This type of document was widespread in the sub-Russian part of Ukraine, but such documents were not kept in the Ukrainian lands that were part of the Austrian Empire. Confessionals were first introduced in Russia in 1690 at the initiative of the Novgorod Metropolitan Cornelius. Today, researchers believe that the reason for the introduction of confessional lists was the search and identification of supporters of the Old Believers among parishioners. It was at this time (Nikon's patriarchate 1652-1681) that the Russian Orthodox Church underwent a number of reforms that were not supported by part of society. Critics of church reforms were called schismatics and Old Believers. Among other things, they expressed their protest by avoiding confession in churches that had converted to the new rite. At the same time, mandatory confession became an important means of state control over its subjects, where the Church was one of the main pillars of the monarchy.
In the Russian Empire, keeping confessional registers became mandatory according to the tsarist decrees of 1716 and 1718. Interestingly, parishioners who avoided confession had to pay a fine. The practice of fining for avoiding confession was in effect until 1800. At that time, Ukraine still retained its autonomy within the Hetmanate, and confessional registers were first introduced here in the 1720s.
The form of confessional records was unified and acquired a common form in 1737-1742 and was used practically unchanged until 1917. Priests were responsible for drawing up confessional records, and records were kept during Great Lent. If a person could not attend confession at this time for certain reasons, he or she could do so at another time - during the Christmas, Peter's or Assumption fasts.
The most important information is usually information about the people who went to confession. Unlike the birth records, where the records are quite scattered and fragmented and concern only information about births, marriages and deaths, in the confessionals the family composition is listed in full, indicating the age of the confessors and family relationships. The information potential of the confessional lists becomes obvious if we understand that information was entered there about practically all the residents of the parish who lived there at the time the confessionals were made. For example, let's take the record about the family of Sava Fedorovych Ivanchuk, who, together with his family, confessed in 1830 in the Church of the Protection of the Virgin in the village of Karabelivka in Podillia. The priest noted the following:
Sava Fedorovych Ivanchuk – 59 years old;
his wife Evdokia Kirillovna – 50 years old;
Their children: Kalina – 17 years old; Foma – 13 years old; Evtropy – 11 years old;
Their son Herodion – 25 years old;
His (son's) wife: Matrona Mykhailivna – 21 years old.
Their children: Evdokia – 4 years old, Sofia – 1 year old.
So, from this record we learn about the composition of the family of Sava Fedorovych Ivanchuk as of 1830, family relationships, and the age of each family member. Regarding the latter circumstance, it should be remembered that priests could only indicate approximate ages, and therefore these records may not be accurate and require reconciliation with the birth records. It is also important that even very young children were included in the confessional lists, although they did not participate in confession.
After their compilation, the confessional lists were sent to the spiritual boards, where they were compiled into a single list and sent in tabular form to the spiritual consistory. From there, general reports by diocese on those absent from confessions during the year were sent to the synod.
Today, confession lists can be found in regional archives of Ukraine. By carrying out genealogical research, among other things, we also turn to this type of source in order to recreate the pedigree of our clients as accurately as possible.