ContentsOverview
Kiev (Kyiv) genealogy records
Kiev genealogy records are the surviving documents used to trace families from Kiev (today Kyiv), the capital of Kiev Gubernia in the Russian Empire. The two main sources are metrical books, the church and synagogue registers of births, marriages and deaths kept from the early 1800s, and revision lists (revizskie skazki), the household census lists compiled for taxation. Most are held in archives in Kyiv and have not been published online.
Frequently asked questions about Kiev records
What genealogy records survive for Kiev?
Metrical books of births, marriages and deaths survive for the Jewish, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old Believer and other communities, together with revision lists and censuses. The earliest records date from 1792. The tables on this page show which years survive, church by church.
Where are Kiev records held?
The original books are held in Ukrainian state archives, mainly the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Kyiv (TsDIAK), the State Archive of Kyiv Oblast (DAKO) and the State Archives of the City of Kyiv.
Which uezd and gubernia did Kiev belong to?
In the Russian Empire Kiev belonged to Kiev Uezd in Kiev Gubernia. Today it is Kyiv, Ukraine.
Can I find Kiev records online?
Sometimes, but not reliably. Most archival records from the Russian Empire have never been digitised or indexed, so an online search can come back empty even when the documents survive. Drevo Research searches the archives directly and can tell you what exists for your family.
Where should I start a search for Kiev ancestors?
Start with what you know: names, approximate dates and the family’s faith, and for Christians the parish. These decide which book to look in. Tell us what you have and we will check the archives.
Names and jurisdiction
The city came under Russian rule between 1667 and 1686. From 1797 to 1925 it was the seat of Kiev Gubernia and Kiev Uezd, the structure under which most records from before 1917 are filed. After 1920 it belonged to the Ukrainian SSR, becoming its capital in 1934, and since 1991 it has been the capital of Ukraine.
Documents name the city Kiev, Kyiv, Киев (Russian), Київ (Ukrainian), Kijów (Polish), Kiew (German) or קיִעוו (Yiddish). Searching under every spelling matters, because indexes and catalogues use all of them.
Location and geography
Kiev stands on both banks of the Dnieper River in central Ukraine. In the Russian Empire the older districts, Podil (the lower town by the river), Pechersk and Old Kiev (the upper town), each had their own parishes. Which church holds a family’s records therefore depends on where the family lived, and that is the first thing to establish in a search.
Records analysis
Metrical books and revision lists are among the best sources for tracing a family. Metrical books record births, marriages and deaths year by year, and revision lists show who lived in each household, with ages, so they let you follow a family back to the years before parish registers begin. The tables below show what survives for Kiev, church by church and year by year.
But these are not the only sources, and often not the whole story. Archives also hold secondary records, such as police and court files, property and tax records, guild and estate lists, school and military papers and petitions, and these can reveal much more about a family than a name and a date. This is where deep archival research makes the difference. We work with the main sources and with the secondary ones, because together they tell a fuller and more interesting story of the family.
Not finding something online does not mean it does not exist. Most archival records from the Russian Empire have never been digitised or indexed, so a search on popular genealogy websites can come back empty even when the documents survive in the archive. If you have already searched on your own and found nothing, that is a reason to talk to a professional, not to stop.
Drevo Research carries out comprehensive archive research across borders and archives. Tell us what you know and we will tell you what we can find.
Searched online and found nothing? The records may still exist. Tell us about your family.
Kiev genealogy records by church and year
The tables show which years survive for each church and record series. Years without records are left out, so gaps are easy to see. The original books are held in Ukrainian state archives, which are administered by the State Archival Service of Ukraine.
Vital records
Metrical books recording births and baptisms, marriages and deaths, kept separately by each religious community until 1920.
Jewish
Jewish metrical books of Kiev survive for almost every year from 1863. The tables show which years are available.
| Community | Births | Marriages | Divorces | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiev Jewish community | 1863–1872, 1874–1895, 1897–1920 | 1864–1865, 1868–1870, 1872–1885, 1887–1893, 1898–1905, 1907–1920 | 1864, 1866–1877, 1880, 1882, 1885–1886, 1888, 1890, 1896, 1900–1902, 1908–1911, 1913–1914, 1918 | 1867, 1873–1883, 1886–1920 |
Orthodox
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyiv-Sophia Cathedral | 1838 | — | — |
| Kyiv Military St. Nicholas Cathedral | 1832–1835, 1850, 1852, 1857–1859, 1874, 1909–1914 | 1832–1835, 1850, 1852, 1857–1859, 1867 | 1832–1835, 1850, 1852, 1857–1859, 1867, 1909–1910, 1912–1913 |
| Boris and Gleb Church of the Gendarme Regiment | 1853–1861 | 1853–1861 | 1853–1860 |
| Holy Protection Church of the Kyiv Military Hospital | 1858–1865, 1874 | 1858–1865, 1874 | 1858–1865, 1874 |
| Ascension Church of the 130th Kherson Infantry Regiment | 1867, 1904 | 1867, 1904 | 1867, 1904 |
| Church of the 724th Minsk Field Hospital No. 1 | — | 1917–1918 | 1915–1918 |
| Church of the 97th Livonian Infantry Regiment (Count Sheremetev) | 1914 | 1914 | 1914 |
| Podil Protection Church | 1838, 1886–1888 | — | — |
| Podil Church of the Resurrection of Christ | 1807–1812, 1815–1871 | 1807–1812, 1815–1871 | 1807–1812, 1815–1871 |
| Kyiv City Police registers | 1858, 1860, 1862–1864, 1866–1867, 1869–1870, 1874–1875, 1877, 1879–1880, 1889–1906 | 1878–1880, 1882, 1884–1886, 1888–1892, 1894–1901, 1903–1905 | 1875–1879, 1882–1884, 1887–1905 |
| Old Kyiv Tithe (Desyatynna) Church | 1865, 1867–1870, 1872–1881, 1884 | — | — |
| Church of the 526th Field Transport Hospital | 1917 | — | 1916–1918 |
Roman Catholic
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyiv Roman Catholic parish church | 1849–1874, 1879–1882, 1902–1904, 1906, 1916 | 1849–1874, 1879–1882, 1902–1904, 1906, 1916 | 1849–1874, 1879–1882, 1902–1904, 1906, 1916 |
| St. Nicholas Church | 1912–1915 | 1912–1915 | 1912–1915 |
| St. Alexander Church | 1913–1916 | 1913–1916 | 1913–1916 |
Old Believers
| Church or registry | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyiv City Police registers | 1860, 1863, 1865, 1872–1873, 1875–1876, 1878–1879, 1881, 1888–1889, 1892, 1894–1896, 1899, 1901 | 1878, 1880–1884, 1891, 1894, 1903, 1905 | 1876–1878, 1884, 1905 |
| Kyiv City Police, registration of schismatics | 1876 | 1876–1879, 1900, 1902, 1906 | — |
| Podil police district | 1876–1878 | 1875–1876 | — |
| Ploska police district | 1876–1877 | — | — |
| Palace police district | 1876 | — | — |
| Lybid police district | 1877 | 1877 | 1878 |
| Pechersk police district | 1879 | — | — |
| Ascension Church, Kyiv Old Believer community | 1908–1913 | 1908–1909, 1912–1913 | 1907–1908, 1910–1911, 1913, 1915 |
| Dormition Church, Kyiv Old Believer community | 1908, 1910–1914 | 1911, 1913 | 1907, 1910–1913, 1915 |
Sectarians and non-religious
| Register | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sectarians not united in communities (Kyiv City Administration) | 1913–1918 | 1913–1917 | 1913–1918 |
| Persons who renounced religion (Kyiv City Administration) | 1918 | — | 1917 |
Revision lists and censuses
Revision lists (revizskie skazki) are the household lists compiled for each tax census. They name every member of a household with age and relationship, which makes them the key source for following a family back before the metrical books begin. Below are the Jewish revision lists, censuses and related files for Kiev found in the archives so far.
Christian and general
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1782 | Revision list of Kyiv and its suburbs |
| 1795 | Revision lists of merchants and Christian townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1795 | Revision lists of townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1811 | Revision list of merchants of Kyiv |
| 1816 | Revision lists of landowners and various officials of Kyiv |
| 1816 | Revision list of townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1816 | Revision lists of Christian merchants, Jews and foreigners of Kyiv |
| 1834 | Revision lists of merchants and old-resident townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1834 | Revision lists of Christian townspeople of Kyiv (2 files) |
| 1834 | Revision list of townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1834 | Revision lists of newly registered townspeople, foreigners, honorary citizens and citizens of Kyiv |
| 1834 | Additional revision lists of townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1834 | Additional revision lists of merchants of Kyiv |
| 1844–1849 | Additional revision lists of Christian townspeople of Kyiv |
| 1850 | Revision lists of merchants and Christian townspeople of Kyiv (2 files) |
| 1850 | Alphabetical list of all merchants, townspeople and free people of Kyiv |
| 1850 | Additional revision lists of Kyiv |
| 1851 | Additional revision lists of house serfs and serfs of Kyiv |
| 1858 | Revision list of Christians of the provincial city of Kyiv |
| 1858 | Revision list of merchants, citizens and odnodvortsy (Christians) of Kyiv |
| 1858 | Revision list of Christian townspeople (meshchane) of Kyiv (2 files) |
| 1858 | Revision list of residents of Kyiv (9 files) |
| 1861–1862 | Additional revision list of townspeople (meshchane) of Kyiv |
| 1863 | Additional revision list of townspeople (meshchane) of Kyiv |
| 1864 | Additional revision lists of townspeople (meshchane) of Kyiv (2 files) |
| 1864 | Revision list of a freed townswoman of Kyiv |
Jewish
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1792 | Census of the Jews of Kiev and the uezd |
| 1849 | Kiev Gubernia Administration: issuing copies of revision lists to the Jewish community (general ruling) |
| 1850 | Revision list of the Jews of Kyiv |
| 1850–1857 | Transfer of Jews belonging to various communities into the farming estate |
| 1859 | Expulsion of persons from Kiev to Volhynia Gubernia to be registered at the revision |
| 1859 | Transfer of 10 families of Jewish townspeople (meshchane) to farming on state land, Kiev Gubernia |
| 1861 | Correspondence of the Chamber on issuing certificates from revision lists on social estate and poll tax |
| 1897 | Census of the Russian Empire, city of Kiev |
| 1901, 1904 | Family lists of the Jews of the Pechersk district of Kiev |
| Undated | Lists of the Jews of the Ploska, Palace, Old Kiev, Lybid, Pechersk and Podil districts of Kiev |
History and genealogy
Kiev grew rapidly in the 19th century, reaching about 248,000 people by the census of 1897, and drew migrants from villages and small towns across the gubernia and beyond. For that reason many Kiev families trace their roots to other places, and their earlier records may be found there.
Pogroms in 1881 and 1905 drove large-scale Jewish emigration, and in September 1941 more than 33,000 Jews were murdered at Babyn Yar. For families who left or were lost in those years, the surviving archive records are often the only trace that remains.
| Religion, 1897 (approx.) | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Orthodox | ~76% | |
| Jewish | ~13% | |
| Roman Catholic | ~9% | |
| Lutheran | ~1.5% | |
| Other | ~0.5% |
Also found in records and indexes as: Kyiv, Kiyev, Kijów (Polish), Kiew (German), Kieff, Киев, Київ.
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