Family tree
Genealogy: Greek ”genealogia”. Genealogy is one of the additional directions of history which emerged in the 17th-18th centuries. It examines the origin of a clan and a family, history, and family ties.
Genealogy is the embodiment of memory, just as it is a tribute to our ancestry and our origin. It helps generations to have their family history, it educates them in the spirit of national identity.
Belonging to a certain clan has a crucial role in the identity of each person which allows us to be proud of their achievements, and deeds, and to answer the question of who we are, and where we are coming from.
Nowadays the study of family history and the formation of family trees have gained extraordinary interest. We do not often even realize how much interesting information about our ancestors is stored in modern archives.
The National Archives of Armenia preserves census (census lists), church metric books of the Armenian Apostolic Church, statistical cards, and agricultural leaflets research formed in the 19th century and in the first quarter of the 20th century which are now used for genealogy research.
After Eastern Armenia became the territory of the Russian Empire, the latter conducted censuses for tax collection which contain information on the population of the villages of Eastern Armenia, their family formation, their age, their relocation from Western Armenia, and so on.
The first census in Armenia was conducted in 1831 (except the census of Ghazakh province in 1917, 1925, and 1926). It can be the first basis of the genealogy, as the census indicates the age of the family members.
The earliest period for genealogy can be 1760-1770. The next censuses were conducted in 1836, 1842, 1852, 1863, 1873, and 1886.
In addition to the census data, the National Archives of Armenia preserves church metric books from the mid-19th century to the late 1910s in which each year priests registered births, marriages, and deaths in the village.
The series of genealogy continues from 1922 to 1923, and in 1926 according to the results of the land statistics compiled by the agricultural household leaflets which contain information on the formation of the family, age of the family members, employment, property. The leaflets refer to the entire territory of Soviet Armenia.
The documents of the Civil Acts Registration Office from 1920 to 1925 also contain important information.
Dear citizens,
Today, the National Archives of Armenia provides an opportunity to discover and study in the archive the data about your ancestors and to pass the information to your heirs.
Within the framework of genealogy, based on archival documents, the conclusion of specialists on the significant life facts of representatives of your family, such as birth, marriage, baptism, education, property, religious affiliation, etc. are provided.
In the Archive it is possible to study:
- Family history, surname origin, belief, family traditions, and rituals;
- Family characteristics, main occupations, and interests;
- Residence changes, ancestral lifestyle, and abilities;
- Kinship ties between distant known and unknown relatives, etc.
The family tree formed through genealogical studies will be provided to you in the form of a chart or, if desired, you can purchase it in the form of a graphic tree designed specifically for your family.
