Russian Vocabulary: Religion
Below is an alphabetical list of religious terms found in Russian records. Each word is generally listed first in its modern nominative form, followed by relevant variants, including some with archaic spelling. If the word you are looking for is not found here, consider looking at our other word lists or 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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Abbreviation | Meaning | Abbreviation | Meaning |
| nom. | nominative case | masc. | masculine |
| acc. | accusative case | fem. | feminine |
| gen. | genitive case | neut. | neuter |
| prep. | prepositional case | plu. | plural |
| dat. | dative case | past | past |
| instr. | instrumental case | pres. | present |
| arch. | archaic | s.f. | short form (for adjectives) |
Russian | English | Examples |
| брак | marriage | 
(arch. бракъ) |
| бракосочетание | wedding | 
(arch. dat. бракосочетанiю) |
| венчание | wedding | 
(arch. gen. вѣнчанiя) |
| вероисповедание | religion, denomination | 
(arch. gen. вѣроисповѣданїя) |
| викарный | vicar | 
|
| восточный | eastern | 
(fem. dat. восточной) |
| диакон | deacon | 
(arch. дiаконъ) |
| духовенство | clergy | 
|
| духовная консистория | spiritual consistory | 
(gen. духовной консисторiи) |
| еврей | Jew (man) | 
|
| еврейка | Jew (woman) | 
|
| еврейский (arch. еврейскiй) | Hebrew, Jewish | 
(fem. prep. еврейской) |
| епархия | diocese | 
(gen. епархiи) |
| епископ | bishop | 
|
| иерей | priest | 
(arch. iерей) |
| исповедание | confession | 
(arch. gen. исповѣданiя) |
| кирхшпиль | parish (in some documents from the Baltic region) | 
(gen. кирхшпиля) |
| кладбище | cemetery | 
(arch. кладбищѣ) |
| крещение (gen. крещенiя) | baptism | 
(gen. крещенiя) |
| крещённый | baptized | 
(fem. s.f. крещена) 
(masc. s.f. крещёнъ) |
| ксёндз | priest (Catholic) | 
(arch. ксёндзъ) |
| литургия | liturgy | 
(arch. acc. литургiю) |
| лютеранский | Lutheran | 
(gen. лютеранскаго) |
| мусульманский | Islamic | 
|
| обрезание | circumcision | 
(arch. gen. обрѣзанiя) |
| обручение | engagement, betrothal | 
|
| обряд | rite | 
(arch. обрядъ) |
| погребение | burial | 
(arch. погребенїе) |
| пономарь | sexton | 
|
| православный | Orthodox | 
(arch. gen. православнаго) |
| присутствие | presence | 
(arch. prep. присутствіи) |
| приход | parish | 
(gen. прихода) |
| прихожанин | parishioner | 
(arch. gen. plu. прихожанъ) |
| причастие (arch. gen. причастїѧ) | Communion | 
(arch. gen. причастiя) |
| протоиерей | archpriest | 
(arch. протоiерей) |
| псаломщик | acolyte, parish clerk | 
(arch. псаломщикъ) |
| раввин | rabbi | 
(arch. раввинъ) |
| разведник | divorcé | 
(arch. разведникъ) |
| разведница | divorcée | 
|
| развод | divorce | 
(dat. разводу) |
| римско-католический | Roman Catholic | 
(arch. gen. Римско-Католическаго) |
| рождение (gen. рожденїѧ) | birth | 
(gen. рожденiя) |
| свидетель | witness | 
(gen. plu. свидетелей) |
| святой (abb. св., arch. gen. свѧтагѡ) | holy, saint | 
Св. Іоанна - of St. John 
(arch. gen. святаго) 
(prep. святомъ) |
| священник | priest | 
(arch. священникъ) |
| собор | cathedral | 
(gen. собора) |
| таинство | ordinance, sacrament | 
|
| таина | ordinance, mystery | 
(gen. plu. таинъ) |
| халица | halizah (Jewish religious ceremony) | 
(acc. халицу) |
| христианский | Christian | 
(arch. христiанскiй) |
| церковь | church | 
(gen. церкви) |
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.
- Aleksey Savrasov, Печёрский монастырь близ Нижнего Новгорода, 1871, Oil on canvas. Wikimedia Commons.(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Savrasov_pascher_monastery.JPG : accessed 27 August 2024). This image is in the public domain.