Russian

Wars, revolution and lack of preservation have destroyed a significant part of Russia’s written records.

Each person has a given name, a patronymic and a surname.

• The patronymic usually ends in -ovich for men or -ovna for women.
• Orthodox and Catholic families tended to name children for saints.
• Jews in Russia did not adopt surnames until the government required their use in the early 19th century.
• Many Russian immigrants Americanized their names.
• Dictionary of Period Russian Names

Archives from the former Soviet Union concentrate their holdings according to oblasts (provinces). You need to know both the old and new jurisdiction to search.

• Most records will have to be accessed in person at Russian archives.

Useful Websites

• Russian Archives has contact information for all archives and links to each archive’s website, if one exists. The website is in Russian.
• Russian Empire Jurisdictions
• Free database containing descriptions of Russian archive holdings.
• The Russians to American Passenger Data File, 1834-1897
• LI-RA-MA collection holds Jewish, Ukrainian and Finnish immigrants’ passport applications and questionnaires from 1898-1922.