Our Belarus genealogists research on location. Our researchers will find and analyze the best records available to further your family history research. They can search the archives and libraries in Belarus, including:

Archives

  • Historical Archives
    Contain almost all the survived documents for 1500s-1917, including parish, census, and nobility records. There are 2 such archives, the National State Historical Archive in Minsk and the State Historical Archive in Grodno.
  • National Archive of the Republic of Belarus
    Stores records for the period after 1917, which are considered to be of state importance
  • State Provincial Archives
    Contain documents for the period after 1917 of local (up to provincial level) significance
  • ZAGS Provincial Archives
    Houses records for birth, marriage, divorce, and death (1917-present); similar records for the late 19th and early 20th century
  • Archive of KGB or KDB
    Contains personal files of those were under the control of the Committee of State Security in 1918
  • Archive of the Ministry of Defense
    Stores military records, including people who were in military (1918-present)
  • Archive of MVD or MUS: (“Ministry of Internal Affairs”)
    Police records of people involved with the police in criminal or civil cases (1918-present)












Libraries

  • The National Library of Belarus in Minsk
    Contains the majority of books and published documents before and after 1917
  • The Library of Belarusian Academy of Sciences in Minsk
    Contains books and published documents similar to the National Library, but smaller

Museums

  • National State Museum of Belarus in Minsk
  • State Museum of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) in Minsk
    Contains a huge collection the events of the war
  • State Museum of Religion in Grodno
    Stores documents on confessional history for the recent past

Our genealogists can do research projects of many sizes and for many budgets. We customize the amount of research provided according to your needs.

If you would like to learn how our genealogists can further your research, request a research quote.

Some of the major records sources that can be used for genealogy research in Belarus include:

  • Dvorianskie Knigi
    List noble families of Russian aristocracy (Belarusan and Polish)
  • Litouskiia Metryki
    Books of taxes gathered in XV-XVII centuries. Provide exact locations and designate amount of property of particular taxpayers for the Grand Duche of Lithuania (most of northwest Belarus). Original documents are scattered between Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden.
  • Church Listings
    List baptisms, marriages, and deaths by Orthodox Church, Catholic, Protestant, and Uniya Churches.
  • Annual reconciliation reports (Russian Empire)
    Annual list of people who have been at reconcilliation in Orthodox Church. The church was obliged to submit this lists to Tzar’s Jandarms (Police). They served as an indicator of the person’s loyalty.
  • Registration agency – ZAGS
    Kept during Soviet times and now still all births, marriages and deaths, these records are registrated by the governmental organization – ZAGS. It stands for Registration of Acts of Civil Events.
  • Directories
    Big cities such as Minsk maintain lists of people by name, and other key info such as address or phone.
  • Passport and Propiska
    Anyone living on the territory of ex-USSR has an official place of his/her permanent location (Propiska). This address is stated in the passport, since everyone gets a passport at age 16.

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