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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 Kovno, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, Ponevezh, Rossieny, Shavli, Telshi and Vilkomir uyezdi of the Kovno 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 Kovno 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 Kovno, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, Ponevezh, Rossieny, Shavli, Telshi and Vilkomir uyezdi of the Kovno 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.
 * To ask a question via the FamilySearch Community, an online forum where you can get free research assistance from the broader genealogical community, click here. Be sure to join the Russian Empire Genealogy Research Group!

Revision Lists
There are also revision list records as well as family lists and other various taxation records for the entire Vilna gubernia. These records have not yet been divided into uyezds or towns. Use the cover pages and locations written at the top of the pages.


 * Lithuania, Kaunas, taxation: Revision lists: 1698-1916
 * Lithuania, Kaunas: Family Lists, 1817-1940

Family list: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2823732?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Types of church record: Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic

Jewish Records: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023333?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Chekishki: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023421?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Datnovo: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023246?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Ariogala: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023318?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Grinkishki: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023309?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Jonava: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1023422?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Websites for Tobolsk Genealogy
Archive of the city of Tobolsk in the Tyumen region "To help a genealogist" - an index of documents containing genealogical and biographical information stored in the Tobolsk State Archives.

This archival inventory contains information about types of documents held in the Tyumen archive and lists the fond, opis, and delo (archival call numbers) of records for specific locations.

http://www.okorneva.ru/arhiv-g-tobolska-v-tyumenskoy-oblasti/

The forum at VGD can be a great place to ask questions and read through previous posts to learn more about research in Tobolsk gubernia. The following pages on VGD may be of use to you:

Fonds of the Tyumen Archive: lists of records at the Tyumen archive. May be of use to you while you are trying to locate records for your location in the archive.

https://forum.vgd.ru/499/32080/0.htm

Be sure to look for a page for the uyezd, volost, okrug, town, etc. that your ancestor lived in. Area specific pages can be a treasure trove of information and can be a good way to connect with researchers researching in your area - some of which could be potential cousins!

Lithuanian archives - which uyezds are there
https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/about-our-records/

Archives:

Lithuanian State Historical Archives https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/lithuanian-state-historical-archives

https://www.rtrfoundation.org/archps6.shtml overview


 * pre-1940 vital records, some revision and family lists - all of the Jewish vital records were filmed by FamilySearch except for vital records transferred from the Lithuanian Central Civil Metrical Archives in January 2002. Most of those records are from 1922-1939, but some are as early as 1881. See an index of vital records in the archive on the Litvak Members site.
 * Contains records for Disna, Lida, Oshmiany, and Vileika uyezds that are now in Belarus.

Lithuanian Central Civil Metrical Archives https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/lithuanian-central-civil-metrical-archives


 * post 1940 vital records. 15 euros for a transcript of each record.

Lithuanian Central State Archives https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/lithuanian-central-state-archives

https://www.rtrfoundation.org/archps6.shtml


 * holds school records, internal passport applications, prison records, 191-1940 records, Lithuanian Archive of Image and Sound Vilnius District - there are photographs of 1,222 Jewish Russian Army conscripts from 1900-1914

Lithuanian Special Archives: KGB records, records from 1944-1990, genocide of the Lithuanian people.

Kaunas Regional State Archives https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/kaunas-regional-state-archives

https://www.rtrfoundation.org/archps6.shtml


 * pre-1915 records for former Kaunas gubernia uyezdi Kaunas, Raseiniai, Telsiai, Siauliai, Panevezys, Ukmerge, Zarasai.
 * Revision/family lists, court records, Internal passport records for Kaunas city, district and Jonava? Does not have any records for Vilnius or Suwalki.

Memel (Klaipeda) Archive https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/memel-klaipeda-archive no info there, need to do some digging.

Panevezys Archives https://www.litvaksig.org/information-and-tools/archives-and-repositories/panevezys-archives


 * post WWII records - property and tax records for Panevzys and surrounding area

Europeana - 19th-20th centuries

 * Europeana contains nearly 30,000 Estonian newspaper records from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (the site also contains newspaper records from various European archives). The digital copies were scanned from originals at the National Library of Estonia. The newspapers are not indexed, but you can search for newspapers from a specific time period.

DIAGR Estonian Articles

 * DIAGR Estonian Articles provides access to several thousand newspapers, journals, and serials. In addition to Estonian, many of the digital newspapers available here are written in German and Russian. The collection also includes Estonian American newspapers.


 * SAAGA - free, online records (need to make an account but it's free) - contains newspapers from 16th to 20th century
 * Online Newspapers - extensive list of free digitized newspapers mainly covering 1888-1946

Use the new Holocaust Lists Database at Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots to determine the location of Holocaust documents such as victim and survivor lists, survival testimonials and more. Holocaust Collections included in this database are from select towns in Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine.

Database entries include information about archive the records are stored in and the archival file number. This information will help you locate the original record in the archive.

To determine what holocaust lists may survive, simply search the database by town. Click on an entry to view additional information about the record and its location. After you have determined that Holocaust documents for your town are available, consider searching your surname in the Surname Database. Miriam Weiner has digitized many Holocaust lists and they are accessible through the Surname Database. Keep in mind that this is an ongoing project, so check back often for new information and updates.