Soviet Passports and IDs (1927-1999)

Posted by rusgen
On October 22, 2016
1930s, 1950s, GARF, passport, Research, Russian Family History, Russian Genealogist, Russian Genealogy, USSR

We have completed the research and found out how the letters in the Soviet passports (and удостоверения личности, personal IDs, and in ZAGS birth certificates) were assigned over the most part of the XX century. A couple of months of fruitless archival research finally brought some Real Historical Gems. It turned out that the 1974 […]

Posted by rusgen
On September 8, 2016
1960s, communist, ekaterinburg, modern, party, Russia, Russian Family History, Russian Genealogist, Russian Genealogy

I recently went to this standard archival building in this part of the world (note those small windows which usually covered with dark glass): It houses the former Sverdlovsk Communist party archive (currently titled “Center of the documentation of public organisations” The place has a very large holdings of 1950s-1990s history of the […]

Posted by rusgen
On March 11, 2016
Dustin Hoffman, Finding Your Roots, Henry Louis Gates, Hoffman, PBS

Where is Dustih Hoffman, Hollywood movie star, and where are we, humble historic researchers, you may ask? We helped the PBS Finding Your Roots to locate and document details of Dustin’s grandfather’s life and death in Bela Tserkva, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). We researched this part of his family tree: And found this newspaper with […]

Posted by rusgen
On August 8, 2015
Archive, archives, Chernivtsi, Rivne, Russian Family History, Russian Genealogist, Russian Genealogy, Ukraine, WWII, Zdolbuniv

We did research with WWII residence lists in Zdolbuniv, Riwne oblast, Ukraine. This is the local archive building: And the nice and very helpful archive personnel with our senior researcher: The arrow on the following photo shows where you should go to find the vital records archive in Chernivtsi. We have been to […]

Posted by rusgen
On April 6, 2015
1825, archives, books, Russian Empire

Just returned from Crimea archives. Simferopol and Kertch. Catching small pieces of puzzles here and there, with some successes. Archives are not computerized, but the people there is friendly and helpful. They are currently digitizing the Crimea 1921 census sheets, look for them to be digitally available in a few months from now. Seen the […]

Posted by rusgen
On March 9, 2015
archives, Engels, Germans, Russia, Saratov, Wolga, Wolgadeutgsche

We have recently visited Saratov and Engelsh archives, on two shores of Volga river. State Historical Archive of Wolga Germans in Engels meet us very friendly and helpfully. Will return there shortly.

Posted by rusgen
On February 27, 2015
2015, archives, China, february, january, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine

We recently worked at: Crimean Respublic State Archive (Simforepol) Russian State Historical Archive (St Petersbourg) State Archive of Russian Federation (Moscow) Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (Moscow) Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine (Kiev) State Archives of Kyiv Oblast (Kiev) Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv Latvian State Historical Archives (Riga) Lithuanian […]

Posted by rusgen
On April 14, 2014
1941, archives, Samarkand, travel, Uzbekistan

We went to Tashkent and Samarkand looking for relatives of the WWII Soviet officer Missed in action in October 1941. Yes, sometimes you search for documents in places like that.

Posted by rusgen
On March 26, 2014
2014, archives, Clergy, Penza, Russia, Russian Empire, travel

We went to Penza, Russia, in the archive, to check the information on ancestors of the US resident in 1910s for the client from Germany. Found four generations of ancestors there. Very friendly archive, and highly recommended.

Posted by rusgen
On December 25, 2013
1935, China, harbin, new year

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Soviet Passports and IDs (1927-1999)

Party archive

Finding Your Roots S03E10 Dustin Hoffman

A few summer archive trips

March Archive Roundup

Saratov and Engels

Current Archival Roundup

Uzbekistan research

Global reach, local search

Happy New Year 2014