Research papers genealogy of my family. How to find out your family's pedigree - step-by-step instructions. For example, “Genealogical tree of the Petrov family”

My family's pedigree

Introduction

“A tree is held together by its roots, and a person is held together by its family”

Proverb

Once upon a time, knowing your roots was almost the sacred duty of every person. In all countries, noble people have long kept their genealogies, which were drawn up in the form of a “tree” or in tables. A pedigree is a list of generations of one clan, establishing the origin and degree of relationship. Simple people did not have the opportunity to compile such tables. Information about relatives remained in their memories and was passed on from mouth to mouth. As a result, today many people know the names of their ancestors no further than their grandfather or great-grandfather. I conducted a survey in my class. It turned out the following: not a single family had pedigrees compiled, although everyone is interested in their relatives. The guys only know their grandparents. Also in our family. All classmates believe that it is imperative to know your ancestry. I wanted to know more about my ancestors, where they lived and who they were, where my roots come from. I became interested in my ancestry, and my mother and I decided to trace our kinship along her line.

get acquainted with the family tree on the mother’s side;

learn about compiling a pedigree from various information sources;

create our family tree

Stages of work:

obtaining information from relatives during a conversation;

study of household documents;

request for documents in the archive;

drawing up a family pedigree chart

Hypothesis: “Every person on earth, no matter what he does, plays a major role in the history of the world. And usually he doesn’t even know about it.” That's what Paulo Coelho said. What role did my ancestors play?

Expected results of work:

developing interest in family history, family traditions, pedigree;

establishing contact between older and younger generations

nurturing an emotionally positive attitude towards oneself and family;

What's in my name

As they called me yesterday, so they call me today

Proverb

I, Boyarsky Alexander Yurievich, was born on June 10, 2003 in the city of Arkhangelsk. When my mother had to go home with me to Naryan-Mar from the maternity hospital, I still didn’t have a name. At the airport they asked me to give at least some name so that it could be included on the ticket. We decided - Sasha. When we arrived home, grandfather Vasya said that since they called him Sasha, let it stay that way. It turned out like the proverb. The name Alexander comes from the Greek words `alex` - protector and `andros` - man and means “courageous protector”. As children, Alexandras often get sick, but if as teenagers they begin to harden themselves and engage in physical exercise, then they grow into strong and resilient men. The Alexandras persistently achieve their goal. And Alexander Yuryevich brings any task to the end, loves to tinker, can be an excellent builder, architect, cabinetmaker, designer. Now I'm in third grade. It can be very difficult, but I try to make sure everything works out. I like to swim in the pool, play chess, and took part in sports competitions in the relay race. I participate in almost everything creative competitions. Among the academic subjects I like mathematics and physical education. My mother helps me a lot in everything.

Our friendly family

To cherish family is to be happy

Proverb

I love my family very much. Our family is friendly. We all: mom, dad, sister, brother and I love to go out into the forest and into nature. There we pick mushrooms and berries, play and relax on the river bank. In winter, the whole family goes downhill, some on a scooter, some on a cheesecake. We always do everything together: cleaning the apartment, making repairs, even watching TV together. I like to repair the car with dad and Misha. And my mother and I go to the “Family Club” on the basis of the Supportive Experimental Center rehabilitation center. With the club we go to museums, on vacation in Malye Karely, we do interesting crafts. We recently got a new family member - a puppy named Baron. So mom has more things to do. But she handles everything very well. We have a wonderful family!

Grandma's Memories

My grandmother Boyarskaya Ekaterina Savvatyevna was born on August 27, 1957 in Naryan-Mar. After school, she received the profession of livestock technician at NZVT and was sent to the Leshukonsky state farm. Here my grandmother worked as a farm manager. When she returned back to Naryan-Mar, she got a job as a nanny in kindergarten. Then from 1982 to 1989 she worked at the MPO on a fur farm. She bred arctic foxes, and she even had one most beloved and tame arctic fox, whose name was Mishka. In 1990, my grandmother became the head of the department and became a private security guard. Maybe that's why she likes to read detective stories and books about war. Baba Katya also solves crossword puzzles, weaves beadwork and plants flowers. She has so many flowers that the veranda with them looks like a greenhouse.

My grandfather Vasily Dmitrievich Boyarsky was born on December 6, 1954 in the Sverdlovsk region, Turin district, in the village of Kandysh. After school, grandfather first served in Pereslavl-Zalessky, where he trained as a radio operator, and in 1972 he graduated from the school for warrant officers. Until 1975, he served in Estonia in the city of Haapsalu. After the service, grandfather Vasya returned to Naryan-Mar and worked as a signalman-radio operator at a post office in a communications center. Then, from 1985 to 2007, he was an assistant driller in the Khoreyver expedition, producing oil and gas. My grandfather loved to read and took 15 thick books to the drilling rig and always read them all. And also, when he returned from the drilling site, he would certainly bring some gifts. At home he played with blocks or cars with me. We built garages and houses out of cubes. I often remember how he and I dug a garden, planted potatoes and heated a bathhouse, how he pushed me on a swing and even made me a sandbox. Grandpa, I love you very much.

Once, when I was visiting Grandma Katya, we looked at old black and white photographs. I began to ask about who was depicted and who related to me. Grandma couldn’t tell much, only what she remembered about the life of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother.

My great-grandfather Dmitry Yakovlevich Boyarsky was born in 1930 in the village of Kandysh, Besikha village council, Turin district, Sverdlovsk region. He worked as a miner and carpenter. But his father, my great-great-grandfather, Boyarsky Yakov Yakovlevich, was born in 1897, worked as a blacksmith and lived 94 years. Great-grandfather Dima did not remember his mother, because she died early. Both brother and sister died as children. The great-grandfather himself died in 2000. Great-grandmother Boyarskaya (Banenkova) Anna Mikhailovna lives in the Tver region in the city of Nelidovo. When Katya’s mother and grandmother had a vacation, we all went to visit her. Great-grandmother's life was difficult. Her father Mikhail Moiseevich Banenkov was born in 1908 on the Krasnoarmeyets collective farm in the Shukhrupovsky village council of the Turin district of the Sverdlovsk region. He was a participant in the Great Patriotic War. On March 2, 1943, he died in Karelia. Great-great-grandfather is listed in the Book of Memory (summary entry: volume 13, p. 338). Great-great-grandmother Kapitolina Aleksandrovna Banenkova and her eldest daughter died during the bombing. Great-grandmother Anya, who was only nine years old in 1943, and her two sisters were left orphans. She also remembered that both her family and the family of her great-grandfather Dima were subjected to repression in the 30s of the 20th century and were exiled to the Sverdlovsk region. It is a pity that my great-grandfather and great-grandmother did not have photographs of their parents. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, some of the relatives remained on the territory of Ukraine, and contact with them was interrupted for as long as 15 years. But my mother and I found some of them using the Internet; some were no longer alive.

Conclusion

A Russian person cannot live without relatives

Proverb

My mother and I did a lot of work: we compiled a family tree and a pedigree chart on my mother’s side. I think this is important for future generations.

I was very interested in diving into the research. I learned a lot of new and educational things. But we will continue to collect documents and materials about our relatives. Inquiries into the archives have already been made. Maybe someday we will have our own genealogy book. Every person should know and respect their ancestors. My research work has helped me understand my ancestry better. I concluded that any trials and tribulations can be overcome. No matter how difficult it was for my family, they survived everything. I will also try to overcome all obstacles in my path. Each of my relatives contributed to the history of the country. I'm proud of them.

Literature

1. Children's encyclopedia. I'm exploring the world. - M.: TKO AST, 1994

2. New illustrated encyclopedia - M.: LLC TD Publishing House World of Books, 2007.

Z. Khigir B. The mystery of a man's name - M.: Tsentoropolygraf, 1999

4. Khigir B. Name and profession - M.: Tsentropoligraf, 1997

Questionnaire for guys

1. Have you compiled a pedigree in your family?

2. Are you interested in your ancestry?

3. Do you know your last name, first name, patronymic?

a) grandparents

b) great-grandparents

c) great-great-grandparents

4. Do you think that a person needs to know his ancestry?

Svetlana Morozova

The day before Family Day Every year many different interesting events are held aimed at instilling in the younger generation a value-based attitude towards family, development family creativity and cooperation between family and educational organization, strengthening family ties, promoting traditional family values, forming spiritual, moral and civic qualities of the individual.

For the first time about the celebration International Day families started talking in 1993 at the next General Assembly of the United Nations. And since 1994, May 15 was chosen as the date for this holiday in many civilized countries, including Russia.

Last May, my daughter Anna completed a research project "My Family's Pedigree", which included a research folder, a Pedigree book, and a Pedigree chart.

This work took part in a regional competition of creative works of students "My family traditions", in nomination "Together to the roots."

I present the work in abbreviation, omitting some of the text, diagrams, tables, diagrams, photos.

Introduction

Family is a person’s closest circle. In order not to get confused in complex family relationships, people came up with the idea of ​​keeping a pedigree - a list of generations of the same clan.

In this work I want to talk about the pedigree of my family.

I have often noticed that when entering the houses of many old people, you can see on the wall, in a prominent place, numerous portraits of relatives and family photographs of several generations. In large frames, under glass, lovingly decorated. This was the way it used to be; this gallery was part of any rural, and sometimes urban, interior. It is a pity that the modern generation of young people does not know their “roots” and their ancestors well, hiding family photos in albums on the back shelves of closets or on computer hard drives and flash drives. Unfortunately, there are people among us who cannot remember the middle name or birthday of their grandparents, not to mention the place of their birth or the “maiden” name of the women in their family.

I chose this topic because its relevance is obvious. Ignorance of your ancestry is disrespect for your roots. A.S. Pushkin also noted: “Disrespect for ancestors is the first sign of immorality.”

I have a great interest in my own roots, in the history of my family. Everyone is interested in finding out who he is and where he comes from, what his ancestors were like, how and where they lived, who they were, what they did.

Goal of the work– study the pedigree of my family.

Job objectives:

Study what a family tree and a genealogy book are, what types of genealogies there are;

Find out the surnames, first names, patronymics, years of birth (years of life, nationality, place of birth and residence, professions of your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents;

Draw up a family tree and prepare a pedigree book.

Subject of study: study of family history.

Objects of research:

1. Memories and stories of relatives about life.

2. Photos, documents, letters.

Research methodology

Under the guidance of a biology teacher and with the help of my parents, I conducted a study using the following methods:

Theoretical (study of literary sources, reference materials, family archive documents,

Practical (questioning classmates, talking with relatives, survey,

Visualization method (creating a presentation, designing a poster and book based on research materials).

Research stages:

Stage 1. I began my research work in September 2015 by studying the literature on the research topic.

Stage 2. After that, I conducted a survey of school students on the topic “The History of My Family.”

Stage 3. Then I interviewed relatives to obtain information about my ancestry.

Stage 4. The next stage was the study of family archives, documents, photographs and interesting episodes from the life of representatives of my family.

Stage 5. At the final stage, in November, after conducting a comparative analysis of the information received, I prepared a research paper, as well as a presentation, a poster “My Pedigree” and a genealogy book.

Main part

Genealogy. Family tree.

From books I learned that genealogy (translated from Greek means “pedigree”) is a historical discipline that studies the ancestry of a person and his family.

Pedigree is a series of generations descended from one ancestor. Genus – all relatives who have a common ancestor. Generation – people of similar age living at the same time.

In order to more clearly imagine the life of relatives of different generations, there are special tables or diagrams. In genealogy, a general technique has been developed for compiling pedigree tables and charts that make it possible to easily trace family ties.

Scientists distinguish two main types of genealogies: ascending and descending. Descending genealogy - the most common and most convenient - begins with the ancestor and points to his descendants in the male line. Ascending genealogy: from oneself - to father and mother, then grandparents, etc.

Genealogies are depicted different ways, the most common:

1. Pedigree (genealogical) table.

2. Pedigree (genealogical) tree.

3. Generational painting.

The pedigree in the form of a table is convenient for its clarity. It should be noted that persons of one generation constitute a tribe of the clan. Often the table only includes male names members of the clan who have retained their surname, it can be supplemented with dates of life, female names, then the pedigree will be called mixed.

One of the most common forms is a family tree, or tree of life. This is the same genealogy table, but upside down. A family tree is truly shaped like a tree. It unites different generations into a single chain.

Generational listing makes it possible to preserve maximum genealogical information and place enough biographical information on each name. In generational painting, as a rule, a certain numbering is adopted: on the left side is the person’s number, and on the right side is the father’s number, etc.

I presented the results of the student survey on the topic “Your Family History” in the form of tables and diagrams.

Having analyzed the results of the survey, we can conclude that in most cases, adolescents are partially familiar with the history of their family; information was received primarily from their parents, then from their grandparents. But practically only a few people have a pedigree of their own family.

We don't know our roots well. This is our problem. After all, family pride and interest in the origins of one’s own ancestry are branches of the same tree. You can't live without knowing your kinship!

The next stage of work was the compilation MY FAMILY GENEALOGY BOOK according to the scheme: Full name, date and place of birth or years of life, information about parents, brothers and sisters, spouses, children.

While working on compiling the pedigree of my family, I found out that its roots go back to the ancestral surnames - the Morozov family and the Kornakov family - on my father's side, the Eremichev family and the Filin family - on my mother's side.

I have been researching my family's ancestry since the early twentieth century, both on my paternal and maternal sides.

Then I did Pedigree chart in several versions. One of them (ascending pedigree) is in the form of a collage (format - Whatman paper, materials: watercolor, gouache, colored paper).

Description Pedigree chart:

1. In the upper left corner is the coat of arms of the Belyovsky land, since my relatives are natives of the Belyovsky district. Our district is one of the most ancient in the Tula region. There are many temples and monasteries here. The church symbolizes that all my ancestors and I are Orthodox Christians. Rainbow and white dove - peace, prosperity.

2. In the lower left corner is a summer landscape. Our region is a picturesque corner of Russia, it is rich in forests, meadows, gardens, and fields. And, of course, the pride of our region is the Oka River with its numerous tributaries.

3. In the upper right corner there is no longer a peaceful sky. War. The burning military plane symbolizes the events of 1941-1945. The Great Patriotic War did not spare our family either.

4. In the lower right corner there is a fragment of a rural cemetery (cross, monument, obelisk). This is a symbol of memory of ancestors who are no longer alive. All the dead were Russian, Orthodox, baptized. My family sacredly honors the memory of deceased relatives, commemorates the deceased in the church and takes care of the graves in cemeteries. After all, in order for us to live now and be who we are, many generations of people, sparing no effort, made life the way we saw it. And in ourselves there is a direct continuation of the values ​​of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The memory of departed relatives is sacred. Without memory there is no conscience. Without memory there is no past, and without the past there is no present and future. The graves of deceased people close to us are a reflection of our soul. A neat and well-kept grave conveys our love and memory. It symbolizes the continuation of human life in our hearts. Just like forgotten graves are our indifference.

Bright memory to all those who died and died! No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten!

5. In the center of the composition is a mighty tree, on the leaves of which on the left there are photos of relatives on the paternal side, on the right - photos of relatives on the maternal side. In the center is a photo of my brother and my photo.

In our family, good relationships, mutual assistance, family traditions. Most main tradition I believe love, respect, caring for each other. This is what was passed down to us from our ancestors: grandparents, great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. Thanks to the traditions that exist in our family, we learn to love, respect, trust, we learn to appreciate moments of communication with loved ones, and help each other. And this is the most important thing in life.

I love my family very much, I value family traditions, I want to preserve them and pass them on to my children and grandchildren. I am sure that family traditions are a great value, our spiritual wealth. They need to be protected!

Conclusion

Once upon a time, only aristocratic families knew their genealogy. In Rus', until the mid-twentieth century, it was considered good manners to know one’s ancestry up to the seventh generation: a son knew the biography of not only his father, but also his grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. Until recently, we saw a decline in knowledge on this issue; only 2-3% of people had a desire to know their ancestry. However, at present, public interest in family history is growing and gaining momentum. Mostly schoolchildren are enthusiasts in this matter, and we, our class, are no exception.

The work of studying genealogy interested not only me, my loved ones, but also my classmates. I explained to them how to create a family tree and a pedigree book.

this work did not leave my parents, grandparents, brother, aunt and uncle indifferent. They were of great help to me. Gradually, as I worked, a family archive began to form: old photographs appeared, and personal belongings of my ancestors were found. I regret that I was not able to talk with my great-grandparents, since they are no longer alive.

Having now completed the preparation of the genealogy book and tree, I do not yet consider the work of studying the history of my family to be completed. I hope that soon the tree of our family will acquire new branches, and I will learn new interesting information about my relatives. In the future, over time, I think that I will be able to continue studying the history of my ancestors more deeply. This work may be continued. I would like to explore my family tree further. Make its branches more branched (indicate distant relatives). Work with archival documents, establish the history of the origin of surnames.

I am planning in the near future:

Continue compiling the family pedigree book and update it regularly;

Create a family tree in an original way and use it to decorate the interior of the house;

Create a calendar of family memorable dates;

Research the origin of surnames and the meaning of my relatives' names.

Target research work achieved, the assigned tasks were completed.

I consider the main result of the work to be the reconstruction of our genealogy, which will become not only an interesting relic, but also a valuable document.

I hope that the compiled genealogy of my family will continue. And my children will remember their roots, the names of their forefathers, and know what each specific ancestor did for their family, for their country. And then with full right, with a clear conscience, I will be able to say to myself: “I am a representative of a large family line!” I am a representative of a noble family!”

Literature

1) Dukarevich P. My pedigree. – St. Petersburg, 2008.

2) Name is destiny: A book for parents and godparents. – M.: Modern writer, 1993.

3) Korotkov E.V. Your pedigree. Who are you? – Volgograd, 1999.

4) Polyakova E. N. From the history of Russian names and surnames. - Moscow: Enlightenment, 1975.

5) Saplina E.V., Saplin A.I. Introduction to history. – Moscow, 2001.

6) Mystery of the name: Sat. – Kharkov: IKP “Paritet LTD”, 2000

7) Fedosyuk Yu. A., Russian surnames, M., “Children’s Literature”, 1972.

8) Khigir B. Yu. Encyclopedia of names. – Moscow: Yauza, 2003.

9) Materials from the Morozov family archive

10) Materials from the Eremichev family archive

This may seem immodest, but I want to note that our creative work, based on the order of the Ministry of Education of the Tula Region dated December 30, 2015 No. 2771, took 1st place in the regional competition, and Anna was awarded a diploma. And most importantly, the work of studying family history is interesting, useful, and practical. She brings the family together!

Thank you for your attention!

Evgenia Smirnova

To send light into the depths of the human heart - this is the purpose of the artist

Content

Looking through childhood photographs or listening to the stories of your parents, you may unwittingly become interested in your ancestry. Even in ancient times, it was compiled in the form of a family tree: this is a convenient way to present information. Drawing up a family tree is even assigned in school for a lesson on the world around us or in kindergarten, so you need to know how to create a family tree with your own hands.

What is a family tree

The very concept of a “family tree” is a list of people who are related to each other. The listing occurs in a hierarchy based on the years of life of people and how they relate to each other. The tree trunk indicates the married couple at the head of the clan. Then their children, grandchildren and cousins ​​are placed. The generations are at the same level. This option is classic, when the construction goes from ancestors to descendants.

In addition to the main option for how to draw a family tree, there are several more:

  1. On a personal note. Parents, grandparents, and other relatives act as branches. This is convenient because the entire family is indicated along the line of only one person. It will be difficult to supplement such a tree.
  2. Family tree. In this case, relatives on the paternal or maternal side can be indicated separately, because the surnames of the spouses were different before marriage.

How to draw a tree using a template

There are many sites on the Internet in Russian and English languages, where you can find special family tree templates. After downloading and printing them, you just need to fill in the empty spaces with photographs of relatives according to the specified location. It will look more neat if you use Photoshop. To do this, you need to open the template in this program and insert photos there. The recommended layout format is png. This is an extension for pictures, which are very convenient to work with in Photoshop.

How to make a family tree

How to draw a family tree? To do this, it is better to divide the work into several stages. The first step is to find out about all genetic relatives. This is the most critical stage, because the amount of information determines how complete the finished database will be. If you suddenly miss someone, the meaning of the tree will be partially lost. If the collection of information was successful, then all that remains is to choose the option of constructing a diagram - personally, from the founder of the clan, or several surnames at once.

How to make a family tree

Before you draw up your family tree, it is worth making a preliminary diagram of all relatives, distributing them by degree of relationship. The main thing is to decide how many generations back you plan to go. For owners big family It’s better to limit yourself to immediate relatives and not include great-uncles and grandmothers, otherwise you can expand the family tree and make side branches in it. They will serve to record more distant relatives - cousins, grandparents.

There are a lot of concepts of kinship: in addition to blood, they reflect marriage or spiritual connections. In the first case, people have a common ancestor, in the second, they are married, and the third includes such forms of kinship as nepotism and twinning. The main one is blood – it has several degrees of relationship. One of them represents a generation, the chain of which already forms a line.

Such a chain includes as many degrees as there were births in the family, i.e. son or daughter – first degree, grandson or granddaughter – second, etc. Each of them must follow each other in order. It turns out that the construction proceeds across generations - from the oldest to the youngest, or vice versa, in the case of carrying out the scheme personally. All siblings and grandparents should be listed on the main branch, and first cousins ​​or second cousins ​​should be listed on the side branches. So the distance between relatives will reflect the distance of their relationship.

How to build a family tree

If a rough diagram with a list of relatives is ready, you need to decide how best to draw a family tree. There are several options here:

  1. Classical, when the main bearer of the surname is indicated at the bottom of the trunk. In most cases this married couple, for example, grandparents or great-grandparents (you can go even further). Next, all their children, grandchildren and other relatives are indicated in order. It is better to place your own line on the main branch, i.e. the one by which you will come to your parents and specifically to yourself. In the lateral branches there will be cousins ​​and second cousins.
  2. Personal tree. In this option, you yourself are the basis, i.e. family tree compiler. Next come the parents, grandparents on both lines, etc. This will be the main branch. On the side ones it is worth reflecting the parents’ sisters or brothers, their children, grandchildren, etc.
  3. Family tree. This option is the most voluminous of all. Several names can be listed here. Of interest to the compiler himself is tracing the line of the father and mother. Before marriage they had different surnames, but in relation to their children they have the same degree of kinship. For this reason, it is interesting to compose a tree so that one half of the branches reflects the relatives of the father, and the other - the mother.

How to make a family tree on a computer

There are special programs for compiling a family tree. Some of them are online services where you can order or create a blank sample with space for photographs for free. All that remains is to add pictures, download and, if necessary, print. Another option is to download a graphic editor to your computer and work in it. Among such programs are SimTree, RootsMagic, GenoPro, Family Tree Builder, GRAMPS. The Russian analogue is the “Tree of Life”.

Each program has a set of specific functions that help you draw and then print a tree. Most of them already have example templates that you need to fill out. They are a table with cells or a picture. Some applications even offer to attach not only photos, but also audio or video recordings. For each family member, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire, which contains basic information about him, including a description of his appearance or appearance. interesting facts biographies.

By tracking them, you can learn a lot about yourself and adjust your own destiny. Even for those who still think little about their own origins, this information will be useful at least at the level of determining genetic predispositions to diseases.

But collecting and correctly filing information about your relatives is very difficult. In this article we will talk about how to correctly create a genealogical (pedigree) family tree with diagrams, examples and templates.

What is a family tree

A family tree is a conventional diagram that describes family ties within one family. It is often depicted as a real tree. Next to the roots is usually the ancestor or the last descendant, for whom a diagram is drawn up, and on the branches there are various lines of the genus.

In ancient times, preserving knowledge about one’s origin was a direct necessity for everyone. Already in Neolithic times, people knew that consanguineous marriages led to the appearance of non-viable children. Therefore, men took wives from neighboring villages, clans and tribes. However, sometimes it was necessary to preserve certain qualities within the line, and then people chose brides and grooms from among a limited circle. But in both the first and second cases, knowledge of one’s ancestors was mandatory.

In the past, blood (consanguinity) meant not only the presence of family ties, but also a certain psycho-emotional community, and in relation to representatives of the same family, the range of expectations from people was quite close.

This behavior has a basis. Have you noticed that there are families whose representatives of different lines and generations themselves choose similar directions of development. There are families in which everyone is connected with the arts, and there are those where, for generations, every second person has a penchant for engineering. And the point here is not only in upbringing, but also in the peculiarities of the functioning of the body. Genetic predisposition manifests itself not only in diseases, but also in the talents of representatives of the family line.

The childbirth system was also supported by the social structure. Most societies go through the stages of first a caste system, then a class system, then a class system. And marriages in them are usually arranged within their social circle.

Family history can shed light on many personal values. A lot is built into a person in the very early age using the example of the relationship between his parents and their relatives: patterns of behavior, structure of thinking, habits and words. But inheritance is not always direct. Studying the history of the family and recreating the family tree contributes to the self-identification of the individual and allows one to understand one’s personal foundations. This is useful both for the person himself and for the family as a whole. The process of collecting information and processing it will be useful for establishing contact between relatives.

There are several methods for compiling a family tree:

  • Rising. Here the chain is built in the direction from the descendant to the ancestors. The initial element is the outliner. The method is convenient for those who have just started studying their family. The compiler has information mainly about his immediate relatives: parents, grandparents, etc. - and gradually delves into the past.
  • Descending. In this case, the chain has the opposite direction. The origin is one ancestor (or spouse). For such a construction, you need to have fairly extensive information about your relatives.

When compiling a family tree, you need to take into account the lines of inheritance. They come in two types:

  • Direct branch. The chain includes you, your parents, their parents, etc.
  • Side branch. It takes into account your brothers and nephews, brothers and sisters of grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.

These schemes - ascending and descending with direct and lateral branches - can be compiled as mixed: for both men and women of the same clan, or to track inheritance only by the clan of the father or mother.

The family tree can be drawn up as follows:

The branching arrangement that is familiar to us, which is often complemented by a tree pattern. Suitable for designing genealogical diagrams of any degree of complexity.

  • You will draw your child's ascending family tree in this style.
  • Make a wonderful gift for a distant relative by drawing a common ancestor as the starting figure and building a descending system of connections from all first and second cousins.
  • Design the drawing in the form of an hourglass. This option is suitable for older relatives: grandfathers or great-grandfathers. Take them as key figures and make a family tree of these members of your family, combining the descending and ascending diagrams of parents and descendants in the drawing.

The “butterfly” scheme is inherently quite close to the “clock” option. Her starting point is the spouses, on both sides of them are the ascending family trees of their parents, and below them is the descending one.

There is another option for constructing the structure. It is not common in Russia, but it allows you to create a fairly complete description of family ties. This is the so-called circular table. It is also capable of accommodating an ascending and descending description of the genus.

  • For simple circuits you can take a quarter circle as a basis - a “fan” pattern.
  • There is an option to design an ascending or descending structure in the form of concentrated circles in which ancestors or descendants are inscribed.
  • Or the circle can be divided and a family tree of the family can be made, combining both directions of the family in a similar way to the “clock” template.

Any of the described options can be supplemented with photographs and notes.

How to create your own family tree

It is better to start your research with the family archive. See if you still have old photographs and official documents of your older relatives. Particularly useful documents will be: marriage or birth certificates, diplomas, certificates, work records, since it is with their help that it is easiest to start searching in the archive. All papers and photographs should be scanned, saved somewhere in digital format and used in the future. And return the originals to their place so as not to lose this important evidence.

The next important step is interviewing relatives. And since relatives are not eternal, there is no point in delaying relations with him. In order not to overtire older people and not get confused yourself, it is important to outline the range of questions in advance. For example, when we are compiling a family tree, we should be interested in the following information:

  • When and where were certain relatives born?
  • Where and when did they work?
  • Time and place of study.
  • Who did you marry and when?
  • How many children did they have, their names and dates of birth.
  • If relatives have died, it is worth knowing when and where it happened.

As you can see, from the point of view of further searches, the most important information from the list is the place and time of certain events. Knowing them, you can go to the archives for documents.

But from a family point of view, it is much more important to hear stories about the lives of your relatives. Each family keeps its own traditions, in each there was something worthy of the memory of generations. Therefore, do not neglect long conversations about the past.

When collecting oral information, you should use a voice recorder so as not to miss a single detail.

It is important to structure all the information received competently and quickly, otherwise you will simply get confused in the intricacies of your family connections. You can store the information on paper in folders related to each line of the family. Or create a separate folder on your computer where you will place files about each of your relatives.

Some people research their ancestry for years, gradually deepening knowledge about their direct and indirect relatives.

But you can make the initial stages of the process faster; invite your family to participate with you in this important matter. If several people, each along their line, compile a list of their closest relatives with names, photographs and dates, and then combine all this information into a single diagram, you can get a family tree several generations deep in just a few months. In addition, such a decision will help to establish communication between individual branches of the family.

Services and programs that help you create a family tree

Collecting information about relatives is quite a difficult task. Simply because with each generation the number of people about whom information needs to be collected will increase exponentially. Even when using an ascending scheme, taking into account only direct branches, by the seventh generation you will count 126 ancestors.

Registration and storage of all this information using paper media is inconvenient. It is much easier to use electronic databases. You can create the necessary files yourself in Excel or Access. Or use specialized programs that are initially configured to make it as easy as possible to arrange information in your family, display and display it in a beautiful and understandable form.

There are many online services on pedigree topics. They will correctly compile your family tree, help you find information about relatives, and provide design samples.

  • Some of them provide the opportunity to create a diagram of your family online. On them, after free registration, you need to enter information about each relative, indicate his family connections, provide photographs, and the service itself will graphically build the necessary structure.
  • There are more professional sites with more settings. They automatically conduct additional analysis of the surname and even look for information in the archives.

A convenient solution, but, unfortunately, such services exist for a relatively short time, usually about 5 years, after which you will most likely lose access to the entered information.

  • For deeper work, it is better to use special programs that work independently of the Internet. They are paid and free. The latter have more limited functionality.
  • Or contact a special genealogy company, with its help, find information about your family ties, and beautifully arrange them into a family tree or

Valeria Protasova


Reading time: 9 minutes

A A

Any person has ever thought about the origin of his family. The issue of creating a pedigree is decided individually. However, many believe that those who respect and honor their ancestors live much longer. Also, for religious reasons, people try to find out more about relatives and determine whether they need to repent to God for their sins in order to improve their lives. An important role is played by the factor of health or genetic predisposition to diseases.

Types of pedigrees, ideas for a family tree

There are two main types of pedigrees: ascending and descending.

  1. First begins to build from you and moves on to information about your distant relatives. As a rule, then comes the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.
  2. Head of the second type is the oldest founder, and then all his descendants are listed, including you. Such a pedigree helps to take a broad look at the family and its activities over many times.

There are other types of pedigrees:

  • Male ascendant. Usually it includes only male persons. It will look like a line. Such a pedigree helps determine a connection to a historical figure or famous person of the past.
  • Mixed ascending. Here you can specify both men and women. Persons of different clans, different surnames are presented in geometric progression - first 2, then 4, then 8, 16, etc.
  • Descending male. A founder is chosen and strings “stretch” from him to the youngest man of this clan.
  • Mixed descending. Both men and women can also indicate. This species covers several genera and surnames.

Depending on the type of design, a pedigree can take several forms:

You can choose any species you like and create your own individual pedigree. The most popular is the family tree. It is drawn up not only on paper, but also on the walls of a room in the house.

How to find out your family's pedigree - step-by-step instructions

To quickly create a pedigree, follow the instructions:

  • Conduct a survey. Ask relatives and friends, neighbors who know your family, about the places of residence, class, places of work, and places of study of your ancestors. Maybe they'll remember appearance(if there is no photo), character, habits, etc. The value of conducting a survey is obvious. You will learn about initials, dates of birth, death, but at the same time you will understand what kind of person your great-grandfather was.
    It is better to conduct surveys using a voice recorder. You can’t write down everything after listening to a story.
  • Study family archives. Photos, diaries, letters and even notes can point you to relatives you didn't know about. All papers can help you determine what profession your ancestors were, how they lived, and at what time.
  • Make an approximate family tree, table , distributing the information received into two branches or columns - maternal and paternal lines. Enter all dates of birth and initials.
  • Study the reference books located in the state archives. Information about your archive is here: rusarchives.ru. The documents located in the archive will help you determine the class to which your relatives belonged and the position they held. You will also find out whether the ancestor was awarded or had an honorary title. In addition, in the fund you can find new information in the form of audio or video recordings, photographs.
    To contact the fund, you must have permission from the municipality; it is the administration that must direct you to a specific archive - first the regional one, then the federal one.
  • Contact your local library . They usually provide search literature, archival documents, newspapers and other information and reference publications.
  • Visit local museums, they may contain new information about your relatives.
  • Contact archivists, search engines, bibliographers, historians.

Compiling a family tree is hard work. It takes a lot of effort and time. You can contact to a private organization , who will do all the research for you.

Don't forget that there is non-state archival funds , specially engaged in collecting information and information about people of the past. Such companies can also help you find some data for a fee.

Useful programs, websites and books for compiling a pedigree - is it possible to compile it online?

We list the sites that will help with compiling and designing a family tree:

  1. All-Russian family tree (VGD). He has his own collection of information about people of the past living in Russia. There are also articles to help with your search. Website: vgd.ru.
  2. Genealogia.ru– includes historical data and information about Russia. The site also has a program that can help you create your pedigree.
  3. Center for Genealogical Research (CGR) . This website - rosgenea.ru - has created a unique collection of documents, reference books, registration lists by service, land ownership, registration, chronology, classes, and geographical indicators. Communication takes place on the forum, where registered users can tell you something new.
  4. Official website of the Russian Noble Assembly (RDS). This non-political organization has 70 regional unions, which store information about the descendants of Russian noble families. Website: nobility.ru.
  5. In the so-called family social network— familyspace.ru — you can not only find lost relatives, but also communicate with people who may have known your ancestors. The site contains electronic city and military directories that help in creating an online genealogy.
  6. A similar social network project is genway.ru. You can familiarize yourself with historical facts, determine the meaning of the surname, communicate with friends who might know relatives, and also create your own tree online.

Here are some free programs that help you design and compile pedigrees:

  • Tree of Life - genery.com. You can create a tree, calculate the degree of relationship, save data, photos, videos and other information about the life and activities of relatives.
  • Family Chronicle – drawing up a family tree is very colorful in the form of a tree. It is possible to save photos and other documents. Website: the-family-chronicle.com.
  • GenoPro — creation of a pedigree in graphical, tabular form. Website: genopro.com.
  • Family Tree Build – creating your own family website, family tree plate. Website: myheritage.com.

The following libraries can help:

  1. russian-family.ru
  2. petergen.com
  3. knigafund.ru

Basic books that will guide you on the right path will help you with the search and determination of the class origin of the family and surnames:

  • A reference guide entitled “Genealogical information in the state archives of Russia.”
  • “Practical.” recommendations for compiling peasant genealogies” Petrichenko M.B.
  • Publication “Research of genealogical information in the state archives of Russia” Romanova S.N., “Bulletin of the Archivist” No. 5 (41) 1997.
  • Publication by the same author Romanova: “How to find your roots” in “Bulletin of the Archivist” for 1998, No. 2 (44), No. 3 (45).
  • Practical manual “Your family tree” Onuchin A.N.
  • Publication “Partition books: time to collect stones”, Antonov D.N., “Domestic Archives” 1996, No. 4, No. 5.
  • “Methodological manual for conducting genealogical research. Fundamentals of Genealogical Culture" Kochevykh S.V.

Are you compiling your family's pedigree? We will be grateful for your feedback!