Genealogy Research

Reconstruct the Story of Your Family in Russia

Archival genealogy research for descendants of Russian and Eastern European immigrants.
I help you move beyond family names and oral stories to discover the places, documents and people behind your family history.

For people who know their family came from Russia — but do not know where to begin

You know the name. You know the village, maybe. You've hit a wall on Ancestry or FamilySearch, because the records you need were never digitized — they're sitting in a regional archive, a church register, or a 19th-century census that only exists on paper, in a language you don't read, in a system you don't understand

How it works

1.Discovery Call

A video call to go through what you already know — names, dates, family stories — and an honest read on what's findable
2.Research Plan & Quote

A fixed-price plan broken into stages, so you always know what you're paying for and why
3.Archive Research

Official requests to state archives, civil registry offices, and church records, cross-checked against digitized databases
4.Documented Findings

Every fact backed by a document — a birth record, a census entry, a marriage certificate. Never guesswork
5.Final Report

A family tree, copies of all documents found (with translation), and a written account of the research trail

✦ Optional add-on: a beautifully designed keepsake edition of your family history, with your tree and documents laid out for digital sharing (on request)

Case Study: Reconstructing Five Generations from One Russian Province

The research began with a family name, an approximate year of birth and a rural location in the former Russian Empire. The family story suggested that this ancestor had lived in the region for several generations, but there was no documentary proof.
Could the family line be traced back beyond the known ancestor? Where did the family live, what did they do, and which documents could confirm the relationship between generations?
I compared parish records, archival documents, historical maps and secondary sources to confirm names, dates, locations and family relationships. The research connected five generations and revealed previously unknown details about the family’s movements, occupations and social environment. It also identified an ancestor who opened one of the first photography studios in his city.

Transparent, Staged Pricing

Complimentary Discovery Call — 20 minutes

A short introductory call to understand your family story, identify the main research question and determine whether I may be able to help.

This call is an initial fit assessment, not a research session. No archive research is performed before a project is commissioned
Research Feasibility Assessment

from €150
A structured review of the information you already have and an assessment of what may realistically be found.

Includes:
analysis of source documents;
verification of surnames, dates, and locations;
identification of potential archives;
preliminary assessment of prospects;
written research overview;
proposal for a future plan and cost estimate.

This is the right starting point if you have limited information or do not know where to begin
Targeted Archive Search

from €350
Focused research into one clearly defined question, ancestor, family line or archive collection.

Possible deliverables:
search for a specific record;
verification of a single ancestor;
research on one family in a specific region;
retrieval and processing of discovered documents;
brief written report on the findings;
copies of available documents;
translation of key excerpts.

The exact quote depends on the archive, period, language, condition of the records and complexity of the request
Family Lineage Project

from €1500
A deeper investigation of one ancestral line, developed through several generations and supported by archival evidence.

Includes:
agreement on the research question;
research into a single direct line;
use of multiple archival and documentary sources;
establishing connections between generations;
copies of discovered documents;
translations of key records;
a structured family tree;
a written final report;
a list of sources used.

The number of generations that can be documented depends on the surviving records and the complexity of the family line. The project scope is agreed before research begins.

Prices above cover the research work itself. Archive fees, copies, and official translation/apostille (when needed) are quoted and invoiced separately — see FAQ below

Pictures are generated by AI

Frequently Asked

If I don't know the exact village my family came from — can you still help?

Often, yes. Many cases start with just a surname and a region. The discovery call will tell us how strong a starting point you have.

Do I need to send original documents?

No, only correct personal details in writing, region of residence.

Will I need to sign anything official?

For formal archive requests, a notarized power of attorney is usually required, apostilled (or consular-legalized, if your country isn't part of the Hague Apostille Convention) so it's recognized in Russia. I'll guide you through exactly what's needed — you can see a sample template here

Is the quoted price the total cost?

The quoted price covers the research work itself. If documents are actually found, retrieving them usually involves small archive fees (state duties, copying costs) — these aren't included in the research fee. I'll always confirm the amount and send an invoice before any such cost is incurred, so there are never surprise charges

How can i pay?

Bank transfer is the default option. For clients where international transfers are impractical, payment via cryptocurrency can be arranged by agreement — just mention it on the discovery call

How long will the research take?

A standard response from government agencies takes 30 days.
I can only advise against making this research the main focus of your life. The process can take three months or more.

What happens if no document is found?

Genealogical research cannot guarantee that a particular record still exists or that it will be accessible. Records may have been lost, damaged, miscatalogued, restricted or never created.
You are paying for the research process, not for a guaranteed discovery. If the expected record is not found, I will document the sources and search steps completed, explain the possible reasons and recommend the most realistic next steps where appropriate.
I will not present an unverified possibility as a fact. A carefully documented negative result can still be valuable because it shows where the search has already been conducted and prevents the same work from being repeated.

The scope and deliverables of each project are agreed in writing before research begins.

Do you search for living relatives?

My work focuses on historical and genealogical research. I do not offer general people-finding, private investigation or personal background-check services.
The identification of living relatives is not the main focus of my work and will only be considered in exceptional cases, subject to the applicable legal and ethical limitations.

What happens if the research reaches a dead end?

I will not present an unverified possibility as a fact. If a document or family connection cannot be confirmed, I will clearly distinguish between documented findings, reasonable hypotheses and unresolved questions.

About the Researcher
I am an independent genealogy researcher based in Russia and a native Russian speaker. My interest in genealogy began with the study of my own family history and developed into a deeper fascination with archival research, historical records and the lives of ordinary people.
I combine personal involvement, Russian-language research and careful archival documentation to help descendants reconnect with the history of their families.
In my own research, I traced a family line through several generations of the former Russian Empire and connected family stories with official documents, historical sources and archival evidence.
I now help descendants of Russian and Eastern European immigrants explore their family history from abroad. My role is to make the research process clearer and more manageable: identifying promising sources, working with Russian-language records, communicating with archives where appropriate and documenting each finding carefully.
I approach every project as an investigation rather than a simple document search. Names, dates and places must be compared across sources before a family connection can be treated as reliable.
Each case is different. Before any paid research begins, I review the information available and explain what may realistically be possible

Elena Tepukhina

Independent Genealogy Researcher

You do not need a complete family tree to get in touch. Share the names, dates, places and family stories you have, and I will let you know whether your case may be suitable for research

Send Your Research Enquiry
Elena Tepukhina
Email: eltepukhina@gmail.com
Russian and English speaking