ContentsOverview
Odessa (Odesa) genealogy records
Odessa genealogy records are the surviving documents used to trace families from Odessa (today Odesa), the Black Sea port of Kherson 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 the archives of Odesa and Kherson and have not been published online.
Frequently asked questions about Odessa records
What genealogy records survive for Odessa?
Metrical books of births, marriages and deaths survive for the Jewish, Orthodox and Roman Catholic communities, together with revision lists and censuses. The earliest records date from 1800. The tables on this page show which years survive, church by church.
Where are Odessa records held?
The original books are held in Ukrainian state archives, mainly the State Archive of Odesa Oblast (DAOO) and the State Archive of Kherson Oblast (DAKhO).
Which uezd and gubernia did Odessa belong to?
In the Russian Empire Odessa belonged to Odessa Uezd in Kherson Gubernia. Today it is Odesa, Ukraine.
Can I find Odessa 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 Odessa 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
Odessa was founded in 1794 beside the Ottoman fortress of Khadjibey, which Russian forces had taken in 1789, and it received its present name in 1795. In the Russian Empire it belonged to Kherson Gubernia and was the seat of Odessa Uezd, the structure under which most records from before 1917 are filed. After 1920 it was part of the Ukrainian SSR, and since 1991 it has been part of independent Ukraine.
Documents name the city Odessa (also the Polish and German form), Odesa, Одесса (Russian), Одеса (Ukrainian) or אדעס (Yiddish). Searching under every spelling matters, because indexes and catalogues use all of them.
Location and geography
Odessa stands on the north-western shore of the Black Sea, and in the 19th century it grew into the main port of the Russian south. The city and its suburbs, among them Moldavanka, Peresyp, Slobidka-Romanivka and Serednii Fontan, had their own parishes, and the port, the prison, the hospitals, the schools and the military units had churches of their own. Which church holds a family’s records therefore depends on where the family lived or served, and that is the first thing to establish in a search. Jewish registers were kept separately by the city rabbinate.
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 Odessa, 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.
Odessa 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 Odessa survive for almost every year from 1875. From before that, only the births of 1846–1847 and the marriages, divorces and deaths of 1854 survive. The registers also cover Jews who lived in Odessa but were registered in other places, mostly in Podolia, Volhynia, Kiev Gubernia, Belarus and Lithuania.
| Community | Births | Marriages | Divorces | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odesa Jewish community (city rabbinate) | 1846–1847, 1875–1920 | 1854, 1875–1920 | 1854, 1875–1918 | 1854, 1875–1920 |
Orthodox
Odessa had dozens of Orthodox parishes and institutional churches. The tables show which years survive for each.
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Holy Trinity Church | 1800, 1802, 1806, 1808–1809, 1811, 1813–1816, 1818–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1835, 1840, 1843–1854, 1858–1871, 1874–1883, 1885–1920 | 1800, 1802, 1806, 1808–1809, 1811, 1813–1816, 1818–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1835, 1840, 1843–1854, 1858–1871, 1874–1883, 1885–1920 | 1800, 1802, 1806, 1808–1809, 1811, 1813–1816, 1818–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1835, 1840, 1843–1854, 1858–1871, 1874–1883, 1885–1920 |
| Protection of the Theotokos (Pokrovska) Church | 1808–1809, 1816, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1829, 1831, 1834–1835, 1839–1871, 1873–1906, 1911–1919 | 1808–1809, 1816, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1829, 1831, 1834–1835, 1839–1871, 1873–1887, 1889–1895, 1897–1906, 1909–1919 | 1808–1809, 1816, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1829, 1831, 1834–1835, 1839–1871, 1873–1908, 1911–1919 |
| Transfiguration Cathedral (Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral) | 1808–1810, 1815–1826, 1828–1831, 1833–1839, 1841–1917 | 1808–1810, 1815–1826, 1828–1831, 1833–1839, 1841–1917 | 1808–1810, 1815–1826, 1828–1831, 1833–1839, 1841–1917 |
| Sts Cyril and Methodius Church at the Cadet Corps | 1812, 1902–1903, 1905–1911, 1913, 1916–1919 | — | — |
| Nativity of Christ Church at the City Hospital | 1816–1818, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1836, 1839–1840, 1843–1844, 1847–1855, 1857–1877, 1879–1912, 1914–1919 | 1816–1818, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1836, 1839–1840, 1843–1844, 1847–1855, 1857–1877, 1879–1912, 1914–1919 | 1816–1818, 1820–1821, 1824–1826, 1828–1831, 1834–1836, 1839–1840, 1843–1844, 1847–1855, 1857–1877, 1879–1912, 1914–1919 |
| St Michael Church in Moldavanka | 1820–1821, 1824–1825, 1828–1833, 1835, 1839–1840, 1842, 1844, 1847–1855, 1858–1872, 1874–1920 | 1820–1821, 1824–1825, 1828–1833, 1835, 1839–1840, 1842, 1844, 1847–1855, 1858–1872, 1874–1920 | 1820–1821, 1824–1825, 1828–1833, 1835, 1839–1840, 1842, 1844, 1847–1855, 1858–1872, 1874–1920 |
| St Nicholas Port Church | 1824–1826, 1828–1830, 1844, 1848, 1851–1855, 1858–1859, 1864–1865, 1867–1871, 1874–1880, 1882–1883, 1885–1892, 1894–1896, 1898–1919 | 1824–1826, 1828–1830, 1844, 1848, 1851–1855, 1858–1859, 1864–1865, 1867–1871, 1874–1880, 1882–1883, 1885–1892, 1894–1896, 1898–1919 | 1824–1826, 1828–1830, 1844, 1848, 1851–1855, 1858–1859, 1864–1865, 1867–1871, 1874–1880, 1882–1883, 1885–1892, 1894–1896, 1898–1919 |
| Sts Peter and Paul Church | 1830, 1832–1835, 1839–1840, 1842–1872, 1874–1880, 1882–1899, 1901–1920 | 1830, 1832–1835, 1839–1840, 1842–1872, 1874–1880, 1882–1899, 1901–1920 | 1830, 1832–1835, 1839–1840, 1842–1872, 1874–1880, 1882–1899, 1901–1920 |
| St Alexander Nevsky Prison Church | 1831, 1835, 1839–1840, 1844–1845, 1847–1854, 1856, 1858, 1860–1871, 1874–1876, 1879, 1882–1883, 1885–1893, 1895–1914, 1917–1919 | 1831, 1835, 1839–1840, 1875–1876, 1890–1893, 1895–1914, 1917–1919 | 1844–1845, 1847–1854, 1856, 1858, 1860–1871, 1875–1876, 1879, 1882–1883, 1885–1893, 1895–1914, 1917–1918 |
| Archangel Michael Church of the Women's Monastery | 1840–1841, 1843–1854, 1858–1883, 1885–1891 | 1840–1841, 1843–1854, 1858–1883, 1885–1891 | 1840–1841, 1843–1854, 1858–1883, 1885–1891 |
| Kazan Church in Peresyp | 1846–1854, 1856, 1858, 1860–1861, 1865–1871, 1874–1901, 1903–1919 | 1846–1854, 1856, 1858, 1860–1861, 1865–1871, 1874–1901, 1903–1919 | 1846–1854, 1856, 1858, 1860–1861, 1865–1871, 1874–1901, 1903–1919 |
| Presentation of the Lord (Sretenska) Church | 1847–1854, 1858–1879, 1882–1889, 1891–1920 | 1847–1854, 1858–1879, 1882–1919 | 1847–1854, 1858–1879, 1882–1919 |
| Nativity of the Theotokos Church | 1850–1872, 1874–1920 | 1850–1872, 1874–1900, 1902–1920 | 1850–1872, 1874–1900, 1902–1920 |
| Resurrection Church at Serednii Fontan | 1851–1853, 1855–1856, 1858–1861, 1864–1871, 1874–1876, 1879–1921 | 1851–1853, 1855–1856, 1858–1861, 1864–1871, 1874–1876, 1879–1920 | 1851–1853, 1855–1856, 1858–1861, 1864–1871, 1874–1876, 1879–1920 |
| Entry into Jerusalem Church | 1858–1859, 1861, 1863–1868, 1870–1877, 1879–1880, 1882, 1884–1907, 1909, 1911–1920 | 1858–1859, 1861, 1863–1868, 1870–1877, 1879–1880, 1882, 1884–1907, 1909, 1911–1919 | 1858–1859, 1861, 1863–1868, 1870–1877, 1879–1880, 1882, 1884–1907, 1909, 1911–1920 |
| Exaltation of the Cross Church in Peresyp | 1863–1901, 1903–1920 | 1863–1901, 1903–1919 | 1863–1901, 1903–1919 |
| Alexandrine Church at the Odesa Institute for Noble Maidens | — | — | 1875 |
| St Alexander Nevsky Church at the Imperial Novorossiya University | 1875–1877, 1879–1880, 1882–1900, 1902–1903, 1905–1919 | 1875–1877, 1879–1880, 1882–1900, 1902–1903, 1905–1919 | 1875–1877, 1879–1880, 1882–1900, 1902–1903, 1905–1910, 1912–1919 |
| St Andrew Church at the Odesa Theological Seminary | 1878–1886, 1888–1899, 1901 | 1878–1879, 1881–1886, 1888–1899, 1901, 1905–1907 | 1878, 1882–1885, 1888–1889, 1896, 1907 |
| St George Church at the Odesa Junker School | 1879–1880, 1886–1889 | 1879–1880 | 1879–1880, 1887–1889 |
| St Alexander Nevsky Church of the Odesa Military Hospital | 1881, 1883, 1885–1920 | 1881, 1883, 1885–1920 | 1881, 1883, 1885–1920 |
| St Alexis Church (until 1888 the Alexander Nevsky prayer house) | 1884–1920 | 1884–1919 | 1884–1915, 1917–1919 |
| St Alexander Nevsky Church at the Odesa Commercial School named after Emperor Nicholas I | 1885–1888, 1890 | — | 1887–1888 |
| Ascension Church in Slobidka-Romanivka | 1888–1920 | 1888–1920 | 1888–1920 |
| Protection House Church of Count Tolstoy | 1888 | 1888 | — |
| St Alexander Nevsky Church at the Shelter for the Poor | — | — | 1890–1903, 1907–1909, 1911–1915, 1917–1919 |
| St Nicholas Church in the Botanical Garden | 1890–1920 | 1890–1920 | 1890–1920 |
| St Michael Church at the Mykhailo-Semenivskyi Orphanage | 1891–1895 | — | 1891–1895 |
| Steamship registers (12 vessels) | 1900–1902, 1904 | — | 1900–1902, 1904 |
| Ascension Church at the Invalids' Home of the Odesa Meshchane Community | 1907–1919 | 1907–1919 | 1903, 1907–1919 |
| St Nicholas Church in Peresyp | 1905–1918 | 1905–1918 | 1905–1918 |
| St Ioakinf Church of the Odesa Distribution Point, HQ of the 1st Naval Defence Section | 1918–1919 | 1917–1919 | 1917–1919 |
| St Nicholas Church at the House of Industry | 1917–1920 | 1917–1920 | 1917–1920 |
| Alexandrine Church at the 2nd City Girls' School | 1919–1921 | 1919–1920 | 1921 |
| Alexandrine Church at the 4th Boys' Gymnasium | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 |
| Holy Spirit Church | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 |
| Protection Church of the Reformatory for Juvenile Offenders | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 | 1919–1920 |
| St Gregory the Theologian Church at the Odesa City School | 1919–1920 | — | 1919–1920 |
| Sts Cyril and Methodius Church at the Odesa Theological School | 1920 | 1920 | 1920 |
Roman Catholic
Marriage registers of St Peter’s Church for the city survive for 1867–1878.
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Church of St Peter (Odesa) | — | 1867–1878 | — |
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. Odessa was founded in 1794, so only the revisions from 1795 onward can include it. Below are the revision lists, censuses, family lists and related files for Odessa found in the archives so far. The later house-by-house lists of residents, which survive for 1892–1919, follow the revision lists.
Christian and general
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1811 | Revision lists of townspeople and merchants of Odesa |
| 1834–1835 | Extracts from the revision lists, Odesa |
| 1834–1835 | Revision lists of townspeople of Odesa (11 files) |
| 1850–1851 | Revision lists of Odesa |
| 1850–1851 | Revision lists of merchants, townspeople, free sailors and Germans of Odesa |
| 1850–1851 | Revision lists of townspeople of Odesa (11 files) |
| 1851 | Alphabetical index of the 9th revision (townspeople of Odesa) |
| 1856–1858 | Revision list of retired soldiers and their families discharged from the military department, Odesa |
| 1857 | Revision lists of Christian townspeople of Odesa |
| 1857–1858 | Alphabetical index of the 10th revision (townspeople of Odesa) |
| 1857–1858 | Revision list of merchants of Odesa |
| 1857–1858 | Revision lists of Christian townspeople of Odesa (4 files) |
| 1857–1858 | Revision lists of honorary citizens and merchants of Odesa |
| 1857–1858 | Revision lists of merchants and townspeople of Odesa |
| 1857–1858 | Revision lists of retired soldiers and their families and Jewish cantonists enrolled among the townspeople of Odesa |
| 1857–1858 | Revision lists of townspeople of Odesa (4 files) |
| 1857–1858 | Supplementary revision lists of the 10th revision (2 files) |
| 1858 | Revision lists of Christian townspeople of Odesa |
| 1858 | Revision lists of residents of Odesa |
| 1858 | Revision lists of townspeople of Odesa (3 files) |
| 1858–1859 | Revision lists of merchants and townspeople of Odesa |
| 1859 | Revision lists of townspeople of Odesa |
| 1859–1860 | Lists of “Moldavian emigrants” enrolled as townspeople of Odesa, with their oaths on accepting Russian citizenship, 10th revision |
| 1865–1866 | Revision lists of Odesa |
| 1866–1867 | Revision lists of the city of Odesa |
| 1892 | Courtyard family lists, Khersonska district (8 files) |
| 1892 | Courtyard family lists, Mykhailivska district (8 files) |
| 1892 | Courtyard family lists, Oleksandrivska district |
| 1892 | Courtyard family lists, Peresypska district (8 files) |
| 1913–1919 | Information on the composition of families of Odesa townspeople |
| 1915 | Population register for December 1915, Dalnytska district (2 files) |
| 1915 | Population register for December 1915, Mykhailivska district (2 files) |
| 1915 | Population register for December 1915, Peresypska district |
| 1915 | Population register for December 1915, Portova district |
| 1915 | Summary table of the population register, Dalnytska district (3 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners (11 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Bulvarnyi commissariat (4 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Dalnytskyi commissariat |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Khersonskyi and Mykhailivskyi commissariats |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Khersonskyi commissariat (2 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Mykhailivskyi commissariat (5 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Peresypskyi commissariat |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Petropavlivska district (4 files) |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Petropavlivskyi commissariat |
| 1918 | Lists of residents submitted by house owners, Portovyi commissariat |
| 1919 | Population register for December 1915, Fontanska district (2 files) |
| 1919 | Population register for December 1915, Peresypska district |
| 1919 | Population register, Dalnytska district |
| 1919 | Population register, Velykofontanska district (6 files) |
Jewish
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1850–1851 | Supplementary revision lists of the Jews of Odesa |
| 1858 | Revision lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1858 | Supplementary revision list of the Jews of Odesa |
| 1858 | Supplementary revision list of the Jews of Odesa, nos. 1-7 |
| 1893 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (7 files) |
| 1893–1897 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1893–1902 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1894 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (3 files) |
| 1895–1896 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1895–1898 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1896 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1897 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1897–1898 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1898 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (2 files) |
| 1898–1899 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1905–1906 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1906 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (2 files) |
| 1907–1908 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (2 files) |
| 1908–1909 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1910 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1910–1911 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1912 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa (3 files) |
| 1913–1914 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1914 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
| 1914–1915 | Family lists of Jewish townspeople of Odesa |
History and genealogy
Odessa grew faster than almost any other city of the empire, from a new port in 1794 to about 404,000 people by the census of 1897, and it drew settlers, merchants and sailors from across Russia, Ukraine, the Balkans and the rest of Europe. For that reason many Odessa families trace their roots to other places, and their earlier records may be found there.
Jews were roughly a third of the city’s population. Pogroms in 1821, 1859, 1871, 1881 and 1905 marked the history of the community, many families left in the following decades, and after the city was occupied in October 1941 tens of thousands of its Jews were murdered or deported. For families who left or were lost, the surviving archive records are often the only trace that remains.
Also found in records and indexes as: Odesa, Odes (Yiddish), Hadjibey (before 1794), Одесса, Одеса, Odessa Uezd.
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