Slavic Genealogy Expert, FS Support Supervisor
Vira BaklanI am a genealogy expert and the Help and Support Supervisor for FamilySearch in Europe and Eurasia, leading Ukrainian and Russian support teams as well as managing projects connected to Slavic and Ukrainian heritage.
Growing up in Kyiv, Ukraine, I saw firsthand how Soviet-era record destruction made family history a challenge for all post-Soviet countries. Driven to overcome this, as a teenager, I began researching and have since traced my own roots back up to 15 generations, which seemed impossible with Ukrainian ancestry. Professionally, I pair my business background as a former language school owner with deep technical expertise from my personal genealogy passion. As an experienced educator and public speaker, I am dedicated to demystifying Russian Empire record systems, archival frameworks, and historical geography for researchers of all skill levels. Today, I use my five languages and research expertise to help people break through their East European brick walls. In my free time, I love reading history books, traveling with my husband Ivan, and playing with our two bunnies who are now a big part of our family history too.