I need a category created (Russian Empire)

Question

ETA: Update, there is a Russian Empire Category.  Scroll through this thread for link.

Most of you know that I manage the Galicia Project (which has a little bit of present day west Ukraine).  I knew there would come a day when I would need categorization for the Russian Empire (which is nearly all of Ukraine.)

This day has come.  I see too often profiles being placed in the Ukraine category that are not post-1991, most likely because there is not a Russian Empire to place them. (I often look at the Ukraine category because people place profiles that should be in Galicia ... yes a bit of a border misunderstanding, but I'd like to help.  Also, this is general knowledge for our Ukrainian friends and Wikitree is reaching a global population.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia

1721-1917 = Russian Empire

1793-1917 = Russian Empire of some areas (prior was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth)

Ukraine Category

Thank you very much!  I'll be happy to help with determining subcategories, which should be a District ... then to village, district.  However it may be possible to want to separate districts by regions (since the Russian Empire controlled part of Baltic regions, Poland, Finland, etc, etc).  What are your thoughts? 

Thank you!!! :) 

Comments

Skye, you have started a massive project.
I agree with Natalie's suggestion to draft  a proposed category structure.
My main interest comes from my wife's Polish family. The records don't go back as far Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, however some were born during Duchy of Warsaw, then Kingdom of Poland which effectively became part of the Russian Empire after 1831.
I've got a few ideas about the structure below the high level 'Russian Empire'. I will send you a personal message for discussion.

---

My uncle's father-in-law falls under the Russian Empire (having been in the Imperial Russian Army up until he and a few others simply up and left).

---

Hi Steve,  I've taken over the Ukraine page and hope that helps direct people how to look at maps/border changes for that area.  Would you happen to know the proper verbage for profile locations? (birth, marriage, death?)

I also do not have a problem creating a Free Space Page for the Russian Empire.  Would this be something you would like to run or maintain?  I have time to get everything set up and add information to help people find the correct categories, but only dedicating maintenence to the Galicia Project.

Answer 1

Since there is no project leader, you really should submit a proposal for the categorization so that it can be discussed by any interested members: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Categorization_-_Proposing_Category_Structures

This is an established process, used in recent years by Mauritius and South Africa and others.

Comments

Natalie, Skye *is* the project leader for Galicia, which includes some portions of what is now Ukraine but was then simply part of the Russian Empire.  I don't know whether or not we already have (or need to have) a Russian Empire project, but such a thing would cover a vast region, an order of magnitude more than present day Ukraine, which, alone, is significantly more than the portions of it that were included in Galicia.

The amount of effort Skye has been expending to bring order to the chaos of Galicia is monumental and I could not imagine putting an imposition on her to tackle the even more massive task of categorizing the entire Russian Empire.  I do agree, however, that the best way to do this would be for someone (better, a group of "someone's") to step up and volunteer to take on this major task.  Perhaps a proposal to create a Russian Empire project might be an appropriate prerequisite to proposing specific categorization of it.

---

What I was getting at is that the location categories need to be worked out by collaborating with others. Isn't that what she's asking for? I see her asking for a category structure for Russian Empire.

---

Hi Gaile and Natalie. I'm reviewing my own comments.
I don't think the request was to categorise the entire Russian Empire.
I agree that 'Russian Empire' category should be created. Something inside the historic 'Countries that no longer exist'. And with serious attempt to minimise sub-categories - they are worthless unless there are Wikitree profiles underneath them.

---

From what I can see, this is not the first time content for the Russian Empire has been requested.

---

There is a Russian Empire category, it already exists, and it has sub-categories of "Provinces" which are in fact Governorates. Governorates are used as administrative entities for Russian Empire emigrants.

This Russian Empire category can be used, but any additions to the structure under it should follow the existing pattern. Any changes to the structure should be discussed and validated following the procedure mentioned by Nat.

---

Well knock my socks off Isabelle!  I felt like I searched high and low and could not find anything!!  Thank you so very much!

---

Well, after cleaning up a few migrant categories, it did ring a bell. I added "Former Countries in ...." parent categories and linked to and from the category for current Russia. It should make the category easier to find.

Otherwise, you can use the tiny "WikiTree+ Search" link in the top right corner of any category page. It's very handy.

---

Knowing little about provinces, etc, but desirous of correctly categorising -- where would I place someone born in Samara, Imperial Russia?

---

Melanie, if it was Imperial Russia where he/she was born, I recommend placing him/her in a cemetery somewhere.

(sorry - the devil made me do it)