The story behind
Rivne Search
How researching my own family led me to discover the remarkable records surviving in the Rivne archives.
Hello, I'm Mike.
My journey into the Rivne archives began with a personal search for my family's history.
My grandfather was born in Równe in 1919, when the region was undergoing the transition from the Russian Empire to the Second Polish Republic. The family emigrated to Canada in 1925, leaving behind their lives in Poland and Russia, of which they rarely spoke again. With no surviving documents in the family's possession, the belief passed down through generations was that the records of their earlier lives had all been destroyed.
I initially wanted to understand where my family had come from and establish the documentary evidence needed for a Polish citizenship application. But as I began exploring the archives, I discovered that far more information about my family had survived than any of us had imagined.
Beyond birth certificates
Like many people researching Jewish families from the region, I encountered the loss of original birth, marriage and death registers.
What surprised me was the extraordinary amount of information preserved elsewhere.
Identity card applications, passport files, household registers, electoral lists, property records and municipal correspondence revealed details of my family's lives that had been forgotten for generations.
I found evidence of businesses they operated, homes they owned, journeys to British Mandate Palestine and relatives whose movements had previously been unknown. Some administrative files even contained certified copies of birth and marriage records from registers that no longer survive.
As my research progressed, I learned how to navigate the archival collections, interpret historical inventories and connect information found across different records.
Why I started Rivne Search
Through this work, I developed a detailed understanding of the records held in the State Archives of Rivne Oblast, particularly those from the Russian Empire and Polish interwar periods.
I continue to explore the archives almost daily, regularly uncovering fascinating new documents connected to my own family. Along the way, I've also become familiar with many other families and individuals whose names recur throughout the records, gradually building a broader picture of the communities that once lived in the region.
I also came to appreciate how difficult these collections can be to navigate without familiarity with their organisation, historical context and languages.
I established Rivne Search to make that knowledge available to others seeking to understand their family's history or locate documentary evidence for Polish citizenship applications.
My focus is on finding useful historical records, whether that means locating a specific document or undertaking a broader investigation into a family's past.
A considered approach to research
I know from personal experience how rewarding archival discoveries can be, but also how frustrating an unsuccessful search can feel.
That's why I approach each enquiry individually, starting with the information already available and identifying the most promising avenues of research before considering more extensive searches.
I aim to be transparent about what may be possible, the likely costs and the limitations of the surviving records. Not every search produces a discovery, and I won't recommend extensive research where there is little reason to expect a useful result.
Rivne Search is a personal research service. When you make an enquiry, you're dealing directly with the person undertaking the research.