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- 1). Conduct research on Ukrainian relatives in the U.S. first. Compile all the documents and details concerning the immigrant family as possible. This includes ship manifests which will provide names of all those who traveled, ages and occupations. Depending on the ship manifest year, the manifest will also include a contact person and address for someone back home and a contact and address for the person meeting them in the U.S. The old country contact is important in locating the village from which the Ukrainian ancestor came. Additional documents such as U.S. Passport applications, Social Security applications, death certificates and naturalization documents also provide details about the immigrant's origins.
- 2). Locate the village on a map from which the immigrant came. If the village is known, locate its current location. If the village is unknown, but a district or county is known, locate that. Then research the history of the area. Before World War II, European country boundaries changed frequently as wars were held and lands occupied. When the boundaries changed, sometimes the language spoken and the village name changed as well. Knowing the history of the area and boundary and name changes will aid in locating records.
- 3). Conduct online searching for Ukrainian documents and use websites that list Ukrainian links (see Resources). Some Ukrainian vital documents have been scanned and are available online or researchers will find information on Ukrainian families online. Compile as much information as possible before writing away for records.
- 4). Determine where Ukrainian records are held in the Ukraine today (see Resources). Write letters to the appropriate archives office requesting records. Take special note of fees to search and obtain the records. Some countries also offer translation services for additional fees. Another option for translation services is to look locally. Many colleges have students with varied nationalities who might be able to offer translation services. Look into local genealogy and historical societies as well.
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