Russia is the largest country in the world, spread across 85 federal subjects and covering over 17 million square kilometers and 11 of the world’s time zones. The Russian diaspora is estimated to be over 30 million people with more than 3 million living in the United States.
The region is thought to be experiencing its fifth wave of emigration with the first occurring at the start of the 20th century after the October Revolution. Russia’s turbulent history can make genealogical research challenging, although some vital records are slowly being digitalized.
At MyHeritage, we’ll help you navigate the search for your Russian ancestors, from accessing church records to exploring cemetery records and World War I casualty lists. In this article, we’re exploring the Russian traditions being kept alive across the world by immigrant families and how you can trace your Russian roots with MyHeritage.
Key Takeaways:
- Multi-generational family households continue to remain a common practice within Russian immigrant communities. Storytelling and food play a crucial role in linking younger generations to their Russian heritage.
- New Year’s Eve is the main cultural holiday for Russians at home and abroad.
- Tracing your Russian heritage can be complicated due to the country’s turbulent history and its lack of formal census records, along with the slow digitalization of vital records.
Understanding Russian Family Life
Family plays a central role in Russian culture with a deep respect for ancestors and family hierarchies. Multi-generational households are common, even amongst immigrant households with grandparents often being responsible for passing down their native traditions and culture. Many Russian descendants are brought up in bilingual households, speaking Russian at home while learning English at school.
Family gatherings take on a ritualistic importance for Russian families, who will use it as an opportunity to slow down and reconnect. A traditional tea kettle, known as a samovar, is often used with older family members giving toasts to express their gratitude or remember their culture. Storytelling is often at the heart of these gatherings with stories from home being passed down to the next generation, allowing them to feel connected to their homeland.
Russian Holidays and Seasonal Traditions
New Year’s Eve (known as ‘Novy God’) is the most important holiday for Russians at home and abroad, incorporating many of the traditions often associated with Christmas. Instead of Father Christmas, Grandfather Frost (Ded Moroz) and his granddaughter (Snow Maiden) are thought to bring gifts to children, while families come together for a late-night feast of pickled vegetables and Olivier salad.
Other important Russian holidays include Maslenitsa, a pre-Lenten folk holiday that celebrates the end of winter. Families indulge in thin pancakes, known as blini, and burn straw effigies of the ‘Lady Maslenitsa’ to cleanse their homes in preparation for spring.
Victory Day, commemorated on May 9th to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union, is an important day for families of World War II veterans and Soviet emigrants with many choosing to wear a St. George’s ribbon.
Russian Language, Proverbs, and Oral Traditions
Russia is home to over 190 ethnic groups with their own unique languages, cultures, and traditions. The major ethnicities in Russia include Russians, Bashkirs, Chuvash, and Chechens, along with smaller groups like the Buryats and Yakuts. While immigrant families often pass down their native language to their children, Russian phrases also remain an important part of their lexicon, often serving to teach traditional values.
Oral traditions and storytelling are at the heart of most immigrant families with older generations sharing stories of Soviet life, their immigration journey, and lessons from history. For many second and third-generation Russian immigrants, this storytelling may act as an anchor for their Russian identity.
Food as a Living Part of Russian Heritage
Food is a living part of any immigrant family’s culture, turning the kitchen table into a space to celebrate their heritage and identity. Traditional recipes are often handed down between the generations with dishes like Siberian dumplings (pelmeni) and cabbage soup (shchi) becoming common staples.
While there’s an emphasis on simple meals for daily life, major holidays and celebrations involve more elaborate food, such as Paska and Kulich, a sweet cheese dessert and glazed bread served as traditional Easter food. Preserving these recipes and handing them down to the next generation becomes a way to keep Russian culture alive as a living part of their identity.
How to Reconnect with Your Russian Roots
Tracing your Russian roots can be a complicated journey. Although Russia emerged as one of the leading European powers in the 18th century, the first full imperial census was not conducted until 1897, significantly later than most European countries. The subsequent events of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the Russian Civil War delayed a second census until 1926.
Although there is a lack of digitalized records, there are several major archives that can be accessed when researching your family history. The National Library of Russia and the State Archive of the Russian Federation can offer access to some genealogical information. In the absence of traditional records, Russian surnames can offer clues to your family’s geographical origin and occupation.
Honoring Your Russian Heritage Through the Generations
Whether it’s at the kitchen table, over a bowl of shchi, or by celebrating traditional holidays, there are dozens of ways to explore your Russian heritage and identity. Honoring your Russian heritage isn’t just about recognizing where your family is from but continuing these traditions. Tracing your Russian ancestry can help you feel more connected to your heritage, even if you were raised without these traditions. Sign up for a free trial today and walk in your ancestors’ footsteps at MyHeritage.
The post Being Russian: Traditions and Genealogy appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.
Source: My Heritage
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