With what to begin researches

Any genealogical research is based on three foundations:

Names of people,
Dates,
Names of settlements or establishments.

Absence at least one component does searches impossible more often. It is impossible to find the person in any city if there is no binding on time, also it is impossible to find the person, for example, born in 1880 if it is not known where there was this event.

Begin with interrogation of all well relatives. Remove copies from old photos and documents. Necessarily write down all information and, finding out relationship degrees, do not forget about point 1. Remember that any trifle or the most crazy family legend can appear a key to opening or at least specify a direction of searches. Very important data often contain in old work record cards and letters.

The reference to archives of those establishments where the late relatives worked can become following step. Each staff department stores private affairs of the dismissed or died employees. Affairs are filed alphabetically and develop on years of removal of people from the account. The filled questionnaires and the handwritten autobiographies - an excellent source of the data from which it is possible to build the further research. Private affairs of the disappeared Soviet enterprises and establishments are stored or in the State archive of the Russian Federation, or in Archive of economy of the Russian Federation. Both is on Big Pirogovke, 17 in Moscow.

The fighting way of military men can be tracked in Military-historical archive in Moscow (РГВИА) or in Historical archive of Navy fleet in Peter (till 1917), and for the Soviet epoch - in archive of the Ministry of Defence in Podolsk. But alphabetically any of these archives to search for people not begins. They demand the name or number of military units and service date in them. Is, the truth, rare exceptions: in РГА the Navy is, for example, lists of officers and studying in Sea military school (funds 406 and 432), and in РГВИА are 409 - the multivolume inventory with track records of the Russian officers from the XIX-th century end for 1918, and also fund 395 - a card file of officers for 1815-1865, and fund 400 - the catalogue has put fund with 1865 for 1917. Unfortunately, these funds cover only approximately 70 percent of officers.

For finding-out of destiny of the subjected to repression relatives to address to security officers it is not necessary. They now pretend that here there is nothing. Regional Information centres at the Departments of Internal Affairs are engaged in consequences of reprisals. Often, when they find numbers of old affairs send with these numbers in a reading room of the State archive of the Russian Federation on Big Pirogovku, 17. Requests for rehabilitation are sent to local Offices of Public Prosecutor.

Metric data about births, death and marriages after 1919 is stored in archives the REGISTRY OFFICE which give out inquiries free of charge. However employees the REGISTRY OFFICE quite often send inquiries not home to the researcher of genealogy, and in the REGISTRY OFFICE in a place of its residence, and for reception there inquiries it is necessary to prove degree of relationship or to do notarially завероенную the power of attorney. Though there are also good local REGISTRY OFFICES...

The metric information of the period approximately with 1790 for 1919 is stored in the state archives of areas, edges, republics and districts of the Russian Federation. (In separate archives registers of births have remained since 1703). There search is conducted on a commercial basis. The main sources of the data - registers of births of church arrivals, ревизские fairy tales, confessionary lists. But in the same place it is possible to find out weight of other sources with lists of names and surnames of local residents. Are stored there and genealogical books of noble family on provinces. Regional archives differ on degree of safety of funds (in the west and the south of Russia much was destroyed by wars and revolutions), and also on degree of affability of employees. So, if in Kazan or Kirov to you willingly and honesty will help, with Orenburg, to Perm or Samara most likely will politely send where far away. It is necessary to search for individual approaches...

The information till 1790, including materials of first three audits (1724-1763) and переписных books of earlier time, is stored in the Russian state archive of ancient certificates (РГАДА) in Moscow. To search for it it is hard, here again the help of the expert more often is required. It too is not free.

There is also a number of specialised archives. The Russian state historical archive, for example, will help to find data on the people who have left a trace in a pre-revolutionary history in St.-Petersburg. And the Center of storage of documents of a contemporary history (former Partarhiv) which branches are in each area, will assist in searches of private affairs of the late communists. However, there, as a rule, ask party membership card number.

To search for relatives abroad it is possible quite successfully through the Internet, but for this purpose it is necessary to be guided well both in the World wide web, and in English language. It is a subject of the special conversation which is falling outside the limits subjects of the given site.

Searches in archives - business not fast. Sometimes from the moment of departure of the demand before answer reception passes month three-four. The first answer usually keeps within this term with the request for an advance payment, the advance payment transfer, the second message of archive with the request to grant other sum, the second sending of money, and then already - arrival of the long-awaited letter with results of searches.

People occupied and monetary can recommend to take advantage of services of professionals in the field of genealogy, and also the got hand in fans. It is more expensive, than own dialogue with archives, but quite often is much more effective, because the researcher knows, as where it is possible to find and to whom it makes sense to address. The come into contacts to registrars too help business. In the USA professionals take for genealogical services from 20 to 75 dollars at an o'clock. At us it while is cheaper, but to find the diligent researcher uneasy.

If a surname at the ancestor rare it makes sense to ring round all namesakes. So supposedly and so, I search for family roots and I wish to find out, whether relatives we. Telephone directories, unfortunately, exist on the Internet for very few cities, but also they - though any help.

Ask potential relatives to respond on electronic bulletin boards.