Genealogy research in St Petersburg
We research family histories across the Leningrad region. 16 in-house specialists. 340+ completed studies. All document types covered, from parish registers to military service files.
Rebuilding family history from the archives of the Leningrad region
St Petersburg is the home of Russian archival genealogy. RGIA holds the records of the Holy Synod, the Senate, the ministries and the noble assemblies — the documents that build the family tree not only of Petersburg families but of many Russian lines.
For Petersburg families themselves the city directories run from 1809, alongside service records of officials, case files of the Spiritual Consistory, and parish registers of every confession — Orthodox, Lutheran, Catholic.
The archives we work with
TsGIA SPb — metric books, confession rolls, consistory files
RGIA — Synod, Senate, noble assemblies
RGA VMF — service at sea
TsGA SPb — Soviet-period records
Records for families of the Leningrad region
Parish registers
Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic parishes of the city and governorate.
Address books
“All Petersburg” from 1809 — addresses, occupations, the moves of residents.
Service records
Officials, army and naval officers — career and household.
Noble files
Genealogy books and cases of the Noble Deputies’ Assembly in RGIA.
Consistory files
Marriages, divorces, conversions, metric extracts.
Synod & Senate holdings
A rare layer for clergy and state service.
Working in St Petersburg
St Petersburg sits at the centre of Russian archival work. RGIA holds records of the Holy Synod, the Senate and the noble assemblies. For Petersburg families the city directories run from 1809, alongside service records of civil officials and case files from the Spiritual Consistory.
Across all of the former St Petersburg Governorate
We work across all eight uezds of the former St Petersburg Governorate, and through RGIA across noble and service lines of the whole empire.
From first call to the bound book
- N° 01
Briefing
About half an hour with a genealogist. We sketch what is already known and where the research can reach.
- N° 02
Expertise
A two-generation pilot in the regional archive shows whether the lineage is traceable before a long project starts.
- N° 03
Full research
Parish registers, revision lists, service files. Reports arrive each month with scans and transcriptions.
Research in St Petersburg
Can the work be done remotely if I’m not in Petersburg?
Yes. The consultation is online; documents and reports with digital copies come by post and messenger. Being here in person is not required.
My ancestors were Lutherans (Germans, Finns). Is that harder?
No — Petersburg kept the metric books of Lutheran and Catholic parishes. They are often the way back to the roots of German, Finnish and Baltic families.
Do you have an office in St Petersburg?
Yes, the centre’s main office is in St Petersburg. You can come in for a meeting, or keep it online — whichever suits you.
About half an hour with someone who knows St Petersburg archives
Leave your name and phone. We will call back in working hours (Mon–Fri 09:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–19:00 MSK) and discuss what the archives in St Petersburg can give you.