The Velvet Book (Бархатная книга) was an official registry of genealogies of Russia's most illustrious families. The book is bound in red velvet, hence the name.[1] It was compiled during the regency of Sophia (1682-87) after the old system of ranks (mestnichestvo) had been abolished and all the ancient pedigree books burnt to prevent contention between the feuding aristocratic clans.
The Velvet Book includes the ancient genealogical register from 1555 (Gosudarev Rodoslovets) featuring the family trees of Rurikid and Gediminid princely houses.[1] An important addendum contains a set of genealogies prepared by the non-princely noble families on the basis of their family records. As it was fashionable to trace one's blood line back to a foreign immigrant, all sorts of fantasy genealogies abound.[1]
The Velvet Book was not printed until 1787. The first edition was prepared by Nikolai Novikov at the Moscow University Press. The full list of families from the Velvet Book may be consulted here. There is also an online version of the book.