Russian Genealogy: Discovering and Preserving Family Histories

Living in Europe, the USA, or Canada and eager to discover more about your ancestors who resided in the former Russian Empire? Order a genealogical research: uncover your origins and receive a family tree as a gift!

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My Experience

The charm of genealogy lies in its ability to unveil countless incredible discoveries. It's impossible to list everything that archives can reveal, just as it's impossible to describe life in all its diversity. To showcase the possibilities that may unfold before you, below, I provide 10 links to fascinating and significant stories of reconstructing my own family tree.

To Learn About Harmful Habits

Let's begin with recent history. The rule of Mikhail Gorbachev is known not only for Perestroika and Glasnost, which led to the collapse of the Soviet state and the emergence of a new democratic Russia, but also for less obvious, yet beneficial initiatives, such as the anti-alcohol campaign. I found in the archives a case about how my grandfather fought against alcoholism and drunkenness at a defense enterprise where he had worked for many years and successfully conquered the 'green serpent'!

Find Grandfather's Student Record and Admission Essay

Despite my grandfather's early departure from the family, a lack of support from my mother, and never having had the chance to meet him (he passed away when I was a child), it did not hinder me from not only fully reconstructing his biography but also holding in my hands his student record and reading his admission essay based on Ostrovsky's popular novel 'How the Steel Was Tempered' from the late 1950s. In the student record, by the way, there was his photo in a naval uniform (he served three years in the Baltic Fleet) — a shirt with a stand-up collar and a telnyashka. No other photos like that have been preserved in the family archive.

Find the Last Photo of the Missing Person in War

The Great Patriotic War is a significant part of the history of any Russian family. Thanks to websites like 'Memory of the People,' it's now relatively easy to trace the combat path of a veteran. But what can you find if you dig a little deeper? Since childhood, I knew that no one from our family had died in the war. In reality, it turned out not to be so optimistic — I discovered my great-grandfather's father listed as missing in action, also a WWII veteran, and learned that another missing person was a relative — my grandmother's uncle, who died a few months before Victory Day. It's a matter of particular pride that I was able to find his photo in the archives — no other pictures of the 21-year-old lieutenant have been preserved.

To Turn Family Memory into the Heritage of the Country

Genealogy is not only about discovering something that no one knew before but also about turning the facts you uncover into common heritage, thus paying tribute to your ancestors. For example, my great-grandmother worked as a medical orderly in the largest military hospital during the siege of Leningrad. Thanks to my research, a substantial article about her and her frontline comrades, accompanied by photographs, was published in the newspaper of the medical university, which now occupies the buildings of the former evacuation hospital.

Restore the Names of the Repressed

The Stalinist terror is another milestone in Soviet history, touching in one way or another all Russian families. Like with the war, I lived in blissful ignorance for a long time, assuming that there were definitely no repressed individuals among my relatives. To date, I know the names of six victims of Stalinist repression. An entire chapter in a book published by the Moscow Museum of the History of the Gulag is dedicated to the search for one of them. The story of the repressed ancestors of my spouse made it to the front page of 'Novaya Gazeta,' which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tell the Stories of Those Forgotten by Preference

Genealogy is not always about pleasant discoveries but always about highly instructive ones. Family memory did not preserve recollections not only of victims of repression but also of an ancestor who served in the NKVD and was involved in the destruction of hundreds of people. This revelation became the impetus for a public discussion about reconciling victims and executioners, which unfolded on platforms as diverse as 'Radio Svoboda' and 'Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda.' I managed to find a relative of one of the victims of my second cousin's great-grandfather, who was a Chekist, and help him obtain the investigative case from the archives.

Placing Ancestor in the Context of Great History

Criminal cases in archives are not necessarily about political repression. I came across the case of my great-great-grandfather from the early 1920s when there was no criminal law in the young Soviet country, replaced by 'revolutionary legal consciousness.' In a mundane domestic conflict that turned into a criminal case, the era was reflected like a drop of water. My great-great-grandfather, a kindergarten director from a priest's family, lost his job because he didn't share a baby carriage with the former owner of a factory. The reason for criminal liability was 'discrediting' the Soviet authorities.

Replace Family Legends with Authentic History

This particular criminal case refuted the family legend about our noble roots. The 'former' status, to which my great-grandmother, a 'noblewoman,' considered herself, did not only apply to aristocrats but also to priests. By debunking the family legend, I discovered an ancient spiritual lineage for the family, which I traced back to the late 17th century. The family geography expanded with about a dozen church parishes. Some of the churches where my ancestors served can still be visited today. Thus, genealogy is not only about old, yellowed papers but also about stone buildings.

Find the Intersections of Ancestors' Lives with Great Historical Figures

In genealogy, the six degrees of separation theory takes root, bridging the gap between us and the most unexpected historical personalities. One of my relatives, a simple peasant from a distant Siberian village, served in a regiment that participated in the renowned Brusilov Offensive during World War I, which became a landmark event. This battle left an indelible mark on history. Prior to it, my ancestor took part in a military review organized for the arrival of Emperor Nicholas II at the front, and the Emperor was pleased with the soldiers, as noted in his diary. Shortly after this historic event, my distant relative ended up in Austrian captivity and was interned in a camp where the guard was the famous artist Egon Schiele, a disciple of Gustav Klimt.

Delving into the centuries, even along the line of peasant ancestors

Even if your ancestors came from the simplest estates (according to the 1897 census, 77% of the citizens of the Russian Empire were peasants), thanks to parish registers and revision tales, it is quite likely that you can trace your lineage back to the late 17th to early 18th century, spanning 200-250 years. That's how I did it with peasants from Chuvashia, townsmen from Ukraine, and clergy from the Moscow province. If we're fortunate, we might even find the progenitor of your surname. For instance, I was able to discover how Napoleon Bonaparte and... alcohol played a role in the origin of my ancestors' surname.

Unlocking Ancestral Stories: What I Can Find

Exploring Three Dimensions: People, Places, and Time. Together, they form a unified narrative – the very story. All facts will be substantiated with references to primary sources and scans of archival documents. As a bonus, you will receive a family tree!

People
✔ Names and life years of ancestors dating back to the 17th century. Biographies and stories unveiling their lives.
✔ Education, professions, economic status, and property.
✔ Participation in significant historical events and processes such as wars, revolutions, repressions, migrations, and more.
Places
✔ The history of the village or town where your ancestors lived.
✔ Traditions, customs, and daily life of those places. Cultural and religious aspects.
✔ Geography and nature. Agriculture, industries, and crafts.
Time
✔ A broad historical context providing a portrait of the era.
✔ Society's life and political events. Economic and technological progress, crises, upheavals (epidemics, famines, etc.).
✔ Your ancestors and their great contemporaries: intersections of lives.

Workflow Process

Free Consultation

We meet either in person or via video call. You present your request, and I ask clarifying questions. Together, we outline the technical specifications for the research. I request a list of necessary documents and, if needed, provide forms for you to fill out.

Assessment of Prospects

At this stage, I analyze the data provided by you, make a preliminary assessment of the preservation and accessibility of genealogical sources in the archives, and create an initial research plan. If I foresee that the search may not yield results, I will communicate this directly to you so that you can assess the risks and make informed decisions.

Archival Work

The research is divided into stages, and the level of your involvement is at your discretion. You can receive progress reports at each stage (typically once a month), or you may choose to wait for the final report containing the comprehensive information, a package of archival documents, and the family tree as a gift.

Research Presentation

Documents obtained at various stages of the research are cataloged, information is synthesized, and it is presented in a format agreed upon with you in advance. This could be an extended report, a book, a PowerPoint presentation, or an encyclopedia-style website.

Igor Yakovlev

Professionally Seeking Information and Narrating Stories

By profession, I am a genealogist, and by education, a journalist. I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia).

I have been involved in genealogy since 2017. I am the author of a popular Telegram channel about genealogy called 'Dedyvoevali' and a website 'Rodoslavnaya Encyclopedia' dedicated to the history of my family.

Unlike many other genealogical projects on the internet, I not only provide methodological recommendations for research but also share my experience in detail, candidly, and engagingly. My stories have inspired many people to explore their own genealogy.

My genealogical investigations have been featured in radio and television broadcasts, newspapers, and online media publications (see below).

Igor Yakovlev

Professionally Seeking Information and Narrating Stories

By profession, I am a genealogist, and by education, a journalist. I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia).

I have been involved in genealogy since 2017. I am the author of a popular Telegram channel about genealogy called 'Dedyvoevali' and a website 'Rodoslavnaya Encyclopedia' dedicated to the history of my family.

Unlike many other genealogical projects on the internet, I not only provide methodological recommendations for research but also share my experience in detail, candidly, and engagingly. My stories have inspired many people to explore their own genealogy.

My genealogical investigations have been featured in radio and television broadcasts, newspapers, and online media publications (see below).

Media Coverage of My Research

Articles, Interviews, Radio and TV Programs (in Russian)

All Publications

Services and Prices

Let's Dive into Centuries

This service involves in-depth exploration of a specific lineage, gathering information about individuals within a particular family name in an ascending manner.

The pricing is based on centuries. Each century is counted from the date of the oldest document related to a person in the family archive. Theoretically, even for a peasant genealogy, it's possible to delve into the beginning of the 17th century (for three centuries).

The final report will include a family tree, biographical information about identified individuals, and a local history overview.

Cost of the research: $1200. Prepayment of 30%.
Estimated duration: approximately 6 months.

For orders of three or more lineages, there is a 5% discount on each research.

Reconstruction of Biographies

This service involves searching for information about a specific person or an event associated with them. For example, if an ancestor participated in a war or was a victim of repression.

This type of research is more suitable for individuals who lived in the 20th century (as there is usually more information in archives).

The cost of the research is a fixed $400 as an initial payment. The final cost will depend on the documents found (typically ranging from $150 to $700 rubles per document, depending on the volume and complexity of its description).
Estimated duration: from 3 months.

For orders of three or more biographies, there is a 5% discount on each research.

Consultation

If you are conducting independent research but would like occasional assistance from a professional, consultation is suitable for you.

Within one hour, I will listen to your story, address your questions, guide you on how to overcome the challenges that genealogical research often presents. Upon request, I can create a work plan or prepare requests for archives and/or government agencies.

Cost of one-hour consultation: $100.

When ordering a package of 10 consultations, a 5% discount applies.

FAQ

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