Military Records

Here is a sampling of Ukrainian military documents linked to our ancestors and relatives. They're presented here as an example of what may be available with research.

 

Military Service document after 1892 Document courtesy of Linda Silverman Shefler.

Deciphering old documents is difficult in any language. Old-style Russian orthographies (how the language is written) were officially banned in 1918, and documentation was moved to a Soviet standard.

"The Left Column says: No.48    Personal number # 14 GORDON   Mikhel-Leyzer Eliash.    Private.   Beginning of service: 1st of January, 1889.   Transferred to the reserve: September 1892.

The Right Column says: Start.Number # 14.  Service record : 48    GORDON Mikhel Leyzer Eliash (patronymic-translator's note), the private.    Called up to the military service at the Svetyany district station # 2 (translator not sure of district name). Townsman. Jewish, single, illiterate. Began service on the 1st of January, 1889 Served in Orenburg Regiment # 105 Transferred to the reserve on the 7th of September, 1892. No professions mastered. Took no part in military campaigns. No medals or military decorations granted. No fines recorded.
Svetyany district military commander – lieutenant-colonel (signature not deciphered) Secretary – junior captain (signature not deciphered)

To learn more about the holder of this document Max (nee Michal Lazar son of Elias) GORDON, visit the Old Website Town page of Elisabethgrad.

Military Certificate of Service Completion for Herschko, (son of Samuel Frayerman), from the city of of Novogradovolyne. Document courtesy of Reouven Frajerman.

This document was in the Naturalization Dossier of Reouven's grandfather, who had become a French citizen. Though a French document, it still lists Russian town, first name, last name, patrynomic, unit number, year of service completion, and gives a good indication of what kind of papers this man would carry with him.