Ukrainian Genealogy-related Websites and Social Media
The big genealogy search sites
- ancestry.com - The behemoth. Requires paid registration, but can be accessed for free from many public libraries
- familysearch.org - The genealogy research site of the Mormon/LDS Church. Access is free but requires registration. The LDS Church has been microfilming records throughout the world (including Ukraine and Poland) for decades, and have amassed a massive library of materials. Microfilms can be viewed at local "Family History Centers" for a nominal fee.
Ellis Island
If your ancestor came through the Port of New York before 1920, then these sites may be helpful. Searching is free, but access requires registration, and high-resolution scans must be purchased from the official Ellis Island site.
- Ellis Island - the official site
- Comprehensive search engine for Ellis Island data - AKA "the Gold Page". A convenient form that allows faceted search by date, the passenger's place of origin, nationality, etc.
Searchable archives of Ukrainian-American newspapers
Websites on Ukrainian and East European Genealogy
- halgal.com - Matthew Bielawa's website for Halychyna/Eastern Galicia genealogy
- Find Lost Russian & Ukrainian Family - An excellent blog written by Vera Miller for those researching in modern Ukraine and the former Russian Imperial "Guberniyas" ("Governates") of Eastern Ukraine.
- Finding Eastern European Records - Collection of Posts - Blogger Lara Diamond has published a seven-part series that provide detail on “Finding Eastern European Records” from a variety of repositories – FamilySearch, JewishGen, Ancestry.com, Archives, and more. If you don’t follow her blog on a regular basis, you can subscribe via email to be kept “in the loop” of her research progress and helpful articles.
- Galizien German Descendants: Researching our German Ancestors in Galicia - Beginning in 1774 the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire issued Settlement Charters which invited 'foreign' settlers into its newly acquired province of Galicia ('Galizien' in German). German settlers attracted by offers of transportation and special status emigrated from Germany to Galicia.
- www.infoukes.com/genealogy - A Ukrainian Canadian web site with useful genealogy information
Websites on the Carpathian, Lemko and Boiko regions
- carpatho-rusyn.org - Web site by Greg Gressa which includes a Lemko village resource guide and parish information
- BukowskoTriangle - Web site by Phil Semanchuk on the area immediately south of Sanok, Poland
- lemko.org - All things Lemko by Walter Maksimovich
- Lemko Magazine - The Herald of the World Federation of Ukrainian Lemko Organizations, long published in Ukrainian, is now being made available free online in English translation. The journal includes articles about modern-day Lemko life around the world as well as articles on literature, culture, and, most importantly, pieces of historical and genealogical interest. The most recent issue featured articles on the late medieval robbers' movement in Lemkivshchyna as well as an in-depth overview of the various migrations of Lemkos to Croatia/Serbia in the 18th and 19th centuries. In many cases, specific villages are referenced, helping you to learn more about your own Lemko heritage. Another recent article provided helpful genealogical sites of interest. This new English-language resource is currently being posted as a free link on the "Lemko Connections - English" Facebook group as it comes out.
Social media forums
These Facebook groups (particularly the first two) are quite active, and have a very knowledgeable and helpful user community. If you are stuck, need help finding a place name, can't read a document, or have any other question, we highly encourage you to post to one or more of these groups. Members of the "Nashi Predky" and "Ukrainian Genealogy" forums include professional genealogists and genealogical researchers, historical and archival experts, and experienced amateurs throughout the United States, Canada, Ukraine, and elsewhere.
- "Nashi Predky - Our Ancestors" Facebook group - The official social media forum of the Nashi Predky family history initiative of the Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center. It is "closed" in order to minimize spam and off-topic postings, but if you click on the green "Join Group" button, we'll be happy to add you as a member.
- "Ukrainian Genealogy" Facebook group - Moderated by Jaroslaw Popowicz.
- Find Your Lost Russian and Ukrainian Family - The companion Facebook group to Vera Miller's blog site (above).
- Lemko Connections - English - A Facebook group specific to the Lemko region. Although its focus is more on current events, culture, and history, there are occasional posts on genealogy.
Other Ukrainian genealogy interest groups
Archives in Ukraine and Poland
- The State Archives of Ukraine (official site)
- L'viv Oblast' Archives
- Odessa Oblast' Archives vital records digitization project - Among the records which are listed to eventually be put online by the archives are Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Tatar Muslim, Armenian Apostolic, and civil metrical records from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.
- Polish State Archives search page
- Digitized Polish archives
- The AGAD archive in Warsaw
- Scanned parish records from the Przemysl (Peremyshl') archives
General information sites
- While personal information sites like superpages.com and whitepages.com are not intended for genealogy, they can still be surprisingly useful.
- The New York Public Library: Digital Collections - Explore 672,299 items digitized from The New York Public Library's collections. This site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more. Search keywords such as Ukraine, Galicia, Poland, Russia or others of interest. It is important to use the "keyword" search engine in the upper right corner of the webpage to obtain the most comprehensive search results.
Books related to Ukrainian genealogy, history, and culture
- Ukrainian Genealogy: A Beginner’s Guide by John Pihach
- The Palgrave Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe by Dennis P. Hupchick and Harold E. Cox - Because of the region’s political, ethnic and cultural diversity, Eastern European history is a difficult subject for most western researchers. Using 52 color maps, the authors illustrate thousands of years of history with concise explanatory text. This book is a handy and informative reference tool for anyone interested in this area.
- Genealogical Gazetteer of Galicia by Brian J. Lenius - Historical research and genealogists have long used gazetteers to provide contextual information about geographic locations of interest. This volume is the premier “go to” book to assist family historians in determining ancestral village locations in the Province of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Researchers are provided with administration districts, Judicial/Tax districts, and parish & house of worship jurisdictions. Each community entry also is given a reference to the special section of maps. In addition to the main listing of communities, there are three other appendixes which give Supplementary, Ukrainian, and German place names. This book contains an expansive Introduction and Overview of Galicia.
- In Their Words – Volume I: Polish, A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents by Jonathan D. Shea and William F. Hoffman
- In Their Words – Volume III: Latin, A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents by William F. Hoffman and Jonathan D. Shea - Continuing their popular series, the authors have published their third volume focusing on documents written using Latin. The book is comprised of seven sections which give the reader a resource that deals with documents not only generated in North America but Europe as well. Beyond detailed explanations of 75+ example documents, the vocabulary and name equivalents sections are well worth the price of the book.
- Scattered: The Forced Relocation of Poland’s Ukrainians after World War II by Diana Howansky Reilly
- First Star I See Tonight: Ukrainian Christmas Traditions by Orysia Tracz