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet - Ellie Vance
 * Deciphering the Handwriting and Understanding the Grammar - Ellie Vance
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting Part 1 - Heather Stewart, BA
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting Part 2 - Heather Stewart, BA