We, our team, had being filling up the database throughout the years, studying Ukrainian archives, and Jewish history, metrical books, interviewing eyewitnesses, visiting cemeteries – getting the information piece by piece.
Historically, Jews had to constantly migrate and often hide or distort the information on their origin. Our database helps to find the migration paths and your real forefathers, giving a clear picture of your own family history.
To ease the process of search we had to put the database online
The database does not contain any actual documents but guides us exactly to the archives where each and particular document could be found. The moment you order a photocopy of the requested document, we order it in from a specified archive. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee premium quality of the document as the light in archives is poor, storage conditions are bad and pencil records are fade. We trade the information, so we can only guarantee that the document we send to you would be readable. Normally, the records are made in a written old Slavic language that is difficult to decipher. For this reason, we recommend you order the translation service. The money you donate for the photocopies are invested into further development of the database.
On this site the following fund types could be found:
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Direct genealogical sources, including population censuses and vital records
Russian Empire population census 1897
The initial general census of the Russian Empire was held on January 28, 1897 and was the first and only comprehensive census of the Russian Empire. The census results were published in 89 volumes (119 books) under the title “The first general census of the Russian Empire in 1897”. Each enumeration form was copied twice, with the three copies filed in the county archives, the governorate archives, and the Central Statistical Bureau in St. Petersburg. The copies in St. Petersburg were destroyed after they had been tabulated.
Since the copies in the localities had to be destroyed after the original was sent to the capital, a very small number of the 1897 census was kept in different counties. As for example, we have indexes for the Kiev Gubernia and the city of Odessa, but these areas are far from complete.
The census questionnaire contained the following questions:
- Family name, patronymic name, personal name
- Sex
- Relation with respect to the head of the family or household
- Age
- Marital status
- Social status: sosloviye (estate of the realm), rank or title
- Place of birth
- Place of registration
- Usual place of residence
- Notice of absence
- Faith
- Mother language
- Literacy
- Occupation (profession, trade, position of office or service), both primary and secondary
Russian Empire Military Census 1875
Russian Empire Military Census 1875 is the unique Jewish genealogy source as it provides the details of Jewish population and their lives of that period. According to a general compulsory military service in the Russian Empire – all male population of 20 years of age was obliged to serve. The term of active service was six years in the land forces and nine years in the reserve forces. In the fleet, it was seven years active duty and three years in reserve. After active service and reserve, the men were enlisted in the home guard until 40 years of age.
In previous years, the attempts of young Jews to avoid the service were quite often. For example, the registers (metric books) were falsified, as well as the information about the number of sons in the family.
Confronting such diversified and persistent opposition of the Jews to military service, the authorities conducted Jewish Census in 1875. A special circular demanded from the executors to record the age according to the Census Tales and passports, metrical books and other documents indicating the birthdates and other personal information. Regardless of the age recorded in the documents, they had to record the age by appearance also, if there were doubts. All men whose age was recorded by appearance had to be documented in a special list. To make sure the Jews were giving correct information, they had to sign a special “Responsibility Notice” that made them liable in case of falsification.
Following lists were compiled during the Census:
- General List of the male Jews residing in a town or a section of the town
- Special List of the male Jews residing in a town or a section of the town, whose age was determined by their appearance
- List of the vagrant male Jews without passports who resided in towns or sections of the town
These Census documents provide significant genealogical information:
- The name, patronymic and the last name of a man and the family members
- The number under which the family was recorded in the previous revision
- The age (either documented or by appearance, or both)
- The information about the family members residing separately (who and where) with reference to the source document