How to find information where my grandfather served. How to find where your grandfather fought

We have been keeping the memory of the Great War of the 20th century and its heroes for more than 70 years. We pass it on to our children and grandchildren, trying not to lose a single fact or surname. Almost every family was affected by this event; many fathers, brothers, husbands never returned. Today we can find information about them thanks to the painstaking work of military archives staff and volunteers who devote their free time to searching for soldiers’ graves. How to do this, how to find a WWII participant by last name, information about his awards, military ranks, place of death? We could not ignore such an important topic, we hope that we can help those who are looking and want to find.

Losses in the Great Patriotic War

It is still unknown exactly how many people left us during this great human tragedy. After all, the counting did not begin immediately; only in 1980, with the advent of glasnost in the USSR, historians, politicians, and archive staff were able to begin official work. Until this time, scattered data that were beneficial at that time were received.

• After celebrating Victory Day in 1945, J.V. Stalin said that we had buried 7 million Soviet citizens. He spoke, in his opinion, about everyone, both about those who died during the battle and about those who were taken prisoner by the German occupiers. But he missed a lot, did not say about the rear employees who stood at the machine from morning until night, falling dead from exhaustion. I forgot about the sentenced saboteurs, traitors to the motherland, ordinary residents and siege survivors of Leningrad who died in small villages; missing persons. Unfortunately, they can be listed for a long time.
• Later L.I. Brezhnev provided different information, he reported 20 million dead.

Today, thanks to the decoding of secret documents and search work, the numbers are becoming real. Thus, you can see the following picture:

• Combat losses received directly at the front during battles amount to about 8,860,400 people.
• Non-combat losses (from illnesses, wounds, accidents) - 6,885,100 people.

However, these figures do not yet correspond to complete reality. War, and even this kind of war, is not only the destruction of the enemy at the cost of one’s own life. These are broken families - unborn children. This is a huge loss of the male population, thanks to which it will not soon be possible to restore the balance necessary for good demography.

These are diseases, hunger in the post-war years and death from it. This is rebuilding the country again, again in many ways, at the cost of people’s lives. All of them also need to be taken into account when doing calculations. All of them are victims of terrible human vanity, whose name is war.

How to find a participant in the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945 by last name?

There is no better memory for the stars of victory than the desire of the future generation to know. The desire to save information for others, to avoid such repetition. How to find a WWII participant by last name, where to find possible information about grandfathers and great-grandfathers, fathers who took part in battles, knowing their last name? Especially for this purpose, there are now electronic repositories that everyone can access.

1. obd-memorial.ru - here contains official data containing reports of units about losses, funerals, trophy cards, as well as information about rank, status (died, was killed or disappeared, where), scanned documents.
2. moypolk.ru is a unique resource containing information about home front workers. The very ones without whom we would not have heard the important word “Victory”. Thanks to this site, many have already been able to find or help find lost people.

The work of these resources is not only to search for great people, but also to collect information about them. If you have any, please report it to the administrators of these sites. In this way, we will do a great common cause - we will preserve memory and history.

Archive of the Ministry of Defense: search by last name of WWII participants

Another one is the main, central, largest project - https://archive.mil.ru/. The documents preserved there are mostly isolated and remained intact due to the fact that they were taken to the Orenburg region.

Over the years of work, CA staff have created an excellent reference apparatus showing the contents of archival accumulations and funds. Now its goal is to provide people with access to possible documents through electronic computing technology. Thus, a website has been launched where you can try to find a military man who participated in the Second World War, knowing his last name. How to do it?

• On the left side of the screen, find the “memory of the people” tab.
• Indicate his full name.
• The program will give you the available information: date of birth, awards, scanned documents. Everything that is in the files for a given person.
• You can set a filter on the right, selecting only the sources you want. But it's better to choose everything.
• On this site it is possible to look at military operations on a map and the path of the unit in which the hero served.

This is a unique project in its essence. There is no longer such a volume of data collected and digitized from all existing and available sources: card indexes, electronic memory books, medical battalion documents and command directories. In truth, as long as such programs and the people who provide them exist, the memory of the people will be eternal.

If you didn’t find the right person there, don’t despair, there are other sources, maybe they’re not as large-scale, but that doesn’t make them any less informative. Who knows in which folder the information you need might be lying around.

Participants of the Second World War: search by last name, archive and awards

Where else can you look? There are more narrowly focused repositories, for example:

1. dokst.ru. As we said, those who were captured also became victims of this terrible war. Their fate may be displayed on foreign websites like this one. Here in the database there is everything about Russian prisoners of war and the burials of Soviet citizens. You only need to know the last name, you can look at the lists of captured people. The Documentation Research Center is located in the city of Dresden, and it was he who organized this site to help people from all over the world. You can not only search the site, but also send a request through it.
2. Rosarkhiv archives.ru is an agency that is an executive authority that keeps records of all government documents. Here you can make a request either online or by phone. A sample electronic appeal is available on the website in the “appeals” section, left column on the page. Some services here are provided for a fee; a list of them can be found in the “archive activities” section. With this in mind, be sure to ask whether you will need to pay for your request.
3. rgavmf.ru - a naval reference book about the destinies and great deeds of our sailors. In the “orders and applications” section there is an email address for processing documents left for storage after 1941. By contacting the archive staff, you can get any information and find out the cost of such a service; most likely it is free.

WWII awards: search by last name

To search for awards and feats, an open portal has been organized, dedicated specifically to this www.podvignaroda.ru. Information is published here about 6 million cases of awards, as well as 500,000 unawarded medals and orders that never reached the recipient. Knowing the name of your hero, you can find a lot of new things about his fate. The posted scanned documents of orders and award sheets, data from registration files, will complement your existing knowledge.

Who else can I contact for information about awards?

• On the website of the Central Election Commission of the Ministry of Defense, in the section “Awards are looking for their heroes,” a list of awarded soldiers who did not receive them was published. Additional names can be obtained by phone.
• rkka.ru/ihandbook.htm - encyclopedia of the Red Army. It published some lists of the assignment of senior officer ranks and special ranks. The information may not be as extensive, but existing sources should not be neglected.
• https://www.warheroes.ru/ is a project created with the aim of popularizing the exploits of the defenders of the Fatherland.

A lot of useful information, which sometimes is not found anywhere, can be found on the forums of the above sites. Here people share valuable experiences and tell their own stories that can help you too. There are many enthusiasts who are ready to help everyone in one way or another. They create their own archives, conduct their own research, and can also be found only on forums. Don't shy away from this type of search.

WWII veterans: search by last name

1. oldgazette.ru is an interesting project created by ideological people. A person who wants to find information enters data, it can be anything: full name, name of awards and date of receipt, line from a document, description of an event. This combination of words will be calculated by search engines, but not just on websites, but in old newspapers. Based on the results, you will see everything that was found. Maybe this is where you will be lucky, you will find at least a thread.
2. It happens that we search among the dead and find among the living. After all, many returned home, but due to the circumstances of that difficult time, they changed their place of residence. To find them, use the website pobediteli.ru. This is where people searching send letters asking for help in finding their fellow soldiers, random encounters during the war. The project's capabilities allow you to select a person by name and region, even if he lives abroad. If you see it on these lists or similar, you need to contact the administration and discuss this issue. Kind, attentive staff will definitely help and do everything they can. The project does not interact with government organizations and cannot provide personal information: telephone number, address. But it is quite possible to publish your search request. More than 1,000 people have already been able to find each other this way.
3. 1941-1945.at Veterans do not abandon their own. Here on the forum you can communicate, make inquiries among the veterans themselves, perhaps they have met and have information about the person you need.

The search for the living is no less relevant than the search for dead heroes. Who else will tell us the truth about those events, about what they experienced and suffered. About how they greeted victory, the very first, the most expensive, sad and happy at the same time.

Additional sources

Regional archives were created throughout the country. Not so large, often standing on the shoulders of ordinary people, they have preserved unique single records. Their addresses are on the website of the movement to perpetuate the memory of the victims. And:

• https://www.1942.ru/ - “Seeker”.
• https://iremember.ru/ - memories, letters, archives.
• https://www.biograph-soldat.ru/ - international biographical center.

In recent years, many sites have appeared on the Internet that post documents dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. You can find all digitized documents that mention your grandfather, great-grandfather, close or distant relative. These are award documents, descriptions of feats, registration cards, information about losses, documents of hospitals and medical battalions, lists of burials, etc. It is a pity that not all documents are available yet. This information can be found using the Internet resource “Memory of the People”. The same site will help you trace your relative’s military path.

First, you need to find out in which unit your grandfather or great-grandfather fought. There are many options: find a Red Army book, documents, etc. I managed to find out that my grandfather fought in the 449th OLBS (separate linear communications battalion). After digging around on the Internet, it turned out that 449 OLBS was part of the 39th Army of the second formation. Grandfather began his battle journey near Rzhev, reached Konigsberg, then was transferred to Mongolia, where he ended the war at Port Arthur. This information is contained on the Internet, and the same information is confirmed by my grandfather’s Red Army book.

Now let’s try, with the help of “Memory of the People,” to see the battle path of 39 A. In theory, you need to track the path of a separate unit (battalion, regiment, division) - this is more accurate and clearer, but 449 OLBS was directly subordinate to 39 A.

So, go to the website and go to the “Combat Operations” section and enter the name of the combat unit. Will find a list of all operations in which this unit participated. 39 And the second formation took part in hostilities from the beginning of August 1942, so we choose one of the operations later than this date. Let it be the Rzhev-Sychevsk offensive operation. Let's go to the page of the combat operation (11/25/1942-12/20/1942).

We see that 39 A was then part of the Kalinin Front and struck from Molodoy Tud to Olenino and Upyri. On the map you can change the scale and select the position of fronts and military formations for different dates. As we can see, by the end of Operation Mars, 39 A was unable to break the German resistance and went on the defensive.

Below you will find lists of soldiers and officers awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union,” combat logs and military graves in the area of ​​the military operation.

From the same page, click on 39 A and go to the page of the military unit. Here we will see the command staff and the combat path of the unit. You can familiarize yourself in detail with all combat operations.

How to find your relative - a participant in the Great Patriotic War by last name, how to find out information about his awards, military ranks, military path and place of death? This memo will help you collect the most detailed information about your ancestor, a participant in the Second World War.

1 Sort out family archives

Ask your family and friends, sort through family archives and write down all the information which you will recognize. Pay special attention to letters and official documents from the front - the postal stamp contains the number of the military unit.

The transcript can be found on the website www.soldat.ru

2 Consult Databases

First of all, check the electronic archives:

Enter the veteran's information into the search fields.

If you didn't find anything - try different spellings of your first name, last name and place of birth.

If the surname is common, use the advanced search and enter additional information.

Check your databases regularly- they are constantly updated and new information about your soldier may appear.

Look beyond the search results that appear at the top! Study the entire document - there is additional information there. If the document is multi-page, open the title page - there may be a part number there. Knowing the unit number, you can determine the unit's combat path.

Check out Memory Books- they are stored in military registration and enlistment offices, archives, and local history museums. Information about soldiers was entered into the books according to three criteria: place of birth, place of conscription and place of burial. If there is no information, contact the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Moscow, Pobeda Square, 3, index 121096) - all books published before 1996 are stored there.

3 Send a request to the official archives

• in the metric book (stored in regional archives)
• in civil registration records (stored in regional archives or in civil registry offices)
• in household books (stored in the archives of district administrations)
• in personal files (kept at companies)

4 Make a request to the military registration and enlistment office

Do written request to the military registration and enlistment office- indicate in it all the information you have about the veteran (full name, year and place of birth, place of conscription, rank, etc.).

If possible, visit the military registration and enlistment office in person. Before visiting, be sure to:

1. Copy the sheets of the draft books containing information about soldiers drafted on the same day as your relative.
2. Check all names through the Memorial OBD website (www.obd-memorial.ru)

There is a possibility that they were sent to the same place as your relative.

5 Find out where your relative served

Knowing the unit number (division, battalion, etc.), you can understand exactly where and when your ancestor fought. The battle path can be traced on the “Memory of the People” website

If Human has already served in the armed forces, then you have several options to find out reliable information about the place of military service. Of course, such information is specific, and it is not distributed left and right. That is why the circle of people admitted to this information is very narrow. Usually it is given only to close relatives.

Instructions

Firstly, now we all live in the age of developed information technology: try searching for information on the Internet. If you know the number of the military unit, then enter it into the search engine. As practice shows, now almost every part has its own group on social networks, which you can easily find by identification number. And then, as they say, it’s a matter of technique. On the forum, ask local “old-timers” if they know such and such Human and, and if so, where and how they served together.

If the Internet does not help, proceed to plan B. After demobilization, each serviceman is required to put a mark on his military service in the army at the military registration and enlistment office at the place of registration from where he was taken into the army. Then he is obliged to provide accurate information about the place and time of military service, the branch of service, the number of the military unit, and the exact address. Therefore, the easiest way to find out the information you are interested in is to contact the military registration and enlistment office.

If you only have approximate information about your duty station Human and, for example, a district or district, then you will have to do painstaking work. Make or find (on the same Internet) a list of all military units in this area with exact addresses and telephone numbers. Then call these parts and ask for the information you are interested in. Of course, it’s not at all a fact that they will willingly provide it to you, but the chance still remains.

The ideal option is a special request from law enforcement agencies or the prosecutor's office, but this is usually required if Human is involved in any criminal case as an accused or witness. You can only obtain this information indirectly, either as a participant, or by attending an open court hearing.

Attention, TODAY only!

Everything interesting

Often people are faced with a situation where they need to find a person through a phone number. Finding out a subscriber's details using one number is quite difficult, but it is possible with some persistence and diligence.
You can get information about a person in...

The closer the 18th birthday, the more the young man is concerned about the question of how to get a deferment from military service. However, if an important date of birth has approached closely, this does not mean at all that the young man will have to serve without fail. Exists…

Military service on a contract basis is most often carried out for a long period of time. But even after its completion, you can, under certain conditions, return to service, guided by certain laws. Instructions 1Familiarize yourself with the procedure...

In Russia, all men are liable for military service and, upon reaching the age of 18, are drafted into the army, with the exception of those who are granted a deferment for health reasons or studies. Of course, military service is hard, and there are cases when...

Nowadays, it is quite difficult to imagine a person who does not have a telephone. With the introduction of mobile communications, home phones have not lost their popularity. If, for example, the last name is known, then it is enough to find out the subscriber’s mobile phone number...

Often the telephone numbers of Russian military units are hidden from strangers who are not related to the people serving there, but there are several ways to obtain this information. You will need - internet connection; - reference book. Instructions...

Each of us has encountered at least once in our lives the need to find out information about a subscriber by his phone number. Such a need may arise for various reasons, often not related to malicious intent. So what is the most...

The need to find out the number of a military unit may arise for various reasons. The unit number is necessary if you want to find information about your former duty station and co-workers. The young soldier’s relatives need the number of the military unit to contact...

The need to obtain information about the telephone number of a military unit may arise for various reasons, if you want to contact the commander of a recruit, a young soldier or an officer sent on assignment, find out about colleagues or get...

At the moment, the army, unfortunately, has lost the reputation and respect that it had during the Soviet Union. Therefore, the main problem of young people of military age is to find any opportunities that will allow them to avoid...

If you need to determine the place of service of a relative who died during the war, immediately prepare yourself for labor-intensive work. Don't think that someone will just tell you all the information that interests you. If any information and...

When a person is sent to serve in the army, all contacts with him are severed. Friends and relatives sometimes wait for months for the first letter from an employee in which he would tell about his place of stay. Some are starting their attempts...

Today, anyone has the opportunity to find information about relatives and loved ones who died or disappeared during the Great Patriotic War. Many websites have been created to study documents containing personal data of military personnel during the war. "RG" presents an overview of the most useful of them. Therefore, do not despair if you were unable to find any data about your relatives in the bank of unpresented awards of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta - the search can be continued on other Internet resources.

Database

www.rkka.ru - a directory of military abbreviations (as well as regulations, manuals, directives, orders and personal documents of wartime).

Libraries

oldgazette.ru - old newspapers (including the war period).

www.rkka.ru - description of military operations of the Second World War, post-war analysis of the events of the Second World War, military memoirs.

Military cards

www.rkka.ru - military topographic maps with the combat situation (by war periods and operations)

Search Engine Sites

www.rf-poisk.ru - official website of the Russian Search Movement

Archives

www.archives.ru - Federal Archive Agency (Rosarkhiv)

www.rusarchives.ru - industry portal "Archives of Russia"

archive.mil.ru - Central archive of the Ministry of Defense.

rgvarchive.ru - Russian State Military Archive (RGVA). The archive stores documents about the military operations of the Red Army units in 1937-1939. near Lake Khasan, on the Khalkhin Gol River, in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. Here are also documents of the border and internal troops of the Cheka-OGPU-NKVD-MVD of the USSR since 1918; documents of the Main Directorate for Prisoners of War and Internees of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and institutions of its system (GUPVI Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR) for the period 1939-1960; personal documents of Soviet military leaders; documents of foreign origin (trophy). You can also find on the archive website