Russia, Simbirsk, Church Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

Russia

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records from the years 1768-1939.

This collection contains images of births, baptisms, marriages, divorces, deaths, and burials in the province of Simbirsk (modern day Ulyanovsk). These records were acquired from the Ulyanovsk regional archive. These records are written in Russian.

For a list of records by localities, document type and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browselink from the collection landing page.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. These images can be viewed online by members of the supporting organization(s), at a family history center near you, or the Family History Library.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Russian records see the following guides:
 * Russia Language and Languages
 * Russian Genealogical Word List
 * Russia Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Russian Handwritten Records

How Do I Search This Collection?
To search by image:
 * 1) Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page
 * 2) Select the "Province"
 * 3) Select the "District"
 * 4) Select the "Place/Parish"
 * 5) Select the "Year/Vol/Event" which takes you to the images

Look at each image, comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Begin your search by finding your ancestors in indexes; this will help access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned. When searching the index, it is helpful to know the following:


 * The county where the birth/baptism, marriage, or death occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of the event
 * The approximate event date
 * The event place

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

Keep in mind:


 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but it depends upon the reliability of the informant
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900s
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Russia, Simbirsk Church Books, 1768-1939." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Orthodox Church. Ulyanovsk State Archive.
 * Collection Citation:

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