Ėrivan Gubernia, Russian Empire Genealogy

Guide to Ėrivan Gubernia, Russian Empire ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, both church and civil registration, compiled family history, and finding aids.

Historical Background
Ėrivan Gubernia [province] was one of the gubernias in the Caucasus Viceroyalty, centered in modern-day Yerevan. In 1828, the area was annexed as part of the Armenian Oblast. It was later established as a gubernia in 1850, and abolished in 1917. This gubernia roughly covers most of what is currently modern central Armenia, the Nakhichevan Exclave of Azerbaijan, and the Iğdır Province in Turkey.

More Research Strategies and Tools
Before jumping into records for this province, you MUST know the name of the village in which your ancestor lived. Once you have the name of a village you believe was located in this province, take the following steps: 1. Identify the standard spelling of the town using the 1880 gazetteer. (See the Ėrivan Gubernia Gazetteers page.) 2. Use the 1880 gazetteer and maps to determine the approximate location of the village. (See the "1903 map of the Caucasus" on the Armenia Maps page.) 2. Check to see if there are tax lists available for the village of interest for a relevant time period. If so, follow the family through the tax lists starting with the most recent relevant list and working backwards. (See the Ėrivan Gubernia Taxation page.) 3. Determine if there are religious records for the village. Use religious records to fill in (and verify) information found in the tax lists. Keep in mind that the closet religious center (i.e. churches, mosques, etc.) may be in a nearby village so check the 1880 gazetteer to see if any villages nearby had religious centers. (Caution! The 1880 gazetteer sometimes does not note that a village had a religious center even when it did. Be sure to use the tips on the Ėrivan Gubernia Religious Records page to check for religious records just in case!)

Online Classes
Handwriting
 * Introduction to Russian Research - Joe Everett, MLS
 * On Eagle’s Wings: Records of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Republics - Greg Nelson, MA (*Part about Armenia begins at 51:40)
 * Reading Russian Documents: The Russian Alphabet - Ellie Vance
 * Deciphering the Handwriting and Understanding the Grammar - Ellie Vance
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting Part 1 - Heather Stewart, BA
 * Russian Alphabet, Language and Handwriting Part 2 - Heather Stewart, BA