We are accustomed to accepting such information from the mouths of older generations and accumulating it. Such information helps to find out the history of the family, organize intra-family connections and find out predisposition to certain diseases.

The process of collecting data and designing such a scheme is not easy; it requires special skills and following instructions.

Today we will talk about how to correctly compile and draw a family tree, present a template and diagram, and also give useful tips and advice.

Definition

We have before us a relational structure that describes family ties within one family. It received this name because the connection between family members is depicted in the form of tree branches. At the base is the founder of the clan or the ancestor, and on the lines emanating from the base there are different families formed from his children and grandchildren.

The need to study our surname came to us from ancient times. Even in the Neolithic era, people monitored connections within the community, as they knew that mixing the same blood could lead to the birth of children with serious disabilities. That is why husbands looked for wives in neighboring tribes. When it was necessary to preserve certain features, such as hair or eye color, the bride was chosen from a certain circle. Knowing one's roots was necessary to preserve family ties.

Why is it so important to know how to make a family tree or family tree? The answer is simple: for a long time, close blood ties meant not only belonging to the same dynasty, but also served as a symbol of strong relationships, as well as indivisible traits inherent in each member of the community, representative of the family name.

Many character traits and behavior are formed from childhood and depend on the environment - the behests of our grandparents, mothers and fathers. These include:

• Habits.
• The structure of thinking.
• Model of behavior.
• Features of speech.

In each of our ancestors there are often unrealized possibilities. They can also manifest themselves in us - to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, it is important to know the history of your family name and carefully preserve the memory of your roots. In some cases, charting your family's family tree can help reveal hidden characteristics that require development throughout a person's life.

Inheritance of such traits cannot and should not be direct. Sometimes it manifests itself through one knee, and sometimes even less often. Knowing your ancestry will help you learn more not only about your surroundings, but also about yourself. And the process of collecting material will not only unite the family, but also give a chance to establish contact with loved ones.

What types of pictorial diagrams are there?

In total, it is customary to distinguish two ways of displaying blood ties. Let's look at each of them.

With ascending structure

This option includes design according to the usual order: from younger generations to older ones. It is customary to designate the drafter of the project, that is, you, as the starting point. This method of drawing up a family tree is the simplest. It is suitable for those who have just started looking for information about their roots. First, you will need information about your father and mother, grandparents, and so on. The convenience is that you can add the missing component at any time by displaying a new branch. We recommend using this method in the initial stages of studying your family.

With top-down structure

This variety is characterized by the reverse order of record keeping. The starting point is the most distant ancestor - the ancestor. Rays are transmitted from it, diverging to the sides. These are his children, from them come grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. To organize such a structure, you will need extensive knowledge about your surname. This method can be used in the final stages of studying your family.

The best option for beginners is to use the first scheme. Gradually collecting and accumulating the necessary information, you will be able to organize a large structure. Afterwards, the accumulated data can be transferred to a downstream scheme.

The next thing you should pay attention to when drawing up a family tree is the line of inheritance. They can be represented by two types of tables:

• Direct - includes you, your mom and dad, grandparents, and so on.
• The reverse - to create such a project you will need information about brothers and sisters, nephews, including cousins, second cousins, etc.

Structures of this type can be compiled both in a general form, that is, for male and female representatives, and to track blood ties only on the paternal or maternal side. In this case, the emerging relationships are usually called unilinear.

Family tree as a gift

In addition to self-development, obtaining missing information about one’s own roots and family unity, such a project can be a wonderful surprise for any person who is interested in the history of his family name and wants to learn more about his ancestors.

If you want to make an unusual gift, you will need a diagram, supplemented with an appropriate drawing. A structure of any complexity is suitable for this. Beginners should use the simplest method. You can design the project either with your own hands, by drawing an image on a thick sheet of paper, or using special software. The first option will be much more expensive - your efforts and participation are especially noticeable in it, and it is much more pleasant to receive. But this does not negate the value of a printed version created on a computer. In both cases, you will have to do a lot of work looking for information about representatives of the genus.

How to correctly create a family tree with a diagram as a gift? To do this, you can purchase a special book in an elegant binding.

This project will be especially useful for:

• Your children - he will tell the younger generation about his ancestors.
• Distant relatives - for them you can prepare a reverse descending table, which will show brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.
• Ancestors - a non-standard design option in the form of an hourglass is possible. To create a similar option, you can combine two methods and draw a diagram from the recipient of the gift to you, using your grandmother or grandfather as a key figure.

You can also take such a common pattern as the “butterfly”. In it, the basis is a married couple from which ascending and descending branches are carried out to ancestors and descendants.

A less popular, but more detailed way to describe blood ties is a pie chart. This scheme is in demand abroad. However, you don’t see it very often on the territory of the Russian Federation. The essence is to combine the ascending and descending components. Let's look at the main stages of registration to find out how to correctly draw up a family tree and make it original.

• Use a fan as a base - one fourth of a circle.
• You can also draw several centralized circles that will include both ancestors and descendants.
• Another way is to split the circle and create a unique pedigree project, combining both ways of describing the surname.

Any of the proposed options can be decorated with pictures and notes. You can include interesting facts from general history into the project, linking them with decorative details.

What is needed to create a diagram yourself

First, you will need to study the family archive. Try to find all surviving photographs and papers that indicate blood ties. The most important ones will be:

• Work books.
• Certificates.
• Documentation.
• Marriage certificates.
• Certificates.

Such documents will serve as a starting point for further searches and collection of information for the family tree. All found papers and photographs should be scanned and stored not only on the computer, but also on external media, for example, a flash drive. This will help protect materials from accidental deletion, even if your PC crashes and all the information on it is lost.

The next step is the most important part of the process. This is an appeal to your family and friends. There are no specific rules for compiling a family tree, but this stage remains one of the most important, since it allows you to find out information first-hand. Before your visit, we advise you to decide on a list of questions and write them down so as not to miss anything. To create a family chart project, you may find the following information useful:

Date of birth of a particular ancestor.

• Place and time of their work.
• Did they study? If yes, where and at what time.
• Who they were married to or married to.
• The number of children, their full names and dates of birth, at least approximate.
• If a descendant is no longer alive, it is necessary to find out in what year he/she passed away and where he/she is buried.

It follows that the most useful information is the date and location of an incident. It is this data that will help you contact the archive for details in the future.

In addition, due attention should be paid to the stories of the relatives themselves. This will allow you to learn useful information about your ancestors, their achievements, and legends passed down from generation to generation.

To preserve all the details when compiling a family tree, we recommend using a recording device during a conversation. To do this, you can use either a voice recorder or a smartphone equipped with a similar function.

After the conversation, you should listen to the recording several times so as not to lose sight of any important moments and milestones in the development of your family. Next, the information received must be structured and recorded in a specially designated notebook or on electronic media. In the second case, we advise you to create a separate folder into which you will transfer all data and photos. It is also worth duplicating it to an external drive or cloud service such as Yandex.Disk or Google.Docs. This will allow you to have access to information anywhere in the world.

An in-depth and detailed search for information that will help you recreate the full picture may require months, and sometimes even several years of painstaking work. How to draw up a family tree diagram if time is short and you need help? To speed up the process, you can involve the rest of your relatives: brothers, sisters or parents.

In this case, each participant must select a specific branch and work along it. After each of you has completed collecting information, the resulting material should be collected together and a complete system should be organized. This approach will not only speed up the process, but also gain deeper knowledge. In addition, you will have a chance to establish relationships with relatives who are participating in the search.

Tree of life: how to create a family tree using computer programs

Collecting data about ancestors is a labor- and time-consuming task. If you use the ascending type of project, then by the seventh generation you will count more than a hundred representatives of the same surname.

Using notepads or notebooks to store information is impractical. At any moment you can lose the media, and with it the information collected during your hard work. To make your work easier, you can use machine databases such as Microsoft Office Excel or Access. You can also start developing a project in specialized software that is designed for creating family trees. This way you can easily create a beautiful and correctly structured diagram.

Such services are divided into online and offline utilities. The first allow you to store all information on the Internet and access it from any device. The disadvantages include a short shelf life. Typically, such sites allow the accumulation of information for no more than five years, after which all materials will be deleted. The second type of software stores all data on the computer on which the application is installed.

Programs can also be divided into paid and free. The former have richer functionality, the latter are more profitable to use if you are not ready to spend money on designing the circuit.

Today we told you how to create a family tree for a nice family gift, what you will need for this, and also gave useful tips and advice. Don't delay and start collecting information right now. This will give you the opportunity to get more information and get to know your ancestors better.

Can do it on his own. By the way, for reference:

Many psychologists, according to professional observations, describe those who do not know their relatives and their family history as less confident in life and, as a rule, having greater internal problems. Knowing your pedigree certainly includes knowing the interpretation of your surname. Still, it doesn’t hurt to know in detail what is our personal identifier, what we hear every day and pass on to our children as an inheritance.

There are several ways you can make your own family tree. Of these, the most common are:

1. The first way is to do it virtually, on a computer.
2. The second is to make it in reality, from a variety of available materials.

We will describe both methods and start with the first.

Creation of a virtual family tree.

Options are also possible here. One of them is to turn to the many free and not so free sites and communities where you can register and create your tree with pleasure and using built-in tools. Some communities even offer the function of “crossing” different family trees of members to find relatives.

The second option is to create a family tree using an editor on a computer (Photoshop, Corel, Paint). For help, you can use the article “Computer collage”. And also the following sequence of actions:

1. We go to the Internet and look for a suitable picture of a tree to accomplish the task. In a few days (weeks) you will find many different options, some of which will form the basis of your design creation.
2. Next, we methodically prepare photographs of our relatives. In this case, it is advisable to limit yourself to direct ancestors and their spouses, otherwise you will have to look for a completely different picture of the tree.
3. Then we place them along the tree using any graphics program in which you enjoy working. You can add inscriptions under photographs, even mark the place of birth or some historical events (for example, resettlement and connections with a noble family).
4. You can also draw a timeline along the side of the tree. This will very clearly show the development of the family against the background of history. You can also add your family coat of arms (if you have already acquired one), rare family photographs, a short information about the history of the family, and a link to your personal website on the Internet.

That is, with some imagination and a little time, you can make a beautiful family tree on the computer. And then, if desired, print it out on a large sheet of paper. But problems may arise with this, since professional printing requires large resolutions of drawings and photographs (300 pixels per inch), and if pictures and photographs are of lower resolution, then they may not look very beautiful when printed. Therefore, in this case, if you want to materialize a family tree, it is better to use the following sequence.

Creating a real family tree

In this case, you are doing nothing more than, so to improve the quality of your work, you can use the articles “Beautiful postcard in 5 minutes” and “Collage - how to make?”. Below is an example of creating a family tree from a piece of wallpaper, felt, photographs and patience. You will also need thick cardboard the size of the wallpaper, double-sided tape and glue.

The sequence of creating a real family tree is very simple:

1. Draw the outlines of the tree (roots, trunk and branches) on felt with soap and cut it out.
2. Cut a piece of 50 x 60 cm from the wallpaper. Glue the cut-out wallpaper onto the cardboard using glue or double-sided tape.
3. Place felt wood on top and glue all thin parts with glue.
4. Trim the excess protruding parts to fit the size of the base. Spray picture frames with spray paint and place them in a box with high sides to protect against splashes.
5. Place the half-finished collage in a frame. Glue green yarn (threads, felt) to the top of the tree to imitate foliage.
6. Insert photos into frames. Place them in the middle of the collage. Place children's photographs at the top, and photographs of grandparents at the bottom. Glue all the frames to the family tree with glue.

Thus, preparing a family tree is very simple.

The question remains - what to fill the family tree with?

Well, the simplest option is three generations:

• grandparents
• moms and dads
• and children.

But you can make it even cooler. You can delve a little into the archives (grandmother’s old photo albums) and conduct an interview (talk to your grandparents). Usually such a conversation makes it possible to go 4-5 generations deep.

And finally, we invite you to download a small presentation (fully automatic) about the family tree. The basic terms are explained simply and clearly (because for children) and the sequence of creating a family tree with source codes is given. Download presentation You can follow the link: family tree.

By the way, for reference:

• Father-in-law is the father of the husband.
• Mother-in-law is the husband's mother.
• Father-in-law is the wife's father.
• Mother-in-law is the mother of the wife.
• Matchmaker is the father of one of the spouses in relation to the parents of the other spouse.
• Matchmaker is the mother of one of the spouses in relation to the parents of the other spouse.
• Brother-in-law is the husband's brother.
• Sister-in-law is the husband's sister.
• Brother-in-law - wife's brother.
• Shurich (obsolete) - son of brother-in-law.
• Sister-in-law is the wife's sister.
• Godfather is the godfather in relation to the godson's parents and godmother.
• Kuma is the godmother to the godson's parents and to the godfather.

For more detailed reference:

1. Grandmother, grandmother - mother of father or mother, wife of grandfather.
2. Brother - each of the sons of the same parents.
3. Godbrother is the son of the godfather.rat of the cross, brother of the cross, named brother - persons who exchanged pectoral crosses.
4. Bro, bro, bro, bro, bro - cousin.
5. Bro - cousin's wife.
6. Bratanna is her brother’s daughter, brother’s niece.
7. Bratova - brother's wife.
8. Brother - a relative in general, cousin or distant.
9. Bratych is a brother's son, brother's nephew.
10. A widow is a woman who has not entered into another marriage after the death of her husband.
11. A widower is a man who did not marry after the death of his wife.
12. Grandson - son of a daughter, son; and sons of a nephew or niece.
13. Granddaughter, grandson - daughter of a son, daughter; as well as the daughter of a nephew or niece.
14. Brother-in-law is the husband's brother.
15. Grandfather is the father of the mother or father.
16. The godfather is the father of the godfather.
17. Dedina, grandfather - uncle's aunt.
18. Dedich is the direct heir of his grandfather.
19. A daughter is a female person in relation to her parents.
20. The named daughter is an adopted child, a pupil.
21. Dsherich is his aunt's nephew.
22. Daughter's aunt's niece.
23. Uncle - assigned to care and supervise the child.
24. Uncle is the brother of father or mother.
25. A wife is a married woman in relation to her husband.
26. The groom is the one who has betrothed his bride.
27. Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, sister-in-law - husband’s sister, sometimes brother’s wife, daughter-in-law.
28. Son-in-law is the husband of a daughter, sister, or sister-in-law.
29. Godfather, godfather - see: Godfather, godmother.
30. A mother is a female person in relation to her children.
31. Godmother, mother of the cross, is the recipient of the baptismal ceremony.
32. The named mother is the mother of the adopted child, the pupil.
33. Dairy mother - mother, nurse.
34. The planted mother is a woman who replaces the groom’s own mother at the wedding.
35. Stepmother is the father's other wife, stepmother.
36. A husband is a married man in relation to his wife.
37. The daughter-in-law is the son's wife.
38. A father is a male person in relation to his children.
39. The godfather is the godfather at the font.
40. The named father is the father of the adopted child, the pupil.
41. The father is spoken, the father is imprisoned, the father is disguised - a person speaking instead of his own Father at a wedding.
42. The father is the eldest in the generation.
43. Stepfather is the mother's other husband, stepfather.
44. Fatherlander, stepfather - son, heir.
45. A stepdaughter is a daughter from another marriage in relation to a stepparent.
46. Stepson is the step-son of one of the spouses.
47. Nephew is the son of a brother or sister.
48. Niece is the daughter of a brother or sister.
49. Nephew - relative, relative.
50. Progenitors are the first known pedigree couple from which the family originates.
51. Grandfather - parent of great-great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother.
52. An ancestor is the first known representative of the gens from which genealogy is traced.
53. Matchmaker, matchmaker - parents of young people and their relatives in relation to each other.
54. Father-in-law is the father of the husband.
55. Mother-in-law is the husband's mother.
56. A relative is a person who is related by husband or wife.
57. Brothers-in-law are persons married to two sisters.
58. Cousins-in-law are persons married to cousins.
59. The sister is the daughter of the same parents.
60. Sister - cousin, daughter of mother's or father's sister.
61. Sister, sister, sister - cousin.
62. Sestrenich, sister - son of mother's or father's sister, sister's nephew.
63. Daughter-in-law, son - son's wife, daughter-in-law.
64. The wife of a brother-in-law, the wife of two brothers in relation to each other, the daughter-in-law.
65. Spouse - husband.
66. Spouse - wife.
67. A son is a male person in relation to his parents.
68. Godson (godson) is a male person in relation to the recipient.
69. The named son is an adopted son, a pupil.
70. Father-in-law is the wife's father.
71. Aunt, aunt - sister of father or mother.
72. Mother-in-law is the mother of the wife.
73. Brother-in-law is the wife's brother.
74. Grand-grand-grand-grand-grandchild - about a relationship originating from the third generation (also second cousin) or even further.
75. Cousin - about kinship coming from the second generation.
76. Blood - about kinship within the same family.
77. Homogeneous - about descent from the same father.
78. Monouterine - about descent from one mother.
79. Full-born - about descent from the same parents.
80. Pra is a prefix meaning kinship in distant ascending or descending order.
81. Married - about descent from the same parents, but born before marriage and then recognized.
82. Native - about descent from the same parents.
83. Step-by-step - about descent from different parents.
84. An adopted person is a male person in relation to the adoptive parents.
85. Adopted is a female person in relation to her adoptive parents.

How the entire process of drawing up a pedigree will go depends on your desires and capabilities. The results will largely be the embodiment of your zeal, ability to establish contacts and “detective” thinking. In any case, all the information will be of great value not only for you, but also for all subsequent generations of your large family. It is so important to remember those who were, take care of those who are and think about those who will be.

This question itself, posed in the title of the article, is formulated almost for the first time, because it has always been assumed that family history is written either by the eldest in age (for example, grandfather), or the head of the family (for example, father), or specially trained (hired for side) person, and the rest can take part in this matter to one degree or another. And if there is no such interested person, then the family is doomed to exist without its genealogical history. And for two reasons! On the one hand, because no one writes the genealogy of the family, and therefore it does not exist, and on the other hand, the skill of studying, replenishing and storing the genealogy is not created in the family. This shift of responsibility onto one person excludes from the consciousness of other family members the idea of ​​​​the need to have a genealogical book in the family. Each family member will sooner or later become the head of the family, become a grandfather or grandmother - and he must have the skills to write a genealogical history of the family.

All this speaks in favor of the fact that every member of the family should maintain a pedigree, and it should start from childhood, so that this activity is perceived as natural and necessary.

Two significant conclusions follow from this still controversial statement:

First. If everyone writes a pedigree, then there is no need to write them: the rather hard and painstaking work of writing a pedigree turns into an easy and pleasant activity - filling out the Main Sheet for “your loved one.” Because, having multiplied this leaf, I will exchange it with my wife, with children, with parents and further with more and more distant relatives.

Thus, writing a genealogy turns into compiling it. The person who is most active in compiling his Pedigree book will push his relatives to fill out their Main Sheets for a relative and, in general, to compile his own pedigree, because he will offer, demand (!) their Main Sheets in exchange for a personal sheet. In addition, there is a reason for a trip to a distant relative - to exchange the Main Sheets, and such a common cause unites and unites relatives even more.

Second conclusion. If the pedigree of a family (clan) is created by every person living on Earth, then for whom does he create it? Who will he pass it on to, if everyone already has their own pedigree? Who will get this casket with the most interesting documents? The tradition of passing on family heirlooms from generation to generation, from father to son, from grandfather to grandson comes to mind... This is where the ritual of transferring the entire Genealogical casket to a descendant in a direct line or in a lateral line, if the straight line was broken.

The knowledge that your Genealogical book will be continued by a descendant unknown to you immediately puts the compilation of your own genealogy among the primary life tasks of a person, and then he strives to live his life in such a way “so that there is no excruciating pain for the years spent aimlessly” - so that there is no shame before the descendant.

Thus, each family member, each person living on Earth, compiles his own Pedigree Book, and this book is passed on to the descendant who will be born after the death of this person. At the same time, compiling a pedigree turns into collecting copies of the Main Sheets of relatives. Here it should be noted that although the process of writing a pedigree is simplified, it is necessary, if we want the process not to stall, to constantly devote time to it in our rhythm of life, planning trips, writing letters. And you should remember that this activity still requires spending money. These costs also need to be taken into account when planning your budget.

A few more words about compiling family genealogy. If, for example, I, as a father of a family with married children, exchange personal sheets of relatives with them, then my Main sheet, naturally, should be the most solemn, the most beautiful - with gold embossing, with holograms and so on, i.e. so that my children would be pleased to show their father's Master Sheet to their friends. In other words, each of us will try to make our Main Sheet as beautiful as possible so that it looks decent, and in general, the Genealogical Books will shine with beautifully designed Main Sheets of relatives.

And further. If I go to my, also “advanced” (i.e., having a Pedigree Book), distant relative, then as a result of a pleasant conversation, exchanging personal sheets with him, I can find out about the existence of my other distant relatives and thus receive an incentive to further trips, meetings, acquaintances with them for the purpose of exchanging Master Sheets.

And finally, the proposal to start writing a genealogy with yourself, to describe your whole life, to write your biography as a historical document that your close and distant relatives will now read, this proposal is relevant because we live in an amazing time. As noted above, we live at the very beginning of the millennium, and we have the honor of launching into the future the idea of ​​storing and constantly replenishing genealogical books in each clan. But the time we are experiencing is also surprising in that material objects, without which we can no longer do without, are rapidly changing, one social system is replacing another, the motivations for our actions and our attitude towards material, spiritual values ​​and various kinds of prohibitions are changing stunningly. Just keep a diary. And compiling or adding to your Main Sheets at intervals of 5 years will capture the rapid events in our lives forever.

Why do we study family pedigree?

In past centuries, people studied the genealogy of their family not out of idle curiosity, but out of vital necessity: only noble people studied the family tree, who needed proof of their belonging to a noble, noble family. Now, most people are starting to compile their pedigree book in order to leave information about themselves and their ancestors for posterity (many are very upset that they have studied the pedigree of their animals better than their own).

In other words, society begins to study genealogy in response to one or another historical need. Previously, it was the need to divide people into the haves and have-nots, the nobility and the lower classes, today it is the need to preserve the nation, the Russian people and Russia as a whole. If the number of Russians studying their genealogy becomes significant on a national scale, this will lead to significant changes in our lives: we will learn where and how our relatives live and lived, we will become more familiar with the history and geography of our country, we will learn to love our Motherland filial love. Finally, we will feel like an important link in the history of our family and will try to pass on to our descendants all the most important things from our present to theirs.

Vice-President of the Russian Genealogical Society N.V. Blagovo writes in his work “Advice for a Beginning Genealogist”:

“Having decided for yourself to write the history of your family, yours, your friends or some historical person, try to understand as best as possible the fact that you are starting to create a historical document (and not just another school essay). That is, a document that will, at a minimum, be kept in your family and passed on from generation to generation, or, which is quite possible, will be published and sent to libraries. Therefore, the attitude towards such work should be as conscientious as possible, and best of all, impeccable, regardless of whether it is a large work or its volume is only 5-10 pages.

When starting to study genealogy, you should under no circumstances assume that only the family histories of famous historical figures are interesting and worthy of description. Remember: the history of each family is an integral part of the history of our country! Based on this, without doubt and hesitation, every attempt to compile and describe a genealogy should be supported, regardless of whether its known roots lie at the beginning of the 20th century or go back, for example, to the middle of the 17th century, whether the author’s ancestor served as a groom in the royal stables or commanded Russian troops during the capture of Shamil. It can be argued that drawing up a pedigree, in the end, should become not only a duty, but also a natural need of every person, which, first of all, will be based on the most important component of personal education - respect for ancestors. For, as the great A.S. Pushkin rightly noted in his time, “disrespect for ancestors is the first sign of savagery and immorality.”

Natalia Alekseevna Gitelson, a teacher at the St. Petersburg University for Advanced Pedagogical Excellence, says in her lectures:

“If from “heart to heart”, “from hand to hand” faith, spiritual experience was not adequately conveyed by parents, then this place in the child’s consciousness, if it is not filled by parents, is sought to be occupied by “businessmen” with their pseudo-spiritual products and under spirituality offer “their” means.

Teenagers, just like adults, are looking for their way to God, to the Truth. This search path is accomplished in everyone’s own way: through creativity, through business and profession, through feelings and emotions. Creating and maintaining a family is also the path to God and the search for Truth - both for women and men, and for children and adults. This path has been considered no less important than vocational ministry for centuries. Serving God and strengthening the Fatherland through professional and family work is the original national idea and this is the national conciliarity.

Family prayers, chanting spiritual songs and the names of God in the family circle, participation of everyone in worship, spiritual instruction in church and involvement in church life, knowledge of divine commandments are part of spiritual family traditions...

From time immemorial, knowledge of one's family tree was considered a matter of honor, respected and supported. Using examples from the history of the family, they studied the general history, by getting acquainted with the life of their ancestors, they learned what a worthy life is, what a feat is, what character traits were in the family, what achievements, what values ​​were passed on, how many generations maintained their faith. We got acquainted with the geography of the family, where they were born and lived, what they owned, who they were friends with, where they studied. The history of the family was collected, recorded, and passed on.

Currently, few people have studied the history of their family. The most important thing is to start creating it, collecting it little by little, in order to restore the continuity of generations. The concept of “rootlessness”, as “homelessness”, must leave our lives, because kin is one of the main legacies that a child receives from birth. He is the heir, he is the continuation of the family.

Accepting, loving your family, your loved ones, relatives, knowing them, showing patience, care and attention to them is also very important, the need for this lives in the subconscious. In the old days they knew that where you can’t stand on your own, the family will hold back.

If there were any difficulties in the family - drunkenness, deprivation, family divorces, then it is important for the teenager to help him understand his goal, the leading task, to take responsibility for himself: “Yes, we had difficulties in our family, but we hope we We believe that you can overcome, and your deeds will help the family line recover.” This goal, the idea that through him his genealogical line could be reborn to salvation, “brought” many teenagers to life at different times and did not allow them to fall into the abyss of sin. Responsibility for the fate of the family, for relatives, is a very great power.

When continuity and dignity are held in high esteem in a family, the feeling of pride in the family strengthens the strength of the teenager and “raises” the bar of his determination and achievements.”

In conclusion of this chapter, I would like to draw the attention of our readers to the fact that doing such an important and interesting business will require the expenditure of your personal time and money. This is akin to pilgrimage trips or active leisure time: a bicycle, skis, kayaks are a wonderful break from the chaos of everyday life, this is a wonderful pastime, but you need equipment, financial costs and time to prepare for travel. You also need to plan your budget and time for genealogy. Knowing your genealogy, your family tree, its presence in the house, its beautiful design speaks about the cultural level of a person, the cultural level of the family, the cultural level of citizens of society.

Since the publication of the first edition of the manual, we have made an amazing discovery: we have been sincerely engaged in disseminating knowledge about compiling genealogies and suddenly realized that we give the joy of communication to people, and genealogy is an excellent, literally fertile occasion for constant contacts between relatives. Many people brought us sincere gratitude: “Thank you very much for the idea: we gave a gift edition of the “Pedigree Book” to my wife’s sister for her birthday, and again our relationship with this family became trusting and warm, we became friends again through childbirth! And then 15 years ago, it was as if a black cat ran across between us.” Relatives began to see each other more often - a common cause appeared, otherwise we only meet, especially with distant relatives, at funerals. Young people especially quickly found their bearings: it’s so interesting to go to new relatives and meet their friends in a distant city or another country, and then invite them to your home and show them around. There are other interesting examples: representatives of two clans already told us that they gather once every three years, 200-300 people in turn in different cities for family holidays. When replenishing their genealogies, they began to use the method that underlies our idea. This is how multifaceted and fruitful the idea is that every family should have a genealogy book!

A simple and elegant method for compiling and maintaining a Pedigree in a modern family

Pedigree history in the family. What is it? A framed family tree hanging in the living room? Or notes from one of your relatives in a thick notebook? Or is it a completely complex multi-page diagram with a large number of tables? Genealogical science does not give us an exact and uniform solution. Each genealogist has his own view on how to conduct a genealogy, how to compile it, how to search for ancestors. Each historian-genealogist uses his own schemes, his own databases, and even works with archives in his own way.

And it is very important to collect and organize information about all relatives, about all births. And there will be dozens of births alone, and hundreds of people in the coming generations alone. It is especially important to collect and record information from the most sophisticated members of the family, those who know the most, usually the oldest relatives. And the information they know is priceless.

Yuri Fedorovich Mironov created a simple, unique method of collecting, organizing and beautifully designing pedigree information.

The technique is that for each of your relatives (and, first of all, for yourself), you create a separate personal sheet, and on the sheet itself, in the center, indicate brief information about your relative. This sheet is called the “Relative Main Sheet” or “Main Sheet” for short. On this sheet you write about the three (and only three) immediate generations of your relatives (or relatives of the person for whom you are filling out the Main Sheet):

- your generation(in the middle third of the sheet). This generation, together with you, consists of your brothers, sisters and spouse;

- older generation(in the upper third of the sheet). This generation consists of parents: dad and mom. The recipients at the font belong to the generation of their parents. Brief information about them is placed in this field of the Main sheet. You can tell more about your godfather and mother in the part of your biography where you mention your baptism, or you can also create Main Sheets for them!

- younger generation(in the lower third of the sheet). This generation is made up of your children. Information about your godchildren is entered in the same field.

Since you create a similar sheet for each relative, you will not miss any grandmothers, great-great-grandfathers, nephews, aunts, second cousins, and so on, that is, you will cover everyone both in depth and in breadth - as long as human memory and archives saved the information you need! This is such a simple and, at the same time, fruitful rule.

Thus, for a person who has decided to start compiling the pedigree of his family, this activity begins with filling out the Main Sheets of Relatives, which are easily organized by generation, by family and by clan. This is a clear and simple activity for pensioners and schoolchildren - for anyone in their spare time, on weekends.

The album with the main sheets of relatives is the actual Pedigree Book of the family. This album has the right to be called the Main Book of the Family.

Well, of course, we would also like to have autobiographical information about our relatives (their successes in life, awards, scientific interests, etc.), as well as a visual representation of family ties in the form of a Family Tree and other interesting family documents.

Meanings of relationship terms

Starting to understand the terms of family relationships, you find out that we have practically forgotten them, they have slowly disappeared from the lexicon. Only the closest ones remain: mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, and a fairly small number of definitions of family relationships. But such words as brother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, brother-in-law, half-brother, brother-in-law are practically lost. And it is important to know them, understand them and use them in everyday life. And not only from the point of view of preserving the Russian language, but also from the point of view of family genealogy.

Let's try to understand the terms of kinship and compile a small dictionary.

There are three groups of terms:

• kinship (relations by blood),
• properties (relationships that develop as a result of marriages),
• close (spiritual) non-family ties.

a) Terms of kinship

When getting acquainted with the terms of kinship relations, it should be remembered that the terms of consanguinity consist of keywords and definitions of the degree of kinship.

Keywords:

• Grandmother, grandmother - mother of father or mother, wife of grandfather.
• Brother - each of the sons of the same parents.
• Bro, bro, bro, bro, bro - cousin.
• Bratanna, bratichna, bratuchada - brother's daughter, brother's niece.
• Brother - a relative in general, cousin or distant.
• Bratych, bratuchado, braticich, bratic - son of brother, nephew by brother.
• Grandson - son of a daughter, son; and the son of a nephew or niece.
• Granddaughter, grandson - daughter of a son, daughter; and the daughter of a nephew or niece.
• Vui is an uncle, mother's brother.
• Grandfather is the father of the mother or father.
• Grandfather, grandfather - uncle's aunt.
• Dedich is the direct heir of his grandfather.
• A daughter is a female person in relation to her parents.
• Uncle is the brother of father or mother.
• A mother is a female person in relation to her children.
• A father is a male person in relation to his children.
• The father is the eldest in the generation.
• Fatherlander, stepfather - son, heir.
• Nephew is the son of a brother or sister.
• Niece is the daughter of a brother or sister.
• Nephew - relative, relative.
• Progenitors are the first known couple in terms of pedigree, from which the clan originates.
• Grandfather - parent of great-great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother.
• The ancestor is the first known representative of the genus from which the genealogy is traced.
• A self-brother is a brother.
• Sister - each of the daughters in relation to other children of the same parents.
• Sister - cousin, daughter of mother's or father's sister.
• Sister, sister, sister, sister, sister, sister - cousin
• Sister, sister, little sister - cousin or grand-sister.
• Sister, sister, sister, sister - son of mother's or father's sister, sister's nephew
• Sister - sister's daughter.
• Stry - uncle, father's brother
• A son is a male person in relation to his parents.
• Aunt, aunt - sister of father or mother.

Determination of degrees of relationship:

• A great uncle is a brother of a grandfather or grandmother.
• A great aunt is a grandparent's sister.
• Grandchildren, grandson - about kinship originating from the third generation or even further.
• Cousin - about kinship coming from the second generation.
• Blood - about kinship within the same family.
• Little uncle - brother of father or mother.
• Little aunt is the sister of the father or mother.
• Homogeneous (only begotten, half-blooded) - about descent from one father.
• Monotuterine (one-uterine) - about descent from one mother.
• Full-born - about descent from the same parents.
• Pra is a prefix meaning kinship in distant ascending or descending order.
• Married - about descent from the same parents, but born before marriage and then recognized.
• Native - about descent from the same parents.
• Step-by-step - about descent from different parents.
• Second cousin - see grandson.

b) Property terms

• Bro - cousin's wife.
• Bratova is her brother's wife.
• A widow is a woman who has not entered into another marriage after the death of her husband.
• A widower is a man who did not marry after the death of his wife.
• Brother-in-law is the husband's brother.
• A wife is a married woman in relation to her husband.
• The groom is the one who has betrothed his bride.
• Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, sister-in-law - husband's sister, sometimes brother's wife, daughter-in-law.
• Son-in-law is the husband of a daughter, sister, sister-in-law.
• A husband is a married man in relation to his wife.
• The daughter-in-law is the son's wife, the brother's wife.
• Matchmaker, matchmaker - parents of young people and their relatives in relation to each other.
• Father-in-law is the husband's father.
• Mother-in-law is the husband's mother.
• A relative is a person who is related by husband or wife.
• Brothers-in-law are persons married to two sisters.
• Cousins-in-law are persons married to cousins.
• Daughter-in-law, son - son's wife.
• The wife of a brother-in-law, the wife of two brothers in relation to each other, the daughter-in-law.
• Spouse - husband.
• Spouse - wife.
• Father-in-law is the wife's father.
• Mother-in-law is the mother of the wife.
• Brother-in-law is the wife's brother.

c) Terms of non-kinship relationships

In people's lives, close non-family relationships are of great importance, which is also reflected in the terminology of genealogical searches. One should remember the external similarity of these terms with the terms of consanguinity and not confuse them.

• Godbrother is the son of the godfather.
• Brother of the cross, brother of the cross, brother named - persons who exchanged pectoral crosses.
• The godfather is the godfather's father.
• The named daughter is an adopted child, a pupil.
• Uncle - assigned to care and supervise the child.
• Godfather, godfather - see: Godfather, Godmother.
• The godmother, the mother of the cross, is the recipient of the baptismal ceremony.
• The named mother is the mother of the adopted child, the pupil.
• A milk mother is a mother, a nurse.
• The planted mother is a woman who replaces the groom's own mother at the wedding.
• Stepmother is the father's other wife, stepmother.
• The godfather is the godfather at the font.
• The named father is the father of the adopted child, the pupil.
• The father is a talkative father, the father is imprisoned, the father is a mummer - a person who acts instead of his own father at a wedding.
• Stepfather is the mother's other husband, stepfather.
• A stepdaughter is a daughter from another marriage in relation to a stepparent.
• A stepson is a son who is not related to one of the spouses.
• Step-siblings are children of persons living in remarriages from previous marriages.
• Godson (godson) is a male person in relation to the recipient.
• The named son is an adopted son, a pupil.
• An adopted child is a boy in relation to his adoptive parents.
• Adopted is a girl in relation to her adoptive parents.

A little about the history of genealogy

Genesis: “Pedigree is a list of generations of one kind, containing indications of origin and degree of relationship.”
The related concept of “genealogy” (Greek genealogia - pedigree) is defined in this dictionary not only as “the origin, history of the family; genealogy,” but also as “a section of historical science that studies the origin and family ties of individual genera.”
The Bible talks about the origin and kinship of all the numerous peoples inhabiting the Earth. Among the ancients, genealogy usually consisted only of listing fathers - from the ancestor to the person for whom the genealogy was drawn; extremely rarely, the names of their wives and some other brief information were added to the names of the fathers. The flourishing of genealogical science in many European countries coincides with the development of feudalism. When property appears in society and the rights of its inheritance are discussed, knowledge of the degree of kinship is especially important.

Knightly orders were formed in Europe, and those entering them were required to prove the noble origin of their ancestors two, three, or even four generations ago. It has long been a custom: in order to increase your possessions, it is better to become related to a wealthy family. The stratification of society leads to the emergence of closed groups (classes), each of which has its own special rights, responsibilities, and privileges. Such isolation makes it necessary to record the degree of kinship within each family (so that strangers do not creep in) and between different families. In England and France in the 16th century, government officials appeared who were responsible for the correct compilation of genealogies.

In Russia, genealogical paintings appeared at the end of the 15th century. The formation of a unified Russian state requires legal consolidation of relations between the clans of the ruling class. In the forties of the 16th century, the first Genealogical books appeared, compiled in the Rank Order, which was in charge of appointments to military service. Under Peter I, the Heraldry Office was created. Changing names, it existed under the Senate until 1917. It was there that the origin of families was officially approved, genealogical documents were compiled, which began to be highly valued in society.
From these remarks it follows that genealogy performed a very specific task, that is, it was an applied science. People from certain sections of society were engaged in compiling genealogies not out of curiosity, but out of urgent need. Many genealogists have, however, been involved in gross, often deliberate errors due to the desire of various individuals to be considered descendants of famous and noble ancestors.
Genealogies, especially at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, were often compiled without any documentary data, based on controversial or false information. At the same time, genealogy began to be used to divide people into pure and unclean. People were divided into classes, clans, and thus enmity and hatred were sown between people - God's creatures.

How to find information about ancestors

In our society there is an opinion that there is an organization where you can go and they will write you a list of all relatives. There is no such organization, and the market for such services is just emerging. All services in this area are paid, and there are no benefits.

If you still want to start searching for your ancestors, then you can:
a) contact the Russian Genealogical Society, which is located in the Russian National Library (Sadovaya St., 18). If this search is of historical interest, you may be able to get help. Please note that learned genealogists and historians have united in the Society to solve their scientific problems, and not to provide any services to the population;
b) find a service through a telephone help desk or the Internet. There are companies and individuals providing such services;

c) independently conduct a search in those archives, house and church books in which documents about your relatives may be stored;

The information you can collect from relatives living now will be invaluable in 10-30 years! This information is not stored in archives, but relatives die... Moreover, archives will not disappear, and access to the information stored in them will become easier over time.
. One of your relatives may know the pedigree of your family deeper and wider than you! In general, when a family, a clan, starts working on genealogy, you will have helpers, like-minded people, and things will become more interesting. And you won’t be afraid to “dig” deeper and wider!
. In the process of compiling your pedigree, you will have family pedigree documents created and finally a location where they will be stored. In this case, you will have somewhere to put the information and documents about your ancestors found in the archives with great difficulty, and these archival documents will be securely stored along with other genealogical documents.
. We live in very interesting times, social formations are rapidly changing, life and motivations in life are rapidly changing. It’s interesting to capture this without delay, so that in 15-20 years it will be clear why we live this way and not differently. And if, when exchanging the Main Sheets with our relatives, we write in them our opinions and thoughts about the current time, then we will learn to see how the Lord unfolds the solemn canvas of life before us!

Stages of compiling a family pedigree

We most often associate the word “pedigree” with ancestors. There is a certain feeling of guilt that you never get around to writing down information about them from those who still remember something. And even if this information was recorded, it has not yet been processed or sorted out. At the same time, it is assumed that the genealogy is written for descendants, almost as an edification.
We are thrown from ancestors to descendants, although it is known that we must live here and now. Therefore, in fact, we write a genealogy primarily for ourselves: in order to live in friendly communication with relatives living today, and so that a culture of genealogy is brought up in the family, in the clan. Moreover, she was brought up not only at the level of knowledge, but at the level of skill! So that it doesn’t happen like in the story of one of the visitors to the Family Genealogy Center, who left for Germany. Her neighbor, a German woman, took two large suitcases to the trash heap. One contained letters from my great-grandfather from the fronts of the First World War, and the second contained letters from my grandfather from the fronts of the Second World War. Now our compatriot is studying these letters, which, of course, are of great historical value. She simply cannot so mercilessly cross out and destroy the memory of people, of ancestors.

Therefore, I draw your attention to the fact that the process of compiling a pedigree consists of two parts:

The first part is a description of living relatives. This enjoyable activity is also good because it does not require significant financial outlays from the researcher.

The second part is searching for information about ancestors in archives and libraries. It is expensive and requires special knowledge. But, if you can take your time searching for information in the archives, then communication with relatives living now cannot be delayed - all people are mortal. And even then, in the archives you will get very meager information, and the story of an elderly relative living now can be a whole poem. How to include all relatives in the process of creating a pedigree and thus instill in all of us the skill of maintaining a pedigree is written in this manual.

Why is it important to do genealogy in your family?

In addition, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the passion for compiling genealogies can act in our society as a powerful unifying factor. The fact is that if we take into account people by origin, then such an occupation will divide people into clans, into classes. But if you write a genealogy in order to trace the connection of your clan with other clans, then such an activity will unite us, help us realize that we are one Russian people!

As follows from Generational paintings and, in general, from genealogical documents of past centuries, the role of women in genealogy was belittled and was insignificant. In Generational paintings, women were only mentioned by name, while a short biography was compiled for men. Thus, childbirth was separated from each other and carried out exclusively through the male line.

But, after getting married, both men and women perform an equally important role - they connect their family with the family of their spouse and continue this birth! With this approach - when the connections between all genera are taken into account - the genera are not separated, but, on the contrary, their connection is emphasized. People belonging to these families become brothers-in-law, and it is easier for them to get to know each other and establish friendships.
Thus, the nationwide passion for compiling genealogies, the perception of this activity by Russians as the most important in life will help to find and restore connections interrupted by the hard times of the 20th century. Such a simple and pleasant hobby will teach us to treat each other kindly and kindly. The compilation of family books - the Main Books of the Family - will have a strong influence on the formation in society of a respectful attitude towards the institution of the family, towards enduring family values.
Every person is special in some way, every family, every clan has its own flavor. To capture this now, at the very beginning of the new millennium, and teach the “young, unfamiliar tribe” to collect and create genealogies, store them, supplement them and pass them on from family to family, from generation to generation - an interesting task and, of course, of national importance. The concept of genealogy culture will arise in the public consciousness. There will be meaningful respect for past generations, and for descendants, and for people living today, and for oneself - “I am also a participant in this solemn process!”

This is not decisive, but, it seems to me, an important element that serves to overcome the demographic catastrophe in Russia.
We can talk about the importance of knowing the pedigree in a family endlessly, citing more and more new examples: suppose there is a wedding, guests give flowers, gifts, and everyone gives their Main sheet, the young people put these sheets in a beautiful album, arranging them by gender. After some time, the young couple, looking at this album, will remember their relatives, and the spouses will feel like continuers of the family: they will give birth to and raise their children, that is, the next generation. They got married for a reason, not only out of great love and sympathy, but they connected two families. These are the people they brought together. These people are always nearby, you can rely on them, and you have to take a test of maturity before them!
Of exceptional importance for the child’s entire future life would be the custom of giving him at christening or when present relatives register their Main Sheets for his pedigree - “you and I are of the same blood - you and me!” Father will put these sheets of paper in a beautiful folder. The child will grow up and begin to leaf through the Genealogical Book. This is his pedigree! And understand that he is not alone, he has many relatives, you can talk to them, you can turn to them. There is someone to congratulate on the holidays, on Angel's Day.
When reading manuals on compiling genealogies, I was still unclear. I tried to formulate the questions I had and find answers to them. As a result, this brochure appeared, a breathtaking prospect opened up: on the one hand, painstaking, tedious work is eliminated - almost nothing needs to be written, and on the other hand, thanks to the new algorithm, a pedigree appears for every Russian, and it is beautifully designed, detailed and thorough - and this is exactly what we need.
The questions that arose in my mind are included in the titles of the chapters of the second part of the book, and their content represents the answers to these questions. In the third part, all the ideas presented are considered again, but using a specific example. And, following the actions of our heroes - Oleg and Anna, you, dear reader, will be able to create the basis of your pedigree, that is, begin filling out and collecting the documents that make it up. You can make the forms necessary for this using illustrations to the text. You can also contact us at the Family Pedigree Center.

Materials from the site http://www.russian-family.ru/

Everyone has thought at least once about who their ancestors are, where their family comes from, and, based on the stories of their grandparents, they create a family tree with their own hands. Each of us compiled a pedigree for school, but not everyone will be able to remember how to do it correctly. In this article we will tell you in detail how to independently, without knowledge in the field of genealogy, find out and compile your pedigree. A family tree will allow your descendants to remember your relatives.

Why do you need to know your pedigree?

Drawing up a family tree requires motivation. Some will consider it a complete waste of time, while others constantly put off compiling a family tree until later. Having an idea of ​​why this should be done at all, everyone will think about drawing up a pedigree.

1. With age, everyone develops a certain sentimentality. Everyone notices that grandparents begin to remember their distant relatives and great-grandfathers. Give them a little joy, make a family tree with your own hands, show the old people that family is important to you and you remember your roots.
2. If you have children, then create a family tree to instill in your child respect for their roots. Children should remember their ancestors, know the history of the family and its traditions.
3. The genealogical family tree will clearly show you how big the clan is, how many relatives you have - feel like part of history, a big family.
4. Satisfy your curiosity: perhaps you have nobles or even kings in your family! What if you currently have a celebrity in your family, and you don’t even know it?

Professionals in compiling family trees do not recommend starting a search for ancestors among nobles and historical celebrities, since this is a very troublesome and, most importantly, expensive task. Basically, the data on such individuals is indirect, and searching for relatives among them will not lead to a 100% positive result. People who have nobles and historical celebrities in their family usually know about this. If you don’t have data on this, then most likely they won’t be found.

What to use when searching for ancestors

Today, folders with documents in the archive have lost their relevance; no one will group their family in paper form. The easiest way is to use special programs for recording and notes that are available to all Internet users. Such programs will allow you to conveniently and beautifully arrange the collected information and display it in a neat form.

Online programs will help you find relatives and ancestors. Almost all such services are paid, but they give good results quickly, efficiently and in full.

Online programs are convenient because you just need to register in them, enter your data, if you have photos of ancestors or distant relatives, then upload them to the service, and it will independently create a graphic family tree.

Pay attention to how long the service on which you decide to register works. If he is still young, he will most likely give out information that is not entirely accurate. There is also a huge possibility that one fine day the program will simply cease to exist, and all the data you entered will disappear on the Internet.

Good services for compiling a family tree

We offer a list of proven programs that have been “living” for quite a long time, they store a lot of information about people, among which one hundred percent there will be at least one, but your relative:

• http://genealogia.ru/genealogicheskaya-programma is a popular online program. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that when entering information, the peculiarity of the Russian family is taken into account - patronymic!
• Website of the All-Russian family tree. It contains information about all historical figures whose relatives are currently alive and living in Russia.
• Center for Genealogical Research. Communication takes place in a forum where everyone can tell each other something. Also on the site you can find an archive of documents on chronology, estates, registration, land ownership and other information.
• Website of the Russian Noble Assembly. It stores information about all descendants (including possible ones) who belong to the noble class.
• familyspace.ru is a family social networking site where you can find lost relatives, chat with people who know your relatives or know your ancestors.

Free programs for compiling a pedigree

In addition to many paid programs, there are good free ones that will help you create a family tree.

1. “Tree of Life” - on this site you can find relatives and find out the degree of relationship with a particular person. You can upload information about yourself, your ancestors and descendants, photos and video files.
2. "Family Chronicle" - creating a colorful, bright tree! Save photos, documents, videos and other information about your family.

Of course, these programs are free only if you provide trial information. To use the full interface, you need to pay a small amount - within reason.

Start of tree formation

If you are interested in how to draw a family tree with your own hands, then you should not refuse online programs, they will help you learn more about the family.

Start building a family tree with yourself - this is the easiest option. Cut out the photo, paste it on a piece of paper from the very top, write brief information (date of birth, first name, last name and patronymic).

If you have children, attach their photo next to yours. Record information with degree of relationship.

If your personal knowledge has dried up, seek the help of older relatives.

Survey of relatives

You should not gather all the grandparents in one room for a survey. As a rule, their knowledge may differ, they will begin to argue, disrupting your pace of work on compiling a family tree.

Visit each relative separately (on the mother's side and on the father's side, be sure!), Let them talk about their ancestors and relatives in a calm atmosphere.

If opinions are divided, then draw up a pedigree based on the data that agree, this will ensure the least error.

Collection of photographs

The penultimate stage is collecting photos. Look for them in family albums, with grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

If photographs of some relatives were not found, you should not remove them from the tree. Ask what they looked like, try to at least roughly depict them (hair color, eye color, approximate body type). Don't be afraid to draw, even if you have no skills at all!

How to draw a family tree

Having collected information and photographs, proceed directly to creating the tree. It’s not difficult at all, use the instructions, which tell you in detail how to draw a family tree with your own hands.

1. At the root of the tree there should be a photo of the oldest representative of the family (determine by degree of relationship, date of birth).
2. Make branches from the elder to which you attach photographs of his children. Branches from children are their children.
3. Form the tree carefully, clearly, attaching photos higher and higher until you get to your photo and the photo of your children.
4. Make the branches of the closest relatives higher, and the distant ones (cousins, etc.) - to the sides.
5. Finally, decorate the tree with a crown and leaves, draw a trunk and a root.

You can see an example (photo) of a family genealogical tree in this article. Based on it, you can easily create your own.