Remembering loved ones is easy here. The Civil Status Registration Office of Zamoskvorechye District is where life’s pivotal moments become officially recorded.
Let’s explore the history of civil registration in Russia and its connection to this office. After the Russian Revolution, civil registration was introduced. The acronym ZAGS emerged. It stands for acts of civil status. The ZAGS offices appeared in cities by 1919. Rural areas followed later. Registration gaps existed until 1926.
These offices often collected older records. They gathered original metriki. These went back to the beginning of the century. This provided an earlier record of vital events. It also supplemented civil registration. These were usually local copies of parish registers.
Before civil registration, religious records were key. In 1826, the czarist government mandated record-keeping. Rabbis and Russian Orthodox churches had to maintain registration books. They recorded births, marriages, divorces, and deaths.
For Jewish communities in Kovno and Vilna, registration was specific. People had to register life events at their assigned synagogue. Government authorities copied these registers annually. Today, only copies exist in archives. The originals kept in synagogues were destroyed by 1942. The destruction was primarily by the Germans.
Russian law dictates vital record transfers. They move to regional archives 75 years after creation. This transfer has occurred often. But limited archive space and bureaucracy sometimes hinder it.
Access to vital records has rules. Vital records are available only for relatives of a deceased person. Registers before 1918 are open to everyone. The Unified State Register of Acts of Civil Status began operations on October 1 2018.
What information do these records hold? Birth records include the child’s name and gender. They also contain the birth date and place. Names of the parents are recorded too. Marriage records list names and birth dates. Age and the spouse’s name are included. The date and place of marriage are also recorded. Death records note the name and gender. Burial and death dates are listed. Age and birth date are also included.
The Civil Status Registration Office of Zamoskvorechye District is part of this system. It continues a long tradition of documenting life’s important events.