Capital : Moscow (Moskva)
Karelian Republic, Bashkir Republic (Bashkortostan), Kara Kalpak
Republic, Yakut Republic (Sakha), Buryat Republic, Tuva Republic,
Komi Republic, Udmurt Republic, Mari Republic, Chuvash Republic,
Tatar Republic, Mordovian Republic (Mordvinia), Kalmyk Republic,
Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Checheno-Ingush Republic, N. Ossetian
Republic, Dagestan Republic
The Bosphoran Kingdom around the Crimean peninsula was part of
the Roman world but the rest of this large group of territories
remained outside it. It was here that the Huns made their first
appearance in Europe in AD 170, affecting first the Ostrogoths
in the Crimea and the Ukraine. Slavs from the Carpathian mountain
area moved east and west in large quantities around the C6th and
the Avars arrived from further east about the same time.
At this stage, the various tribes followed their own pagan religions
but the struggle for supremacy between the Roman Catholic and
Byzantine Orthodox Christian factions led to competition to convert
the Slavs. There was a Christian church in Kiev by 867 and the
Russian prince, Vladimir, was baptised in 988. As Islam spread
from the east, the peoples around the Caspian and Black Seas and
the eastern end of the Khazar Empire were converted from the late
C7th on.
The Khazar Empire at the western end of the Eurasian steppe was
the most civilised state in the region since the Scythian power
collapsed in the C3rd BC. It was converted to Judaism in about
AD 740 and controlled a large territory stretching from Sambat
(later Kiev) south to Kherson at the tip of the Crimea and east
to the Caspian where the capital, Itil, was one of the great commercial
centres.
In the C9th and 10th, Swedish traders crossed the Baltic to visit markets in Kievan Russia and their leaders took over Kiev and Novgorod. The Vikings established and dominated waterway trade routes and the first Russian state emerged in order to prevent them controlling the surrounding lands. The Rus managed to hold the lands of the lower Prut, Dniester and Bug and to control the Dnieper route to Byzantium. Grand Prince Svyatoslav (962-72) decided to strengthen Russia by destroying the Khazar Empire but this allowed in the warlike Turkic nomads, the Pechenegs, who controlled the area until displaced by the equally fierce Polovtsy who sacked Kiev in 1093.
After 1054, the constant battle against the nomads broke the Kievan
state into separate and sometimes hostile principalities. In 1169,
the capital moved from Kiev to Vladimir (near Moscow) and Russian
missionaries travelled extensively amongst the tribes but the
Volga Bolgars prevented further eastern expansion. The C13th saw
numerous Mongol raids and continuous attacks from Sweden and Germany
in the Baltic region. Prince Alexander Nevsky defeated the Swedes
at the River Neva in 1240 and the Germans at Lake Peipus in 1242
but was forced to recognise Mongol overlordship. Although they
soon withdrew to the steppe, Mongol influence and taxation did
serious political and economic damage and the leading cities were
destroyed.
The Principality of Moscow rose from a tiny area overshadowed
by the Mongols in the east to dominate its neighbours but in the
C15th was isolated from the western world. This increased in 1448
when the Russian Orthodox church declared its independence from
Constantinople and elected its own bishops. Muscovy continued
to grow in power, with Ivan III annexing the territory of the
great City Republic of Novgorod in 1478, and declared independence
from the Tartars of the south in 1480.
In the C16th Moscow annexed the Pskov Republic and began the great
eastern expansion which was to acquire the Khanates of Kazan (1552)
and Astrakhan (1556) which gave it control of the Volga river
down to the Caspian Sea. Ivan IV 'the Terrible' fought a long
war over Livonia but did not gain control of it and the Crimean
Tartars sacked Moscow in 1571 but the fur trade in Siberia was
extended to the Pacific coast in 1639, establishing Russian control
over northern Asia and opening up the silk trade with China. Throughout
the C17th, Russian colonisation continued southwards across the
Oka River, founding several new towns.
After the extinction of the Muscovite royal house, the 'Time of
Troubles' (1598-1613) had ended with the election of Michael,
the first Romanov Tsar. The Romanovs regained much of the land
lost previously to Sweden, Lithuania and Poland and the Cossacks
of the Ukraine rose against Poland and swore allegiance to the
Tsar in 1648. This began a period of warfare in which the Ottoman
Turks were also involved which ended in a Treaty between Russia
and Poland in 1686 which gave Russia control of Kiev and the middle
Dnieper. After 1700, Peter I 'the Great' fought a long war with
Sweden which gave him Estonia, Livonia and the port of Riga in
a treaty of 1721. He also founded the new port of St Petersburg
and proclaimed himself Emperor instead of Tsar. The Turkish wars
of Catherine the Great continued Black Sea expansion. By the end
of the C18th, Russia controlled the northern shore from Dniester
to the Caucasus. Odessa, founded in 1794, became the main port
for Russian exports to the Mediterranean.
By 1815, Russia had acquired much of the old Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth with the Congress of Vienna after the fall of Napoleon
allowing the Tsar to become king of the reinstated Polish kingdom.
It partially occupied Armenia, formerly under Ottoman control
in 1804, extended into the Persian territories of Azerbaijan in
the 1820s and in 1853 gained control of the Black Sea by sinking
the Turkish fleet. This led to the Crimean War with Britain and
France who invaded in 1854. Despite setbacks, including the startling
incident of 'The Charge of The Light Brigade', Russia could not
remove her attackers and in 1856 was forced to sign the Peace
of Paris, agreeing not to keep a navy in the Black Sea or maintain
bases on the shore. After invading the Balkans in 1877, Russia
lost most of the land gained when the Congress of Berlin divided
it between Austria and Turkey in 1878.
Eastern expansion was more successful. Campaigns took over the
Caucusus from 1857 to 1864 and used it as a base to subdue central
Asia; the Uzbek khanates of Khokand, Khiva and Bokhara, the Turkmen
nomads and the Tadzhik and Kirgiz mountain tribes. There was a
short-lived colonisation of North America which ended with the
sale of Alaska to the USA in 1867. In the Far East, treaties extended
the Russian borders as far as the Amur River and the Pacific coast
south of Vladivostock (founded 1860) and the southern part of
Sakhalin was gained from Japan in exchange for the Kuril Islands
in 1875. Russia obtained the warm-water harbour of Port Arthur
on the Yellow Sea on lease from China in 1898 and the Trans-Siberian
Railway was completed in 1903 to facilitate trade.
Hostilities with Japan over Manchuria and Korea led to the return
of south Sakhalin to Japan in 1905 which encouraged revolution
amongst an oppressed peasantry who were still virtually slaves
despite Alexander II's attempts at reform in 1860s. Tsar Nicholas
II was compelled to form a parliament or duma and Prime
Minister Stolypin began reform, especially in agriculture. In
1914, Russia became involved in WWI where heavy losses combined
with resentment towards the Imperial family and economic problems
to bring about the Revolution of 1917. Nicholas II abdicated in
March 1917 and a period of 'dual power' between the duma
and Soviets or councils of workers began, with the government
supported by the Soviets' moderate Menshevik leaders and,
initially, by the Bolsheviks.
The return from exile of Lenin changed Bolshevik policy and they revolted in November 1917 (October by their new calendar). After three years of civil war during which the Tsar and his family were assassinated and around 13 million people died from war and famine, the Bolsheviks were victorious. Lenin's Communist Party replaced Soviet rule and gradually relations with the west were re-established. Internal problems continued under Stalin and Trotsky but after WWII in which Russia joined those countries opposing Germany, communism and Soviet Socialist influence spread to much of Eastern Europe. Revolts during the 50s and 60s were put down and it was not until the late 80s that the Perestroika or freedom policies of Mikhail Gorbachev led to the fall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union. There has even been discussion of a restoration of monarchy with the current heir attending the Russian naval academy in St Petersburg.
After Russia became Christianised towards the end of the C10th,
many people had a Christian name, often followed by an old Russian
name. Later the Russian Orthodox Church forbade the use of native
Slavonic names, preferring those of saints of the Eastern Church.
This led to a Russian naming tradition based on Byzantine Greek
although by the later C19th Slavonic names were being reintroduced
to some extent. As Russian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet,
English spellings can vary with different Roman letters being
used for the same sounds ('ts' and 'ch', 'o' and 'a')
Russians are almost always addressed by a 'pet' form of their
name and there is a very wide range of these with each name being
able to take several forms. Often the diminutive seems to bear
little relation to the original name but they are usually formed
from one syllable of it with various endings added. Common endings
are '-lenka', '-linka', '-ta', '-asha', '-ya', '-yan', '-a', '-usha',
'-ushka', '-oshka', '-yasha', '-lka'.
From the C10th on, Russians used their patronymic (father's name)
to identify themselves. Endings are different to indicate male
or female. The patronymic was formed by dropping the original
ending and adding a new one, usually '-ev' (instead of a vowel)
or '-ov' after a consonant. Names ending in '-ii' or '-yi' usually
dropped both vowels. Names already ending in '-ov' or '-ev' took
'l' in front of the ending, those ending in '-a' took '-in' and
'-ia' took '-yn'.
Sometimes the father's name was not changed but '-syn' (son) was
added, usually afterwards but it could come in front of it. If
another member of the family was especially well-known, his name
might be used, with 'vnuk' - grandson, 'pravnuk' - great-grandson,
'brat' - brother, 'ziat' - son-in-law or 'pasynok' - stepson.
The genitive case could also be used without the 'syn', giving
the patronymic an '-a' ending if the original name ended in a
consonant or an '-o' or '-ia' if the ending was a soft consonant.
Names ending in '-a' or '-ia' take '-y' or '-i' endings, '-ii'
becomes '-ego' and '-oi', ' -ogo'.
The '-vich' ending was originally used by the upper class in the
Novgorod area but by the C16th it was an honour restricted to
high officials and could only be granted by the Tsar. A rare early
form not found later than the C13th was the addition of '-l' to
names ending in '-av'.
Women had no legal rights and were considered as an appendage
of their husbands or fathers until Peter the Great's land reforms
in 1714 when they were given the right to own property and could
use full names including a patronymic and surname. Women's patronymics
ended in '-a' or were followed by 'doch' or 'vnuka'/'vnuchka'
- granddaughter until marriage when they became known by their
husband's name with 'zhena' - wife or 'vdova' - widow. This could
later be replaced by their son's name with 'mat' - mother and
'devka' - mistress/servant also occurs. Sometimes they used both
the father's and the husband's names, and occasionally the actual
given name was not recorded at all. Modern Russians use the feminine
patronymic endings '-ovna'/'-evna' which are not common in the
Middle Ages.
In some rare cases, the patronymic is replaced by a form of the
mother's name - a metronymic. This could be an indication of illegitimacy
but if the mother was sufficiently important (a member of the
royal family for example) her name could be used. Recently the
use of patronymics has become less common and is considered rather
old-fashioned by some people.
| Name and Variations | Diminutives | Archaic/Rustic Forms | Patronymics and Surnames |
| Adrian | Adrik | ||
| Afanasi, Afanasy | Afonka, Afonya | Afanasiev Afanasii Afansiev
Afanasyeva | |
| Aleksander, Aleksandr, Alexandr | Alek, Lyaksandr, Sanya, Sasha, Sashenka, Shura, Shurik | Shurochka | Aleksandrov
Aleksandrovna |
| Aleksei, Aleksey, Alexei, Alexey | Alesha, Alyosha, Alyoshenka, Lyosha | Alekseev, Alekseevitch Alekseeva, Alekseevna | |
| Anatoli, Anatoliy, Anatoly | Tolya, Tolenka | ||
| Andrei, Andrey | Andrusha, Andryusha | Andreev, Andreyev,
Andrevitch, Andreitch Andreevna | |
| Andrian | |||
| Anton | Antinko, Antosha, Tosya, Tusya | Antonov, Antonovich
Antonova, Antonovna | |
| Arkadi, Arkadij, Arkady | Arkasha | ||
| Arseni, Arseny | - | ||
| Artour, Artur | |||
| Artyom, Artyem, Artiom | Tyoma, Tyomechka, Tyomka, | ||
| Bagdan, Bogdan, Bohdan (Ukranian) | Bogdashka | Bogdanov | |
| Berendei Beredei, Berdy? | |||
| Boris | Borinka, Borya, Boryenka, Borushka | ||
| Boroda | Borodin, Borodinich
Borodina, Borodovna | ||
| Clavdy, Klavdii | Clasha | ||
| Daniil | Danya | Danila | Danilov, Danilova |
| Demid | Desya | ||
| Demyan | |||
| Denis | Deniska | Denisov, Denisova | |
| Dimitri, Dmitrij, Dmitriy | Dima, Dimka, Dmitryushka, Mitka, Mitenka, Mitya | Dimitriev, Dimitrov | |
| Eduard | Edik | ||
| Efim, Yefim, Efimi | Fima | Efimov, Yefemov, Yefimov | |
| Egor, Yegor | Egorushka, Egorka | Egorov, Egorova
Yegorov, Yegorova | |
| Eitan, Etan | |||
| Eremei | Yarema, Yaremka, Yerik | Yeryoma | |
| Eugeniy, Evgenij, Evgeniy, Evgeny, Jevgeny, Yevgeni, Yevgeny, Yevgeniy | Zhenya, Zhenechka | ||
| Fabiyan | Fabi | ||
| Faddei, Fadey | Fadeyka, Fadeyushka | ||
| Fedot | |||
| Feodosi, Fedosy | |||
| Feofilakt | Feofil | ||
| Fyodor, Fedor | Fedya, Fedyenka, Fedka | Fedorov, Fedorovitch, Fedoriv
Fedorova, Fedorovna | |
| Garald, Garold, Gerald, Garolds | Garii, Garsha | ||
| Gavriil, Gavril, Gavrel | Ganya, Gavrusha, Vag | Gavrila | |
| Gennadi, Gennady | Gena, Genochka | ||
| Georgi, Georgiy, Georgy | Gorya, Jeorgif, Yuri, Zhorah, Zhorz, | Georgiev, Georgievna | |
| Grigory | Grisha | Grigorieff, Grigoriev | |
| Ignatii, Ignaty | Ignat | Ignatiev, Ignatova | |
| Igor | Garik, Igorek, Igorechek, Igoryok | ||
| Ilarion | Ilari | ||
| Ilya, Ilia | Ilusha, Ilyusha | Ilyich | |
| Innokenti, Innokentiy | Kesha | ||
| Ioakim, Yackim, Yakim | Akim | ||
| Ivan | Vanya, Vanyusha, Vanechka | Ivashko, Ivashka | Ivanov, Ivanitch
Ivanova |
| Israil, Izrail | |||
| Jov, Iov, Yov | |||
| Kiril, Kirill, Kiryl | Kirila, Kiriyushak | ||
| Kiriyak | |||
| Kondrati, Kondraty | Kondrashka, | Kondratov, Kondratyev, Kondrateva | |
| Konstantin, Constantin | Kostya, Kostick, Kotik, Kostenka, Kostusha, Kostyusha | ||
| Kozma, Kuzma | Kuzya, Kuzen'ka | ||
| Laurentiy, Lavrenti, Lavrenty | - | ||
| Leonid, Leonide | Leon, Leonti? Lyonya, Lyonechka | ||
| Lev, Lyov (Leo) | Levka, Levushka, | ||
| Lukyan | Lukasha, Luka, Lukya | ||
| Makar, Makari , Makary | Makarka | Makarin, Makarov | |
| Maksim, Maxim | Maks | Maksimov
Maksimova, Maksimovna | |
| Malina? | Malinin, Malininich
Malinina, Malinovna | ||
| Matvei, Matvey | Matyash, Mot'ka | ||
| Mavriky, Mavriti | - | ||
| Michail, Mihail Mikhail | Mischa, Misha, Mishe, Mishenka | Mikhailov, Mikhailovich
Mikhailova, Mikhailovna | |
| Nicolai, Nikolay, Nikolos | Kolya, Kolenka, Kolushka, Nikolenka, Nikolinka, Nikolushka | ||
| Nikita | |||
| Oleg | Olezka, Olezha, Olezhka | ||
| Onanii Onanin? | |||
| Osip, Esip, Iosif | Oska, Osya | ||
| Parfen | Parfenka | ||
| Pavel | Pasha, Pashenka,, Pavlusha,Pavushenka | ||
| Prokofy, Prokopi | Prokhor? | ||
| Pyotr | Petya, Petenka, Petrusha, Petrushka | Petrov, Petrovich
Petrova, Petrovna | |
| Roman | Roma, Romochka, | Romanov | |
| Rouslan, Ruslan | |||
| Ryurik, Rurik | |||
| Samuil | Syoma, Samoyla | ||
| Saveli | Sava | ||
| Savva | |||
| Semyon, Semion, Semen | Semka, Syoma | Semenova? | |
| Serge, Sergei, Sergey, Serguei | Sergev, Seriozha, Seriozhenka, Seryozhenka, Seryozha, Seryozkha | Sergeyev | |
| Sevastien, Sevastyan | Seva | ||
| Stanislav | Slavik | ||
| Stepan, Stefan, Stephan | Stepka, Stepanka, Stepashka, Styopa | Stepanov | |
| Sviatoslav, Svyatoslav | Slava | Sviatoslavov, Sviatoslavich
Sviatoslavova | |
| Teodor | Teodorov, Teodorovna | ||
| Tikhon | Tisha | Tikhanov? | |
| Tomas | Foma | ||
| Valentin | Valya | ||
| Valeri, Valeriy | Valerik, Valya | Valera | |
| Vasiliy, Vassily, Basil | Vasya, Vasilik, Vaska, Vasenka, Vasilyok, Vasyenka | Vasilev, Vasilevich
Vasileva, Vassilyevna | |
| Venedict, Venedikt | Venya | ||
| Veniamin, Venjamin | Venya | ||
| Vikent | Vikenti, Vikesha | ||
| Viktor | Vitya, Vitenka | ||
| Vitaly | Vitya | ||
| Vladimir, Vladimer | Volodya, Vova, Vimka, Volodenka, Vovochka | Volodimer | Volodimerov |
| Vladislav | Vladik, Vladya | ||
| Vlasii, Vlasi, Vlas | - | Vlasov | |
| Vsevolad, Vsevolod | - | ||
| Vyacheslav | Slava, Slavochka | ||
| Yakov, Iakov | Yasha, Yasha | ||
| Yarok | Yasha, Jasha | ||
| Yaroslav, Jaroslav, Iaroslav | Slava | ||
| Yuri, Yuriy | Yura, Yurasha, Yurochka, Yurik | ||
| Ziven | Ziv, Zivon |
| Anastas | Anfim | Anisim | Antip | Arkhip | Artemi |
| Avdei | Averki | Avgust | Brencis | Burian | Cheslav |
| Diak | Donat | Dorofei | Endar | Exilo | Feliks |
| Ferapont | Filat | Filip | Firs | Florenti | Fredek |
| Gerasim | Gervasi | Gleb | Gorain | Gridia | Hedeon |
| Iev | Ipati | Ippolit | Irinei | Iziaslav | Jermija |
| Kapiton | Karp | Kazimir | Khipa | Kir | Kliment |
| Kopos | Malovo | Markell | Martyn | Mecheslav | Mefodi |
| Meliton | Melor | Mendeley | Mily | Miron | Mitrofan |
| Modest | Moriz | Mstislav | Naum | Nazary | Nikodim |
| Nofel | Ofonia | Onisim | Orusim | Ovdei | Padorin |
| Pimeri | Platon | Porfiry | Pribislav | Radoslav | Ravil |
| Renat | Rodion | Rostislav | Seraphim | Sidor | Silvestr |
| Sonov | Spiridon | Svyatopolk | Taras | Timofey | Trenka |
| Trifon | Trofim | Vadim | Varfolomei | Vaslav | Viacheslav |
| Vissarion | Vseslav | Yaropolk | Yefrem | Yelisei | Yermolai |
| Zoryn |
| Names and Variations | Diminutives | Metronymics/Surnames |
| Afimia | Fimochka? | |
| Agafia, Agafiya, Agafya | - | |
| Agasha | Gasha | |
| Afanasiya | Fanya? | |
| Aglaia, Aglaya | - | |
| Agnessa | Nesha, Nessa, Netia, | |
| Agrafena, Agrafina, Ogrofena | Grunya | |
| Akilina, Akillina, Akulina | - | |
| Aksiniya | Aksinya, Kseniya | |
| Alexandra, Aleksandra | Sacha, Sasha, Sashenka, Shura,, Shurochka | |
| Alina, Alena, Olena | Alenka, Lenusya, Lila, Lyalechka, Lyalya | |
| Alla | Allochka | |
| Anna | Anechka, Annushka, Anya, Asya, Vanya | |
| Anastasia, Anastasiya, Annastasija | Nastasia, Nastassia, Nastenka, Nastya, Nyusha?, Stasya, Tasenka, Tasya | Nastasich |
| Aneska | Neza | |
| Anfiya | Anfisa | |
| Anisiya, Anisya | - | |
| Antonina | Antonidka, Tonechka, Tonya | |
| Anzhela | Anjelica, Anjelika | |
| Avdotia, Avdotya | Avdotitsa?, Dunya, Dunyasha, Dounia | |
| Bela/Bella | - | |
| Clavdia, Klavdia | Clasha, Klasha | |
| Daria, Darya | Dasha | |
| Devora, Debora | - | |
| Dinah, Dina | - | |
| Dominika | Domka, Mika, Nika | |
| Doroteya | Dasha, Dosya, Duscha? | |
| Ekaterina, Katerina, Yekaterina | Katenka, Katerinka, Katinka, Katlina, Kiska, Katuscha, Katya, Katyenka, Katyushka, Kisa | |
| Elen, Elena, Ellina, Yelena | Lena, Lenochka, Lenusya, Liolya, Lolya | |
| Elizabeth, Elizaveta, Yelizaveta | Betti, Elizarova, Lisa, Lisanka, Lisaveta, Lisil, Lisilka, Lizanka, Liza, Lizabeta, Lizette | |
| Eva | Evelina | |
| Evdokeia, Evdokia, Evdokiya, Evdokseia, Yevdokiya | - | |
| Evfrosinya/Yevfrosinya | - | |
| Evgenia, Evgeniya, Evgenya, Evguenia, Yevgeniya, Yevgenya | Zenya, Zenechka, Zhenya | |
| Fekla | Feklitsa | |
| Feodora | Fedorka | |
| Fevronia, Fevroniia | - | |
| Galina | Gala, Galya, Galochka, Galenka | |
| Glafira | Glasha | |
| Glikeriya | Lukerya | |
| Grusha | ||
| Irina | Ira, Irinka | |
| Kira | Kirochka | |
| Larisa, Larissa | Lara, Larochka | |
| Lera | Lerka | |
| Lubov, Lyubov | Lyuba | |
| Lydia, Lidija, Lidiya | Lida, Lidka, Lidocha, Lidochka | |
| Ludmilla, Lyudmila | Luda, Lyuba, Lyubochka, Lyubonka, Mila, Milena | |
| Maiya, Maya | - | |
| Margarete, Margarita | Margo, Margosha,, Rita | |
| Marianna | Masha | |
| Maricha | Marichinich | |
| Marina | Marinochka | |
| Mariya, Marya, Maria | Manechka, Manya, Mara, Marisha, Marusya, Mashenka, Mura, Masha | |
| Matryona | Matryoshka | |
| Militsa | Mila? Milka?, Miluska? | |
| Nadezhda, Nadyezhda | Dusya, Nadya, Nadiya, Nadenka, Nadyenka, Nadysha, Nadyuiska | |
| Natalia, Natalya | Natalka, Natasha, Natashenka, Tasha | |
| Nina | Ninochka, Ninotchka | |
| Oksana, Oxana | Ksana, Ksanochka, Oksanochka | |
| Olga | Olya, Olenka, Olechka | Olgov? |
| Orina | Orya? | |
| Pavla | Pasha, Pavlusha | |
| Pelageya | Palasha | |
| Pheodora | Fedora, Fedya | |
| Praskovya | Parasha | |
| Rada | Radka | |
| Raisa, Raiza | Raya? | |
| Sofia, Sofiya | Sonechka, Sonja, Sonya, Sonyuru, Sonyusha, Sonyushka | |
| Stephania, Stepanida, | Panya, Stepka, Stesha | |
| Svetlana | Sveta, Svetochka, Svetocha | |
| Tatiana, Tatyana | Tanechka, Tanka?, Tania, Tanya | |
| Theodosia, Fedosya | Theda | |
| Uliana, Ulyana | - | |
| Ursola, Ursula | - | |
| Valentina | Tina, Valya, | |
| Varvara, Warvara | Varenka, Varinka, Varya, Varyusha, Wava | |
| Vera | Verochka | |
| Viktoriya, Viktorija | ||
| Yulianiya, Yuliya | Yulenka | |
| Zinaida, Zenaida, Zenaide | Zena, Zenochka, Zhenya?, Zina | |
| Zinovia, Sinovia | - | |
| Zoya | Zoyechka, Zoyenka |
| Albina | Amalija | Arina | Asenka | Avdeeva | Berte |
| Bruna | Chiona | Dobryna | Eda | Euprakseia | Fayina |
| Gana | Ilya | Inessa | Inna | Ioanna | Irisa |
| Ivana | Janna | Jeremia | Kaleria | Kamenka | Karolina |
| Kristina | Lada | Larina | Lenora | Leonilla | Leva |
| Lipa | Lotta | Magdalina | Makrina | Marfa | Mavra |
| Melita | Mikhaila | Milana | Minodora | Mirra | Mounya |
| Narkissa | Neonila | Nonna | Nyura | Orlenda | Petrovna |
| Polina | Rahil | Rakhiel | Rima | Roksana | Rozalia |
| Rufina | Sabina | Sapozhnika | Serafima | Taissia | Tamara |
| Tsvetkova | Vasilisa | Velika | Vera | Vilma | Vilna |
| Vitalya | Vladimira | Xenia | Zhanna |
(many from 'Vladimir Lenin')
| Lenian | Ninel | Vilen | Vladilen | Vladlen |
| Lenina | Oktyabrina | Vilena | Vilenina | Vladilena | Vladilenaova |
These did not become inherited until about the C14th and were
not common until modern times. Many were formed from bynames or
nicknames, with the patronymic endings '-ov' and '-ev' for a male,
or by adding a common adjective to the given name with the masculine
endings '-ii','-oi', '-yi' and the feminine '-iaia' or '-aia'.
Before inherited surnames became normal, many women had a possessive
form of byname which indicated to whom they belonged, usually
the husband. The feminine endings '-skaia' or '-aia' were added
to a patronymic form based on the husband's name. In Western Russia,
this sometimes occurred in masculine forms ('-skii' or '-ii')
which may have been influenced by Polish.
Surnames can also indicate geographical origins. There are several
forms in which a placename can be used : like a patronymic ending
in' -vich' with the adjectival ending '-ski' or as a noun with
the endings '-in' or '-kin' and the suffix '-ets' also occurring.
Names in the following list are written in the forms in which they were encountered so some may be anglicised or in feminine forms.
| Abelev | Abramova | Aisenyev | Akhatova | Alenichev | Alexandrei |
| Alliluyeva | Alyabyev | Anchova | Andropov | Anissina | Antipova |
| Antsyforov | Antyuhin | Aparina | Apraxin | Arsov | Artamova |
| Asimov | Astapkovich | Astyafyeva | Averbukh | Aznabaev | Bagirli |
| Baikov | Bakhtin | Bakhvalova | Bakunin | Balakirev | Balanchine |
| Balk | Banketik | Barabanschikova | Baranova | Baranski | Barishnikov |
| Barsukov | Bartnev | Baryatinsky | Bashmet | Batalova | Batkin |
| Batukhtina | Bazhukov | Beketov | Belaia | Belanov | Belenki |
| Beletsky | Belikov | Beloi | Belotserkovsky | Beregovoi | Berezhnaya |
| Berezovsky | Beria | Bershadensky | Berzin | Bestemianova | Bezborodov |
| Bezmel | Bezmelnizin | Bezuhov | Biriukova | Biryukova | Bizony |
| Blodnieks | Blotski | Bobrikov | Bobylev | Bocharkov | Bochkarer |
| Bogdanskii | Bolkonsky | Bondarenko | Borisenko | Borisova | Borshevsky |
| Boujinsky | Bratus | Brechkovsky | Brezhnev | Briansky | Brilev |
| Brish | Britanov | Brize | Buchkiev | Budarin | Bukharin |
| Bukin | Bukolov | Bukosky | Bulygina | Bure | Bushmanov |
| Butkovsky | Butyrskaya | Bychovskaya | Byko | Bykovsky | Bytchkov |
| Bzowski | Chaliapin | Charkov | Chastakorlenka | Chazov | Chebykima |
| Chekhol | Chemerkin | Cherchesov | Chernavin | Chernienko | Chernisova |
| Chernitsky | Chernomyrdin | Chernovol | Chernyaev | Chernyovskaya | Chesnokov |
| Chichagov | Chichelnitsky | Chicherin | Chikachev | Chistiakov | Chistyakova |
| Chorkina | Chtgheglovski | Chubais | Chuchnova | Chugainov | Chuikov |
| Chzov | Czartoryska | Daletsky | Dashkov | Davidenko | Dekanozov |
| Demeter | Demichev | Demine | Demirchan | Demochev | Derevenko |
| Diemchuk | Dikul | Dityatev | Dobtcheff | Dolgikh | Dolgonosov |
| Dolgopolova | Dolgorouki | Dolohov | Dolukhanov | Donkina | Donkova |
| Donskoy | Dorogaia | Dorogoi | Dozhdalev | Dratshev | Drygin |
| Dubkova | Dubrovskiy | Duchovny | Dunayevskaya | Dyakov | Dyalov |
| Dzhamgerchinov | Eltsov | Erikeev | Erin | Evdikimov | Faustin |
| Fedyushhyna | Fibingerova | Filipov | Filischkin | Flerko | Fortunatov |
| Gabrelovic | Gagarin | Galipova | Galiyeva | Galperin | Gamow |
| Ganelin | Gapon | Gataullin | Gavryliouk | Gaznayev | Gerschenkron |
| Ghukov | Gladishiva | Glebov | Glebovich | Godina | Goguniv |
| Gogunov | Golitsin | Golovanov | Golovina | Golovnin | Golubev |
| Golubkhov | Goncharenko | Gorbachev | Gorbenko | Gorbunov | Gorchakov |
| Gordeyeva | Gordieva | Gorlovich | Goryachev | Govorov | Grachev |
| Gratcheva | Graudyn | Grinkov | Grishkuv | Grishuk | Gritsenko |
| Gromaba | Gromyko | Grosha | Grosheva | Grusov | Gshalaev |
| Gubin | Gulfina | Gulianskoi | Guliyev | Gurdjieff | Gurevich |
| Gurina | Gurov | Guseinev | Guseinov | Gusev | Gusyeva |
| Gutionov | Guznishcheva | Harkov | Hvorostovsky | Illich-Svitych | Iltchenko |
| Ilyukhin | Instinsky | Ipatiev | Isyanov | Itsov | Ivakina |
| Ivanski | Ivelitsch | Jakov | Jeloudov | Kafelnikov | Kalawinsky |
| Kamensky | Kanchelskis | Kapustin | Karamzin | Karataev | Karbonenko |
| Karelin | Karenin | Karin | Karklins | Karnovich | Karpin |
| Karpol | Kartusev | Kasheyev | Kasparkova | Katchora | Katenin |
| Katko | Katzev | Kautsky | Kavelin | Kayakova | Kayukova |
| Kazakova | Kebin | Keppenrus | Kerensky | Kerimov | Kevorkov |
| Khadartsev | Khamidouline | Khasbulatov | Kherpina | Khersontsev | Khlopnova |
| Khohklov | Khoklov | Kholodov | Khostov | Khotliykova | Khubova |
| Khudorozkina | Khvostov | Kikorov | Kiriyenko | Kirov | Kiryakov |
| Kislykh | Kissin | Kliugin | Klossovsky | Knivelyova | Knoroz |
| Kochetkova | Kochuokova | Koikov | Kokorev | Kolotcha | Kolyvanov |
| Komorov | Konchalovsky | Kondrackiy | Kondrash | Kondrashchenko | Kondrashin |
| Kondrashov | Kondratenko | Kondrationok | Kondratiuk | Konovalev | Konovalov |
| Kopul | Korneev | Korneyev | Korolev | Korotkaia | Korotkii |
| Korzhanenk | Korzhanenko | Koslov | Kosov | Kossakovsky | Kosygin |
| Kotlyarova | Koukleva | Kouldeva | Koulikov | Koulikovsky | Kouptchinski |
| Kournikova | Kovalenko | Kovalyov | Kovlun | Kovtun | Kozmin |
| Kozyrev | Kramarenko | Krasnaia | Krasnyi | Kravchuk | Krishtoforich |
| Krukov | Krylov | Krylova | Kshessinska | Kubarev | Kudratsyeva |
| Kudreyavtsev | Kudrov | Kulik | Kulikovskaya | Kupchenko | Kupetsky |
| Kursinska | Kusovlfa | Kutaisov | Kutuzov | Kuzenkova | Kuzmenko |
| Kuznetsova | Lantzeff | Lasovskaya | Lavrin | Lavrov | Lazovert |
| Lazutina | Lazutkin | Lebedev | Lebedyenko | Lebziak | Legotine |
| Lelyushenko | Lemontev | Lenskaya | Leonov | Leontev | Lepechin |
| Lermontov | Lescheva | Leschova | Leshcheva | Levitsky | Liapina |
| Liapun | Ligachev | Likhovtseva | Linchuk | Litvinov | Lobacheva |
| Lobodin | Lobov | Loginov | Lounaeva | Lukyanov | Lupandin |
| Lutrova | Lvov | Lyakhov | Lyapunov | Machtcenko | Macinko |
| Mahayev | Maigourov | Maikov | Maisky | Makaricheva | Malchugina |
| Malenkov | Maligina | Malikov | Malkov | Malyeshev | Mamedov |
| Mandelstam | Manucharov | Marashov | Marchenko | Marisova | Markova |
| Martinov | Maruseva | Mashchenko | Masterkova | Matsukovitch | Matulik |
| Mazzhorin | Mekhdiev | Mendeleeva | Merinov | Meshcheryakova | Miasnikov |
| Mikoyan | Mikucki | Milyukov | Mindlin | Minkowski | Mishin |
| Mizin | Mizirov | Modin | Mokashev | Molchaoff | Molchenoff |
| Moldovan | Molodin | Molotov | Monuts | Morchenko | Moroshkin |
| Morozov | Morozova | Moskalets | Moskvina | Mostovoi | Motkova |
| Motorina | Motova | Moujoukine | Mozarov | Murin | Mushailov |
| Nagalitsev | Nakhimoff | Nakhimov | Narimanov | Narozhylenko | Nasemnova |
| Nasenko | Nassarouline | Naumov | Nazarova | Nebogatoff | Nedzelski |
| Negodiaev | Nelidov | Nelyubova | Nenov | Nesterenko | Neverov |
| Nevolin | Nevskaja | Nikanova | Nikiforov | Nikiforovic | Nikolin |
| Nikulina | Nizovtseva | Nosov | Novakovsky | Novokoff | Novokov |
| Novosi | Obolensky | Obukhov | Obukov | Ofonasev | Ofonasii |
| Ogienko | Ogonyok | Oleksandr | Oleksei | Oleneva | Oleshuk |
| Omelchenko | Onopco | Onopko | Onton | Ordina | Orlov |
| Ortoff | Ostaltsov | Ostrogorsky | Ostrovsky | Otkupshchikov | Ovcharenko |
| Ovcharova | Ovchinnikov | Ovinko | Ovsianikov | Ovsiannikov | Pakhomov |
| Pamyatnikh | Pankratev | Pankratov | Panova | Parshin | Pasternak |
| Pasunin | Patsayev | Patsayeva | Pencherjevsky | Pervaia | Pervoi |
| Peskow | Petlyuk | Petrachkov | Piaskovsky | Piekha | Pintusevich |
| Platov | Plekhanov | Plushenko | Pobedonostev | Podgorni | Podkopayeva |
| Polivanov | Poniatowski | Popov | Popova | Popovwych | Porkhomov |
| Porkhomovskiy | Porzezinski | Potemkin | Poushkin | Pralnikov | Predikin |
| Preminin | Prerovsky | Prianichikov | Primakov | Prinkhassov | Privalov |
| Privalova | Prjevalski | Produnova | Prokouriakof | Prokourorov | Proniakin |
| Pronin | Protopopov | Pshenichny | Pudovkin | Purishkevitch | Putyatin |
| Rachmanova | Radimov | Ragulin | Rakov | Raschupchin | Raskolnikov |
| Rasputin | Razumovsky | Rebikov | Reshetnikova | Revnik | Rezanov |
| Rochev | Rodionov | Rodnina | Rodzianko | Rogachova | Rokossovsky |
| Romanovros | Romasko | Rossovskaya | Rost | Rostov | Rostovtzeff |
| Rozhdestvensky | Rozhestvensky | Rubin | Rudakov | Rukovskaya | Rumianova |
| Rumiantsev | Rumiantseva | Rusayev | Rybkin | Ryndenko | Ryumin |
| Ryzhkov | Rzaev | Sadova | Sadykov | Saitov | Salamov |
| Samarin | Samsurov | Sanhusky | Sanshin | Sapozhinsky | Satyev |
| Sautin | Sazhin | Sazonov | Schubine | Seleznyov | Semago |
| Semak | Semeoff | Semiriaga | Sepols | Serebryannikov | Seriogin |
| Sevnik | Sevruk | Shabunin | Shakirova | Shalaev | Shalimov |
| Shanin | Sharivker | Sharova | Shayduko | Shcherbina | Shekhodanova |
| Shekodanova | Shengelai | Sheptekita | Sheremetev | Sherikov | Shikolenko |
| Shirokaia | Shirokii | Shishagina | Shishkova | Shistyer | Shistyev |
| Shubukin | Shuiski | Shulgin | Shvakova | Shvanov | Shvanova |
| Sidorenko | Sikorski | Silvashko | Simonovitch | Simutenkov | Sinchukova |
| Sipyengin | Skobelov | Skvortsov | Slutskaya | Smettanina | Smimova |
| Smirnov | Smitten | Sobchak | Sokolov | Solovyev | Sonkin |
| Sosunov | Sotnikova | Soukhotin | Spasenieva | Stankina | Stapkovich |
| Staradumov | Starikovich | Starkova | Starovoitova | Starvoitova | Stelmakh |
| Stiachkov | Stolin | Stoljarov | Stolypin | Strogolev | Sudakov |
| Sudnik | Superanaskaia | Superanskaia | Svartsevich | Svatkowski | Sviridov |
| Sytsov | Tabanov | Talietzin | Tarasov | Tarasova | Tchechenko |
| Tchelychev | Tchepikov | Tchesnov | Telyanin | Terentev | Tereskovna |
| Tikhomirov | Timkowski | Timoshinin | Tiomkin | Titov | Titovich |
| Tokarev | Tolstov | Tonkov | Topchina | Toporov | Trandenkova |
| Tranderkov | Trefiolov | Tretyak | Triron | Trubachev | Trush |
| Trushin | Tsarapkin | Tsarev | Tsibliyev | Tsilevich | Tsirempilov |
| Tsymbaler | Tumanova | Tupikov | Tupolev | Turabiev | Turov |
| Tverdokhleb | Tyukhay | Tyurin | Udovin | Uijanov | Ukhtomsky |
| Ulyanov | Uritski | Uvarova | Vaelbe? | Valeev | Varenkov |
| Vasiliev | Vedrine | Venclova | Vershinina | Vertinskaya | Vezirov |
| Vichkanova | Vlascenko | Voikevich | Voleikov | Volosheninov | Volsky |
| Vorobyov | Voronov | Voronova | Voropaev | Voroshilov | Vorotaev |
| Vostrikova | Vydrina | Vyrubova | Vyshinsky | Wakina | Winogradski |
| Witte | Woloshyn | Yablokov | Yagudin | Yakolev | Yakovlev |
| Yanovski | Yanovsky | Yatskaya | Yavlinsky | Yefrimov | Yegupov |
| Yeltsin | Yemelyanev | Yevdokimov | Yevteushenko | Yiyakova | Yumashev |
| Yuran | Yusupov | Zablotny | Zadorozhnyi | Zajaczek | Zasekin |
| Zbruev | Zbruyev | Zegouniov | Zeitzev? | Zelenskaya | Zenchikov |
| Zerbaliev | Zharov | Zhdanov | Zheronkin | Zheronkina | Zhirinovsky |
| Zhivanevskaya | Zhukov | Zhuvova | Zimyatov | Zinovieff | Zinoviev |
| Zolkin | Zotkin | Zubov |
Return to Former Soviet Union index
This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January
1997, Kate Monk. Last updated April, 98. Copies may be made for
personal use only.