Russian Flag courtesy of Wikipedia

This post is part of a series of 10 posts about the British Community in Russia. You can read the complete series HERE

The material available in Russia is variable, as are the places where you can find it and it would be worth reading the next four posts in tandem with this one.

Data relating to Births, Marriages and Deaths and Census are kept in different archives in Russia:

• Material relating to events pre 1790 can be located in Russian State Archives of Ancients Acts in Moscow
• Material for the period of 1790-1920 can be found in any of the 89 regional state archives
• Material relating to to 1920 and onwards, can be found at any of the regional ZAGS which is the local registration bureau.

The material at any of these archives is provided free of charge, but only to direct descendants. Personal files exist at specific regional and federal archives of the defunct Communist party, government institutions and Ministry of Defence.

You can read the complete series, of the British Community in Russia HERE.