New Ukrainian database breaks down a brickwall on Christmas morning

For years, I have heard my grandmother’s brother was named after a brother who died as a baby. No one could tell me when this child was born, except he was born before 1927.

On Christmas morning, I discovered a new database from the City of Kyiv archives. The archives has indexed more than 190,000 birth records for 1919-1936 here. Yes, it is in Ukrainian but it is a very simple database. (See below for directions on using this database without knowing Ukrainian.)

I searched for my great-grandfather’s surname to see how many people would appear for Trunov. Only a mere 16 results appeared for this common Russian surname.

Only two people have the same full name as my grand uncle and his brother in this database. One person has been confirmed as the grand uncle I knew so I am confident the other boy born in 1923 is my other grand uncle. I have already found my grand uncle’s scanned birth record from Kyiv on another database. It would be shocking if the baby born in 1923 is not my grand uncle.

My mother remembers that her mother told her that the child died before he turned two years old. Besides requesting the 1927 birth record, I will request a search of death records to completely close the story on this grand uncle.

Here’s what the database looks like when using the Google Translate web browser app. Directions on using the database are below.

There could be another breakthrough, thanks to this database. Two boys with the same last name have the patronymic name of Ivanovich in the database. My great-grandfather had a brother, Ivan, who moved with him from Kursk Region, Russia, to Kyiv in the early 1900s.

I also will request the birth records of those two boys. I know Ivan worked in a pharmacy in Kyiv so I am hoping this information could be listed in their birth records.

Here’s how to search this database:

1. The first search box is for names and the second box is for birth year. The order of writing the names is surname, given name and patronymic name (such as Ivanovich and Ivanovna for children of Ivan).
2. If no results appear for full names, search by last name only. Then if too many results appear, reduce the results by adding the birth year.
3. Use Google Translate to put the surnames in Russian and Ukrainian. Names could be in either language. Search in both language if results don’t appear.
4. Remember that surnames have different spellings such as Skibinsky for males and Skibinskaya for females. Many surnames end with an a for females. Search both spellings for more results.
5. If you are using the Google Translate web browser app to see the database in English, you will see listings in English and sometimes names will switch to their meanings in English. Someone searching the surname Kapusta in Ukrainian as Капуста will see surnames as Cabbage below in the results.
6. Make sure there isn’t a space before the name or birth year. No results will appear, otherwise.
7. Anyone who finds potential and positive results in the database, can e-mail Kyiv archives at archive@kyivcity.gov.ua or archive_kiev@arch.gov.ua to request scans of records.
8. Use this sample letter to make requests for the records. The letter needs to be switched from English to Russian and then Russian to Ukrainian on Google Translate by copying and pasting the text. Remember to sign the letter by using a cursive font.

This database gives me hope as Ukrainian archives is posting more information online. It does take some patience and practice to use these databases.

I have been wondering lately when my next big surprise in my genealogy will appear. Finally, years of patience and practice have arrived as a gift on Christmas morning for a mystery I thought would stay a mystery.

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Related posts:
New WWII database fills in family’s story for escape from Soviet Ukraine
Ukrainian birth records from archives take down a brickwall on great-grandparents
Search for grandma’s childhood home reveals family secrets
Thanks for skimping on your taxes, great-grandpa