Search for individual documents

Service record card, the camp card, confession list, etc.

Many of us may need the services of an archival search for a document both for replenishment of home archive and for practical purposes (obtaining inheritance, emigration, confirmation of family ties, etc.)

If we talk specifically about genealogy, this category of services is quite universal and suitable for both novice researchers and experienced genealogists. For example, we can help obtain a document from the Ukrainian archives or the civil registration office for a researcher who is searching for himself but lives outside Ukraine.

Our company can perform a point search of various documents:

Service record card (SRC) – is a document containing basic data on a Soviet serviceman with the rank of officer. This source is important for those who are interested in their relative’s service record (places of service, changes in ranks, etc.). Documents of this type are stored in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (CAMD RF) in Podolsk, Moscow region.

Certificate of award for a participant in World War II – is a document confirming the fact that a Soviet serviceman was given an award. Also, issued on the basis of data stored in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (CAMD RF) in Podolsk, Moscow region.
The camp card is an important historical source, allowing us to fill in the “blank spots” in the biography of the repressed person in case the criminal and/or camp file has not survived. From it you can find out basic biographical information, dates and places related to serving a sentence, etc. To obtain a copy of the camp card or certificate on the basis of this document, it is necessary to know at least approximately where the repressed person was serving his/her sentence – the camp name or area where the camp was located.

University or gymnasium documents (list of students, questionnaire, etc.) are sources that are often forgotten, but its help to find a lot of interesting data. When it comes to the capital of Ukraine, the State Archive of Kiev (SAK) stores a huge array of materials on institutions of higher education, lyceums, gymnasiums, etc. If your ancestor studied, for example, at the Imperial University of St. Volodymyr (now – Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv), there’s a good chance we’ll be able to find his/her course list, grade information, application forms, personal records, and much more.

Confession list is a very important document for genealogical research, allowing you to see the entire list of family members at once, rather than looking for a separate record for each of them. This source will be most useful to those who have already delved into the study of their lineage to about the middle of the 19-th century, because often the confession lists survived no later than the 1860s-1870s. The main drawback of this source is the many errors in indicating the age of the persons. These documents are preserved mainly in regional archives and in the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kyiv (CSHAUK).

Census record is a source that (by analogy with the confession lists) will be useful to those who are already deeply immersed in the study of family history. Revisions are the accounting documents of the Russian Empire, which were kept to control taxation, in which all family members were listed by name, indicating the relationship between them and their age. The last census record is dated 1858 (not including later additional ones). They are also stored in regional archives and CSHAUK.

From a financial point of view, in many cases it is more profitable and easier for the client to pay for one particular document than a large-scale archival search. The cost of searching for a single document varies in the range of $100–300, depending on the type of source and the complexity of access to it.

Prices

Consultation, analysis of initial prospects of search	e-mail, Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp – free of charge
Search for an individual archival document (metric, confession inventory, census records, population census sheets)	paper archival reference – $100 digital copy of the document – $50
Service record card of a Soviet officer	$200
Filtration card	$40

Frequently Asked Questions

In what cases is a notarized power of attorney required?

A power of attorney is required when it is necessary to obtain documents less than 75 years old from the time of their creation. If your relative was born before 1945, you do not need a power of attorney, but if he or she was born after 1945, it is required.

Will the entry from the metric book be suitable to confirm nationality?

In most cases – no, because the metric books at the churches were kept until 1921-1922, in those years there was no such a category as “nationality” in the documentation. To confirm the roots you often need documents from the Soviet period, in which the nationality is clearly spelled out. The temple metrics are suitable for confirming Jewish roots, since the record of a child’s birth in the synagogue book already meant that that child was born into a Jewish family.

What is a census record?

Documents on taxation conducted in the Russian Empire. They were used to record the tax population with the names of all family members and their ages. The last (tenth) revision was in 1858.

What is a confessional statement?

List of residents of the settlement who attended confession before Easter. This source is specific to the Orthodox faith. In the confessional statement, you can find a list of residents of the entire village/town with an indication of their age.

Where are the personal files and service records of Soviet officers kept?

Documents of this type are stored in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (TsAMO RF) in Podolsk, Moscow region.