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BLITZ

BLITZ Information Center © 2005 by Blitz: all rights reserved
BLITZ was founded in 1992


1. BLITZ USA
Postal Address:
907 Mission Avenue
San Rafael, California 94901-2910, USA



U.S. Representative: Kristin Nute
Telephone: (415) 453-3579
Fax: (415) 453-0343
eMail address: enute@igc.org

2. BLITZ - RUSSIA
Postal Address:
Pereulok Grivtsova, 10
Russkoe Geographicheskoe Obschestvo
Sankt Petersburg Russia 190000

Russia Representative: Elena Tsvetkova
Telephone: (812) 315-1576
Fax: (812) 315-1576
eMail address: blitz@peterlink.ru



Russian State Historic Archive (RGIA)
BLITZ has Exclusive Access to Finding Aids (Catalogs and Inventories) After Closure

A History of Blitz Information Services

Ukraine Archives Update

The Senate Bulletin – A Rich Genealogy Source

Archive of the Russian Geographic Society

Profile Update

KGB Records

Persistence Pays Off

The Order of Saint Prince Vladimir

1917 Physicians in the Russian Empire
 

1863-1864 Russian Fleet Expedition to North America

Guard Marines in the White Navy

The Case of the Missing American

The Russian Hereditary Nobility System


Sources For Jewish Genealogy

General Collection of Coats of Arms for the Russian Empire, Vol. I-X
NEW General Collection of Coats of Arms for the Russian Empire, Vol. XI-XXI

Surname Research List 2003

Surname Research List 2002

Surname Research List 1998



BACKGROUND: BLITZ works with the historic archives in St. Petersburg and Moscow as well as local regional archives throughout the former Soviet Union to provide information and genealogy research, document retrieval and translations for clients around the world.

BLITZ is located in St. Petersburg, Russia as well as California, USA. All research is done out of the St. Petersburg office. The California office stays in touch with all clients throughout research phases and handles client payments for the work.

Blitz began offering research services in 1992, during the Gorbachev era, as soon as private businesses became possible. Blitz has a small team of in-house researchers and also hires very experienced researchers who provide professional work. Although we cannot guarantee the results, because of the nature of this research in the Russian Archives, we have had good success for many of our clients thanks to the high experience level of our researchers.

Each genealogy search presents specific problems and the Blitz researchers have been very resourceful in locating sources and information which would be practically impossible for a person outside of the former Soviet Union to find by dealing directly with the archives. Blitz communicates with clients during each step of research and strives to answer all questions regarding the details and background of information found.

PRELIMINARY GENEALOGY SEARCH: Blitz begins with a Preliminary Genealogy Search for a fixed fee of US $80.00 (U S Dollars). During this phase, our researcher spends 5 hours in the St. Petersburg archives using as many reference books and archival finding aids as possible to look for clues and information on the family. This step is critical because of the nature of the Russian archives and their unreliable and sometimes non-existent index system.

At the conclusion of this preliminary search, Blitz will be able to give clients an assessment as to the existence of records pertaining to your family and the direction of further research. Hopefully, but not always, we will find specific information during this first step. We also tell clients if there are documents which they may be interested in ordering. On the other hand, if we believe that further research will be unproductive, we will let the client know along with our reasons.

Beyond the US $80.00 Preliminary Search, we charge US $20.00 per hour for research. There are also separate document copying and mailing charges.

 

(See also our page entitled Genealogy Research in Russia)

The Blitz Information Center has conducted successful genealogy searches for many clients seeking Russian, Polish and Baltic noble families and aristocracy, land owners, government bureaucrats and professional people, military officers, and people who had dealings with the government. Often a great deal of information can be found on these families. Usually Russian and Polish families who emigrated around the time of the 1917 Russian revolution were of this group.

Blitz has been successful in tracing a number of Jewish families using a variety of sources and piecing together the local history of a specific shtetl or village. In some cases, detailed village maps have been found with the names of the resident on each house depicted. However, tracing Jewish families can be difficult unless a family member owned a business, worked for the government, or was otherwise prominent. In some cases, a Jewish business owner had to operate his business under the name of a Russian. Unfortunately, many archive records of Jewish families have never been organized or catalogued. There is now more interest in Jewish research and more records are being made available. [Jewish section link]

The German colonists generally stayed in their own settlements and did not integrate into Russian society. Theoretically, it should be possible to trace German families through the church records in the "Metrical" books which are kept in the Russian State Historic Archive in St. Petersburg. However, there are some 300 metrical books which are unindexed and very difficult to use since they are organized by year and parish, the boundaries of which often changed. In order to trace a German family, it is essential to know the vital dates and the exact parish. If a family member had a civilian or military service record, then the tracing is much easier. If not, it may be necessary to start by attempting to find more initial information from other sources.

·         German Research in Russia

·         Polish Research in the Russian State Historic Archives (RGIA)

·         Jewish Genealogy Research in Russia

·         Genealogy Research In Russia

CONTACT US

Please contact Blitz if you are interested in taking on a search. Go to our Genealogy Search Order Form and use this guide to provide us with your search information. We look forward to working with you.

Genealogy Search Order Form


If your genealogy group is interested in having Blitz come speak about the conditions of research in Russia, please contact Kristin Nute via email : enute@igc.org.  Although we are based in California, it is a possibility to travel for talks.


         BLITZ Genealogy Research Services  - A Summary Overview -

Blitz Glossary of Russian Genealogy Terms

Genealogy Research in Russia

German Research in the Russian State Historic Archives (RGIA)

Polish Research in the Russian State Historic Archives (RGIA)

Jewish Genealogy Research in Russia

Genealogy Search Order Form


Other BLITZ Resources for Russian Genealogy - A Partial Listing:

Archives in Russia

Russian State Historic Archives (RGIA) - Personal Surname Fonds

Russian State Naval Archives (RSNA) - Finding Aids

Russian State Naval Archives (RSNA) - Annotated Register 1696-1917 - Surnames List

Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences

General Collection of Coats of Arms - All-Russian Empire (1797-1888)

First Russian Aviators


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