Rodovid.org
Rodovid.org genealogy website
Created in 2005, the Rodovid.org genealogy website is based on the MediaWiki content management system, (yes, the same one that is used by Wikipedia), to enable its contributors to collaborate freely on the creation of family trees. Over the past 20 years of its existence, Rodovid has remained free to use.
The projects presented below are divided into three groups and are presented in order of priority of their implementation.
Step one. The infrastructure
The essentials that enable the functionality of the Rodovid.org website
Cloud hosting
Our goal: $750 (UAH 33,300)
The Rodovid.org genealogy website is hosted on the AWS cloud servers in Ireland. Its servers now process about 4.2 million requests daily, ensuring stable operation of its 25 language versions for almost 80 thousand registered users. This round will help us cover the cloud hosting costs for Q1 2026.
You can support this project by donating any amount you can afford.
MediaWiki update
To simplify Rodovid users’ work with genealogical records, which are essentially plain text, the functionality of editing content on the website was radically enriched in December 2005 by the introduction of the MediaWiki content management system. Currently, the Rodovid.org website runs on MediaWiki software (version 1.9.3 from 2007). A step-by-step transition to the latest version of MediaWiki (version 1.45.0, the latest version in 2025) is planned.
Search
The Rodovid.org genealogical website uses a special plugin for MediaWiki, written in 2010, to search for data in genealogical records. However, basic full-text search in MediaWiki has been disabled due to some bugs in the program code. To implement full-text and analytical search capabilities, it is planned to switch to the Elasticsearch system, which, in particular, will allow searching for data by any search term in any language version, and will also significantly expand the existing functionality for searching across genealogical data.
Step two. Design
Design of pages, user interface elements and family trees on the Rodovid.org website
Redesign
Update the visual look and feel of the Rodovid.org pages for the first time in 20 years.
User interface
Create a new user interface (UI) for the pages of genealogical records.
Family trees
Update the layout of family trees on the Rodovid.org website.
Step three. Themed projects
Arranging toponym names, implementing curated family trees, creating interactive educational materials for educational programs
Toponyms
Unification of names of all the settlements with the visualization of historical changes.
Curated trees
Introduction of trees created by user-curators based on verified data.
Educational materials
Creating presentations, lectures, and videos for educational programs.