International Adoption Info - Part I

The first thing is something I find very fascinating: The Russian Databank.

This website is the official government database of all orphans in Russia who are eligible for adoption. Unfortunately the site is only in Russian, but even if you do not speak (or read) Russian you can still look through at all of the photographs. This site also provides insight into the magnitude of the Russian orphan problem-- the site has over 10,300 PAGES of photographs of orphans, with at least 15 orphans per page.

I try not to go to this site very often, because honestly it makes me sad to see so many children in need of a loving family. But when I am browsing through the photos of children in our possible regions, I can't help but wonder if I am looking at our daughter without even knowing it.

Here are instructions:

1. Log on to the website: http://www.usynovite.ru/db/

2. At the bottom of the page select the Region (C) and year of birth (B); Can also specify Sex (A) and with or without Siblings (D)

3. Click the gray search button.

4. Click on the link at the bottom to scroll to next page

(Click on the illustration below to make it larger and easier to read the labels.)

A = Male (selected) or Female
B = Year of Birth
C = Kemerovo Region (selected)
D = No (selected) Siblings


Now here is something else pretty cool for my fellow non-Russian readers. Google will translate a webpage. To see this webpage in English, click here.

To do this on your own, first go to iGoogle, then click on Language Tools. Scroll down to "Translate a web page". Enter the web address of the page you want to translate and select "Russian to English". Then click, "Translate". Questions? Just leave a comment and I'll try to help!

Updated to include the following translations:

1. This is a database record number. I think it's probably specific to the usynovite.ru database and may not have meaning in any other context.

2. This is the name of the Russian region in which this child is located. I posted the region names lower down in this thread.

3. This is the name of the child. First name followed by family (last name) initial. No patronymic information appears to be provided.

4. This identifies whether there are any known siblings in the system. Possible answers include: Åñòü áðàòüÿ èëè ñåñòðû = Has brothers or sisters. Áðàòüåâ è ñåñòåð íåò = No brothers or sisters. NOTE: This field has been known to be an inaccurate indicator of whether or not a child has siblings.

5. Âîçìîæíûå ôîðìû óñòðîéñòâà = Possible arrangements. This item refers to the possible forms of arrangement for each child. For a detailed explanation, please see the post further up this thread. Possible values are: óñûíîâëåíèå = Adoption îïåêà (ïîïå÷èòåëüñòâî) = Guardianship (Trusteeship) ïðèåìíàÿ ñåìüÿ = Receiving family ïàòðîíàòíîå âîñïèòàíèå = Patronage training

6. Äàòà ðîæäåíèÿ = Birth Date. Only the month and year are shown.

7. Ïîë = Sex (Gender). This item is sometimes mistranslated as "floor," since the Russian word for "floor" is also Ïîë. It could also be incorrectly rendered as "half" by an automated translator. Possible values are: ìóæñêîé = male æåíñêèé = female

8. Ãëàçà = Eyes (Eye Color) Possible values include: êàðèé = brown; hazel ãîëóáîé = light blue ñåðûé = gray çåëåíûé = green ÷åðíûé = dark; black

9. Âîëîñû = Hair (Hair Color). Possible values include: òåìíûå = dark ðóñûå = light brown ÷åðíûå = black ñâåòëûå = blonde ñâåòëî-ðóñûå = very light brown òåìíî-ðóñûå = medium brown

10. Õàðàêòåð = Character. This field is a brief attempt to describe the child's character. Some possible answers include: ñïîêîéíûé = calm, easygoing áåñïîêîéíûé = uneasy, anxious îáùèòåëüíûé = sociable, amiable çàìêíóòûé = reserved, unsociable êàïðèçíûé = capricious, playful âåñåëûé = cheerful, jovial äîáðîæåëàòåëüíàÿ = good-natured óïðÿìàÿ = stubborn çàáîòëèâàÿ = concerned for others NOTE: There are a large number of descriptive words possible. This is not a complete list.

11. Êóäà îáðàùàòüñÿ = Where to inquire. This is a link to the contact page for the regional databank operator for this specific child. Note that they probably aren't expecting foreign adopters to contact them directly using the information included here. This contact information is intended for Russian citizens living in Russia.

Here's the region list:

• Àãèíñêèé Áóðÿòñêèé ÀÎ = Aginski Buryatski Autonomous Okrug (Aginskoe)
• Àëòàéñêèé êðàé = Altaiski Krai (Barnaul)
• Àìóðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Amurskaya Oblast (Blagoveshchensk)
• Àðõàíãåëüñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Archangelskaya Oblast (Archangelsk)
• Àñòðàõàíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Astrakhanskaya Oblast (Astrakhan)
• Áåëãîðîäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Belgorodskaya Oblast (Belgorod)
• Áðÿíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Bryanskaya Oblast (Bryansk)
• Âëàäèìèðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Vladimirskaya Oblast (Vladimir)
• Âîëãîãðàäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Volgogradskaya Oblast (Volgograd)
• Âîëîãîäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Vologodskaya Oblast (Vologda)
• Âîðîíåæñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Voronezhskaya Oblast (Voronezh)
• Åâðåéñêàÿ ÀÎ = Jewish Autonomous Oblast (Birobidjan)
• Èâàíîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Ivanovskaya Oblast (Ivanovo)
• Èðêóòñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Irkutskaya Oblast (Irkutsk)
• Êàáàðäèíî-Áàëêàðñêàÿ Ðåñïóáëèêà = Kabardino-Balkarskaya Republic (Nalchik)
• Êàëèíèíãðàäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kaliningradskaya Oblast (Kaliningrad)
• Êàëóæñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kaluzhskaya Oblast (Kaluga)
• Êàì÷àòñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kamchatkskaya Oblast (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky)
• Êàðà÷àåâî-×åðêåññêàÿ Ðåñïóáëèêà = Karachaevo-Cherkesskaya Republic (Cherkessk)
• Êåìåðîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kemerovskaya Oblast (Kemerovo)
• Êèðîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kirovskaya Oblast (Kirov)
• Êîìè-Ïåðìÿöêèé ÀÎ = Komi-Permyatski Autonomous Okrug (Kudymkar)
• Êîðÿêñêèé ÀÎ = Koryakski Autonomous Okrug (Palana)
• Êîñòðîìñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kostromskaya Oblast (Kostroma)
• Êðàñíîäàðñêèé êðàé = Krasnodarski Krai (Krasnodar)
• Êðàñíîÿðñêèé êðàé = Krasnoyarski Krai (Krasnoyarsk)
• Êóðãàíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kurganskaya Oblast (Kurgan)
• Êóðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Kurskaya Oblast (Kursk)
• Ëåíèíãðàäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Leningradskaya Oblast (St. Petersburg Region)
• Ëèïåöêàÿ îáëàñòü = Lipyetskaya Oblast (Lipetsk)
• Ìàãàäàíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Magadanskaya Oblast (Magadan)
• Ìîñêâà = Moscow (City) • Ìîñêîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Moscow (Region)
• Ìóðìàíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Murmanskaya Oblast (Murmansk)
• Íåíåöêèé ÀÎ = Nyenyetski Autonomous Okrug (Naryan-Mar)
• Íèæåãîðîäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Nizhegorodskaya Oblast (Nizhny Novgorod)
• Íîâãîðîäñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Novgorodskaya Oblast (Novgorod)
• Íîâîñèáèðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Novosibirskaya Oblast (Novosibirsk)
• Îìñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Omskaya Oblast (Omsk)
• Îðåíáóðãñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Orenburgskaya Oblast (Orenburg)
• Îðëîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Orlovskaya Oblast (Orlov)
• Ïåíçåíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Penzenskaya Oblast (Penza)
• Ïåðìñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Permskaya Oblast (Perm)
• Ïðèìîðñêèé êðàé = Primorsky Krai (Vladivostok)
• Ïñêîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Pskovskaya Oblast (Pskov)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Àäûãåÿ = Adigia Republic (Maikop)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Àëòàé = Altai Republic (Gorno-Altaysk)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Áàøêîðòîñòàí = Bashkortostan Republic (Ufa)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Áóðÿòèÿ = Buryatia Republic (Ulan-Ude)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Äàãåñòàí = Dagestan Republic (Makhachkala)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Èíãóøåòèÿ = Ingushetia Republic (Nazran)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Êàëìûêèÿ = Kalmykia Republic (Elista)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Êàðåëèÿ = Karelia Republic (Petrozavodsk)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Êîìè = Komi Republic (Syktyvkar)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Ìàðèé Ýë = Mari-El Republic (Yoshkar-Ola)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Ìîðäîâèÿ = Mordovia Republic (Saransk)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Ñàõà (ßêóòèÿ) = Republic of Sakha-Yakutia (Yakutsk)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Ñåâåðíàÿ Îñåòèÿ (Àëàíèÿ) = Republic of North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Òàòàðñòàí = Republic of Tatarstan (Kazan)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Òûâà = Republic of Tuva (Kizil)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Óäìóðòèÿ = Republic of Udmurtia (Ishevsk, Glazov)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà Õàêàñèÿ = Republic of Khakasia (Abakan, Beley Yar)
• Ðåñïóáëèêà ×óâàøèÿ-×àâàø = Republic of Chuvashia-Chavash (Cheboksari)
• Ðîñòîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Rostovskaya Oblast (Rostov on Don)
• Ðÿçàíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Ryazanskaya Oblast (Ryazan)
• Ñàìàðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Samarskaya Oblast (Samara)
• Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã = Saint Petersburg (City)
• Ñàðàòîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Saratovskaya Oblast (Saratov)
• Ñàõàëèíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Sakhalinskaya Oblast (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)
• Ñâåðäëîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Sverdlovskaya Oblast (Ekaterinburg)
• Ñìîëåíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Smolenskaya Oblast (Smolensk)
• Ñòàâðîïîëüñêèé êðàé = Stavropolski Krai (Stavropol)
• Òàéìûðñêèé ÀÎ = Taimirski Autonomous Okrug (Norilsk)
• Òàìáîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Tambovskaya Oblast (Tambov)
• Òâåðñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Tverskaya Oblast (Tver)
• Òîìñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Tomskaya Oblast (Tomsk)
• Òóëüñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Tulskaya Oblast (Tula)
• Òþìåíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Tyumenskaya Oblast (Tyumen)
• Óëüÿíîâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Ulyanovskaya Oblast (Ulyanovsk)
• Óñòü-Îðäûíñêèé Áóðÿòñêèé ÀÎ = Ust-Ordinski Buryatski Autonomous Okrug (Ust-Ordinski)
• Õàáàðîâñêèé êðàé = Khabarovski Krai (Khabarovsk)
• Õàíòû-Ìàíñèéñêèé ÀÎ = Khanty-Mansiski Autonomous Okrug (Surgut, Nefteyugansk)
• ×åëÿáèíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Chelyabinskaya Oblast (Chelyabinsk)
• ×å÷åíñêàÿ Ðåñïóáëèêà = Chechenskaya Republic (Grozny)
• ×èòèíñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Chitinskaya Oblast (Chita)
• ×óêîòñêèé ÀÎ = Chukotski Autonomous Okrug (Anadyr)
• Ýâåíêèéñêèé ÀÎ = Evenkiski Autonomous Okrug (Tura)
• ßìàëî-Íåíåöêèé ÀÎ = Yamalo-Nenetski Autonomous Okrug (Salekhard)
• ßðîñëàâñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Yaroslavskaya Oblast (Yaroslavl)

The region list above is current for the selection list used on the usynovite.ru database search page. However, several regions in Russia have recently merged or are scheduled to merge in the near future. The merged regions are:

• Ïåðìñêèé êðàé = Permski Krai (Perm) - Merger of Permskaya Oblast and Komi-Permyatski Autonomous Okrug (December 1, 2005)
• Êðàñíîÿðñêèé êðàé = Kransoyarski Krai (Kransoyarsk) - Merger of Taimirski Autonomous Okrug with Kransoyarski Krai (January 1, 2007)
• Êàì÷àòñêèé êðàé = Kamchatsky Krai (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) - Merger of Koryakski Autonomous Okrug with Kamchatkskaya Oblast (July 1, 2007)
• Èðêóòñêàÿ îáëàñòü = Irkutskaya Oblast - Merger of Ust-Ordinski Buryatski Autonomous Okrug with Irkutskaya Oblast (January 1, 2008)
• Çàáàéêàëüñêèé êðàé = Zabaikalski Krai - Merger of Chitinskaya Oblast with Aginski Buryatski Autonomous Okrug (March 1, 2008)