ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 115376 - Translation - Russian - Lithuania - Vieksniai - Rakstein / Rakshteiga


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Russian
Approval Date: 9/20/2026 3:00 PM
Family Surname: Rakstein / Rakshteiga
Country: Lithuania
Town: Vieksniai
Date of Image: 1875

Click the picture to enlarge

I’m looking for some clarification on a revision list record from 1875 Vieksniai. According to the Jewish Gen transcription, the record (entry #4, household #8) refers to a Yavnel Rakshteiga son of Khatskel. However, there is no age included for him. Please can you tell me: (1) What are the headings of the various columns? (2) In the image I can see a partially hidden column of numbers - is that column the age of the male individuals or something else? (3) Does any of the extra text on the page provide any context such as why he is included in this list, or further information about Yavnel Rakshteiga such as his age, eg could he be a new-born?
The image comes from Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/film/102492096?i=363

Thank you!

Response

9/20/2026 3:47 PM

Это Добавочная Ревизская сказка от апреля 1875 года по Ковенской Губернии Шавельского уезда Викшнянского еврейского общества.
Номер семьи по 10 Ревизии: 4-8.
Явнель Хацкелиович Ракштейга
Ныне на лицо лет. (Лет на момент Ревизии на вид) : 24.
===================================
This is an additional Revizka report from April 1875 for the Kovno Governorate, Shavelsky District, Viksnyansky Jewish community.
Family number according to the 10th Revizka: 4-8.
Yavnel Khatskeliovich Raksteiga
Currently of age. (Age at the time of the Revizka, as of the date of the report): 24.
======================
/s/

9/27/2026 3:38 AM

Hi I am testing AI models and I took the liberty of using this image and your brief/questions to ask the AI engine how your questions should be "put" to it for it to respond technically in an efficient and effective manner... but because i am a klutz I mis-worded the instruction and it belted out a more general response which however might be of interest to you .. so I thought I would share....

To process genealogical record translation/transcription requests like this in the most efficient and effective way, the phrasing should be direct, structured around specific metadata, and optimized for quick visual orientation.

Here are examples of how the original request and supporting information could be reframed, followed by explanations of why these changes improve processing speed and accuracy.

---

### Optimized Request Structure & Examples

#### Example 1: Streamlined Technical Request Form

**Subject:** Translation & Column Identification: 1875 Viekšniai Revision List (Household #8 / Entry #4)

**Record Context:**
* **Source / Location:** Viekšniai Jewish Society (Kovno Governorate / Vileika District)
* **Family / Target Individual:** Yavnel Rakshteiga (son of Khatskel), Household #8, Line #4
* **Image Reference:** FamilySearch Film 102492096, Image 363 (p. 265)

**Specific Queries:**
1. **Column Translations:** Please provide standard translations/transliterations for the 10 column headers on this 1875 Revision List form.
2. **Age & Hidden Margin:** What is the column title and value for the partially bound/hidden numbers column adjacent to Line 4 (male age column)?
3. **Marginalia / Entry Context:** Does the text under entry #4 or the summary/footer state why Yavnel has no standard listed age (e.g., newborn, omitted, transferred, deceased)?

#### Example 2: Minimalist Annotator Template

**Task:** Line-item transcription and header clarification for Revision List record.
* **Target Person:** Yavnel Rakshteiga (Явнель Хацкелевич Ракштейн / Rakshtein), Male line 4.

* **Primary Question:** Identify why the male age field appears blank or bound in the margin for entry #4.

* **Deliverables Needed:**
1. Standard column schema (Left to Right headers).
2. Reading of the partially obscured margin column next to male names.
3. Transcription of annotations in line #4 or page summary notes.

---

continues next post ....

9/27/2026 3:39 AM

continues

### Key Improvements & Explanation

#### 1. Standardized Name Transliteration (Russian Cyrillic + English)

* **Why:** In 19th-century Imperial Russian Revision Lists (Ревизские сказки), names were written in Cyrillic cursive (e.g., *Явнель Хацкелевич*). Providing both the English indexed name from JewishGen and the expected Russian phonetic spelling helps researchers immediately locate the exact line without scanning the whole page.

#### 2. Visual Coordinates (Page & Line Mapping)

* **Why:** Stating "Left page, 4th row, Household #8" immediately directs the translator's eye to line 4 (*Явнель Хацкелевич Ракштейн*) without having to parse conversational text.

#### 3. Framing Column Queries explicitly as Form Schema

* **Why:** Pre-printed Revision List forms (10th Revision standard forms or late 19th-century supplementary lists) follow a known 10-column legal structure (5 columns for males on the left, 5 for females on the right). Asking for the schema directly allows the researcher to reference standard archival templates quickly:

* *Col 1:* Family/Household number in previous revision.
* *Col 2:* Family/Household number in current revision.
* *Col 3:* Male family members (names and patronymics).
* *Col 4:* Age at previous revision.
* *Col 5:* Age at current revision (or reason for departure/absence).

#### 4. Disentangling Physical Binding Issues from Missing Data

* **Why:** In bound imperial volumes like this image, the gutter/margin frequently conceals Column 4 (Age at prior revision) or Column 5 (Current age). Requesting a distinction between **physical omission/obscuration due to binding** vs. **textual remarks (e.g., "newborn", "born after revision")** saves the researcher time from searching for hidden text that isn't actually there.

ViewMate Posting VM 115376

Submitted by Deborah Jaffey

Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself!

Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information!

Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today.

Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences.

Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community.

The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

ViewMate Posting VM 115376

Submitted by Deborah Jaffey