Elishuk and Rubcewich/Rubtzevich
Hello,
My name is Andrew and I am respectfully requesting any information on these two surnames. Family legend says Elishuk is Russian, but I believe it is Ukrainian. Family legend also claims Kiev as the place of origin. Kiev is of course in Ukraine, which would confirm Elishuk being Ukrainian, but based on other surname research, I believe it could also be Belarusian. Rubcewich, or Rubtzevich, is another family name, which I also believe to be either Ukrainian or Belarusian. Certain other familial information also reveal a possible Polish connection with the surname Kruk. Given the geopolitical history of Eastern Europe, I believe my family claimed Russian origins out of safety or convenience, but family documents mention places such as Brzezin in Poland, Grodno in Belarus, and even a mention of Bessarabia, a region between modern Romania and Moldova, near the border of southwestern Ukraine. I suspect, as various regions changed hands between Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and as the result of Polonization and Russificaition, inhabitants of these various regions were torn on how they should identify themselves upon immigration to America.I am looking for a confirmation of spelling variants, as well as any ideas pertaining to meanings, origins, history, or usage. Thank you.
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Oops, sorry! I was trying to correctly edit the message heading and accidentally posted three times. I am not spamming. My apologies.
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