About us
Dual Geographic Project: Belarus—Lida Region
A Dual Geographic Project connects individuals whose direct male line and/or direct female line comes from a specific location. The focus of this Dual Geographic Project is the Lida region of Belarus.
The Lida region has a complicated historical and political past. Over the centuries, it has been governed by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian Empire, the Republic of Poland, the Soviet Union, and currently the republics of Belarus and Lithuania. This project thus encompasses the area loosely bounded by Vilnius (Wilno), Lithuania, to the north; Hrodna (Grodno), Belarus, to the west; Navahrudek (Nowogrodek), Belarus, to the south; and Minsk, Belarus, to the east.
The Lida region boasts a diverse heritage. This project welcomes members of all its ethnicities—Belarusian, Jewish, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Tatar, etc.—and religious faiths—Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, Protestant.
This group is open to females who have taken a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test, and to males who have taken a Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) test and/or a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)test. Females may check their direct paternal line by testing a male relative in that line. Members should have some reason to believe that their direct maternal line and/or direct paternal line originated in the Lida area.
Membership is free and voluntary; members may join or leave this project at any time.
Additionally, anyone who is researching ancestry in the Lida region might find it beneficial to participate in the LidaRoots Yahoo! Group. For more information, please visit its home page: