Archives:
See blog for information: https://lostrussianfamily.wordpress.com/2023/05/06/new-unique-database-indexes-lists-of-almost-300000-funds-at-russian-archives/
CHURCH RECORDS
Orthodox and Russian Catholic Column headings for church records: https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/content/f/1/1/7/russian-column-headings.pdf. Lutheran column headings are also given. Jewish column headings are included as well.
Census
The 1897 census of Imperial Russia is available for these areas: Estonia, Grodno, Latvia, Lithuania, Odessa, St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Tobol'sk (including Tyumen), Tula, Vyatka. The 1897 census for Ryazan, Tobol'sk, Tula, and Vyatka have been filmed by the GSU and is available at the Family History Library. An introduction to reading the census returns is available at Tom Edlund's site.
Jewish records taken from the 1897 census of Lithuania are available at the following website: www.jewishgen.org/databases/Lithuania/LithCensus1897.htm. The entire extraction of Jewish records is also available at the Family History Library on microfiche 6,001,828 (10 fiche).
Jews in the census from Latvia are available at www.jewishgen.org/databases/Latvia/AllRussia.htm.
See also journal article "The Russian 1897 Census" by Tom Edlund in Avotaynu XVI:3 Fall 2000 pp. 29-39. [FHL 296.05 Av79 1999-2000]. This article gives a translation of the headings for the census returns. Varying census forms were printed for what were considered the five principle groups of persons> (forms "A" was for the peasant households that resided on agricultural property: Form "B" was for landed estates. Form B (V) for urban populations, the military population; and form for boarding students, clergy, wards of charitable organizations, etc.
Translated headings for forms A, B, and V are as follows as given in the article by Edlund:
Surname, name and patronymic, or names if there are several of them. Note those individuals who are blind in both eyes, mute, deaf and dumb, or mad.
Sex. M-male or female.
How is the individual related to the head of household and to the head of the family.
Age in years or months.
Unmarried, married, widowed, or divorced.
Estate, status or rank
Was the individual born here, and if not here, where exactly? (Province, county, city).
Is the individual registered here, and if not here, where exactly? (for individuals obligated with registration).
Where does the individual normally live; here, and if not here, where exactly? (Province, county, city)
Notes about absence and temporary residence at this place
Creed
Native language
Education (a) Can the individual read, (b) Where individual is studing, studied or graduated?
Profession, handicraft, business, office or service (a) Main profession, that is the business that is the chief source of income. (b1) Side-line or subsidiary business; (b2) Military status.
Returns for military personal include only twelve questions:
Entry number
Surname, name and patronymic
Born in what year?
Unmarried, married, widowed, or divorced
Estate or rank
Place of birth?
Place of registration (if registered)?
Creed
Native language
Education (a) Can the individual read? (B) Where individual is studying, studied or graduated?
Profession or handicraft. (a) Previously, until entrance into service (b) Now [while] in service
Notes about absence.
Germans from Russia
Power point presentations of lectures given by Tom Edlund site [See ancestors in Austria - private site]. Select "Germans from Russia. The power point presentation describes the three Germans from Russia groups: (1) Volga, (2) Black Sea, and (3) Baltic. It also features a Lutheran and Catholic Time line pertaining to these colonies. Sources for research are reviewed including how to use the Russian gazetteers and maps, as well as headings of German church records in Russia, helps on using the Revision lists and EWZ records
Germans from Russia Historical Geography: http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Germans_from_Russia_Historical_Geography.
HANDWRITING
Classes available at https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/results.html?fq=place%3A%22Russia%22 .
Practice Russian cyrillic alphabet: Forming the Russian alphabet
JEWISH RECORDS
Poland Jewish records http://www.avotaynu.com/wwwsites.html.
LIBRARY
Moscow Library destroyed by fire 2015. Many documents lost.