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The Blitz Information Services (formerly known as Russian Baltic Information
Center) was founded in 1992 shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Initially formed as a Russian American Joint Venture, Blitz published
numerous scholarly books and archival finding aids as well as provided
research services in the historic archives. Prior to 1992 the Archives
of the Soviet Union were very difficult if not impossible to access.
This lack of access essentially precluded all genealogy research.
Now in its second
decade, Blitz has performed genealogy searches and archival research for
numerous clients around the world. Blitz can access local and regional
archives in Russia and the former
Soviet Union including, the Navy archives in St. Petersburg, other military
archives in Moscow as well as the former KGB archives. By forging
relationships with archivists throughout the former Soviet Union as well
as government officials and other professionals, Blitz is able to offer
clients valuable research and information retrieval services.
Blitz maintains an
office are in St. Petersburg, Russia and in California. Elena Tsvetkova manages
the St. Petersburg office, which handles all client research, prepares
reports and responds to inquiries. The California office, managed
by Kristin Nute handles payments and client communications as necessary.
The California office of Blitz allows clients to pay for research works
in US dollars by usual payment methods such as US
check, Visa, MasterCard, bank wire or money order).
Blitz has been successful in researching family histories for various
enthnic groups of the former Soviet Union including Russian,
Ukranian, Jewish, Polish and Germans in Russia,
Georgians and others. In some cases, information found has been
extensive, and has included coats of arms, complete service lists for
individuals in government and military service, previously secret KGB
files, applications by Poles requesting qualification under the Russian
Nobility system, maps of villages showing individual houses with family
names of the occupants, newspaper articles, photographs, etc.
Clients include academic researchers, authors, historians, genealogists
etc. In some cases, by a clients request, Ms.
Tsvetkova has been able to locate and contact
a clients' long lost relatives by placing and ad in a local newspaper.
Blitz also provides in-country assistance such as interpreting, client
meeting coordinating and travel organization. Blitz has traveled to villages
per client requests to photograph and document ancestral sites.
Elena Tsvetkova is the owner and manager
of BLITZ Information Services located in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1992, Ms. Tsvetkova left her position as
researcher at the St.Petersburg Polytechnic
University and became one of the founders of the Russian-American company
"Russian Baltic Information Center-BLITZ". Ms. Tsvetkova
is fluent in Russian, French and English.
Natasha Efimova is fluent in Russian
and English and has been with Blitz for 11 years. Her major is in English
from St. Petersburg University. Ms. Efimova
manages translations and much of the email communications.
Kristin Nute
holds a BA in International Relations with a minor in Eastern European
studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Ms. Nute
studied Russian and has studied and traveled in Russia.
For more information
or to undertake a search, please contact Kristin Nute – enute@igc.org
or Elena Tsvetkova rublitz@gmail.com.
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