For families researching the military service of their WWII veterans, several Russian-language online databases provide invaluable resources. OBD Memorial (obd-memorial.ru) is the most comprehensive database of Soviet casualties and burials, containing over 17 million records. Podvig Naroda (podvignaroda.ru) contains scanned award documents including citations for Orders and Medals. Pamyat Naroda (pamyat-naroda.ru) combines data from multiple archives and includes unit movement maps and combat reports. The Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence (TsAMO) in Podolsk holds the original documents. This guide walks you through how to search each database effectively, what information you need to begin, and how to interpret the results you find.