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Thursday, April 26, 2007
VRT Records Distribution - Vilkija
Translations from the first set of vital records for the town of Vilkija have been distributed. The following translations
were included in the distribution:
Births: 1880 - 1900 [not contiguous]
Deaths: 1881 - 1892
Vilkija researchers are encouraged to contribute to the VRT project, as there are many additional records yet to come
which require funding. In fact, sufficient funds have not been received to enable the entire $2000 matching grant established
two years ago. I encourage Vilkija researchers to contribute at this time to enable further work on records for your shtetl.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
New page added to the VRT website - "Russian / Baltic Websites"
I've just added some new content to the VRT site - a page entitled "Russian / Baltic Websites". On this page you will
find links to a variety of websites in Russia and the Baltics which may be of interest.
Many of these links will come as just rewards to those researchers who have taken the time to learn the Cyrillic alphabet.
Maps
Links are provided to several sites containing numerous maps of potential interest to researchers of the former Russian
Empire. Some are in Russian, others are in Polish or German.
Archives
A link is provided to a guide of the Russian Archives by Patricia Kennedy Grimsted, a leading expert on the Russian Archives.
Addresses, contact information, as well as websites are listed.
Links are also provided to various archives within the Baltic states.
Libraries
A link is provided to the National Library of Russia. This site has a searchable catalog and there is a Cyrillic keyboard
interface available to enable searches in Russian.
Genealogy sites
Links to the Russian genealogy site "VGD" as well as the "Forum Vilnius" website. These last two can be translated into
English [very roughly] via links provided to a machine translation site www.translate.ru
Others
A link to the Lithuanian Jewish Community website as well as a Vilna photo gallery are provided.
"Vsia Moskva 1901 online"
Russian Business Directory search [57 directories!!!]
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
VRT Translations received - Vladislavov [Kudirkos Naumiestis]
Translations have come in for the following filmed vital records for the town of Vladislavov [Kudirkos Naumiestis]:
Births: 1851
Deaths: 1851
Marriages: 1851
These constitute the entire set of filmed records for this town. A check of the Routes to Roots website shows there are
additional unfilmed records for Vladislavov going back to the 1820s. I have made inquiry to ascertain if it may be possible
to engage someone to translate these records as well. Researchers interested in obtaining the translations of the Vladislavov
vital records can donate via the LitvakSIG online donation form.
VRT Translations received - Stakliskes
Translations have just been received for the following vital records for Stakliskes.
Births: 1876, 1881 - 1886, 1889 - 1893, 1895 - 1897, 1899 - 1908, 1910 - 1914
Deaths: 1881 - 1887, 1889 - 1896, 1898 - 1900, 1902 - 1908, 1910 - 1913
Marriages: 1881, 1882, 1884 - 1886, 1889 - 1894, 1896 - 1908, 1910 - 1914
Divorces: 1894
These translations will be sent out shortly. They will be proofed and sent out again after corrections have been made.
Additional filmed records are available for Stakliskes. These will be sent out for translation as soon as enough money has
been raised. Researchers interested in receiving the translations can donate at the LitvakSIG website using the online
donation form.
VRT Distribution - Translations of Vilijampole [Slobodka] birth records 1880-82, 1884, 1885, 1890, 1891
The VRT project has distributed translations of the birth records for the Jewish comunity of the city of Vilijampole
[Slobodka] for the years 1880 - 1882, 1884, 1885, 1890, and 1891. Researchers interested in these and future Vilijampole
vital records should donate to the Vilijampole VRT project. Please use the online donation form at the LitvakSIG website
for convenience.
VRT Distribution - Translations for Kovno birth records 1880 - 1885
The VRT project has distributed translations of the birth records for the Jewish comunity of the city of Kovno for the
years 1880 - 1885. Researchers interested in these and future Kovno city vital records should donate to the Kovno VRT project.
Please use the online donation form at the LitvakSIG website for convenience. The filmed vital records for Kovno go back to
the 1850s and extend into the early 20th C [not contiguous].
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The Vital Records Indexing Project grew out of the newly gained access to the Lithuanian Archives
in the late 1990s. The Archives and the Family History Library [FHL or Mormons] came to an agreement which allowed
the filming of the metrical register books. These books cover the 19th Century and include 20th Century
records through 1915.
LitvakSIG came to agreement with the Archives and the FHL which provides LitvakSIG with digital images
[TIF files] of the vital records in exchange for translations we produce.
The Records
The images
contain records for 100 towns which were in Vilna and Kovno gubernias, with a few towns from Suwalki gubernia as well. Prior
to conversion to digital format, the records were contained on 225 microfilms. There are approximately 200,000 unique images
and with an average of 4 records per page, there are approximately 800,000 records in total. This estimate is after subtracting
20% of the films to account for the approximate number of duplicate pages, register book cover pages, etc. The list of towns
represented was developed by FHL and JewishGen and posted to the JewishGen web site. Updates to this list have been required
and LitvakSIG maintains the current version of this information – more on that later.
The Translations
The images provided to LitvakSIG are organized by the microfilm they came from, rather
than the town the records cover. LitvakSIG received the films as digital images and began translating various films. It was
immediately apparent this was not an efficient way to proceed, since records for many towns exist on a single film [sometimes
over 10 towns per film]. We have taken the 200,000 images and have reordered the images by town. We are now better able to
coordinate the translations on a town by town basis.
The Translators
The beginning of the translation effort saw a few volunteer translators come forth, although
the primary need is for paid translators. The project is of such a large scope it is necessary to employ paid translators.
Some of the translations submitted by volunteers are of good quality, whereas others had to be scrapped. We are currently
reformatting and correcting some of the early work to save that which is useable.
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