How can I find a copy of a Russian passport or Russian passport application?

JustineSheehan

How can I find a copy of a Russian passport or Russian passport application?

I have details of the passports of my two great grandparents:

Lewis Greenbarg has a Russian Imperial passport, No.450 issued at Volyn, Russia, dated 05/10/1911.

Golda Greenbarg (nee Zemelman) has a Russian Imperial passport, No. 1224 issued at Kieff on 24/02/1914

 

Can anyone help?!

Thanks

Justine

kurt1.514920831130203E12

I am guessing you are referring to "Russian" passports issued at Kyiv, Ukraine, which was a part of the Russian Empire. The Ukrainian archives are becoming very cooperative. I suggest you study this page to find information about contacting them and about their holdings:

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Ukraine_Archives_and_Libraries

 

Another possibility is to contact the Ukraine Embassy in the United States to see if they could direct you to the current curator of passport records from that time period.

https://usa.mfa.gov.ua/en

 

If you are interested in other record sets for this couple such as marriage and births, then I'd suggest you start with the JewishGen website:

https://www.jewishgen.org/new/

 

You will also find a great deal of help at the Ukraine special interest group:

https://www.jewishgen.org/Ukraine/

 

To progress with Jewish research in Ukraine, you will need to know the village(s) of birth. That information is probably on the passports you have, in naturalization records, in passenger lists, etc. Once you know the village, use the Town Finder to go to that town's page in the JewishGen database. That page will be a hub for finding new data sets and sources on your family. This is the Town Finder link:

https://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/Search.asp

 

Your question was a bit sketchy about what you already have found and what you don't yet have because you focused on the passport question. There are many more resources from Ukraine to be explored. If you need more direction, please contact us again.

JustineSheehan

Hi Kurt

 

Thank you so much for your reply - all of the detail you provide is greatly appreciated.

 

I obtained the passport details from Lewis's Naturalisation Records, but I also have the following details:

 

Lewis Greenbarg: DOB 10th July 1873 in Romanov. (Father's name: Morris Gersh)

 

Golda Greenbarg (nee Zemelman): DOB 10th June 1876 in Berdichev. (Father's name: Chaim)

 

They married in Berdichev on 6th January 1894.

 

They had eight children who seem to have been born in/married in either Berdichev or Romanov: Edith Seltzer (1894), Dora (1897 - 1901), Mimi Persky (1899ish), Morris (1900), Joseph (1903), Faye Cohen (1904), Harry (1906), Ethel (1908).

 

I will definitely follow the links you provide to find out more. I find JewishGen a bit difficult to navigate - there seems to be lots of information, but I can never really get to it!

 

Thanks again for your reply. The search continues...

Justine

patrickrichardsmonson1

I don't know much about Ukrainian archives, but the Estonian Historical Archives has a huge amount of passport-related material in police fonds, such as this record for Jewish residents trying to obtain permission to reside outside of the Pale of Settlement - https://ais.ra.ee/index.php?module=202&op=4&tyyp=2&otsing_id=20200420091120240144&kokku=1&id=200251254525&f=1&active=&sess_id=3f0f5df41b2d11938d770f32f7ac886f. They also have passport books with abbreviated information on the issuance of passports.

 

I would guess that the Kiev archives would have similar records, since Kiev also restricted Jewish settlement in some regards.

JustineSheehan

Thank you for this, Patrick.

 

I will certainly follow the link and see what I can find.

 

Justine

Ellie Vance

Justine,

If you decided to reach out to the archives in Ukraine, you'll want to be sure that your letter is written in Ukrainian or Russian (or both). This Wiki page is designed for Germans from Russia research, but you might find the sections "Archives in Russia, Ukraine, and the Former Soviet Union,"Writing to an Archive" and "Visiting an Archive" useful. Good luck in your search!

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Germans_from_Russia_Archives_and_Libraries

JustineSheehan

Hi Ellie

 

Thanks for your message. I will take all of your tips on board!

 

Justine