How to find out your biological tree. Are there any services where you can find out about your ancestors? Where to start searching for your ancestors

Studying family history and analyzing documents with information about ancestors is a labor-intensive and specific process, but you should not be afraid of it by postponing until retirement age the search for facts about the development of the family. If you do not understand which side to approach the restoration of the pedigree, do not assume how to find your ancestors in the archives and find out the origin of the surname, then a review article from Livemem will help readers understand the nuances and choose the optimal solution. The preparation of a research plan is based on the initial data about the person in question that the descendant has. Sometimes initial information is not enough to find ancestors from the distant past or meet relatives from the present. People have different fates, and the primary information about their origin is individual for everyone, which is why it is impossible to mention all the options. The authors of the publication will consider the question of how to find out your ancestors by obtaining authentic data from reliable sources, from the perspective of two basic directions of search in archives - genealogical and military.

Based on many years of experience in the active work of the family and military research bureau "Keepers of Family Secrets", readers' requests to search for ancestors can be divided into two types: "I know that my relative served in..." and "it is known that my grandmother or grandfather was born in...". In the first part of the article, we will consider the option of how to find ancestors in the archives by last name, if there is information about the person’s involvement in the service. In our country, records of military personnel are kept carefully, which means that in certain documents various references to Red Army soldiers, Red Army officers, sailors, hussars, Cossacks, employees of special services and other departments or formations have been preserved. If you responsibly and with attention to detail look for materials about your ancestors, then there is a chance of comprehending the truth and revealing the hidden secret of your genealogy. With almost any initial data, it is possible to conduct military-historical research, the only question is what set of measures is required to carry out an effective search for the ancestors of the family and how much working time will be needed to find out your origin, as well as find archival information about the surnames present in the branches of the clan . Let's move on to the details of this area.

In our country there are several federal and departmental archives, the funds and files of which help citizens conduct military searches for relatives. To understand how to find out your origin and to find the ancestors of a family in such situations, you need to clearly formulate the task, and, starting from it, contact one or another institution. What types of research applications are there? We present common options in this publication. When the reader is interested in the fate of the repressed or dispossessed ancestors of a family, it is necessary to contact the Central Archive of the FSB of the Russian Federation (Central Archive of the Federal Security Service), some information about the origin can be found out with the help of the territorial offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of the event. The bulk of what concerns the fleet is located in the storage facilities of the Russian State Archive of the Navy (Russian State Archive of the Navy) in St. Petersburg. If the goal is to find your ancestors and facts about the missing, then study the site obd-memorial.ru, but since not all “paper” funds are duplicated by an electronic copy, some of the information can only be found in the Podolsk TsAMO of the Russian Federation (Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense) . Materials about the Great Patriotic War are stored there, and data on awards and merits can probably be found on the resource podvignaroda.mil.ru, but do not forget about the archive itself in Podolsk, where non-digitized documents are located. It would not be amiss to inform our visitors who plan to understand the question of how to search for their ancestors about the portal pamyatnaroda.mil.ru, which is useful for finding information.

In which federal archives should one look for reliable facts about the surname and where can one find ancestors if their involvement in the service dates back to the period before the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany? This question can be answered correctly if you know the length of time your relative spent in the army. There are two institutions in Moscow responsible for storing materials of relevant content: RGVA (Russian State Military Archive) and RGVIA (military historical archive). The first contains surviving documents with authentic information about the family's ancestors for the years 1918-1940 - since the creation of the Red Army (Workers' and Peasants' Red Army). In the second - the funds of the military department of the Russian Empire from the end of the 18th century until approximately March 1918. Now visitors to a specialized website imagine how to find information about ancestors, having learned their origins based on the results of research, if information about the pedigree is limited to knowledge along the service line, and they can move on to explaining the genealogical search in the archives.

How to find out your origins and find information about your ancestors

In the second part of the article we will talk about how to find out your ancestors by last name by studying archival sources containing information about representatives of the genus and their origin. The authors of the Research Bureau previously prepared a detailed publication on this topic, in which you can read what a genealogical search for ancestors is, what method is used to achieve a positive result, and how to find the right type of document. And here we will explain a well-structured process of searching for data in archives from the point of view of an integrated approach, based on the available primary information about relatives. If you need clarification on how to find out your origin through the connection of generations of your ancestors and find the first bearers of your surname, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following information, formatted as a manual.

The algorithm for conducting genealogical research (search in archives) is compiled on the basis of the dates and places of birth of the oldest relatives known to the person wishing to know his origin, or based on the person’s profession. To figure it out where to find ancestors, you need to determine the type of institution in which you will study the documents. When you are interested in data from the Soviet period, the pedigree can be found by contacting the archives of the civil registry office (civil status records). They contain books with references to the birth, marriage and death of ancestors. Keep in mind that it is permissible to restore any certificate only upon presentation of evidence of relationship with the person in question. If this citizen is alive, then the researcher must have a power of attorney certified by a notary to search for information. When a person has died, it is required to show a death certificate. There is information on the Internet that deviations from the rules occur, but these are rare exceptions or online fairy tales. Please note that there are no reading rooms in the registry office; cooperation occurs by sending requests to a specific department or personal visit. Which territorial division should I disturb for clarification of origin and how to find ancestors by last name? The application should be submitted at the location of the event, for example, if there is evidence that your relative is a native of city X, then send the request to the archival department of the registry office of this locality. If there is no such institution in a small town or village, then you need to look for the truth in the administrative center. A bureaucratic machine can send an application within its structure for months or ignore it altogether, so a request to the archive about relatives must be clear, try to compose the text as concisely as possible - employees are interested in facts and specifics about the fate of an ancestor. Follow our recommendations, and this will help you find out the history of your surname.

Another branch of archival research of documents of Soviet origin is worthy of readers' attention - civil search. How to find your ancestors through this direction to restore family pedigree? The civil method refers to the analysis of sources in separate institutions. For example, in our work we periodically turn to RGALI (Russian State Archive of Literature and Art). Its capital repositories contain files with information about the activities of the cultural layer from all over the country, be it writers, artists, opera singers or other artists. When you need to know your ancestors who were involved in politics, RGASPI (archive of socio-political history) will be useful. If information is known about a person’s involvement in the Party, then this institution will be indispensable. This specialized archive will be useful to researchers in other situations that arise when searching for ancestors by last name, since it stores a colossal number of reliable sources about general history. Visitors to the site have already realized that the main wealth of Russia, associated with the origin of people, is located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but you should know that regional archives operate in the centers of the constituent entities of our state. You will learn how to find your ancestors in territorial departments in the final part of the article on establishing the roots of a family.

How to find out your ancestors and start working in the archives

The subjects of our country have their own federal archives, which contain information on the pre-revolutionary era (somewhere it is possible to find information on the beginning of the Soviet period), which helps to find out your origins and connect family chains of ancestors by a person’s last name. Unfortunately, it is not possible to name the exact date range, but the approximate time frame is as follows: from 1780 to 1930. Documents of earlier origin, for example, for the 17th century, are stored in Moscow in the RGADA (Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts). How to find out your ancestors in "local" archives? To solve this problem, you need to know that these institutions contain all the main genealogical sources for the dates indicated above. These include metric books with surnames or names of ancestors - an analogue of civil registration records for the Russian Empire, revision tales - a kind of census of the population in the courtyards of a particular locality, confessional statements - lists with notes on visits to churches by residents of places located near the parish, and also a couple of dozen other less common document titles. You can read the nuances of genealogical research into the fate of ancestors by last name in the corresponding manual on the Livemem website, a link to which the authors have already provided in this publication, and a description of the types of sources themselves can be found in the “Articles” section.

Now let's touch on the topic of the work itself on searching for ancestors in archives and collecting information. As already mentioned, requests can be sent to government agencies and hired specialists can be sent. For example, you can order from us an archival search of people by last name, and the bureau staff will conduct the research as your representatives. Naturally, there is an opportunity to find out your origin and look at your affairs “with your own hands.” Let's consider this point in more detail. To get into the archive and find their ancestors, the user, in most cases, needs to submit an application in advance, since there are not enough free places. Typically, reading rooms are equipped for 10-20 visitors. In some archives you have to wait months for permission. Alas, such a picture scares away citizens and makes it difficult to restore the family tree. But truly experienced and competent researchers have all sorts of legal tricks to help speed up the process and find ancestors by last name.

When an appointment has been received and you have arrived at the specified time, the head of the reading room hands over the rules of archival work, which are that when searching for ancestors it is prohibited to use mobile phones, cameras, the visitor undertakes to carefully handle sources of information about the origin and receive no more than 5 or 10 cases per day (or 1500 sheets). To save time, try finding them on the archive website. Then, you need to register in the visit log, and after completing the formalities, the citizen can begin genealogical research and search for information. How to find your ancestors and what to do at the beginning of the search? Study the archive's guide, find out what funds are stored in it and which of them are suitable for solving the task. Next, you order an inventory and analyze the list of cases. If the list contains something that will help reveal the secret of the pedigree, fill out a special requirement. Then, the archive employee records you on a certain date to familiarize yourself with the prepared files containing facts about your ancestors along the family line. The period of “downtime” can be 3 days or 15 - it depends on the optimization of the institution’s bureaucracy. There are exceptions for nonresident users, and documents can be issued immediately. Again, an experienced genealogist will know the tools to speed up the process. In the course of researching the origins of one’s family, it is allowed to leave requests for photocopying or preparing electronic versions of found pages with mentions of ancestors by the person’s last name. Someone will need a certificate with an archive seal when it comes to the need to provide an official document.

To find your ancestors by last name, you should not discount local history museums and libraries. Pedigree researchers achieve the best results in establishing the origin of a genus and collecting data using an integrated approach with attention to detail. In the archives of museums one can find books of memory where distinguished people are mentioned, among whom one can find relatives. In libraries, you are likely to come across review materials on a locality, indicating a list of local residents by last name for a certain period of time. In fact, there are so many sources containing information about the life of the population that it is impossible to list everything in one article. For a specific search purpose, an individual list of effective directions is selected and a unique plan is developed, which allows you to learn the maximum number of facts about the fate of your ancestors. There are, for example, institutions such as GARF (State Archive of the Russian Federation) or the well-known RGEA (Archive of Economics), filled with large amounts of information. We hope that after reading this publication on how to find out your origins, visitors to our website at the Family Research Bureau have an idea of ​​the big picture and have outlined ways for themselves to achieve success in finding ancestors and restoring family history.

If you have any additions, please let us know in the comments and we’ll make a useful resource together!

All rights reserved, text copying is permitted only with a link to the site.

According to the popular scientific definition, a pedigree is a list of generations of one kind, establishing the origin and degree of relationship. But in a person’s life, the meaning of genealogy is much broader, because a family tree connects us with the historical process, allowing us to feel like an integral part of a single stream of successive generations.

Therefore, when speaking about genealogy, we often mean the entire complex of knowledge united by the concept of “family memory,” which includes both the biography of the family and fragments of the history of the ethnic group and the country as a whole.

Why create a family pedigree?

Today, studying the history of a family and drawing up a pedigree has become extremely popular - as if we want to fill the gap of previous decades, when knowledge about ancestors was not encouraged, and sometimes was fraught with danger. Today there are every opportunity to study family history, however, it is important to more precisely define the goal.

Family pedigrees are studied to:

• find out the history of your family, the origin of the surname;
• find out the characteristic features of your family, its geography, main activities and interests, how your ancestors lived and what they owned;
• find distant relatives, contact with whom has long been lost;
• learn everything about your ancestors and pass this information on to your descendants;
• learn about hereditary predisposition to diseases and the possibility of preventing them;
• restore family stories and traditions;
• confirm the facts of relationship;
• and other goals.

Stages of compiling a family pedigree

1. Genealogical examination

Before starting searches in the archives, it is necessary to clarify the data and determine the prospects for research. Therefore, we propose to start studying the pedigree with genealogical examination.

Genealogical examination is carried out in order to:

• collect and systematize information available to all relatives about ancestors;
• restore, as far as possible, missing data from open sources;
• draw up a sketch of the family tree;
• determine prospects and search algorithm.

Genealogical examination is usually carried out on the family branches of one of the parents, on the branches of both parents, as well as on the family branches of the spouse’s parents.

• collecting data, interviewing all relatives, checking and completing information (on average takes 4-8 weeks);
• entering data into a specialized program for the purpose of systematization, building a family tree - occurs simultaneously with the first stage;
• data examination - determining the sufficiency of information for in-depth research, archival institutions for work, initial clarification of the safety of information; On average it takes 4 – 8 weeks and occurs after receiving all the necessary data;
• in parallel with the examination, requests are sent to the archives in all family areas (genus);
• an algorithm and estimate for in-depth research is drawn up - analysis of the information received, clarification of the cost, timing and prospects for further archival research for each genus;
• registration of work results, drawing up a family tree, providing a report.

Average time frame for this stage- 3 - 6 months.

As a result of genealogical examination work, you receive:

• a family family tree printed on photo paper in the form of a diagram, complete with a storage tube;
• a brochure printed on designer paper with generational painting - it contains all the information about ancestors and descendants, including photographs, copies of documents and local history information;
• algorithm and plan for in-depth research;
• estimates for subsequent studies;
• a flash card with copies of all documents, a database in GEDCOM format and a tree in the special “Tree of Life” program.

Only here, genealogical examination is allocated as a separate stage in the general budget in order to optimize costs.

2. Genealogical research, searches in archives

Often we are not even aware of how much interesting information about our ancestors, regardless of their class, is stored in modern archives. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the preservation of genealogical knowledge and its systematization was of great importance - all information stood guard over property and class rights.

The Christian House of Family Traditions carries out professional searches in federal, regional, departmental archives, as well as in territorial archives of pre-revolutionary Russia. An accurate “route map” of research is drawn up at the previous stage genealogical examination.

Archival searches are carried out in order to:

identify the most ancient ancestor from documents preserved in the archives (the so-called “documentary bottom” - it will be different for each family);

• restore information about the years and places of birth of blood ancestors, find out their class and
• religion, dates of baptism, names of godparents, dates of marriages, etc.;
• restore biographical information, information about service, work activity, etc.;
• using a number of documents to reconstruct the cultural and historical context of their lives;
• receive copies of real documents on your ancestors (parish registers of birth, marriage, death; audit records, marriage searches, family lists, service records, etc.)

The process consists of several stages:

• work of a specialist in the archive with primary sources (metrics, revisions, confessional lists, settlement lists, etc.);
• work in the archive with other documentary sources (to obtain additional historical, local history information, immersion in the historical context);
• ordering photocopies of found documents;
• analysis of the information received, generation of a research report.

As a result of an archive search you get:

• a research report in printed and bound form, which contains a description of the search, copies of the documents found, a complete generational history of the research, historians’ conclusions about significant facts of family life (birth, baptism, education, marriage, property ownership, etc.), local history essays about the areas where this or that family comes from, hypotheses about individual facts based on the analysis of documents;
• complete family tree of the family in the form of a diagram;
• flash card with records of all the above materials.

In past centuries, the study of family genealogy was not done out of idle curiosity - it was dictated by necessity, most often as proof of belonging to an ancient and noble family.

Genealogy, being an applied historical discipline, originates in antiquity, when a person needed to certify his origin and social status.L. M. Savelov - Russian scientist-genealogist of the early twentieth century defined genealogy as “constructed on reliable documents and other sources, evidence of kinship existing between persons who have a common ancestor or descendant”, as well as “the history of a particular family in all manifestations of the life of its representatives, as public and family."

In ancient Rome, patricians in rich houses had portrait galleries of sculptural images of all ancestors in the male line. In the feudal era, confirmation was required not only of the origin and antiquity of the family, but also of its pureblood.

During the Renaissance, genealogies were officially documented, and the first genealogical collections were formed. Later, genealogy becomes a full-fledged scientific discipline, closely related to heraldry and diplomacy.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, class and property law in many applied cases required proof of origin and relationship. And the traditions of education in noble and merchant families required knowledge of their ancestors, their deeds and services to the family and the Fatherland.

Today, more than 95% of the Russian population are descendants of peasant families, but this does not mean that there were no outstanding representatives and interesting events in the family. Almost every family has participants in the Great Patriotic War, and many have participants in World War I and the Civil War. Many descendants of glorious Cossack families live in the Kuban, North Caucasus, Urals and Siberia.

If you have a great desire to know your history, but not enough time or experience, you can order a family tree from a specialized company, where professional historians, genealogists, local historians and anthropologists will help you restore your roots.

3. Recording the memories of relatives

Time is inexorable - data in archives is lost, older generations pass away, documents deteriorate, old photographs fade.

Recording the memories of relatives, stories from older generations about traditions and significant events in family history help preserve the memory of the family for posterity.

The interview is conducted by an experienced journalist, and the recorded texts undergo literary processing and systematization. Memoirs can be presented in the form of a separate brochure, or they can be included in a large book about family history.

4. Drawing up a family tree and its design

The family family tree can be designed in the form of: panels, paintings, diagrams, shezhere.

After receiving all the data, you can think about designing a family tree. It can be the most democratic scheme on paper, or a painting on canvas, or a carved panel - it all depends on your wishes. Additionally, coats of arms, images of landmarks of the areas where the family lineage originates, fragments of maps, photographs, jewelry, etc. can be used.

Design tree diagram

Basic option includes:

• systematization of all information by a historian;
• development of an individual tree layout;
• design and printing on photo paper (dimensions 61 x 300 cm);
• or design and printing on foam board (sizes from 56 x 84 cm to 1200 x 1200 cm).

Painting

The family tree is made by a professional illustrator using watercolor and/or engraving techniques, after which it is reproduced on canvas by scanning and high-quality plotter printing.

Folding tree

A folding tree is a compact, convenient for storage and transportation option for registering a pedigree. This design of the family tree was inspired by the tradition of designing railway maps of the Russian Empire in the mid-19th century.

The tree map, made of handmade paper and framed in a leather cover, not only looks aesthetically pleasing, but can also be safely stored in the family library.

Carved solid wood panel

It is a design option that is unique in beauty and effectiveness, using the 3D wood carving technique. Solid teak is used for the panels. Information icons are made of aged brass. Pre-treatment of wood with oil guarantees eternal safety from drying out and from damage by pests. If desired, an LED strip can be installed inside the frame.

5. Writing a book about the history of the family

The entirety of the data obtained can be compiled in the form of a pedigree book containing a literary story about the history of the family, starting from the most ancient known ancestor to the present day, photographs, copies of documents, memories of relatives, family legends, descriptions of family traditions, signature culinary recipes and all that , what you want to leave as a souvenir for your descendants about the history of your family.

Such a book, incorporating all that is most precious, will become a priceless Encyclopedia that will be passed on from generation to generation.

Format- 350 x 350 mm.

Types of design:

• leather binding;
• calico binding;
• individual photo cover;
• reconstruction of an antique edition of the 19th century;
• individual sketches.

How much does it cost to find out your family's ancestry?

Only in the House of Family Traditions “Christian” is genealogical examination allocated as a separate stage in the general budget - with the aim that the customer does not pay for expensive research before it becomes known that:

• research and search are possible in principle;
• How much will the final cost of the services be?

The need to know your roots, relatives, ancestors, to show care and attention to them, lives in the subconscious of every person. Responsibility for the fate of the family and relatives is a huge power. A sense of pride in one’s family strengthens family ties, gives confidence in one’s own strengths and a worthy future, and serves as an impetus for new achievements.

The Belarusian archives contain a large number of documents that can be used in genealogical research and are of interest for restoring pedigrees (parish books, audit records, accounting documents of various departments, classes, nationalities, etc.).

For example, according to the website of the National Historical Archive of Belarus, you can apply here with a biographical request (establishment and confirmation of the date of birth, marriage, death of specific persons); genealogical inquiry (conducting research on family history); a thematic request (conducting research on the history of a settlement, institution, as well as confirmation of residence, study, work and other facts; compiling lists of documents on various topics covering a specific geographical and chronological framework).

The website contains prices for archive services. Thus, execution of a thematic request can cost up to 600.00 rubles. Genealogical - up to 1800.00 rub. Biographical - 55.00 rub. You can use methodological assistance in identifying information from archive documents (one consultation lasting 1 hour costs 15.00 rubles).

To conduct research, an interested person (organization, institution) needs to contact the archive with an application addressed to the director. The application must contain the following information: the surname and initials of the applicant, his citizenship and address of permanent residence, information on the substance of the request, guarantees of payment for the study. To conduct research on family history, it is necessary to cancel the locality (indicating, if possible, the modern or historical administrative-territorial division), list all known persons of the requested family, at least the approximate years of their birth, death, religion (Orthodox, Catholic, Jew, Lutheran and etc.), place of residence: in which province (region), district (district), volost (village council) the settlement was located; class or occupation of family members (nobles, peasants, merchants, burghers, etc.). Individuals and organizations (intermediaries) conducting research at the request of third parties (customers) must, when contacting the archive, submit a notarized power of attorney to conduct the relevant research.

Restore the ancestry

There are many sites on the Internet offering assistance in restoring ancestry. You can go to them and understand how useful they can be in implementing your plans. For example, http://vgd.ru/m/(All-Russian Family Tree) - genealogical resource. The site brings together genealogy researchers and archivists from neighboring countries. The creators position the site's forum as the best place to start independent research. “Ask questions - they will definitely help you, direct you to the right archives or seek advice from knowledgeable people,” they suggest to site visitors.

On the site https://www.radzima.net/ information is presented that will help users of the service obtain, for example, information about the locality in which their ancestors lived. Users can exchange data, ask questions, and search for relatives. To search for information, you need to select a region, district, village and in the drop-down list read what messages users have left about relatives living in these places, or about the place itself. It is possible to search by the old administrative division: voivodeship, povet, gmina. Registration on the site is paid.

You can also try using the sites Myheritage.com and geni.com - resources where you can create family trees for free.

The Belarusian Research Center for Electronic Documentation (BelNITsED) has made the search system “Dapamozhnik” publicly available. It helps people who are going to search the archives for information about their relatives to take their first steps. .

Encyclopedia of memory

The following sites can also help in finding relatives:

nekropole.info/ru/- international encyclopedia of memory of people and burial places. This is a public database where everyone can not only search for records about relatives, but also enter information about their ancestors and loved ones;

https://pamyat-naroda.ru/- information about participants of the Great Patriotic War is collected here. As part of the “Memory of the People” project, 425 thousand archival documents from fronts, armies and other formations of the Red Army were digitized and posted on the Internet for the first time;

http://obd-memorial.ru/html/index.html- generalized data bank “Memorial”. On this site you can find scanned documents that indicate lists of those killed in the war, the cause of death (wounded, killed, illness). Often on the “scans” you can read the names of the wives of the deceased or their parents, as well as years of birth and place of conscription - incredibly valuable data. Currently, the Memorial ODB contains almost 17 million digital copies of documents on irretrievable losses and 20 million personal records on the losses of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War;

http://www.dokst.ru/- database of the research institution “Association of Saxon Memorials in Memory of Victims of Political Terror”, Dresden. On this site you can find information, for example, about citizens from the USSR who were burned in death camps. For example, here: http://www.dokst.ru/main/node/1118. The site has a lot of other information about the repressed and missing;

http://www.pobediteli.ru/- list of participants in the Great Patriotic War;

http://lists.memo.ru/- search for victims of political terror in the USSR;

https://ru.openlist.wiki/- “Open List” is a database of victims of political repression in the USSR, built on the principle of Wikipedia. Site users and professional researchers add new names to the list every day, as well as supplement existing references.

Prepared Olga IVASHKO

Valeria Protasova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Any person has ever thought about the origin of his family. The issue of creating a pedigree is decided individually. However, many believe that those who respect and honor their ancestors live much longer. Also, for religious reasons, people try to find out more about relatives and determine whether they need to repent to God for their sins in order to improve their lives. An important role is played by the factor of health or genetic predisposition to diseases.

Types of pedigrees, ideas for a family tree

There are two main types of pedigrees: ascending and descending.

1. First begins to build from you and moves on to information about your distant relatives. As a rule, then comes the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.
2. Head of the second type is the oldest founder, and then all his descendants are listed, including you. Such a pedigree helps to take a broad look at the family and its activities over many times.

There are other types of pedigrees:

• Male ascendant. Usually it includes only male persons. It will look like a line. Such a pedigree helps determine a connection to a historical figure or famous person of the past.
• Mixed ascending. Here you can indicate both men and women. Persons of different clans, different surnames are presented in geometric progression - first 2, then 4, then 8, 16, etc.
• Descending male. A founder is chosen and strings “stretch” from him to the youngest man of this clan.
• Mixed descending. Both men and women can also indicate. This species covers several genera and surnames.

Depending on the type of design, a pedigree can take several forms:

You can choose any species you like and create your own individual pedigree. The most popular is the family tree. It is drawn up not only on paper, but also on the walls of a room in the house.

How to find out your family's pedigree - step-by-step instructions

To quickly create a pedigree, follow the instructions:

• Conduct a survey. Ask relatives and friends, neighbors who know your family, about the places of residence, class, places of work, and places of study of your ancestors. Perhaps they will remember your appearance (if there is no photo), character, habits, etc. The value of conducting a survey is obvious. You will learn about initials, dates of birth, death, but at the same time you will understand what kind of person your great-grandfather was.
  It is better to conduct surveys using a voice recorder. You can’t write down everything after listening to a story.
• Study family archives. Photos, diaries, letters and even notes can point you to relatives you didn't know about. All papers can help you determine what profession your ancestors were, how they lived, and at what time.
• Make an approximate family tree, table , distributing the information received into two branches or columns - maternal and paternal lines. Enter all dates of birth and initials.
• Study the reference books located in the state archives. Information about your archive is here: rusarchives.ru. The documents located in the archive will help you determine the class to which your relatives belonged and the position they held. You will also find out whether the ancestor was awarded or had an honorary title. In addition, in the fund you can find new information in the form of audio or video recordings, photographs.
  To contact the fund, you must have permission from the municipality; it is the administration that must direct you to a specific archive - first the regional one, then the federal one.
• Contact your local library . They usually provide search literature, archival documents, newspapers and other information and reference publications.
• Visit local museums, they may contain new information about your relatives.
• Contact archivists, search engines, bibliographers, historians.

Compiling a family tree is hard work. It takes a lot of effort and time. You can contact to a private organization , who will do all the research for you.

Don't forget that there is non-state archival funds , specially engaged in collecting information and information about people of the past. Such companies can also help you find some data for a fee.

Useful programs, websites and books for compiling a pedigree - is it possible to compile it online?

We list the sites that will help with compiling and designing a family tree:

1. All-Russian family tree (VGD). He has his own collection of information about people of the past living in Russia. There are also articles to help with your search. Website: vgd.ru.
2. Genealogia.ru– includes historical data and information about Russia. The site also has a program that can help you create your pedigree.
3. Center for Genealogical Research (CGR) . This website - rosgenea.ru - has created a unique collection of documents, reference books, registration lists by service, land ownership, registration, chronology, classes, and geographical indicators. Communication takes place on the forum, where registered users can tell you something new.
4. Official website of the Russian Noble Assembly (RDS). This non-political organization has 70 regional unions, which store information about the descendants of Russian noble families. Website: nobility.ru.
5. In the so-called family social network - familyspace.ru — you can not only find lost relatives, but also communicate with people who may have known your ancestors. The site contains electronic city and military directories that help in creating an online genealogy.
6. A similar social network project is genway.ru. You can familiarize yourself with historical facts, determine the meaning of the surname, communicate with friends who might know relatives, and also create your own tree online.

Here are some free programs that help you design and compile pedigrees:

• Tree of Life - genery.com. You can create a tree, calculate the degree of relationship, save data, photos, videos and other information about the life and activities of relatives.
• Family Chronicle – drawing up a family tree is very colorful in the form of a tree. It is possible to save photos and other documents. Website: the-family-chronicle.com.
• GenoPro — creation of a pedigree in graphical, tabular form. Website: genopro.com.
• Family Tree Build – creating your own family website, family tree plate. Website: myheritage.com.

The following libraries can help:

1. russian-family.ru
2. petergen.com
3. knigafund.ru

Basic books that will guide you on the right path will help you with the search and determination of the class origin of the family and surnames:

• A reference guide entitled “Genealogical information in the state archives of Russia.”
• “Practical.” recommendations for compiling peasant genealogies” Petrichenko M.B.
• Publication “Research of genealogical information in the state archives of Russia” Romanova S.N., “Bulletin of the Archivist” No. 5 (41) 1997.
• Publication by the same author Romanova: “How to find your roots” in “Bulletin of the Archivist” for 1998, No. 2 (44), No. 3 (45).
• Practical manual “Your family tree” Onuchin A.N.
• Publication “Partition books: time to collect stones”, Antonov D.N., “Domestic Archives” 1996, No. 4, No. 5.
• “Methodological manual for conducting genealogical research. Fundamentals of Genealogical Culture" Kochevykh S.V.

Are you compiling your family's pedigree? We will be grateful for your feedback!

Finding relatives with a common surname and creating a pedigree are relevant at all times. In ancient times, and even relatively recently, genealogy worried exclusively noble people who were accustomed to maintaining family ties along the line of their ancestors. But today, thanks to the availability of information, everyone can find relatives by last name, and it would be strange not to do this. Representatives of the same family are sometimes scattered all over the world, but extensive databases make it possible to find relatives by last name abroad and restore family ties.

A common surname is the main key and tool for genealogical searches, but it can either help or hinder finding all relatives. With the passage of time and changes in the lives of their owners, surnames change, sometimes beyond recognition. Therefore, it is so important to search for relatives by last name correctly, taking into account all possible options based on the family root. This process can be difficult and time-consuming, but the opportunity to find lost relatives and/or learn your family history is well worth the effort.

How did the surnames come about? Family tree and genealogical search
Last name and first name are integral attributes of a person living in society. Since childhood, we get used to the fact that members of the same family have one common surname. If a family has grandparents who love to share memories, then interest in their ancestry also develops in childhood. Later we learn that there are namesakes in the world, and it becomes interesting whether all people with the same last name are relatives? And if not, then why do strangers have the same last names? You need to look for the answer to this question in the history of the origin of surnames:

• The first surnames appeared before our era, when they were needed to identify relatives among the increasing population of the planet. Later, in Antiquity, members of a noble family and their slaves bore a common surname - that is, the surname united people in an economic, everyday sense.
  
• In the early Middle Ages, surnames acquired a new and very important meaning: they helped the process of inheriting titles, property and even the throne. Commoners had surnames that were more like nicknames and often correlated their bearer with their place of residence.
  
• Simple surnames were formed for banal, simple and practical reasons: they indicated occupation (Shvets, Dvornik), parents (Ivanov, Petrov) or place of residence (Dolin, Lesnoy). Funny surnames arose due to characteristic features: Drishch, Nayden, Fufayko).
  
• Before the introduction of mandatory personal documents, information was transmitted mainly orally, so surnames were perceived by ear and often distorted, especially if their owners moved. When women got married, they took the surname of their husband's family, but in a feminine form.
  
• Thus, the basis of the surname, endowed with an original meaning, was supplemented with prefixes and endings, sometimes changing beyond recognition (Maly - Malysh - Malyshko - Malyshev - Malyshonok).
  

How to find relatives by last name and create your family tree?
Family ties imply the presence of common ancestors, but in reality they are much more diverse. Not all family members with the same surname are blood relatives, and not all blood relatives retain the same surname throughout their lives. All this makes it difficult to find relatives by last name alone, but it suggests exactly how to find ancestors and find out the history of your family:

How to find relatives only by last name? Sources, tips and tricks
Finding ancestors based on stories from family members is an almost ideal option, but not everyone has this opportunity. Often the only link between clan members is the surname. But this is also a lot! If you try and be smart, you can even find relatives abroad by last name:

1. Mentions of surnames are contained in archives: genealogical directories, registers, books of house management and public utilities, and in the case of special merits (feats, participation in historical events), data about a person can be stored in central libraries. As a rule, the information in such sources is systematized alphabetically, so you will need to look for the desired surname using an alphabetic index or card index.
   
2. When searching for a relative’s last name in official archives, take into account possible errors: spelling according to old standards, the possibility of adding a title (rank, rank) to the last name, transliteration of the last name in case of moving abroad, etc. circumstances. Also make allowances for typos, blots, errors of document scribes and, just in case, check the surname in different spellings.
   
3. Online resources for searching people by last name provide ample opportunities, but you need to use them correctly. Firstly, immediately refuse services that require paid registration, sending SMS and other types of payment for their services. You can find relatives by last name for free on the Internet. Secondly, use special sections of search engines, specially designed to search for people using advanced parameters: full name, place of residence, age, etc.
   
4. Start your search with the largest social networks and sort through all possible namesakes, then chat with each one for possible family connections. Register in narrowly targeted social networks, especially international ones, specializing in searching for people and containing archives of surnames.
   
5. Place an advertisement about searching for relatives by last name on the Internet and/or in the media: TV shows, magazine sections “Wait for me”, “Looking for you”, “Dating” and similar. When composing the ad text, be sure to include all the information you know: maiden names, dates of birth and/or death of relatives, possible migration routes.