ContentsOverview
Skvira (Skvyra) genealogy records
Skvira genealogy records are the surviving documents used to trace families from Skvira (today Skvyra), a town 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 Zhytomyr and have not been published online.
Frequently asked questions about Skvira records
What genealogy records survive for Skvira?
Metrical books of births, marriages and deaths survive for the Jewish, Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic communities. The earliest records date from 1744. The tables on this page show which years survive, church by church.
Where are Skvira 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 Archive of Zhytomyr Oblast (DAZhO).
Which uezd and gubernia did Skvira belong to?
In the Russian Empire Skvira belonged to Skvira Uezd in Kiev Gubernia. Today it is Skvyra, Ukraine.
Can I find Skvira 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 Skvira 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
Skvira is first mentioned in 1390 and received Magdeburg rights in 1791. It passed to Russia in the partitions of Poland, and in the Russian Empire it belonged to Kiev Gubernia and was the seat of Skvira 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 town Skvira, Skvyra, Сквира (Russian and Ukrainian), Skwira (Polish) or סקווירע (Yiddish). Searching under every spelling matters, because indexes and catalogues use all of them.
Location and geography
Skvira lies in the Kiev region of central Ukraine, south-west of Kiev. The town had a large Jewish community with its own synagogue registers, Orthodox churches, a Greek Catholic church and, for Roman Catholics, the nearby parish of Pavoloch. Which book holds a family’s records therefore depends first on its faith and, for Christians, on its parish, 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 Skvira, 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.
Skvira 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
Four Jewish synagogue books of Skvira have been found so far: births of 1856, 1860 and 1867, and deaths of 1865.
| Community | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skvyra Jewish community (synagogue) | 1856, 1860, 1867 | — | 1865 |
Orthodox
The Orthodox books of the Dormition church begin in 1744, and the town had three more Orthodox churches.
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary | 1751–1794, 1796–1809, 1811–1841, 1843–1867, 1870–1874, 1903, 1911–1916, 1918–1919 | 1744–1804, 1806–1809, 1811–1841, 1843–1851, 1853–1867, 1870–1874, 1903, 1911–1916, 1918–1919 | 1758–1764, 1779–1794, 1796–1809, 1811–1841, 1843–1851, 1853–1867, 1870–1874, 1903, 1911–1916, 1918–1919 |
| Church of the Conception of St Anne | 1836, 1839–1841, 1843–1851, 1853–1876 | 1836, 1839–1841, 1843–1851, 1853–1876 | 1836, 1840–1841, 1843–1851, 1853–1876 |
| Church not named in the source | 1842, 1852, 1875–1876, 1878–1884, 1886–1889, 1891–1895, 1897, 1901–1902, 1904–1908, 1910 | 1842, 1852, 1875–1876, 1878–1884, 1886–1889, 1891–1895, 1897, 1901–1902, 1904–1908, 1910 | 1842, 1852, 1875–1876, 1878–1884, 1886–1889, 1891–1895, 1897, 1901–1902, 1904–1908, 1910 |
| Church of the Holy Trinity (cathedral) | 1852, 1903, 1911–1914, 1916–1919 | 1846, 1852, 1903, 1911–1914, 1916–1918 | 1846, 1852, 1903, 1911–1914, 1916–1918 |
| Church of St Nicholas (at the prison) | 1903, 1911, 1914–1915 | 1903, 1914–1915 | 1903, 1911, 1914–1915 |
Greek Catholic
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Catholic church | 1835, 1838 | 1835, 1838 | 1835, 1838 |
Roman Catholic
The Roman Catholics of Skvira belonged to the parish of Pavoloch.
| Church | Births | Marriages | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Pavoloch (parish includes Skvyra) | 1803–1804, 1820–1835, 1849, 1877, 1892–1896, 1898–1899, 1905–1916 | 1803–1804, 1820–1835 | 1803–1804, 1820–1835 |
Christian and general
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1850 | Revision list of Christians and Jews of Skvyra uezd |
| 1858 | Supplementary revision lists of Jewish and Christian merchants, townspeople and farmers of Skvyra uezd |
| 1858 | Revision lists of state settlers, odnodvortsy, household people, free people and Jewish farmers of Skvyra uezd |
| 1858–1860 | Supplementary revision lists of Christians and Jews |
Jewish
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1795 | Revision lists of the Jews of Skvyra uezd |
| 1816 | Supplementary revision lists of the Jews of Skvyra uezd |
| 1854 | Family lists of the Jewish townspeople of the Skvyra society liable to the next recruitment |
| 1858 | Revision list of the Jews of the town of Skvyra and Skvyra uezd |
| 1875 | Census of the Jews of the town of Skvyra |
| Before 1882 | Census of the Jews settled in Skvyra uezd, Kyiv gubernia, before 1882 |
| After 1882 | Census of the Jews settled in Skvyra uezd, Kyiv gubernia, after 1882 |
| 1911 | Census of the Jews of Skvyra uezd with their occupations |
History and genealogy
Skvira stood inside the Pale of Settlement, and its Jewish population grew until Jews made up about half of the roughly 8,900 residents counted in 1897. The town was the birthplace of the Skver Hasidic dynasty, and Ahad Ha’am was born here. Many Skvira families trace their roots to the surrounding villages, and their earlier records may be found there.
German forces occupied the town in September 1941, and on 20 September 850 Jews were shot, with more than 140 killed a few days later. 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: Skvyra, Skwira (Polish), Skvir, Skver (Yiddish), Сквира.
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