Trend in times of Corona: Genealogical research in Eastern Europe

Everything we do in g4 tours we do with passion as we try to approach any request that is brought to us as responsibly as possible. We miss the tourists very much, we remember with nostalgia those who have already visited us and we are very much waiting for the end of the pandemic, when we can welcome new guests. The arrival of tourists is not only an opportunity to show and tell the world about our country, but also an incredible opportunity for communication and mutual cultural exchange. The lack of live communication is felt now more than ever, in this extremely difficult period for all.

It was the urge to make something of this situation and do something meaningful that led us to pay closer attention to another service apart from our classic travels that we offer to our site visitors – genealogical research. We started working on expanding cooperation with a number of specialists and organizations in this field, with a focus on Belarus and Ukraine but also the Baltics. And we also focused on more active advertising of this type of activity. But we did not expect that such an offer could be so in demand. Maybe it is to some extent also the “consequences” of the pandemic and forced isolation, when finally there was time to browse through old family albums and think about whether it is possible to learn more about ones ancestors.

Belarus has throughout its history multiple times been torn between different countries, its territory being subject to migration and different wars. No country in the former Soviet Union has suffered so much from forced displacement, expulsion and war. These tragic moments in Belarus’ history forced many residents to leave their homes. For these reasons people from almost all parts of the world write to us looking for their ancestors scattered in Europe. Interestingly enough, most of the inquiries come from the USA and Australia.

Of course, the search for information is not easy, and no matter how much we would like to help everyone who reverts to us, sometimes it turns records have been lost or destroyed during the war and nothing can be found at relevant archives anymore. But when the search is successful, we really rejoice with our clients. Many of which in the following express their intention to visit their ancestors’ homeland. And this is another challenge for us to develop tailor-made travel programs, so that it would be not just an acquaintance with our country, but really a contact with the past, an opportunity to feel the identity of the region, to understand where ones ancestors lived once upon a time.

Genealogical research is a very personal issue, that’s why we can’t present specific cases in this context, but if any of our clients has a desire to share their history, we will definitely publish it on our website.

Please feel free to contact us for any genealogical or other questions that relate to Belarus.