Russia Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

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Archives collect and preserve original documents created by organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published books, maps, microfilms, and other sources. This section describes major repositories of Russia’s genealogical and historical records. When you need the address of an archive or library, look in this section.  

Efforts are now being made to systematize the records and publish catalogues for the various archives. The FamilySearch is now microfilming a great many records in Russia. Filming has occurred in Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine. The problem remains that many of these records are handwritten in the old Russian alphabet. Needless to say, these records are very difficult to read and translate. Unless you are skilled in reading old Russian, this is a good reason to use a local research service such as [http://www.feefhs.org/members/blitz/frgblitz.html BLITZ].  

Some of the types of records that can be accessed in the archives of the former Soviet Union are listed below:  

''akt'' official document, act<br>''aktovaia kniga'' register<br>''delo'' basic classification unit<br>''edinitsa khraneniia'' storage unit, smallest unit of a fond<br>''fond'' basic organizational grouping in an archive<br>''gramota'' a deed, charter, official document<br>''list'' folio, leaf, sheet<br>''opis’'' subunit of a fond, series; or finding aid<br>''putevoditel’'' finding aid to an archive<br>''rukopis’'' manuscript<br>''sbornik'' collection (misc.)<br>''sobranie'' collection (artificial)  

Regretfully, IISH ([http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History], Amsterdam) is not able to handle family history and/or related genealogical inquiries. Furthermore, it should be noted, that neither the Federal Archival Agency nor many Russian archives are staffed or equipped to answer extensive genealogical inquires of a "family history" nature, although some archives have been improving services in this regard. Unless the exact archive involved has already been identified, family-history inquiries should normally be addressed directly to more specialized genealogical services, many of which are listed and described in the Resource Guide on the website of the Federation of East European Family History Societies ([http://www.feefhs.org/ http://www.feefhs.org] ). Genealogical inquiries and family history in Russia can be performed reliably through Russian Society of Historians and Archivists&nbsp; (ROIA) (e-mail: [mailto:roia@rusarchives.ru roia@rusarchives.ru]&nbsp;; fax: [7-095] 245-09-45) in Moscow.&nbsp; Information and appropriate questionnaires are available at the "Arkhivy Rossii" website.  

[[Category:Russia]]