For genealogical research, regional and city directories published annually in the 20th century are among the most valuable resources. These collections span from the late 19th century to early 20th century, and some are accessible in major research libraries. Having a personal address is particularly helpful when using unindexed census records of large cities. A person’s presence or absence in directories over time can suggest when they arrived, moved away, or passed on. In Russia large cities had annual directories, such as the address books for Saint Petersburg-Petrograd, which include information on administrative offices, lists of officials, members of private and charitable organizations, as well as professionals and merchants. Official phone directories are now not accessible for many Russian regions, including Saint Petersburg and Moscow, so people often rely on older directories preserved by law enforcement. [1]
History of directories in RussiaHistory of directories in Russia
On July 13, 1882, Moscow opened Russia's first telephone station with only 26 three-digit numbers. Telephones were a luxury, costing 250 rubles annually (nearly three mink coats), but demand grew quickly, reaching over 1,000 subscribers by 1889.
In April 1901, Moscow published its first telephone directory after the city’s telephone system transitioned from the Bell Telephone Company to the Swedish-Danish-Russian Joint Stock Company. With 2,860 subscribers, the service remained a luxury. Prior to this directory, subscriber lists were available only in local newspapers, like *Moskovskie Vedomosti* and *Russkie Vedomosti*, or in brochures provided to new customers. The 1901 directory marked a new approach, listing official contacts for police, fire stations, pharmacies, schools, and prominent figures like Count Shuvalov and Prince Golitsyn. Instead of alphabetical order, it organized entries by connection cell, as all calls were manually connected by operators, known as "telephone ladies."[2] These operators had to memorize regular subscribers’ names, titles, and phone numbers and needed a minimum height and arm span to reach the connection boards. By 1904, the MGTS directory had grown, listing 7,844 subscribers. That October, a new central station with a 60,000-line capacity was opened, designed by the Swedish company L.M. Ericsson. Each new subscriber received a manual and the updated directory. By 1915, the directory also included guidelines, such as advising against children and intoxicated people using the phone. By 1916, Moscow’s phone network expanded to 3.7 phones per 100 residents, reaching 60,000 lines -- Europe’s largest. Female operators, nicknamed "young ladies," connected calls until automatic systems arrived, a prestigious job open only to single women.
After a brief halt during the 1917 revolution, services resumed in 1918 with the launch of “MGTS.” Phones were added in businesses and public booths, and residents received home installations from 1921 onward. MGTS lines also carried radio broadcasts.From 1904 to 1917, subscribers increased tenfold. In 1917, the Moscow government acquired the network, valued at 34 million silver rubles, but later that year, equipment damage halted service. In the early Soviet years, individual directories were no longer printed, and available copies sold out rapidly, placing a strain on the new “09” information line launched in 1932.
The first automated phone systems arrived in the 1930s, along with brochures explaining automatic phone use. New automated numbers appeared, while older operator-connected numbers started with "K" for “commutator.” In 1925, *Vsyа Moskva* ("All Moscow") directories were published, featuring not just phone numbers but maps, tram routes, and theater layouts. Notably, the 1929 directory included numbers for prominent figures like Trotsky, Kuibyshev, and Stalin, as well as advertisements.
Directory of phone codes, USSR
During WWII, no directory was printed, and the first post-war edition appeared in 1948, with only 15,000 copies for 170,000 subscribers. By 1950, the directory split into two volumes—one for institutions and one for private residences. In 1960, directories began following alphabetical order, and post-war private directories were issued in limited runs. A four-volume set, "Apartment Phones of Moscow" (1970-1972), was banned and removed from circulation. Post-war growth led to seven-digit numbers by 1968. For the 1980 Olympics, Moscow introduced multilingual “09” service, 80,000 new phones, and 350 payphones.
For the 1980 Olympics, a special English-language edition included phone numbers of state and sports organizations in major Soviet cities. Since 1991, the Moscow telephone directory has been published annually. In 1903, Emperor Nicholas II visited Moscow to inaugurate a Kremlin phone line, receiving an ivory-handled telephone from Ericsson. This year also saw the city’s first phone booths, with cables supplied by the “Gold and Silver Drawing Factory,” managed by Konstantin Stanislavsky. Stanislavsky often used the phone to have actors rehearse lines, frequently saying, “I don’t believe you!”
With market reforms, demand increased, leading to the joint venture “Comstar” in 1990, installing 100 international phones. In 1991, Moscow Cellular Communications and Ericsson launched the first mobile network, followed by Beeline and MTS in 1992.
Where to Find Russian Telephone DirectoriesWhere to Find Russian Telephone Directories
Russian State LibraryArchives. Russian archives, like the Russian State Archive of Economics and other regional archives, house a variety of telephone and address directories, including both pre-revolutionary and Soviet-era publications. Requests can be made through their official websites.
Libraries. Major Russian libraries, such as the Russian State Library (RSL) and the State Public Historical Library of Russia (GPIB), may hold both printed and digitized telephone directories from various years. Some may be accessible online via library websites or available for in-person viewing. Address and telephone directories are valuable sources of a wide range of information: addresses and phone numbers of institutions and organizations, residential phone numbers, and advertising information. The collection of the Russian State Library contains over 10,000 address and telephone directories from various regions, cities, and other settlements across Russia.[3]
.jpg)
