Blog of the Russian Genealogical Project

I have a baptismal record from my great grandfather from Riga, Russia that is in both German and Russian. I haven’t had 100% success in getting the German translated totally and wonder how I would go about getting someone to help me with the old Russian or how I could get a copy of the original baptismal certificate (one I have is a copy made in 1911 by someone in Talsen I imagine…had very poor handwriting).

Name is Fritz Freimann, born March 30, 1836 in Talsen and was baptised Evangelisch-Lutherischen.

Thank you for any suggestions you might have.

Sincerely,

Marsy Hellie

Please provide information on Nikolai Dmitrievich Bounakov…born in Orel in late 1880s…lived in Moscow, was married, imprisoned, pardoned…graduate of Synodal conservatory studied with gretchaninoff, graduated as composition major, church music…had a sister, wife and two daughters…family raised horses in Orel…

Dear Mrs Rusanovsky:

Thank you for your question.

The Bounakov family seems to be reasonably well documented.

We have quickly checked the 1914-1915 sources on the family and found that the respectable Anatoly Aleksandrovich Bounakov was indeed the horse breeder specialising in “rysistaya poroda” (trotters). He resided
not in Orel proper, but in Mtsensk (50 km North-East from Orel).

Other people with the same last name were active in the education area in Orel.

There was several Bounakov families living in Moscow at this time too.

There are several Bounakov families listed among the nobility in the 1898 Savelov’s authoritative index.

And this was found after checking probably 3% of the documents available in our own collections. (and this explains the fact that there was no single Nikolay or Dmitry in listings provided).

If you said he graduated Synodal conservatory — there could be files on his education.

If he was imprisoned and pardoned — this fact was usually was covered by newspapers (readily available for research in the Russian State Library newspaper division), some documents could have survived in
archives.

If that part of the family was noble — the Heroldy Department should have quite a detailed file with several generations of ancestors.

Should you wish to engage us in further research, we will be glad to assist you. In this case you may wish to elaborate a bit more on what exactly you are interested in and what you may wish to find.

Please let me know what you think

Kirill Chashchin

Russian Genealogical Project

My mother Helena GLOWIAN was born in 1927 Vilna, Poland. I can NOT find the surname GLOWIAN in Poland also the name GARGUTA, are these Russian names?? My mother died when I was 5 and I have very few records of her. Back in 1985 I was told to write to the Glownego Zarzadu Archiwow, I did not since I don’t read or speak Russian. My mother spoke Polish & Russian from her records.
Any help or suggestions much appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Basia (Glowian) Cater

 This is a complicated question. There is a 4-volume index to St Petersbourg cemetries, published in early 1900s. I checked it, but nothing close comes up. Beavad family with deaths in 1842, 1864, 1875 and 1909 is the closest I can find.

The 1809 list of St Pete residents does not have anybody with similar sounding names…

Getting earlier in time involves checking handwritten books, and not much of them actually survuved, and I very much doubt existence of any indexes for them.

From the first view this research looks futile… or very expensive and time-consuming… Let me know if you are interested in paying for several months of archival work…

My great-grandparents (Nick and Magdalena Wirtz) were Catholic German-Russian farmers from Landau in the
Black Sea region (now Ukraine). I’m wondering if you have a copy of the
1897 census from that area (if it exists) or if you would know how I
would find a copy? They also moved to Siberia around 1906 and I can’t
seem to find any genealogical info about Siberia during that time
period. They had their oldest child (Paulina Wirtz) in Siberia in 1908, but I’m not sure
how I would find her birth certificate. Any guidance would be much
appreciated! It’s so much fun to piece this puzzle together!

Marcie Cheung

Seattle, WA USA

Betsey Lee Browning suggested I contact you to see if you could help me. I
have contacted the National Archives in Minsk requesting information about my
grandparents. Below, you will find the correspondence between us. Director
Yatsevich tells me that the records for Bushatin were destroyed. My question
is—-Could there be somewhere else to find records of my grandmother? I have
exhausted all sources in the US. I plan to visit Belarus within the next few
years to find the family, if I can. Can you help?

Thank you for your time.

20.06.2012 16:06, Pat House says:

I research my grandparents, who lived in Belarus. Here’s what I know so
far:

Magdalena Helena Padnewitz (also spelled Podnevich, Padniewich) b. 1892 or
1894, most likely in 1894 (I have a date and documents) from “Buczatin”, which I
have narrowed to Buchatino or Bushaten. At the moment, I cannot search further.
I have documents that show “Buczatin” for her, as well as other people that have
come from this city. First name: Anthony, mother Teressa, brother Walter who had
two children Valencia and Walter, Jr. According to a ship manifest, she was
Greek Catholic. In 1909, Magdalena came to the U.S.. She was married in Chicago,
Illinois, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in May 1910. I found a woman named
Sinonia Maxemenja, who came here to visit her in February. I think it was her
friend coming to the wedding. This woman was from the same village. In 1911, my
grandmother was pregnant and returned to Belarus, probably the same village to
have a baby. Child (male) died, and she returned to the U.S. in 1913. I’m very
interested in finding birth / death records for that child and for the family of
my grandmother. I need to find someone that will do some research for me, or
anyone who has any information about the country in question.

Andro Stephen Najmolovski (also spelled Nemolowsky, Niemolowski,
Najmolowski, Najmalowski). And here, I have had a difficult time finding much
information. He was born 1890 in “Keaneche”, according to his U.S. documents. I
explored the city in Belarus, and I think it is Khoiniki or Kanichi. I am more
inclined to believe Khoiniki, as he claims on one paper that he is from Minsk.
His father’s name was Stephen (perhaps), a sister named Eva and a brother named
Anton, who also came to the US. Andro came to the U.S. in 1907. I do not know
what religion he practiced. Some say he may have been a Jew, but I have not
found that as a fact, and I know that my family was Russian Orthodox. I know
that many of the women on my mother’s side have tested positive for BRCA 1 &
BRCA 2 gene mutation, which is found in women in Eastern Europe, most of the
Jewish origin. Family members that have passed since then have always argued
that Najmolovski was not the surname but rather ” Valchek or Valchuk”, that
supposedly Andrew’s father (his name may have been Stephen) married a polish
woman and took her name for some reason. This may explain the difficulties in
finding information. Again, I would like someone to help find information or
direct me in the direction to find information about Andrew and his family. I
would be grateful for any help with information.

Thank you for your time.

Pat House

03.08.2012 5:01, Pat House says:

August 2, 2012

Director Yatsevich:

Thank you for your response to my letter in the archive. Below you will
find the information that I have on both my grandparents.

Magdalena Helen (Allen?) Podnevich / Padniewitz

Born: May 20, 1894 in Bushaten

Father: Antony

Mother Teresa (who died at a young age)

Brother Walter (had 2 children, Valencia and Walter, Jr.)

Perhaps the Greek Catholic

Arriving in the U.S. in 1909, married, in 1910, he returned to Belarus in
1911 or 1912, had a son who died, he returned to the U.S. in 1913

Possible Relatives: Lagun, Chomicz or Oleschkewitz

Andro Stephen Nemelovski / Najmolovski

Born: 15 September 1890 (or 1892)

Location: Khoiniki

Father: unknown

Mother of Andre — she died young, he remarried and she too died

and her sister raised the children after the father died

Brother: Antony

Sister: Eva

Religion: Jewish? Maybe Orthodox

Arriving in the U.S. in 1907

Please respond with an explanation of the process, time for research, and
the cost of searching for information.

Again, thank you for your response and for your help.

Sincerely,

Pat House

State Institution

«National Historical Archive of Belarus»

14.08.2012/04-09/826-827 Pat House

mentorph@insightbb.com

The absence of documents

Repeatedly report that parish registers of births by Ostroglyadovichskomu
and Rechitsa church, to the parishes that could treat people on Bushatin
Rechitsa district of Minsk province (now on Loev district of Gomel region of
Belarus), the Timkovichskomu church, to which the parish could refer people on
Buchatino Slutsky District of Minsk Province (now on Buchatino Kopyl district
Minsk region, Belarus) for the years 1890-1899. deposited in the archives are
not available (not saved), and therefore is not possible to copy cost metric
birth records Podnevich / Padnevich Magdalena Helena for the above years.

Please also be advised that all extant documents in the Minsk province
before 1917 are kept in our archive. While viewing a document on travel abroad
information about the persons named Podnevich / Padnevich not detected.

Director D.V.Yatsevich

Is it possible to discover anything more about my Borkowski ancestors? They moved from Kolno in Poland, after my grandfather (Schmuel) was born in 1870, to Irkutsk in Siberia where most of his siblings were born. The family consisted of parents – Kaila and David – children, Pasha, Schmuel/Samuel, Rachelle (b. 1884), Moshe/Morris, Boris (b 1886-87) and Riva. So far, I haven’t been able to work out why they moved from Poland to Siberia. Was there trouble which forced them to move? Riva married (I don’t know who) and had a daughter, Chaya, who was born in Irkutsk in 1901.
Also, in about 1914-1915, they moved again – this time to the north of China – Hailar. Did something happen in Siberia round about that time which made them think that life would be better in Hailar? WW1? Pasha married David Binder in Irkutsk and, eventually they both died in Hailar. Kaila and David also died in China and are buried on the Chinese side of the Russian-Chinese border.
I would love to know whether there are any records for this family and where I might find them.

In my maternal family, my great-Grandfather, Chaim Fischel Borziansky, living in Kamenets-Podolskiy or Vinnitsa, Ukraine, served in the Russian Army as a professional soldier in the second half of the 19th centuray. He was eventually invalided out of the army with a very good pension. Apparently, he held a commission and had a lot of medals. Are there records available for soldiers who fought in the Russian army?

I’ve been researching my great-grandfather’s family, and have hit a dead end. All records appear to end with him and his siblings. I’m hoping you can point me in the right direction.

My great-grandfather, Noah Gershon Stenbock, was born in Latvia in December 1860. His father (Nissen, or possibly Essen Stenbock) was related to the Kolga Stenbocks. According to the story, the family did not approve of his marriage (my great-great-grandmother was a Mongolian Jew), and disowned him. Which is supposedly why the family ended up in Latvia, and then America.

At least one cousin was able to find records confirming our descent from Magnus Stenbock (1664-1717), but no one can remember which cousin had the information, so we’re having to start from scratch.

Noah’s siblings are Moses Abraham Stenbock, Isaak Stenbock and Sarah Stenbock. There may be more, but these are the only ones who emigrated to America.

Can you help me?

Laura Miller

McPharlin Margret • 8 months ago

My grandfather was JANIS GRASIS. Born 1875 dies 1950. I
understand that he was a high ranking person,possibly a Major or similar
in the Russian Army. Is there anyway to access the old records? I
mostly am interested in getting a photo of him as I have none. Anything
else would be a bonus. Can anyone help with this?Thank you ,Margret
McPharlin (nee GRASIS)