Family Chronicler
Who is entitled to receive a Pole's card? Not all descendants of citizens of the interwar Rzecz Pospolita (the Polish state in 1918 - 1939) are entitled to a Pole's card. If your ancestors were resettled to the territory of modern Ukraine as part of the so-called "population exchange" between the USSR and the Polish People's Republic, you, according to the current rules for issuing a Pole's card, cannot apply for it, because your ancestors were defined by the executive authorities as Ukrainians. However, there are a large number of other cases in which it is possible to receive a card, and we can help you confirm (or refute) your Polish roots with documentation.
Is there a section for "nationality" in the birth records? The Russian Empire, as is known, was a class-based state, and the column "nationality" was not indicated in church documents.
What is a birth register? A birth register (Metrics) is a formal document kept by a religious institution for the purpose of registering civil status, and contains records of births, marriages, and deaths. Simply put, a birth register is an earlier analogue of the modern civil registration system. After the introduction of the Civil Registry System in the USSR, keeping birth registers was no longer mandatory.
How "deeply" can you research your family tree? Each case is very individual. First of all, the result depends on the correctness of the initial information provided by the customer, the social status of your ancestors, as well as the preservation and accessibility of genealogical sources. If your ancestors were peasants - representatives of the least mobile group of the population, regardless of nationality, your family tree can be researched until the middle of the 18th century. If you are lucky, then until the end of the 17th century. Usually this chronological limit is a constant. The preservation of documents does not allow for deeper research. Unless, of course, your case is not unique. This also happens.
How quickly is a family tree made? The time for researching one branch of the family is 3-5 months. A comprehensive family tree – 1 - 1.5 years.
What data is needed to start the research? Surnames, first names and patronymics of your ancestors, their dates and places of birth, marriage, education, work, death. The more initial information is provided, the faster the work will be completed.
What sources do you use for your research? We work with all the archives of Ukraine, as well as with the archives of Moldova and Poland. However, each case is individual for us and if genealogical materials are available, the geographical scope will not matter.
Why is the research priced this way? The main part of the work involves archival searches and meticulous comparison of ancient documents to reconstruct a family tree. This requires a significant amount of time and specialized knowledge, especially when dealing with ancient materials. Completing a single project can take hundreds of hours of work by experienced genealogists.
How can I be sure of the accuracy of the information? Throughout the entire study, we periodically provide reports on the progress of the work and confirm them with documentation.
Is it possible to pay in installments? Genealogical research is conducted in stages, so the payment can be divided into several parts. The terms are discussed individually with the genealogist, making the process as comfortable as possible for you. We take into account your wishes and circumstances to choose the most convenient format of cooperation. Additionally, a 10% discount is available for internally displaced persons and military personnel.
What determines the success of the research? The success of the research is determined by the professionalism and experience of the genealogist, their skills and abilities, as well as the availability, preservation, and accessibility of the necessary documents.
Is it possible to research your genealogy on your own? Yes, it is possible, but before starting, you need to be able to work with archives, understand and transcribe ancient manuscripts written in pre-revolutionary Russian, Church Slavonic, Polish, German, Latin, and other languages. You must have extensive knowledge of history, including everyday and historical geography, and understand the specifics of document flow in different eras and states. Additionally, it is advisable to understand the context of the era in which your ancestors lived, comprehend the life of the society of the time and the region you are researching. You will also need to spend a lot of time studying a large number of ancient documents.