Traveling back in time to discover what people cared about and how they lived is truly fascinating, isn’t it? It’s especially meaningful when it’s tied to the regions where our ancestors lived. Personally, I love it because it’s not just a way to learn about my heritage—it’s a way to learn about my people and myself.
Old newspapers are an incredible resource. While they often help us uncover information about specific families and their histories in Ukraine during genealogy research, they also provide so much more. They give us a glimpse into the backdrop of our ancestors’ lives—their daily routines, their struggles, and their mindset. Through these pages, we can almost touch a world that no longer exists.
One of the resources we frequently use is LIBRARIA. This project collaborates with libraries, archives, and research institutions in Ukraine and abroad to digitize and make Ukrainian historical periodicals accessible online. To date, over 800,000 pages from 400+ publications in Ukrainian, Polish, German, Romanian, Yiddish, Crimean Tatar, and Russian—dating from the early 20th century to the 1950s—have been digitized.
These newspapers offer a window into the lives of people in cities, towns, and even small villages. While working on a recent family research project, I came across a weekly newspaper called Nove Selo (New Village), published in Lviv during the 1920s and 1930s. Here is the link to this paper.
If your ancestors were farmers, this paper is an invaluable source for exploring their everyday lives and struggles from that era. Take, for example, this excerpt from an advertisement in issue #5 of Nove Selo (March 1930):
- Mykyta, why are you so sad?
- I just buried my child. The doctor said the child was poorly fed.
- And why do you look so down, Mykhailo?
- Oh, don’t ask. My only cow died. Even though I got 108 zlotys in compensation, it’s only enough to buy a goat. A cow like mine would have cost at least 600 zlotys.
- Listen, Mykyta and Mykhailo. I have some good advice for both of you: subscribe to the newspaper Nove Selo. It teaches how to raise children and care for animals properly. Follow my advice, and you won’t regret it!
This small snippet and its style already speaks volumes about their lives.
While the website doesn’t have an English version and requires a small subscription fee, those willing to dig deeper into their family research will find it well worth the effort.
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out.
Andriy Dorosh