Jewish Communities of Minsk County, Minsk Province (Consolidated Archival Fond)

Collection

Holding institution (official language):: Национальный исторический архив Беларуси

Title:: Jewish Communities of Minsk County, Minsk Province (Consolidated Archival Fond)

Title (official language):: ЕВРЕЙСКИЕ ОБЩЕСТВА МИНСКОГО УЕЗДА МИНСКОЙ ГУБЕРНИИ (ОБЪЕДИНЕННЫЙ АРХИВНЫЙ ФОНД)

Scope and content:: The fond contains particular documents of vital records, including records of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces of members of the following Jewish communities in Minsk county: Zaslavl’ (1856/1857), Ivenetskaia (1857), Kamen’ (1860, 1866, 1891, 1900/1902, 1906, 1911), Koidanov (1867, 1896), Minsk (1836/1840, 1846, 1847, 1852, 1857/1861, 1865/1869, 1882, 1894/1895), Ostroshitskii Gorodok (1859/1863, 1905, 1913), Rakov (1860/1864, 1869, 1876/1877, 1880/1886, 1889, 1897, 1903, 1908/1909, 1914, 1917), Rubezhevichi (1860/1861, 1864, 1904/1905, 1907, 1912), Samokhvalovichi (1859, 1860, 1864, 1865, 1875), and Stolbtsy (1860/1864). There are also particular documents that reflect various aspects of the activities of the Jewish communities of Minsk and Minsk county, including documents from Jewish vital records (1902/1918); Minsk Jews’ diplomas from educational institutions (1876, 1897/1891, 1900/1910); various documents and certificates issued to Minsk Jews by various institutions of the Russian Empire (1878/1879); etc.

Administrative/biographical history:: Minsk county was formed after the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1793 and the annexation of the territory adjacent to the city of Minsk to the Russian Empire. In 1795/1796, the county was part of the Minsk viceroyalty [namestnichestvo], and from 1796 on it formed part of the newly established Minsk province, which in turn was part of the Pale of Settlement. The county included seventeen rural areas [volosti]: Beloruch’e, Velikosel’skaia, Zaslavl’, Zasul’e, Ivenetskaia (Ivenetsko-Starinskaia), Koidanov, Ostroshitskii Gorodok, Pershai, Rakov, Samokhvalovichi, Sverzhen’, Semkovo-Gorodetskaia, Slobodka, Stan’kovo, Starosel’e, Stolbtsy, and Sennitsa. According to an 1847 census, the county had 19,530 Jewish residents, including 9,150 townspeople, twelve merchants, and 248 farmers. In the 19th and early 20th century, there were approximately ten Jewish communities in towns and cities of Minsk county. After Soviet control was established in the county in 1919/1920, these Jewish communities were dissolved.

Subject terms:: Jewish community records; Marriage and divorce; Marriage and divorce--Gittin; Vital records; Vital records--Birth records; Vital records--Death records; Vital records--Marriage records

System of arrangement:: The fond includes two inventories systematized alphabetically by title of the Jewish community; and there is a geographical index.