Below is a list of terms found in Russian records. Each word is generally listed first in its modern form, followed by relevant variants, including some with archaic spelling. If the word you are looking for is not here, consider looking at the FamilySearch Wiki Russian Genealogical Word List. If you're still struggling to find the right word, it may be a person's or place name. Follow the guidelines listed under Practical Suggestions and use other resources on our site such as those found on the Names page.
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This list is a compilation of entries from our topical word lists. Select a topic from the Genealogical Glossary main page to see more details and examples for each word from the following list.
teen (for example, пятого надесять means fifteenth)
archaic
втораго надесять - twelfth
на лицо
present
—
не
not
невеста (prep. невѣстѣ)
bride, fiancee
—
невестка
daughter-in-law, sister-in-law (brother's wife)
—
неграмотный
illiterate
—
незаконноприжитой
illegitimate (child)
—
незаконнорождёный
illegitimate (child)
—
нет
no; there is not
(arch. нѣт)
но
but
—
новобрачный
newlywed
—
новорождёный
newborn
—
нотариус
notary
—
ночь (gen. ночи instr. ночью)
night (at night)
—
ныне (arch. нынѣ)
now
—
о (об, arch. объ,ѡ)
[+prep] - about
—
оба
both
область
oblast, region (type of administrative unit)
—
обрезание (gen. обрѣзанiя)
circumcision
—
обручение
engagement, betrothal
—
обряд (arch. обрядъ)
rite
—
общество
society
объявлять/объявить (adv. part. объявляя, past masc. объявил)
to announce (announcing, announced)
—
округ
okrug, district (type of administrative unit)
—
оной
this, that, the said (referring back to something previously mentioned)
—
опекун
guardian
—
от (arch. отъ, ѿ)
[+gen] - from
—
отец (gen. отца)
father
—
от роду
from birth
—
отставный (gen. отставнаго)
retired
—
отчество
patronym
—
офицер (arch. офицеръ)
officer
—
папа
papa, dad
—
паспорт
passport
(dat. паспорту)
перед (пред, arch. предъ)
[+instr] - before, in front of
—
племянник
nephew
—
племянница
niece
—
по
[+dat] - along, by
—
погребение (arch. погребенїе)
burial
—
показание
testimony
(gen. показанїѧ)
пол
sex, gender
(gen. пола)
полковник
colonel
—
посад
settlement
—
после (arch. послѣ)
[+gen] - after
—
потомок
descendant
—
прабабушка
great grandmother
—
правнук
great grandson
—
правнучка
great granddaughter
—
православный (gen. православнаго)
Orthodox
—
прадедушка
great grandfather
—
предок
ancestor, forefather
—
предъявить (past masc. предъявил)
to present (presented)
—
при
[+prep] - at the time of
—
прибыть (past neut. прибыло)
to arrive (arrived)
—
присутствие (prep. присутствіи)
presence
—
приход (gen. прихода)
parish
—
прихожанин (gen. plu. прихожанъ)
parishioner
—
причастие (gen. причастiя, причастїѧ)
Communion
—
протоиерей (arch. протоiерей)
archpriest
—
псаломщик (arch. псаломщикъ)
acolyte, parish clerk
—
раввин (arch. раввинъ)
rabbi
—
разведник (arch. разведникъ)
divorcé
—
разведница
divorcée
—
развод (dat. разводу)
divorce
—
район
raion, area (type of administrative unit)
—
ребёнок
child
—
реестр
register
(dat. реестру)
ремесло
trade, occupation
—
Римско-Католический (gen. Римско-Католическаго)
Roman Catholic
—
родитель (plu. родители, gen. родителей)
parent
—
родиться (past masc. родился, past fem. родилась, past plu. родились, past arch. родися )
to be born (was born)
—
родной (abb. рдной)
native (language, for example)
full or biological when referring to family relationships. For example, родной брат means "biological brother" (same parents), while двоюродный брат means "cousin" (literally "second brother")
—
рождающийся (prep. раждающихся, рождающихъ)
the one who was born
—
рождение (gen. рожденiя, рожденїѧ)
birth
—
рядовой
soldier, private (military rank)
—
с (со, arch. съ)
[+gen] - from [+instr] - with
—
свидетель (gen. plu. свидетелей)
witness
—
святой (abb. св.; gen. святаго, свѧтагѡ; prep. святомъ)
holy, saint
—
священник
priest
—
сделанный
done
(s.f. plu. сдѣланы)
сегодня
today
—
сегодняшний
today (adj.)
—
сей
this
—
село (gen. села)
village
—
семья (plu. семьи)
family
—
сестра
sister
—
cобор (gen. собора)
cathedral
—
cовершать (past masc. совершалъ)
to accomplish, complete (accomplished, completed)
—
cовершаться (3rd person sing. pres. совершается)
to be accomplished or completed (was accomplished, was completed)
—
солдат
soldier
—
солдатский (fem. солдатская)
of a soldier
—
состояться (past neut. состоялось)
to take place (took place)
—
сочетаться (past plu. сочетались)
to be combined, joined, married (was combined, was joined, was married)
—
стан (abb. ст.)
stan (type of administrative unit)
—
супруг (plu. супруговъ)
spouse, husband
—
супруга
spouse, wife
—
сын (arch. сынъ, abb. снъ, plu. сыновья)
son
—
таинство
ordinance, sacrament
—
таина (gen. plu. таинъ)
ordinance, mystery
—
только (arch. токмѡ, токмо)
only
только
(arch. токмѡ)
у
[+gen] - at; often use to denote possession
—
уезд (gen. уѣзда)
uyezd (type of administrative unit)
—
умереть (past masc. умеръ, past fem. умерла, past plu. умерли)
to die (died)
—
умерший (gen. умершаго, оумершагѡ)
deceased (often acts as a noun)
—
унтер-офицер (arch. ундеръ офицеръ)
under officer (category of military rank)
—
урождённая (fem. gen. урождённой)
originally born, nee
—
утро (gen. утра, instr. утром)
morning
—
фамилия (arch. фамилїѧ)
surname
—
халица (acc. халицу)
halizah (Jewish religious ceremony)
—
хозяин (arch. хозяинъ)
master, head, host
—
холостой (s.f. masc. холостъ)
single, unmarried
—
христианский (arch. христiанскiй)
Christian
—
церковь (gen. церкви)
noun - church
—
час (gen. часа, gen. plu. часов)
hour (can mean "o'clock" when in the genitive case)
To view translations of specific words and phrases you may encounter in a certain document type, visit the corresponding Document Types page of this tutorial.