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Author Topic: A Complete Guide to Russia Travel  (Read 3025 times)

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Offline mendeleyev

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A Complete Guide to Russia Travel
« on: February 17, 2009, 09:22:42 PM »
Welcome to the section to find out about Russian culture, look up information and photos of cities, and learn about language and food.

But did you know that RUA has compiled one of the most comprehensive and important guides to travel to, and inside of, Russia?  Our members and editor/moderator Chris have spent hours sharing their valuable insights, timely information, and travel tips with you.  From maps, to Embassies, to banking and money exchange and even finding a doctor or hospital is there!  RUA travel is at your fingertips!  Just follow this blue link.

Offline solzhenitsynfan

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Town of Shiryaev Ширяев
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2009, 01:12:49 AM »
Trying to figure out where the heck I came from.  I've actually already visited all the places in Greece where my moms family came from, but I am yet to visit my place(s) of origin in the FSU.  A large part of my interest in women from this region stems from curiosity about my paternal history.  Regardless of whether or not I connect with any ladies, I am planning to visit sometime very soon.

When I was growing up I remember my grandfather mailed us a map that had a small town circled that was supposed to have been the origin of our family and family name.  According to him, his great-great-?? grandfather of the same last name started a boot factory around which the employees began to build their homes.  This eventually became the town of Shiryaev Ширяев.  As Olga Mouse kindly pointed out, my last name is a rather common Russian last name.  As some of the Shiryaevs moved to Europe and the US, the name has been changed to Shiraev and Shiraef.  One of my brothers got tired of people mispronouncing and misspelling it so often so he actually changed it to "Sheriff" which is actually the way we have pronounced it all our lives.  The journey from Ширяев to Sheriff seems rather comical to me, almost redneck in a way.  Here in the Southeast we have a way of combining words, and eliminating syllables.  The most famous examples are the expressions "you all" and "are not" which have become "y'all" and "ain't".  It's all about the path of least resistance, I guess.

I am Джон Ширяев IV.  My grandfather is Джон Ширяев III, and I have no idea what happened to the other two.  My grandfather passed away while I was deployed in Iraq.  I think he was in his mid-90s.  I think he worked as an itinerant lecturer traveling and speaking on the subject of the Soviet Union during the "Red Scare".  Sadly, we had very little contact.

I am trying to find this town of Ширяев as I would very much like to visit it.
My online search has only taken me to a plethora of people name Shiryaev, but I have been able to find very little about a town by that name.

I did find the following link which is slightly long but appears to indicate that this town is in the Odessa region:
>>Link Here<<

If anyone can confirm that this is an actual town and can dig up any additional information I would greatly appreciate it.  Also, if there are any other towns in the FSU with this name I would appreciate knowing that as well.  Any help would be greatly appreciated by my entire family.
Nations are the wealth of mankind, its collective personalities; the very least of them wears its own special colours and bears within itself a special facet of divine intention.
-A Solzhenitsyn

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Town of Shiryaev Ширяев - Odessa Oblast?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2009, 01:47:18 AM »
There are two Russian towns (very small) by the name of Shiryaevo (the o at the end is spoken as an "a"). One is in the Voronezh oblast and the other is in the Samara, Russia, oblast (region). Here is a link to the map one of them. One photo is here of the town in the Samara region.

There is also mention of a cemetery of a Jewish settlement by the name of Shiryaevo in the Odessa area. Odessa for centuries was a Greek city and home to large Jewish populations but with the migration of Jews out of the Soviet Union many of these little towns have literally fallen off the map.


Offline solzhenitsynfan

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Re: Town of Shiryaev Ширяев - Odessa Oblast?
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2009, 02:47:33 AM »
There is two Russian towns (very small) by the name of Shiryaevo (the o at the end is spoken as an "a"). One is in the Voronezh oblast and the other is in the Samara, Russia, oblast (region). Here is a link to the map one of them. One photo is here of the town in the Samara region.

There is also mention of a cemetery of a Jewish settlement by the name of Shiryaevo in the Odessa area. Odessa for centuries was a Greek city and home to large Jewish populations but with the migration of Jews out of the Soviet Union many of these little towns have literally fallen off the map.

Ahh thanks so much Mendy...that was incredibly helpful!

Apparently Ширя́ево can be translated Shiryaeve or Shiryaevo and Shiryaeva from what I have found so far.
see here

I am sincerely hoping that our family originates from that town in Samara. That place looks absolutely gorgeous, set right there on the bank of the Volga with some pretty neat caves nearby!
see here
I have emailed a couple of my aunt's on my father's side to see what they know.
I wonder if there are any genealogical websites out there for Russian surnames?
I'll post whatever else I find out.
Nations are the wealth of mankind, its collective personalities; the very least of them wears its own special colours and bears within itself a special facet of divine intention.
-A Solzhenitsyn

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Town of Shiryaev Ширяев - Odessa Oblast?
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2009, 11:41:31 AM »
Quote
Apparently Ширя́ево can be translated Shiryaeve or Shiryaevo and Shiryaeva from what I have found so far.

Its a grammar thing. Shiryaevo is the nominative form. The others depend on how it's used in a sentence.

You had mentioned Ukraine (Odessa area) in your original post and perhaps you could research to see if because of shifting boundaries it exists today as a village in modern day Poland.


Sol, until we can get a handle on exactly which city is yours, I'm going to move this topic to the introductory part of the Russian city thread. If we find yours for certain, then we can assign it to either Russia or Ukraine and try to find more info to build a city page.

Offline Raspberry

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Asbest
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2010, 09:02:23 PM »
I read about this city someplace......it is near Yekaterinberg, and the city is centered around the production of asbestos.........anyone know anything else about this city??


 

 

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