New unique database indexes lists of almost 300,000 fonds at Russian archives

On May 6, 2023May 14, 2023 By Vera MillerIn Discovering Documents, Genealogy, Understanding Archives12 Comments

Russian volunteers have come together to create a database that I never imagined would exist for those researching their Russian genealogy.

Anyone who visits Russian archive websites knows that the design is unique to each archive. Too many English-speakers give up in trying to understand how to use Russian archive websites because it is hard to understand how to use the websites.

Thanks to a group of volunteers, the list of fonds (sets of records) for regional and federal archives are being indexed in a database called The Great Inventory. The project is close to documenting 300,000 fonds of 17 archives. I’ve noticed listed fonds from the early 1800s to the 1950s. (See the database in English here but you must search using the regular link. Yes, the database is on an .org site, not a .ru site)

The database has a search engine so users don’t need to sift through thousands of listings to find the fonds that interest them.

Anyone who has seen listings of archive fonds in Russia know that the titles of fonds can be very detailed. That means people’s full names and the situations documented in the archive fonds are detailed in just the titles.

The amount of money that this database can save for those who don’t know how to go through the fond listings on Russian archive websites is unreal. Users can search for full names, surnames, names of places, ethnic groups, businesses, events, etc.

I tested some keywords to check out the results after switching keywords from English to Russian on Google Translate. Here is a sampling of the results: persecution, 114 listings; Jewish, 198 listings; nobles, 1,153 listings; merchants, 763 listings; evacuations, 9 listings; and Germans, 13 listings.

Any attempt to find the same information through other methods would not be as time effective or useful as this database. Yes, the database is in Russian, but combining the use of this database with the Google Translate web browser app or a comparable app makes the searching so much easier.

Here’s how to use this database without knowing Russian:

Please make sure to download the Google Translate web browser app or a comparable app. I can’t say this enough times.
Have Google Translate open in the next window while searching in the database to translate keywords.
Type keywords into Google Translate and have them translated into Russian.
Copy and paste the keywords into the box with the magnifying glass and press enter or click on the magnifying glass.
Once the results appear, each listing will have information in four columns in this order: location, title, associated dates and number of pages.
Remember to copy this information into a document for additional research. Also, have another document open to keep track of searched keywords.
If you click on the text under Номер (number in English) on the far left for each result, the archive that possesses the fond will be noted right above the results in red. Click on the red lettering to get the full name of the archive and the indexed fund names for that archive will be listed below.
If too many results appear, you can remove the blue checks in the small boxes next to each archive name under “Результаты поиска:” (or Search results: in English). Press enter or click on the magnifying glass to see the adjusted results. It is best to keep open a window for the list of archives that are part of the project next to the search page results so you know the names of the archives.
Copy main keywords (such as names, places, events and businesses) from the fonds title to search for similar fonds listed in the database.
Take the next step by copying the title of the fonds into Google or Yandex (Russia’s most popular search engine) to see whether more information can be found online.
If nothing is found by searching the full title on Google or Yandex, just search using the main keywords from the fond title.
Don’t forget to check out the more than 65 databases on the Free Databases page try out your search skills on more databases.

Those who didn’t find any information for their research could find something useful later on. The database is a work in progress, with the project starting just earlier this year. Potential to find information could be on the way as the project grows with new information.

Follow this blog with the top right button to catch the latest news in Russian and Ukrainian genealogy and new posts on using free genealogy resources without knowing Russian and Ukrainian.

New WWII database documents 200,000 partisans who fought the Nazis

On April 22, 2023 By Vera MillerIn Communist era records, Military Records7 Comments

World War II ended almost 78 years ago and new databases continue to appear online. This time, the database is not coming from the archives of Ukraine or Russia.

The database, Partisans of Belarus, appeared online earlier this year to honor those who served as partisans who fought the Nazis from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries. (Here is the link in English for those intimidated by Russian websites but look below for tips for searching in Russian.)

So far, the searchable database provides details and scanned records on more than 210,000 people who fought the Nazis on their homeland. The project was three years in the making by the National Archives of Belarus and publishing company Belarus Today.

Users are not required to register to use the database and scans of records documenting the partisans are free to download.

The database details the name, birthdate/birth year, nationality, dates of service, partisan group and position on each hero. The information on the partisan group and position is listed on the bottom of each page.

To download the scanned records, double click on the image and download the image however your device usually does it. Remember to click on the white arrow on the right to view and download all pages of each record.

Do not press on the download button underneath the scanned record. It didn’t work for me. Right-clicking to download a record onto my Windows-based laptop saved the record in a format that didn’t open for me.

Yes, the database is in Russian. Keep reading to learn how to use the database without knowing Russian. Why pay a researcher to find the same information and documents when you can try yourself or maybe save the money for more complicated research at archives?

Here’s some tips for better search techniques for those unfamiliar with Russian:

Have Google Translate in the next window for translating names and search results. Downloading the Google Translate app or another web browser translator for your device is highly recommended to see the database in English.
Go to the white box with the red button in the middle of the page. If you are searching by full name, place the name in the order of last name, first name and then patronymic name. The birth year can follow the name.
Press enter or the red button to receive results, which will appear under the white box that says Быстрый поиск.
Those unfamiliar with spellings of patronymic names should check out this page on Useful English. Common patronymic names are spelled in English and Russian on this page under men’s names. Patronymic names are not required for searches on this database.
Those who want to narrow down results also can search on this page. Google Translate messes up the translation for the first row of keywords. The first box is for the first name, then surname and patronymic name. Then the fourth box is for birth year.
Start searching with as much information as possible. If results don’t appear, take away one keyword at a time.
Open a document for copying and pasting results. Also, keep a list of people searched in a document.
If results can’t be found on direct relatives, try searching for cousins. It sometimes takes a cousin to bring new life to research.
Keep in mind of the importance of patronymic names. If particular people can’t be found, look for people with the same surnames and patronymic names from the same village or town. Those people could be unknown siblings of relatives.
Don’t forget to copy the text in the search results to see whether more information could be found on Google or Yandex.
If results don’t appear in the region where your family lived, search the nearby regions. That is especially important if your family lived on the border of other regions.
Remember that borders of regions have changed over time or even regions could have been renamed. Make sure to research the history of the regions of your relatives and ancestors so you don’t miss out on some important record matches.
Make screenshots of positive and potential results.
Don’t forget to download the scanned records of positive and potential matches.

Those who took on the challenge of trying this database will find the FLRUF military database cheatsheet useful to search other databases found on the Free Databases page. More than 65 databases of various themes can be found on the page. Those that have been featured on this blog are linked to guides on using them without knowing Russian or Ukrainian.

Anyone who didn’t have success in finding relatives or ancestors in this database should keep checking later on. The database is being updated daily.

Follow this blog with the top right button to catch the latest news in Ukrainian and Russian genealogy and new guides to make Russian and Ukrainian genealogy easier without knowing the languages. Lots of records are going online, especially for Ukraine, this year and that news will be posted here regularly.

Top tips for researching Ukrainian and Russian resources on Genealogy Indexer

On March 18, 2023 By Vera MillerIn Discovering Documents, Genealogy2 Comments

It was quite the surprise when I learned about all the resources that are indexed on Genealogy Indexer from Russia and Ukraine.

Finding the resources indexed on the website makes it so much easier for those who are unfamiliar with Russian and Ukrainian. Too many people are hesitant to visit websites in Russia and Ukraine.

The best part of searching on Genealogy Indexer is that it can be done in English and the matching keywords in Russian and Ukrainian records are highlighted in yellow for many of the resources. I found my great-grandfather in two Ukrainian sources, one of which I hadn’t found online before.

Check out the full list of directories and military for Russian Empire genealogy and the full list of directories, Yizkor books and school resources for Ukrainian genealogy.

The best part of Genealogy Indexer is that it can take one click to see the actual scanned document of the matched search result. Just click on the link of the source that notes the image number above each search result. Please be patient if the scanned records are linked to Ukrainian websites due to the connectivity issues caused by the unjust war.

Also, searches can be narrowed down by region. This database is a great stepping stone for those who are intimidated by Russian- and Ukrainian-language websites.

Here’s some tips for better searching techniques on Genealogy Indexer for those unfamiliar with Russian and Ukrainian:

Have Google Translate in the next window for translating search results. Downloading the Google Translate app or another web browser translator for your device is highly recommended to see the results in English.
Start searching with as much information as possible. If results don’t appear, take away one keyword at a time.
Remember that towns and villages can be spelled different than personally known. The birthplace of my great-grandfather is listed in two different neighborhoods and spelled randomly with an o and a on the end on another database.
Open a document for copying and pasting results. Also, keep a list of people searched in a document.
If results can’t be found on direct relatives, try searching for cousins. It sometimes takes a cousin to bring new life to research.
Remember that full names sometimes will be shortened on Genealogy Indexer. The first and patronymic names (names derived from the father’s first name such as Ivanovich for males and Ivanovna for females) could be about four letters each. Some documents only have the initials for the first and patronymic names.
Keep in mind of the importance of patronymic names. If particular people can’t be found, look for people with the same surnames and patronymic names from the same village and town. Those people could be unknown siblings of relatives.
Those unfamiliar with spellings of patronymic names should check out this page on Useful English. Common patronymic names are spelled in English and Russian on this page under men’s names.
Don’t forget to copy the text in the search results to see whether more information could be found on Google or Yandex.
If results don’t appear in the region where your family lived, search the nearby regions. That is especially important if your family lived on the border of other regions.
Remember that borders of regions have changed over time or even regions could have been renamed. Make sure to research the history of the regions of your relatives and ancestors so you don’t miss out on some important record matches.
Carefully search all possible resources. People didn’t stay in the same apartment, village, town, city forever, especially when better jobs were elsewhere.
Make screenshots of positive and potential results.
Don’t forget to download the scanned records of positive and potential matches.

Once you get comfortable with Genealogy Indexer, try searching for your relatives and ancestors in the resources on the Free Databases page. It only takes one discovery to bring new life to your journey in genealogy.

Major update adds 5.7 million records to the largest WWII soldier database of the former USSR

On March 4, 2023 By Vera MillerIn Communist era records, Military Records3 Comments

Anyone researching relatives and ancestors who served in the Soviet Army during WWII will be thrilled to know the Memory of the People database has been restocked with a bounty of records.

More than 5.7 million records were recently added to the database. The latest update has added:

1.9 million records from listing documents
2.4 million records on injured soldiers
585,000 records on conscription and demobilization from military enlistment offices
210,000 records from card indexes on participants of the partisan movement
13,000 records from the seamen’s card files
108,000 records from service card indexes
232,000 records from award documents
288,000 records from lists of buried and funeral notices

This update to the database with more than 100 million digital pages is much bigger than last year’s addition of about 1 million records. The database does not involve registration or any fees. And no, this information cannot be found in English on any free genealogy website. (Link in English but searches must be done in Russian. See directions below for those don’t know Russian.)

The database provides detailed information on soldiers that includes full name, date of birth, place of birth, location for call of duty, map of the individual’s battle route and awards received, with photos of awards and scans of original documents. Some soldiers have their photos on the database. Documents can be saved by right clicking on Windows-based computers and control-clicking on Macs.

A video guide can be viewed here for those unfamiliar with Russian to make the database less intimidating. Also download this file-FLRUF military database cheatsheet– to know search categories in English.

Here’s how to take advantage of this database without knowing Russian.

Have Google Translate in the next window for translating names and places. The results can be copied and pasted for translation. Downloading the Google Translate app or another web browser translator for your device is highly recommended to see the database in English.
If Google Translate doesn’t work for certain names, try Transliterating English to Russian in One Step.
Start the search with as much information as possible. If results don’t appear, take away one search keyword at a time.
Remember that towns and villages can be spelled different than personally known. The birthplace of my great-grandfather is listed in two different neighborhoods and spelled randomly with an o and a on the end.
Open a document for copying and pasting results. Also, keep a list of people, surnames and villages/towns searched in a document.
If results can’t be found on direct relatives, try searching for cousins, no matter how distant. It sometimes takes a random cousin to bring new life to research.
Remember the importance of patronymic names (middle names based on the father’s first name). If particular people can’t be found, look for people with the same surnames and patronymic names from the same village and town. Those people could be unknown siblings of relatives.
Keep a close eye on the results because names of places duplicate throughout the former USSR. You’ll need to know the neighborhood (raiyon) and region (oblast) where your relatives lived.
In case typos have occurred, it is recommended to search solely by village or town. Copy and paste the village or town name translated in Russian into the place of birth search box to view everyone who is included in the database from that place.
Make screen shots of positive and potential results.

Those who didn’t find any useful information from this update could find information when the database is updated again. The database, now almost 8 years old, is updated every year.

In other news on databases, the State Archives of Kyiv Region has been busy updating its database of indexed civil records dated from 1919-1945. The database now has 214,000 births, 103,000 deaths, 47,000 marriages and 3,600 divorces available for searching here. (Link in English)

Back in July, the database numbers were 51,000 births, 2,500 marriages, 500 divorces and 67,000 deaths. This is quite an update from summer 2022.

Those who don’t know how read the typed words on Ukrainian archive records can download FLRUF civilrecordsamplestranslated to see birth, marriage and death record categories translated into English.

Follow this blog with the top right button to catch the latest news in Ukrainian and Russian genealogy and posts of guides for taking on Ukrainian and Russian genealogy without knowing the languages.

Artificial Intelligence makes more than 2.5 million Russian archive records accessible to all

On February 18, 2023May 14, 2023 By Vera MillerIn Discovering Documents, Genealogy4 Comments

Russian genealogy is moving into the 21st century with the use of artificial intelligence to transcribe archive records.

The latest development comes from Yandex.ru, the most popular search engine based in Russia. It has posted more than 2.5 million records online from the Central State Archive of the City of Moscow, Joint State Archive of the Orenburg Region and State Archive of the Novgorod Region here and the records are transcribed along aside.

Those who don’t know Russian can easily use this database by downloading a web browser translator app such as Google Translate. And no, these images cannot be found on an English-language genealogy website.

(Here’s a sample of the artificial intelligence at work, with translation from Google Translate. Neither technology is perfect, but this is a great move for 2023.)

Users can go directly to search births, marriages, deaths, confession sheets and revision tales (comparable to censuses) from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. The database doesn’t require payment nor registration from users. Images can’t be downloaded but it is possible to take screen shots of the scanned archive records.

The database can be searched by full names and names of towns and villages and then filtered by years, fonds, inventories and case titles.

Here are some tips on getting better search results without knowing Russian:

Use Google Translate to switch names from English to Russian. If Google Translate doesn’t work with particular names, try Transliterating English to Russian in One Step.
Have Google Translate in the next window for translating names and places. The results can be copied and pasted for translation. Downloading the Google Translate app or another web browser translator for your device is highly recommended.
Start the search with as much information as possible. If results don’t appear, take away one search keyword at a time.
If too many results appear, try to filter results by town or village.
Use quotes to narrow down results.
When a patronymic name (middle name derived from the father’s first name) is not known, use an *.
Remember in the 18th century that patronymic names didn’t end with ich for males and ovna/evna for females. The patronymic names mostly ended with ov for males and ova for females.
Remember that towns and villages can be spelled different than personally known. The birthplace of my great-grandfather is listed spelled randomly with an o and a on the end in a Russian database.
Open a document for copying and pasting results. Also, keep a list of people, surnames and villages/towns searched in a document.
If results can’t be found on direct relatives, try searching for cousins, no matter how distant. It sometimes takes a random cousin to bring new life to research.
When particular people can’t be found, look for people with the same surnames and patronymic names from the same village and town. Those people could be unknown siblings of relatives.
Make screen shots of positive and potential results.

If nothing worth pursuing is found on Yandex Archives, keep waiting. The database is expected to grow as time goes on. Just this week, the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia was just announced as an addition to the project. Yandex Archives is a major step in the right direction for Russian genealogy.

In other news for Russian genealogy, database In the Memory of the Heroes of World War I has been updated with about 150,000 additional records. A guide on using this database on Russian Empire soldiers without knowing Russian is posted here.

Another stash of records that just went online is 200 cases of births, marriages, divorces and deaths from the State Archives of Kyiv Region. The scans cover records dated 1919–1933 from Boryspil, Brovar, Vasylkiv, Myroniv, Obukhiv , Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Poliskyi, Skvirskyi and Stavyshtanskyi. (Please be patient with this link, due to war issues.)

Even more records from Kyiv Region are expected to be posted online throughout this year, thanks to the efforts of Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.

Free download-FLRUF civilrecordsamplestranslated Here is a guide to understanding Ukrainian civil records for birth, marriage and death records, which have categories translated into English.

Follow this blog with the top right button to catch the latest news in Ukrainian and Russian genealogy. It is going to be a great year for your genealogy.

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