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Each of the Guberniyas, also referred to as Oblasts have a main archive.   The Central Archive located in Kiev has many records obtained from these outlying archives, though many records are truly non-existent due to WW II's destruction. 

But there is hope.  Many duplicated records exist in Church records and in unknown other locations.  The Church of The Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church) is continuously filming files, but this will take many years before most records will have been photographed.  The best thing to do is search all of the sites listed (and those that will be added in the future) and perhaps you will come by some useful information.

Please note every Oblast in Ukraine has been preparing and publishing volumes in memory of fallen soldiers from WWII.   The books are entitled "Knyha Pam'iati Ukrainy".  (Commemorative Book of Ukraine)

During the rule of the Russian emperor Peter I (The Great) in 18th century, a new administrative system had been initiated and tuned up during the rule of Catherine in 1785.

Essentially, administration reform had divided the empire into provinces of roughly equal population, disregarding historical traditions and economical ties. Each of those administrative units (Guberniya) was placed under supervision of a governor or governor general (In Russian: Gubernator) acting in the name of the ruler.

More information about this subject can be found at Amazon.com by
clicking here > Jewish Genealogy

A Directory of the Russian Guberniyas within the Pale (Jewish
settlement) territory.
http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/ru-pale.txt

Map of Pale Guberniyas
http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/eefaq.html#REGIONS


Chernigov is the name of Province - it use to be known as Chernigov Guberniya, and currently is known as Chernigov Oblast'.

An excellent site to find information about most European countries is at http://searcheurope.com and type in the name of the country you wish to research in the search field.  This site is a great source to find information for almost every European country.

Global Gazetteer is a great web site. It is a directory of  2,880,532 of the world's cities and towns, sorted by country and linked to a map for each town.  A tab separated list is available for each country.
www.calle.com/world/ 

There is no known gazetteer of Ukraine, according to a posting from DPenzenik@aol.com which would provide a list of place names combined with geographic coordinates.  "Ukrayins'ka RSR Administratyvno-Terytorial'nyy Ustriy," 1987, does list populated places, without coordinates, by oblast and rayon.  Additionally, the United States Board on Geographic Names/National Imagery and Mapping Agency Geographic Names Database (GNDB) is accessible on the World Wide Web at the GEOnet Names Server
http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/index.html

This site contains approximately 1200 features located within the Zakarpats'ka Oblast, for instance.  Names as well as coordinates are provided.  Most features in the oblast are assigned the general country code, UP00 and are retrievable by coordinate search.  Velma Brown Brownvel@nima.mil is a Regional Analyst who may be of assistance.  Telephone: 301 227 2110

Ukraine SIG is another newly developed site dealing with all things Jewish Ukraine
http://www.jewishgen.org/Ukraine/ 

The prime objective is to facilitate access to records of former Russian Empire Guberniyas now in Ukraine; Podolia, Volhynia, Kiev, Poltava, Chernigov, Kharkov, Kherson, Taurida and Yekaterinoslav.

List of Ukrainian Oblasts
and their Capital Cities

There is a great deal of information about Guberniya District Maps offered by Michael Steinore at
http://www.angelfire.com/or/yizkor/gubmaps.html 

Mr. Mal'chenko, the Manager of the Odessa archive, indicates that every oblast center in Ukraine keeps birth records (metricheskie knigi) for their oblast for the last 75 years.

There are specific links to Grodno, Kiev, Minsk, Vitebsk and Volhynia Guberniya maps.

Cherkaska Oblast: Search the US Library of Congress

Chernigov is the name of Province - it use to be known as Chernigov Guberniya, and currently is known as Chernigov Oblast'.

Chernivetska Oblast: State Archives of Chernivtsi Oblast:
Derzhavnyi Arkhiv Chernivetskoi Oblast
274001 Chernivtsi vul. Shevchenka 
203722 33214
Ludmyla Anokhina
Reading-room phone: 24059;    
Fax: 32031 Open M-Th 9 to 6 p.m. also search the US Library of Congress

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Dnipropetrovska Oblast: Search the US Library of Congress

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast - State Archives
Derzhavnyi Arkhiv
Ivano-Frankivsk oblasti 284000,
Ivano Frankivsk vul Sahaidachnoho
42A 38-03422 63403

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Khmelnytska Oblast: 10 volumes - Search the US Library of Congress

Khmel'nys'ky State Oblast Archives
Kamianets' Podil'sk Filial
vul. Frantsyskans'ka 6
281-900 Kamianets-Podil'sk
UKRAINE

Kiev Oblast State Archives:
113, Frunze St. Kiev, 252073, Ukraine
also Kyivska Oblast: Search the US Library of Congress

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

L'viv Oblast:
Doroshenko 23,
L'viv, Ukraine,
Attn: Diana Pelts Deputy Director:

Central State Historical Archives - L'viv:
Tsentralnyi Derzhavnyi Istorychnyi Arkhiv 290008,
L'viv - 8 pl. Soborna 3-a Ukraine:
(0322) 72-35-08 or 72-30-63:
Director Orest Iaroslavoych Matsiuk;  
Hours are 9 to 4 pm Monday through Friday

L'viv:

Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine is:
Orest Matsyk,
Director,
City of L'viv,
Soborna Sq. 3-a L'viv,
UA-290008 Ukraine.

Main Archives The Central State Historical Archives, City of L'viv: Cost of research time as of 6/99 $200 through using Bankers Trust as the transfer agent

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

  Maps     

Art Source International offers a selection of antique maps, prints and globes at 

Maps of Oblasts -
http://www.infoukes.com/ua-maps/oblasts/

Mukachevo - Zakarpastska oblast
City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Nicolaevsk'ka Oblast: Search Library of Congress

Odesska Oblast: Search Library of Congress
In 1998, Mr. Mal'chenko was the manager

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Podol'skaia (Podolia, Podolskaya Gubernya) - about one third is now in Khmel'nyts'kyi Oblast and two thirds in Vinnytsia Oblast of Ukraine.  All archive data for this Gubernya, up to the year 1920, is located at government archives in the city of Khmelnytsky  -
280000 Gorod Khmelnytsky,
ulitsa Grushevskogo 99, Ukraine. 

The Archives manager in 1998 was/is
Mr. Slobodaniuk Petr Iakovlevich.  Phone 97799
Kamenets-Podil'sk Branch Office
281900 Gorod Kamenets-Podol'sk,
ulitsa R. Liuksembug 15a, Ukraine
Phones 25324 or 24523

Podvolochisk Raion -

Poltavs'ka Oblast: Search Library of Congress

Sums'ka Oblast: Search Library of Congress

Taurida Guberniya (southern Ukraine and the Crimea)

Ternopol Oblast - Sate Archives of Ternopol Oblast:
Derzhavnyi Arkhiv Ternopilskoi oblasti 28200,
Ternopol vul. Sahaidachnoho 0352 224495    

Fax: 0352 228618
Bohdan Khavarivsky
Reading room is under repair  as of June, 1999.
Another address:
Director Central State Historical archives of Ukraine,
City of Ternopol,
8 Grushevsky Blv Ternopol,
UA-282000 Ukraine. The  Library of Congress has a 3 volume set.

Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine  
City of Ternopol
8 Grushevsky Blvd.
Ternopol, UA-282000 Ukraine 

City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Tula Oblast

Tulskaya Oblast

Vinnitskaia (Vinnytska) Oblast - located in the city of Vinnitsa at 287100 Gorod vinnitsa, ulitsa Lenina 17, Ukraine.  Phones: 20539 or 24561

Volynska Oblast: 3 volumes in Library of Congress.  This oblast is located in the eastern part of Ukraine. It is north of Podilia, south of Polisia, east of the Buh River and west of the upper parts of the Teteriv and Uzh rivers.  Prior to WW I it would have been in Volynska Guberniya, and Russian dominated.  During the years before WW II, the Poles made incursions into this territory. 

Volyn (Lutsk) and Rivne oblasts were under Poland domination between the Wars.  Zhitomir oblast was part of USSR.  In 1925 it was Wolenska Guberniya and a part of Poland.  Wolinsky and Padolsk are the adjectival forms of Wolyn (Volhynia) and Podolia.  It is located in the northwestern Ukraine. Zhitomir is the main city.  Information about the city and the area can be found at
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0851120.html 

Jewish Partisans and Fighters of Volyn in their Memory http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/translations.html

Map of Russia's Volhynia Guberniya
http://www.angelfire.com/or/yizkor/volhyn.html

Zakarpastska oblast (includes Mukachevo and Uzhorod)
City Maps Page
http://www.lemko.org/maps/cities/index.html

Zaporizhs'ka Oblast -  Search Library of Congress for information about this oblast

Zhitomir Oblast - This oblast is located in the eastern part of Ukraine.  Prior to WW I it would have been in Volynska Guberniya, and Russian dominated.  During the years before WW II, the Poles made incursions into this territory. 

Please Note all of the Guberniyas' names have not yet been entered.  Some of the names of the Oblasts above, are pre-world war II names, and others are current names.

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