Russian Empire Taxation

Introduction to Revision Lists
Taxation records, also known as ревизские сказки, or revision lists, are an important source in Russian genealogy. These records, similar to a US census, can be used to track a family across time.

Revision Lists
In 1718, under the rule of Peter the Great, a new taxation system was created. This new taxation system was nicknamed the "soul" tax, as it taxed individuals rather than land or households as was done under previous taxation systems. Keep in mind that revision lists enumerated only the taxable population which excluded individuals, which in some revisions, meant nobility and clergy.

The first revision, or enumeration of the taxable population, was taken in 1719. There were ten revisions taken sporadically over the next approximately 150 years as illustrated below:

** Incomplete due to the Napoleonic War, the revision also contained only males.

Revision lists are organized first by uyezd or district, and then by social class, so you should know which uyezd and social class your ancestor belonged to. The most common social class was that of the крестьянин, or peasant class.

For more information about revision list history please read The Imperial Russian Revision Lists of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries by Joseph B. Everett.

Reading Records
Revision list records were primarily recorded in Russian. For help reading revision list documents, see the Reading Russian Revision Lists "How to" Guide.

If you have German ancestors who lived in the Baltics, you may encounter revision lists recorded in Russian. For help reading German language revision list documents, see the Reading German Revision Lists "How to" Guide.

You may also wish to utilize the help of other researchers via the Russian Empire Genealogy Research Group in the FamilySearch Community.

Additional Research Assistance
Need additional research assistance with the revision lists? Get help through Virtual Genealogy Consultations, a free service provided by the FamilySearch 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!