Vsia Rossiia 1895 Database

16,171 Records

Business Directory · Russian Empire · Bessarabia

Background

This database is an index to the contents of Vsia Rossiia (“All of Russia”) of 1895, a business directory covering the entire Russian Empire. The portion indexed covers seven gubernias: Chernigov (2,227 listings), Poltava (2,397), Kiev (4,418), Volhynia (1,879), Podolia (1,450), Taurida (2,317), and Bessarabia (1,482) — totaling 16,171 separate listings (fewer individuals are involved, as some are listed multiple times for multiple businesses).

The directory is arranged by gubernia, then by uezd (district), with listings for the capital city first, then outlying areas, then any town with sufficient listings. Within each listing, government officials come first, then manufacturing trades alphabetically, then retail trades. The Bessarabia portion (1,482 entries) is the subset searchable through the JewishGen Romania Database.

Library locations: Copies exist on microfilm at the Library of Congress (Washington, DC), UCLA, Stanford University Library, and the New York Public Library.

Fields Recorded

Surname — With title or “heir” abbreviation in parentheses if given

Given Name — Often abbreviated

Patronymic — Father’s given name (add “-ov/-ovich” for men, “-ovna” for women)

Town — With status abbreviation (M = mestechko/shtetl, S = village, D = small village)

Column — Column number in the original book (numbered by column, not page)

Occupation — Translated from Russian where possible

Research Notes

Personal Names

Names are presented in typical Russian fashion: surname, given name, and patronymic (father’s given name). Two persons are probably brothers if they share the same surname, patronymic, and region. Unfortunately, many entries lack a patronymic, and some lack even the given name.

Our ancestors may have had four different given names: a Hebrew name for sacred purposes, a Yiddish name given at birth, a formal Russian name for documents, and a nickname in everyday commerce. Many Russian nicknames bear little relationship to the formal names they replace (e.g. Nikolai/Kolya, Aleksandr/Sasha, Mikhail/Misha).

Transliteration Caveats

The typeface in the original directory makes it difficult to distinguish between several Russian letters using two vertical lines. When in doubt, names were transliterated as “p”, but could also be “n”, “i”, or “ts”. Always try alternatives if an initial search is fruitless, and remember that vowels are often interchangeable in genealogy.

Searching This Database

This database is searchable via the JewishGen Unified Search.

Databases like this one are made possible entirely through volunteer effort and generous donors.

Support the Bessarabia Research Division

Compiled by Herbert I. Lazerow.