Archives and call numbers
Call number: fond, inventory, file, folio
Archival documents are described on three levels:
| Abbreviation | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| f. | fond — documents of one institution (for example, a spiritual consistory) | f. 127 |
| inv. | inventory (opys) — the list of a fond's files by a criterion (time, kind of documents) | inv. 1012 |
| file | file (sprava) — one book or volume | file N |
| fol. | folio (arkush) — a page in a file; verso — "v." | fol. N v. |
A full entry: CSHAK, f. 127, inv. 1012, file N, fol. N v. — with it the archivist finds the document and you return to it a year later. One call number is one file, so write it in full and at once. In AI tools and in Predok the call number is the basis of a citation.
Where metric books are kept
Metric books are kept by territory, state and religion (places). Main fonds:
| Territory | Archive | Fond |
|---|---|---|
| Kyiv region, part of the Centre | CSHAK (Kyiv) | f. 127 — Kyiv Spiritual Consistory (metric books are among other inventories) |
| Galicia, Greek Catholics | CSHAL (Lviv) | f. 201, inv. 4A — metric books of the Greek Catholic Consistory |
| Galicia, Roman Catholics | CSHAL | f. 618, inv. 2 — metric books of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Consistory (1600–1948) |
| Orthodox parishes of Volyn, Galicia, Belarus | CSHAL | f. 201 (via the Greek Catholic Consistory) and f. 693 (Kholm Spiritual Consistory) |
| Other regions | regional state archives | fonds of consistories, RAGS, city administrations |
Some CSHAL books are in two fonds at once: f. 201, inv. 4A contains books received from RAGS departments, so a record may be in both. Check both.
Catalogues of metric books are published by the archives themselves:
- CSHAL: catalogue of Orthodox parishes and catalogue of Roman Catholic metric books.
- State Archives of Volyn Region: supplement to the catalogue of metric books (the main catalogue appeared in 2009).
- Other regional archives also have catalogues and pages about files on FamilySearch: examples — Odesa, Ternopil, Rivne.
The sites of the archives of all regions are collected by the Genealogical Navigator. Practical advice on working at CSHAL — an article on Rodovody.
How to find a file
- Establish the parish, religion and years (places).
- Ask Predok: it shows files for the place, call numbers and scans.
- Search electronic catalogues: the inter-archive portal ARCHIUM and the Duck Inspector (online resources).
- Open the fond inventory on the archive's site and find the file by village and year. Check whether the file covers several villages.
- Find out which years survived and whether the file is digitized: this saves a request.
- Record the result in a file register: archive, fond, inventory, file, years, type, village, status (digitized, ordered, copied), link.
How to write a request
Do not write "find my ancestors". Give the archivist something to go on:
- the full name of the person, approximate year of birth;
- the village, uyezd, governorate (as of that time);
- names of parents, religion;
- which document is needed and, if you know it, the call number of the file.
Example: "Please check for a metric record of the birth of Ivan Petrovych Petrenko, probably 1885, resident of the village of Oleske, Volyn governorate, Orthodox. Parents — Petro and Maria. Call number (per catalogue): …".
Who issues the document: 75 years
DRAGS books and metric books are transferred to a state archive 75 years after the date of the record. A younger record is issued by the DRAGS department at the place of residence, an older one by the archive of the region or of Kyiv (clarification of the Ministry of Justice). Conditions may change: check on the archive's site.
Practical tips
- Keep a copy of the inventory together with the document found.
- For online scans take a screenshot captioned "name + call number" and keep the direct link.
- View the whole file, not only the needed folio: records of neighbouring villages and marginal notes.
- Do not lose the date of viewing: archive sites change.