Turkiewicz, Czajkowski - Looking to connect with people with ties to Dobropole

My great grandparents were Wladimir Turkiewicz and Anna Czajkowski. They were born in Dobropole, Galicia, Austria-Hungary. Today Dobropole is in Ukraine, between Tarnopol and Buczacz. They both immigrated to the United States in 1912. After immigrating Wladimir went by the given name Walter. The families were in Baltimore (Curtis Bay), Maryland and Vandergrift, Pennsylvania before settling in Hamtramck, Michigan in the early 1920s.

Other surnames related to my family in Dobropole include Witwicki, Oracz, Chomicki, Bohun, Bartoch, Kruszelnicki, Blauciak, Monastyrski, Wegrzynowski.

I recently hired a researcher in Ukraine to investigate my family and his report added many names to my tree. In addition it created a lot of questions. The Czajkowski name is prolific in Dobropole and found in both in both Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic records. I would like to know how all of these names tie together, who were some of the first settlers, when did they come to Dobrople, and where did they originate?

I would like to hear from anybody related to these families, hear their stories, and learn any history about Dobropole or the area in general.

Keith

The Czajkowski's were a Polonized Ukrainian nobel family, some of which were later Russified, including the branch that gave rise to the famed Russian composer Peter Tschaikovski, who was Orthodox. Religion was not a constant then. People converted to the religion that gave them the best political opportunities: Roman Catholic to curry favor with the Poles, and Russian Orthodoxy to curry favor with the Russians. It would not have been unusual at the time to have three siblings who were Roman Catholic, Latin Rite, Roman Catholic, Byzantine Rite (or "Greek Catholic") and Russian Orthodox.

According to Wikipedia, the founder of the Czajkowski family was a Cossack named Fyodor Chaika, who distinguished himself under Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava in 1709.

I do recall my grandfather saying his grandfather, Josef Czajkowski, was considered minor nobility. That is the extent of my knowledge on that subject.

I've seen various documents with members of the same family being referred to as ethnically Polish and Ruthenian/Ukrainian. My grandfather always considered his people Polish but due to the area they came from they spoke a dialect of Ukrainian that was heavily influenced by Polish. They seemed to be comfortable communicating in both languages. What little I can recall from my youth I know they always used the Polish words for various foods rather than Ukrainian.

Keith, I don't know about Dobropole, but my husband's family has the surnames Kruszelnicki, Blauciak and Czajkowski on his maternal line. They came from Galicia and settled in Quebec, Canada and Hamtramck, Michigan. You can email me at katrzcgenealogy@gmail. Thank you!

Hi, my great grandparents were from Poland with the last name czajkowski. My dad says that in Poland our family was close with royalty. My grandma marcella used to give my sister and I old polish silver coins. I live in Ontario Canada, if you want to email me and ask me any questions or tell me anything cool about the czajkowski's my email is corinn.comeau@hotmail.ca

CZAJKOWSKI: root-word czajka (shore bird known in English as lapwing or peewit); toponymic nick indicating an inhabitant of such localities as Czajka, Czajki, Czajków or Czajkowo.

NOTE: IN Russian the same word (чaйкa) means seagull.

My son is building up a family tree and requires information on his grandads name czajkowski and his grandmothers name Józwik, both lived in poland in the 1930s but came to england in 1947 after the war where they met and married.

His grandfather was in the polish army born in Lida and grandmother was born in smagów. His granfather faught in Italy with the 2nd armoured brigade 1943-1945. His grandmother was arrested by the germans and sent to Aushwitz and other camps. There are still relatives living in poland on his grandmothers side. Can anyone help how to find information about both of their names. Any help would be helpfull.

JÓ-WIK: one of several patronymic nicks from Józef; others include Jóźwiak, Józefiak, Józefowicz and Józefowski; English equivalent: Josephson.

Hi there, my great-great grandparents were Kruszelnicki and Czajkowski. All from the Tarnopol district(?) as well. Haven't come across specific links to Dobropole, but it's very close to the other links I can find (podhajce, madzelowka, kurdwanowka, petlikowce stare, buczacs). I've hit a brick wall though. Perhaps we could exchange notes and see if there's a link.

Hi there, both my grandparents on my mother´s side were born in Dopropole. Magdalena BLAUCIAK (born 31.3.1898) and Aleksander KRUSZELNICKI (born 1.4.1900). Both emigrated to Denmark in 1916 after having spent one year in fugitive camps in Austria and Chezkoslovakia. Alle houses in Dopropole were burnt down during the war in 1915. - I think Blauciak is a Polish name and Kruszelnicki Polonized Ukrainan. My grandfather told me that he came from a originally noble family, but I do not know.

My GGGGrandfather was Josef Wasykowicz Witwicki (b.1829) and married Katarzyna Krechoweicka (b. 1832) on 4 Feb 1849 · Bolechów, Galicja, Austria their son
Stephan de Wasylkowicz Witwicki (b.1858 dolina, Galicia, Austria) and married Katarzyna Misiewicz (b. 1860 Dolina, Galicia, Austria) his son Josef Witwicki was born in Dolina, Galicia, Austria 1883 and immigrated to the USA 1913 known now as Joseph Witwicke married Anna Romanczukiewicz (b. 1893 Dolina, galicia, Austria) in 1918 in the US. I have seen the similar surnames and nickname names in the coat of arms Sas and read many articles on the history. Witwicki apparently comes from their Village Witwica. I am lost and confused on who we were? Ruthenian, Ukraine, Polish what? If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated.

All I know was my great grandfather was a school teacher in Russia before coming over and was very well educated. We had relatives that were high ranking officials in the military.

You're confused because you are thinking of these categories as static and mutually exclusive. They were far from either at the time.

Hi All,

My sister and I are attempting to research our paternal great grandfather....Peter Czajkowski B. 1876, immigrated 1891 from Russia.. Married Franes Junchniewicz
Birth ABT 1884 , from Russia and she immigrated here 1900 or 1904 ish.. we know that he came from Russia, spoke Russian and Polish. Peter and Franes settled in Hamtramck, Michigan.

So, we are trying to find records in Russia about them and their parents. Help.

Ciao,

Trish Czajkowski