Russian Internal Passport

Louis TUROW was issued a Russian Internal Passport in 1913 which he used to leave Russia.

His passport image will take you to the Louis TUROW family page which contains related information and translation.

Louis Turovsky internal Russian Passport

Ship Manifest – 2 Pages
Chaja Leja MELAMED
(Lena MILLER)

Naturalization form A-2214 Application for a Certificate of Arrival and Preliminary Form For Petition For Naturalization

Lena Miller 1941 Application
Select image for larger view of 3 page document (PDF)

Certificate of Arrival – for Naturalization Purposes

Ship manifest forms often have ‘strange’ notations and numbers that were added long after arrival.  These are mostly notations correlating the immigrant’s Petition for Naturalization; their arrival had to be verified.  When verified a certificate, similar to this was issued:

Alien Registration Form (1918)

Sam Chargo’s Alien Registration Form

On the same day that Congress declared war on Germany, President Woodrow Wilson announced a set of regulations, controlling the activities of “alien enemies.” The regulations specifically identified “alien enemies” as German males, fourteen years or older, who resided in the United States but who had not been naturalized as citizens. In November of 1917, the President issued a proclamation which required alien enemies to register with the Department of Justice and carry a registration card on their person at all times. By 1918, alien women were also required to register. Those who failed to register were threatened with internment. Indeed, more than 6,000 alien enemies nationwide were placed in internment camps between 1917 and 1920, many of whom failed to register. The registration requirement was but one on many official and unofficial anti-German activities that occurred during World War I on the home front.

In February 1918, the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety passed the Alien Registration Act.  This legislation ordered all unnaturalized aliens to register and make sworn declarations about themselves, their immediate family members, and their property holdings.  This act allowed the Commission to gather information on all non-citizens during World War I, but it also encouraged many immigrants to start–or finish–the naturalization process.  Each “alien enemy” was issued a registration card with photograph and identifying information, which he was required to have on his person at all times. He also needed permission from the local registrar to travel or change place of residence. Certain areas were also off-limit zones as deemed by the military. The Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918, and all regulations on enemy aliens were lifted December 25, 1918.

Russian Draft Papers

Louis TUROW was drafted into the Russian militia. The draft related records he kept offer insight into what many of our relatives experienced while in Russia.

His draft record image will take you to the Louis TUROW family page which contains related information and translation.

The DUMA VOTERS LIST 1906 records . . .

are the registration lists of those eligible to vote for indirect representatives to the last constitutional body in Russia before the fall of the old regime in 1917, the Duma. The Registration records are from the first decade of the 20^th century (i.e. 1900 to 1910). The records are called the Duma voting list records. The image will take you to more information.

1906 Duma_Voting_List Melamed & Shargorodsky and_FAQ (PDF)

Postcard Russian Miliary Draft.

Chiam Lieb Shargorodsky (Hyman Louis Chargo), one of Lena Miller’s (nee Shargorodsky) brothers sent from Russia to his parents, Sam & Tillie Chargo. Chiam Lieb arrived in America in 1914 with his brother-in-law Ben Miller (Beryl Melamed). They both were in the Czar’s army. The image will take you to a translation of the card.

Article: History of Russian DraftBerel Melamed (Benjamin Miller) was drafted into the Czar’s army around the turn of the 20^th century, serving in the band.  He deserted the army. Perhaps he deserted shortly before getting married in Kiev in April 1913, and departing Europe for America in July 1914 – at the beginning of WWI.  Ben never spoke of his military service except to say he saw his first airplane.  He did not have fond memories of his family; perhaps this had something in part to do with his being drafted.  His family was well off and this article leads one to the potential conclusion that he might have been the family ‘donation’ to the draft calls. The image will take you to an article about the Russian draft process and history.

Marriage License 1893

Philadelphia Charles GOLDENBERG married
Sophie GARFINKEL
Marriage License issued 1893 Philadelphia

Marriage Certificate 1913 Russia

Ben Married Lena in 1913 in or near Kiev, Russia. Ben left for America in 1914; Lena joined him in 1920. This marriage certificate is a copy of the original.

Social Security Form 5

This form often contains parental information. This is Ben Miller’s form which was issued in 1936 shorty after the Social Security System was enacted.

Morris & Tillie Chargo Passport

 The original, which is yellowed and fragile, is in fairly good condition considering the age. The two pages are duplicates, the first in Ukrainian, the second in French. Stamps include one from Virbalis, Lithuania from December of 1923 and one from Dover from near the same time.

Passport N° 5821.

The bearer of the present passport, citizen of the Socialist Soviet Republis of Ukraine, Shargorodska Gila Gersheovna, 60 years old, and her son Moses, 15 years old, are travelling toAmerica.
This passport is valuable during one year (12 months). On the strength of that and for a free passage, the passport is delivered with the apposition of the seal of the Commissioner of the People to the inner affairs.

Kiev, September 1923, 21th.