Finding information about World War II veterans is a task that requires not only patience, but also knowledge of reliable sources. Every year there is more data, but it is scattered across dozens of archives, government portals and specialized platforms. Relatives, historians and volunteers often encounter problems: some sites contain outdated information, others require complex registration, and others are not indexed by search engines at all.

In this article we have collected resources relevant for 2026 to search for WWII veterans, including official government bases, military archives And volunteer projects. You will learn how to correctly formulate requests, what documents may be needed to confirm kinship, and how to avoid scammers offering “paid archival extracts.” We will pay special attention unique databases with digitized awards and front-line correspondence, which are rarely mentioned in standard manuals.

Official government resources: where to start searching

The first step is to contact state archives and portals, where data on veterans is systematized and verified. These resources are usually updated regularly, but may require verification of identity or relationship.

The most famous source is OBD "Memorial" (Generalized data bank). More than 50 million records about the dead and missing. The base includes:

  • 📜 Reports of irreparable losses (from 1941 to 1945)
  • 🏆 Award sheets (orders and medals of the USSR)
  • 📋 Index cards from the archives of the Ministry of Defense
  • 📷 Photos of graves (for burials in the Russian Federation and abroad)

To search, just enter the veteran's last name, first name and patronymic. The system will display all matches indicating the unit, position and circumstances of death (if any). Please note: the site has a section "Search by recruiting location" - this will help narrow down the results if the surname is common.

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If a veteran is listed as missing in action, check the "Documents about prisoners" at Memorial OBD. There is data from German archives about Soviet prisoners of war, transferred under the information exchange program.

Another key resource is "Memory of the People". Here you can find:

  • 🎖️ Award documents (including decrees on awards)
  • 📊 Combat paths of units (with maps and chronology)
  • 📖 Digitized memory books by region
⚠️ Attention: There is a function on the "Memory of the People" "Search by photo", but it only works for portraits from official archives. Upload your photos for search useless — the system does not use facial recognition.

Military archives and digitized documents: where to look deeper

If you can’t find any data on popular portals, you should contact specialized archives, where lesser-known documents are stored. Many of them require a personal visit or a formal request, but some materials are available online.

One of the most valuable resources is RGAVMF (Russian State Archive of the Navy). Here you can find:

  • ⚓ Lists of ship personnel (including submarines)
  • 📜 Combat logs flotillas
  • 🏅 Documents on awards of seamen

To access full versions of documents, you will need to send a request via electronic reception on the website. The answer comes within 30 days, but often contains unique information that is not in open databases.

Useful for ground forces TsAMO (Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense). Stored here:

  • 📄 Orders for personnel (movements, promotions)
  • 🔍 Documents about the wounded and hospitals
  • 📅 Loss logs (by days and parts)
Archive Type of documents Deadline for response to request Features
RGAVMF Navy documents 30 days Requires the fund number
TsAMO Orders, loss logs 45 days You need to know the number of the military unit
RGASPI Party documents 60 days Suitable for command staff
GARF Repressed military personnel 90 days Requires proof of relationship
📊 Which archive have you already tried to search?
  • OBD "Memorial"
  • "Memory of the People"
  • TsAMO
  • RGAVMF
  • Haven't looked yet

To search these archives it is important to know at least one of the following details:

  • 🔢 Military unit number (for example, 123 syap - 123rd assault aviation regiment)
  • 📌 Place of recruitment (district military registration and enlistment office)
  • 🎖️ Award sheet (number of order or medal)
⚠️ Attention: If the veteran served in NKVD or counterintelligence, his documents may be in FSB archive. Requests there are considered until 6 months and require justification (for example, restoration of the pedigree).

Volunteer projects and crowdsourcing databases

In addition to the official archives, there are volunteer projects, where enthusiasts collect and organize data about veterans. These resources often contain unique information that is not available in government databases.

One of the most famous is the project "Veterans of the Great Patriotic War". Here are the volunteers:

  • 📋 Leading lists of veterans by region
  • 📷 Posted photographs from the fronts (including rare photos)
  • 📞 Help with searching for living veterans (via regional coordinators)

Another valuable resource is "RKKA" (Workers' and Peasants' Red Army). Here you can find:

  • 📚 Directories on military units (lineups for different dates)
  • 🗺️ Combat maps (with notes about deployment)
  • 📄 Digitized orders (including those declassified in recent years)

On the forum "RKKA" working section "Search by last name", where users help each other find data. Before asking a question, be sure to:

Indicate the full name of the veteran|Write the year of birth (at least approximate)|Specify the branch of service or military unit|Attach available documents (if any)

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To search missing useful project "Search through lists of prisoners", where data from German camps was collected. Here you can find:

  • 📋 Lists of Soviet prisoners of war (by camp)
  • 📅 Dates of capture and liberation
  • 📷 Photos of the camps (geo-referenced)
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Volunteer projects often contain data that is not in official archives. For example, on the Red Army forum you can find information about soldiers who served in partisan detachments or special forces, documents about which are still classified.

Search by awards: how to find a veteran by order or medal

If information about the veteran's awards is known, this will significantly narrow the search. In the USSR, awards were recorded in special card files, some of which are now digitized.

The main resource for searching for awards is "Feat of the people". Here you can find:

  • 🏅 Award sheets (with a description of the feat)
  • 📜 Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council about awarding
  • 📋 Award cards (with order numbers)

To search, just enter your last name and select the type of award (for example, "Order of the Red Star" or "Medal For Courage"). The system will show all matches indicating:

  • 📅 Award dates
  • 📌 Military unit
  • 📄 Numbers of award documents

If the veteran was awarded foreign orders (for example, Polish or Yugoslav), check the database "Award system of Ukraine" (for awards of the Ukrainian SSR) or Poland IPN archive.

⚠️ Attention: On the website "Feat of the People" there are errors in the transcription of surnames (especially for national republics). If your search doesn't return any results, try different spellings: e.g. "Ivanov" And "Ivanov" (with a hard sign).

To clarify data on awards, you can use database of orders of the Russian Federation, where information about:

  • 🏅 Orders of the Patriotic War (1st and 2nd degrees)
  • 🎖️ Anniversary medals (to the 20th, 30th anniversary of the Victory, etc.)
  • 📜 Certificates of honor and thanks

Search by burial sites and memorials

If a veteran died or was buried outside the USSR, his grave can be entered into international databases. These resources are especially useful for finding burials in Europe, where Soviet soldiers were buried in mass graves.

Main international project - Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German service for the care of war graves). Here you can find:

  • 📍 Coordinates of the graves (linked to Google maps)
  • 📷 Photos of tombstones (for most burials)
  • 📋 Lists of those buried by cemeteries

To search on this site you need:

  1. Select a country (for example, Germany)
  2. Indicate the surname in Latin (for example, Ivanov)
  3. Choose war (World War II)

To search in Poland use the base "Groby Wojenne", where information about:

  • 📍 Soviet soldiers, buried in Poland
  • 🏛️ Memorials and monuments with the names of the dead
  • 📄 Exhumation documents (reburial)

B Belarus the project is working "Memory of Belarus"where you can find:

  • 📍 Burial map with filters by region
  • 📷 Photos of monuments and individual graves
  • 📋 Lists of the dead by military units
How to search if a veteran's last name has changed?

If the veteran changed his last name after the war (for example, through adoption or marriage), try these steps:

1. Check the archives of the registry office at your place of residence - there may be records of a change of surname.

2. Contact FSB archive (if the shift was related to repression).

3. Search newspapers from 1945–1950. - lists of those demobilized were often published indicating their new names.

4. Use geneology forums (e.g. VGD), where users help with searching using indirect data.

Social networks and forums: how to find living veterans or their relatives

If a veteran has survived to this day or has living relatives, the chances of finding him increase. Social networks and thematic forums often help to establish contact.

The most effective sites:

  • 📘 Group "Search for WWII Veterans" on VK (link) - more than 50 thousand participants, requests are published daily.
  • 👥 Forum "Great Patriotic War" (axisHistory) - international audience, help with searches abroad.
  • 📧 Project "Letter to a Veteran" (pismo-veteranu.ru) - volunteers help find addresses of living veterans for correspondence.

When posting a request on social networks, be sure to include:

  • 📝 Full name of the veteran
  • 📅 Year of birth (or approximate age)
  • 📌 Place of recruitment or service
  • 📷 Photo (if available)

To search in Facebook use:

  • 🔍 Groups for searching for relatives (for example, "Searching for relatives in Russia and the CIS")
  • 📊 Function "People You May Know" (if city and last name are known)
  • 📧 Messages to public administrators about veterans (they often know local activists)
⚠️ Attention: There are many scammers on social networks who, under the guise of “search engines,” ask for money for information. Never transfer funds in advance — real volunteers work for free or for a nominal fee (for example, for postage).

How to avoid mistakes and fraud when searching

Finding data on veterans is often difficult fraudulent schemes and unscrupulous "intermediaries". Here's how to protect yourself and your data:

Signs of scammers:

  • 💰 Payment requirement to providing information (“first money, then data”).
  • 📄 Offering “unique archival extracts” without specifying the source.
  • 📧 Lack of feedback (no phone, only mail or messenger).
  • 🔗 Sites with suspicious domains (for example, veteran-archive-ru.com instead of .ru).

How to check the reliability of a resource:

  • 🔍 See if the site is mentioned on official portals (for example, on the website of the Ministry of Defense).
  • 📌 Check the domain registration date via WHOIS (scammers often use new domains).
  • 👥 Read reviews on independent forums (for example, on Forum.VGD.ru).

Secure payment methods:

  • 💳 If payment is required (for example, for copies of documents), use bank cards with the opportunity to dispute the payment.
  • 📄 Always demand contract or receipt indicating the service.
  • 📧 Conduct correspondence through official channels (not VK or Telegram).

If you have become a victim of scammers:

  1. Collect evidence (screenshots of correspondence, details).
  2. Write a statement to single portal of public services (section "Complaints").
  3. Contact police (on the fact of fraud, Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
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Official archives never require payment for searches. You only need to pay for copies of documents (and then at tariffs established by the state). Average cost of one copy - 100–300 rubles (not thousands!).

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about searching for WWII veterans

🔍 How to find a veteran if only the last name and approximate year of birth are known?

Start from the base OBD "Memorial", using a filter by year of birth (±5 years). If there are too many results, narrow your search by:

  • Place of recruitment (region/republic)
  • Branch of troops (infantry, aviation, navy)
  • Awards (if there are any assumptions)

If the surname is rare, try searching by FamilySearch — there is data on conscription in 1941–1945.

📄 What documents are needed to request the archive?

For an official request to TsAMO or RGAVMF you will need:

  • Copy of passport (to confirm identity)
  • Document confirming relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate)
  • Completed application form (a sample is available on the archive website)

If you are requesting information about someone else’s relatives (for example, for scientific work), you need permission from them or proof that the veteran has died.

💻 Is it possible to search for veterans through Yandex or Google?

Yes, but the effectiveness depends on the wording of the request. Try these combinations:

  • surname first name patronymic website: obd-memorial.ru
  • surname "Order of the Patriotic War" website: podvignaroda.ru
  • surname "military unit" 1941..1945

It is also useful to search in Google News — there may be publications about veterans’ anniversaries.

🌍 How to find a veteran who emigrated after the war?

If the veteran has gone abroad, check:

Also try searching in Ancestry (paid, but there is a trial period).

❓ What to do if there is no data about a veteran in the archives?

Possible reasons:

  • Documents are lost (especially if part was surrounded).
  • Last name is misspelled (try different spellings).
  • Veteran served in NKVD or intelligence services — the documents are still classified.

In this case:

  1. Contact regional archives at the place of conscription.
  2. Write to military historical societies (For example, RVIO).
  3. Try searching by front-line correspondence (project "Letters from the Front").