Although young people are often accused of not knowing how to cherish family values, today there are more and more attempts to restore the family tree. They are faced with a number of difficulties caused by the instability of the last century: the Great Patriotic War destroyed many archives, confused traces and cut off many lives.
Instructions
Step 1
Start by interviewing all of your relatives, especially the elderly. Do not be afraid to seem intrusive - the gray-haired grandparents will gladly plunge into the memories of their youth. True, you will have to listen carefully in order to compare and analyze the information received later: the information received is not always accurate, something is forgotten, something takes on a new sound. However, this step should be your starting point by setting the direction of your search.
Step 2
Seek the help of specialists who are professionally involved in compiling a family tree. You
you can try to do everything yourself, but it is better to work in parallel with them: it is easier for specialists to open the doors of archives, they can be provided with information that will remain inaccessible to you.
Step 3
Disassemble family documents, in them you will probably find letters or receipts, in which you will find mentions of certain surnames of people who are your relatives.
Step 4
Look for information in libraries: have you come across mentions of people with your last name (the last name of grandmothers, great-grandmothers) before? When and where did this happen, do you share common roots? It is in order for the search to be not chaotic, but directed, and you should first talk with your loved ones. They will help you understand where your ancestors were more likely to live than to do.
Step 5
Use the services of large genealogical sites that allow you to find out the maximum amount of information and find your relatives, which you might not even know about. Some of them are free databases, others are commercial projects. Please note that there are separate thematic sites to search for information about those who took part in the wars. Also, some resources make it easier to compile the family tree itself, allowing you to do it with their help.
