Our Ancestors · Belarus
Belarusian genealogy. Discover your family story.
Find the locality and surviving sources behind a family from Belarus, with a research plan shaped by the actual holdings and access. Explore the guides below or tell us what you know for a free initial assessment.
Your journey, step by step
What a search looks like
- Send names, approximate dates, places and records you already have.
- We review possible sources and propose a scope before paid work.
- We search digital collections and request access to archival records.
- You receive the agreed report and permitted document copies. See a fictional sample report.
Sourcesreferences that let you check the findings
Clear scopequestions, budget and deliverables agreed first
Reportfindings, gaps and sources searched
0 €for the initial feasibility assessment
Belarus genealogy hub
Explore your Belarusian family history
Preserve the historical place name and identify the community, district and period. Check current archive notices before agreeing access-dependent work.
Minsk and Grodno are distinct historical archive routes. The locality and record creator determine which catalogue to explore.
Find a family connection
Birth, marriage & death records
Identify a family's locality and religious community before looking for the register that can establish the next generation.
Explore the Belarusian guide →Choose where to search
Archives & online collections
Identify the right historical archive, check its holdings and establish whether the proposed research can currently be carried out.
Explore the Belarusian guide →Identify the ancestral locality
Places & historical regions
Compare Grodno, Hrodna, Minsk and wider historical place labels to locate a family's actual community.
Explore the Belarusian guide →Connect the journey to home
Emigration & family origins
Connect an overseas family to a village in Belarus without confusing historical state labels, travel routes and birthplace.
Explore the Belarusian guide →Choose your starting point
I have names and family papers
Organise what you know, identify the gaps and prepare a question that a record could answer.
I do not know the village
Compare historical place names and overseas family clues before choosing a parish or archive.
One record or a wider family line?
A targeted archive query can investigate one event. A family-line project follows connections across several sources. Start with the question you want answered.
Access checked 17 October 2026: the Grodno historical archive reports a suspension of new genealogical enquiries from private individuals. The Minsk archive separately reports restrictions affecting biographical enquiries and some holdings. Confirm the specific service and collection before planning work.
Does your family trail cross a border?
What we do
Belarusian genealogy services, one point of contact
Genealogical research
Research into a family line using the surviving records for its places and periods. The report explains which connections are supported and where further evidence is needed.
Document retrieval
Certified birth, marriage and death certificates ordered from Belarusian registry offices and archives, with apostille and sworn translation when you need them for an official application.
Archive queries
Targeted searches in state, church, military and notarial archives when you need one specific record, a property file, a wartime trace or proof of residence.
Documents for cross-border citizenship files
Records linking generations and evidence relevant to a citizenship file. Requirements depend on the legal route and authority; research does not establish eligibility or guarantee approval.
Where we search
Repositories and record types for research in Belarus
The right source depends on the place, period and community. The years covered and access rules vary by collection; an archive catalogue is a starting point, not a guarantee that a specific record survives.
- Historical archive in Minsk Check its current notices and identify the collection for the historical locality before requesting a search or planning a visit.
- Historical archive in Grodno The fonds description outlines the geographical scope and record types held. It is a starting point for identifying the appropriate collection.
- Current service availability Grodno reports a suspension of genealogical enquiries from private individuals. Confirm the service and collection available for your particular question.
How it works
From a surname to a documented family tree
Free assessment
Send us what you know. We identify possible sources and propose an agreed question, scope, estimated timing and budget.
Search the relevant records
We combine online collections, correspondence and archive visits where necessary and possible. Access and copying depend on the holding institution.
Report and sources
The report cites the records found and lists sources checked without a match. Copies, translations and a family tree follow the agreed scope.
Next steps
Continue into another branch or country, order certified copies, or plan a visit to the villages your family came from.
Why families choose us
Identify the place, follow the records, explain the evidence
Historical borders, place names and record languages can change within one family line. We identify the parish, registry district and repository for the relevant period, compare records before linking generations and explain conflicts or missing evidence. A surname match alone is not proof.
Start here
Start with a name, a place and a research question
The assessment is free and without obligation. Send names and places as they appear in your documents; you do not need to translate them before the first enquiry.