Learn to research your family yourself
A genealogy course from working specialists. From the first parish register to a professional archive routine. Taught by the team that runs Family Relic, with Pavel Ovchinnikov as principal.
From a private interest to a craft
Genealogy is a learnable trade. It takes patience and a method. People come to me asking how to start — I always reply with the same thing: start with your own family, learn to read one parish register, learn to send one archive request properly. The rest grows from there.
This course is the path I would have wanted when I started fifteen years ago. We teach what we use in our own client cases at the centre. No mystification, no shortcuts that do not exist.
«You can teach genealogy. What you cannot teach is the wish to know who came before you. If the wish is there, the rest is craft».
Pavel Ovchinnikov · founder of the centreThe four laws of Ovchinnikov
The principles the trade is built on. They run through every module of the course and through every archive case we take on at the centre.
I«The first law of the genealogist is patience. The genealogist works with vast volumes of information.»
II«The second law: the more requests you send, the higher the chance of getting the records you need. This is time, effort and strategy.»
III«A professional differs from an amateur by visual fluency — it comes from studying hundreds of family trees for unrelated people.»
IV«Professionalism always follows patience. Not the other way round.»
Pavel Ovchinnikov · founder of the centre
Choose your programme
Three group programmes and a one-to-one option. Pricing is by request — we hold small groups on purpose, so dates and fees are agreed by conversation.
Chronicler
The starting course. You learn how to read a parish register, what a revision list is, how a Russian provincial archive is organised, and how to draft your first family tree.
- ◆Archive search fundamentals
- ◆Parish registers and revision lists
- ◆Drafting a family tree
- ◆Working with home archives
Family Historian
For people who want to research deeper than a single line. Estate sources, military archives (TsAMO, RGVIA), genealogy of clergy, peasants and merchants.
- ◆Everything in Chronicler
- ◆Estate-specific sources
- ◆Military archives and TsAMO
- ◆Working with foreign archives
Genealogist as Profession
A full programme for those who want to work in the craft. Practice in real archives, supervised cases, mentorship from the centre.
- ◆Complete syllabus
- ◆Archive practice in person
- ◆Mentorship from senior experts
- ◆Case work on real client briefs
One-to-one consultation
A working hour with a specialist. We look at your specific case, point you at the right archives and the right next step.
- ◆One hour with an expert
- ◆Your specific case reviewed
What you walk away with
Your own family tree
By the end of the course you have a working tree for your own line — drafted, sourced, ready to extend.
Working knowledge of Russian archives
ZAGS (civil registries), regional state archives, military funds, departmental archives. You know who to ask and how.
Source-criticism skills
How to read a parish register, what a revision list actually records, how to spot a forged or copied document.
A path to the craft
For those who want to keep going — a route into professional practice, with mentorship from senior genealogists.
About the course
Who is the course for?
For anyone who wants to research their own family and not pay a specialist to do every step. Lawyers, historians by hobby, journalists, retirees, people in their thirties who suddenly have a question their parents cannot answer. No prior background is needed.
How is the course structured?
Recorded lectures plus live working sessions with a tutor. Homework on your own family material. Access to a closed chat with classmates and the teaching team. Russian archives are introduced step by step — ZAGS (civil registry) records first, then 19th- and 18th-century parish and revision sources.
Can I take the course from outside Russia?
Yes. The teaching is online and we work with diaspora students regularly. For Russian archives you do not need to be physically present — most queries are handled by post, email or our specialists on the ground.
What if I get stuck on my own case during the course?
Bring it to a working session. The teaching team includes practising genealogists; you can also book a one-to-one consultation with an expert in parallel with the course.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is by request. We hold small groups to keep tutor attention high, so we agree pricing and start dates by conversation. Write to sales@myrodoslovie.ru or book a consultation.
Ready to start your line?
Book a conversation with a specialist. We will tell you which programme fits and when the next group starts. About half an hour with a genealogist.