Birth records in Belarus are essential for genealogical research, as they provide crucial information about an individual’s birth and early life. These records typically include details such as the name of the child, birth date and place, names of the parents, and sometimes additional information like the parents’ occupations or religious affiliations.
A birth certificate in Belarus is an official document issued by the civil registry office (ZAGS) that serves as legal proof of a person's birth. It is used to establish an individual's identity, nationality, and familial relationships. The birth certificate includes the following essential information:
- Full Name of the child: The name given at birth.
- Date and place of birth: Exact details of when and where the child was born.
- Names of the parents: Full names of the mother and father, which also indicate the legal parentage of the child.
- Nationality of the child: This is often determined by the parents' nationality.
- Registration number: A unique identifier for the birth entry in the civil registry.
- Issuing authority: The name of the civil registry office that issued the certificate.
- Seal and signature: The official seal of the civil registry office and the signature of the registrar.
The certificate is issued after the birth is officially registered by the child's parents or legal guardians. Birth registration is mandatory and usually occurs within a few days after the birth at the local civil registry office.
History of birth records in BelarusHistory of birth records in Belarus
Church recordsChurch records
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Before the 20th century, birth records in Belarus were mainly kept by religious institutions, particularly by the Orthodox, Catholic, and Jewish communities. Each religious group maintained its own registry of births, marriages, and deaths, and these records were often written in the language associated with the religious community (e.g., Old Church Slavonic, Polish, Hebrew, or Yiddish). The Russian Orthodox Church was responsible for recording births, marriages, and deaths. These civil acts were registered as part of religious ceremonies, and entries were made in church records. In 1721, by decree of Peter the Great, church institutions were incorporated into the system of state bodies in Russia, and the entire Orthodox population of the Russian Empire was assigned to church parishes based on residence. From 1722, births, marriages, and deaths began to be recorded in parish registers by clergy. These records were written primarily in Old Church Slavonic or Russian and followed the Julian calendar. In regions with a significant Catholic population, such as western Belarus (formerly part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), records were kept in Latin or Polish. Jewish communities kept birth records through their synagogues. These records, often in Hebrew or Yiddish, were crucial for documenting births within the Jewish population, especially before the 20th century.
Soviet Period (1917-1991)Soviet Period (1917-1991)
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During the Soviet era, religious institutions were largely stripped of their authority, and birth records were centralized under civil authorities. The history of civil registry offices in our republic began on December 18, 1917, when the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR adopted the Decree "On Civil Marriage, Children, and Keeping of Civil Status Books" (hereinafter referred to as the Decree of December 18, 1917). The decree established that the Russian Republic recognized only civil marriages registered in the departments of marriage and birth records at municipal (district, county, or volost) councils. Church marriages were considered a private matter for the parties involved. From this date, the registration of births, marriages, and deaths was removed from ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The government took over the responsibility for maintaining vital records, and registration of births became mandatory.
By the late 1920s, the archives of church registers were fully transferred to civil registry offices, while other documents were stored in central and local state archives. This led to challenges in verifying the legality of documents issued by the church. During the transfer of church registers, questions arose about the official recognition of church records and decrees on marriage dissolution. According to the 1918 Code, religious marriages were considered valid if they had been concluded before December 20, 1917. On October 14, 1919, the Central Civil Status Office issued a circular regarding the legality of church records. It stated that all documents related to births, deaths, marriages, and divorces issued by church institutions before December 31, 1917, were recognized as valid.These records were typically kept in Russian and were organized by civil registration offices, or ZAGs (ЗАГС - записи актов гражданского состояния). [1]
Soviet birth records usually included:
- Name of the child
- Date and place of birth
- Names of the parents
- Parents' occupations
- Nationality of the parents (important in Soviet record-keeping)
- Information about the parents’ residence
Modern BelarusModern Belarus
In modern Belarus, birth records continue to be managed by civil registration offices (ZAGS). In 2006, by Presidential Decree No. 385, civil registry offices became part of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus. This decision was made to improve the performance of civil registry offices in recording civil acts and to enhance control over compliance with the law. The decree established the organizational structure of civil registry offices, their jurisdiction, and the requirement that their heads possess higher legal education. Today, there are 148 civil registry offices, three Houses of Civil Ceremonies, one Wedding Palace, and seven civil registry archives under the main justice departments of regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee in the Republic of Belarus, employing over 390 staff members. Birth registration is mandatory, and records are digitized and securely archived. Access to these records may be restricted for privacy reasons, especially for more recent entries. Researchers typically need to demonstrate a direct family connection to obtain access to birth records from the 20th century onward.
Archives for birth records in BelarusArchives for birth records in Belarus
- Civil Registration Offices (ZAGS): For recent records, you can contact the ZAGS office where the birth was registered. Official requests may require identification and proof of relation to the person whose record is being requested.
- National Historical Archives: For older records, especially those from the pre-Soviet period, the National Historical Archives of Belarus is a valuable resource. The archives house church registers, Jewish community records, and civil records.
- Online Databases: Some genealogical websites provide access to Belarusian records, though coverage is limited and often focuses on specific communities.
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Explore more on birth records in BelarusExplore more on birth records in Belarus
- Vital Records: How to Find Birth, Marriage & Death Records on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- National Historical Archives of Belarus
