Genealogical research in Moldova — Searches in the archives of former Bessarabia

One of the most important sources for reconstructing family trees in Moldova are parish registers, which recorded baptisms, marriages, and burials. Orthodox parishes also kept confession lists, documenting parishioners who underwent annual confession. Another invaluable source is the revision lists—the population censuses of the Russian Empire (1718–1858), which covered the Bessarabian Governorate, documenting household members and their property status. This "genealogical triad"—parish registers, confession lists, and revision lists—forms the foundation of genealogical research in Moldova during the 19th century. The region was ethnically diverse, with Orthodox Christians, Catholics (mostly Poles), Lutherans (German settlers), and Jews, who made up a significant proportion of urban populations. Records of these groups are preserved both in Moldovan archives and in Ukrainian archival holdings, and they provide a broad basis for reconstructing individual family histories. In many cases, these documents also reveal social mobility, migration, and changes in cultural identity across generations.

In addition to these main sources, researchers also turn to other archival materials that make it possible to reconstruct the lives of people who lived in Bessarabia and Moldova in past centuries. These include personal files from the 19th–20th centuries related to education and service, service records and family lists of officials, plans and inventories of real estate, conscription and recruitment lists, and tax records. For the 20th century, civil registry documents, household registers, and local property books preserved in rural and municipal archives are especially valuable. For deeper research, old censuses and petitions from the 17th–18th centuries, preserved in central archives, are also used. In multiethnic Moldova, a rich body of genealogical sources has survived, covering Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Jews, German colonists, and other religious communities. Thanks to this diversity, genealogical research in the region allows not only to reconstruct family trees but also to trace the social and economic development of families over centuries. These materials help researchers recreate not just individual lineages but also the broader context of regional history and identity.