Lithuanian State Historical Archives (LVIA)

Contact Information and Research Information:

Lithuanian State Historical Archives (LVIA)
Lietuvos Valstybes Istorijos Archyvas
Mindaugo 8
Vilnius LT-03107
Lithuania
Telephone: +370 5 219 5320, +370 5 213 7482
E-mail: istorijos.archyvas@lvia.lt

Holdings:

This archive holds vital records for all parts of Lithuania up to 1940 and many other kinds of records up to 1918, such as revision lists, family lists, conscription lists, and tax lists. Historical lists pertaining to Kaunas gubernia are divided between LVIA and the Kaunas State Regional Archives (KRA).

A finding aid for vital records in LVIA is available on the LitvakSIG Members Site. You can find information on becoming a Member of LitvakSIG on our Join LitvakSIG page. Here are the Benefits of Membership .

For information on the various types of records from the Russian Empire, see the section of our website on Types of Records in the All Lithuania Database.

Obtaining copies:

The vast majority of vital records have been digitized by either the Family History Library (a unit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the Polish State Archives, or LVIA itself. The easiest way to navigate to the images is by clicking on the hyperlink found in each ALD record display. The link will take you to the correct set of scans. From there you can locate the precise image you want using additional information in the record as described in Finding your record in FHL films.

Many other kinds of records have also been digitized and have hyperlinks in the ALD. Digitization projects are ongoing. LitvakSIG intends to add hyperlinks to the ALD as digital images become available.

To request a copy of an LVIA record that has not been digitized, it is sufficient to put your request in an email sent to the address above. You can write in English. Include a screen shot of the ALD display of the record(s) you want, as this will include all the information the archivists need to locate the record. Read the FAQ on Contacting the Archives for additional information.