Russian Livestock Breeds Register: How to Search the Official Animal Section

The Russian livestock breeds register is the animal section of Russia's State Register of Selection Achievements, the official list of breeds approved for breeding use. It covers cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry and other species and can be searched free on the Gossort Commission's official database.

What Is the Russian Livestock Breeds Register?

The animal section is not a separate legal instrument. It forms part of the State Register of Selection Achievements (Государственный реестр селекционных достижений, Gosudarstvennyy reestr selektsionnykh dostizheniy), the federal list of plant varieties and animal breeds that may be legally sold as seed or breeding stock in Russia. The Gossort Commission (Госсорткомиссия) maintains the register after national testing and evaluation. An animal breed enters the section once the commission confirms that it is distinct, uniform and stable and that it has practical value in a defined region. A plant variety follows the same state-level framework; the animal section applies that framework to livestock rather than seed. Admission is the key term: a breed outside the register is not approved for sale as breeding material. The animal register is a domestic legal directory, not a performance database with production records.

What Species and Breeds Does It List?

The official Gossort Commission database animal section covers cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry, rabbits, fur animals, bees and fish. Records are grouped by species, and each record returns the same core fields across all groups. This consistent structure lets a researcher compare a horse entry with a bee entry without learning a different layout. For international context, the FAO Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) lists animal genetic resources by country, but the national register remains the authority for admission status in Russia.

| Field | What the record shows |

| Breed name | The admitted breed name as listed in the register |

| Category | Whether the entry is a breed, type, cross or population group |

| Year of admission | The year the entry was admitted for breeding use |

| Region of admission | The region or regions where breeding use is permitted |

| Originator / breeder | The institution or farm that developed or maintains the entry, when recorded |

No single public landing-page count of breeds should be treated as final, because the register changes as entries are admitted. The table above summarizes the record structure; it does not reproduce any specific official breed card. For a given breed, the original card on the official database is the source to cite.

How to Search the Russian Livestock Breeds Register

1. Open the official database and enter the State Register search area.
2. Select the animal section (раздел животноводства) rather than the plant variety section.
3. Choose a species filter: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry, rabbits, fur animals, bees or fish.
4. Type a breed name in the search box or leave it open to browse all entries in that species group.
5. Open a record card to see the breed name, category, year of admission, region of admission and originator or breeder when present.
6. Note the record identifier, year and official name if you plan to cite the entry.

The commission's public database is free to use and does not require an account for basic record lookups. Search works best when the breed name is entered in Russian, because the underlying records are maintained in that language. If the interface opens in Russian, look for the register label Реестр and then select Животноводство. For dairy-related analyses, the same record-level fields often end up in dairy data management systems, where they are joined with herd performance data. The filter order above reflects the structure of the official interface; the commission may relabel tabs, but the animal section remains the section to choose.

Why Researchers Cite the Animal Section: The MDPI DR93 Link

Academic work on livestock genetics often needs an official answer to a simple question: is this breed admitted for breeding use in Russia, and where? The animal section supplies that answer. One MDPI paper identified as DR93 uses the animal section as its primary reference for admission status. That kind of citation treats the register as the authority for breed legal status, rather than relying on breed association pages or market summaries. Admission status affects which animals can legally be sold as breeding stock, which regions are authorized and which breed names can appear in formal trials. For a breed conservation or genetics paper, the official admission record is the cleanest place to demonstrate national legal recognition. The link between official records and research use also matters for studies that compare Russian breeds with international inventories such as the FAO DAD-IS database. The commercial stakes are clear in the Russian dairy industry, where admitted breed status feeds into genetics and herd improvement programs. Researchers should cite the original register page, not a third-party summary, because the official record carries the commission's authority.

How the Animal Register Fits the Russian Plant-Variety Register

Both sections sit under the same State Register of Selection Achievements and the same Gossort Commission. A plant variety and an animal breed pass through the same national framework: testing, official admission, and a record that lists where the material may be used. The difference is the object being registered: seed and propagating material for plants, breeding stock for animals. The plant section receives more attention in grain-focused reporting, while the animal section is the parallel tool for livestock genetics. The plant section is the better-known half of the system and is covered in the companion piece on the State Register. Livestock researchers can use the same search interface while filtering by species instead of crop. Wearable livestock technologies and herd data systems often refer back to the register when they need an official breed name for a trial or a genetic evaluation. Users should not assume that a plant-area search will return animal entries; the two sections are maintained by the same commission but remain distinct.

Where to Look Up the Original Record

Use the official Gossort Commission database and enter the State Register search area; the animal section carries the label раздел животноводства. The root domain is the safe reference point, because the commission may move individual record paths without notice. Always cite the record page itself, not a dashboard, translation or third-party reproduction. The official record page carries the current entry details; point a browser bookmark to that page, not to a search result snapshot. If a breed record cannot be found under an English name, search again with the Russian name or use the species filter.

Data Notes and Limitations

• Only use a breed count, admission year or region if it is visible on an official record page.
• The register changes when the commission admits new entries; an older count may be stale.
• Breed names in the official records are primarily Russian; English versions may vary across papers.
• The English explanation here does not replace the Russian record for legal or trade decisions.

FAQ

Is the Russian livestock breeds register free to access?

Yes; the official database is open and does not require an account to search by species or breed name.

What is the Russian name for the livestock breeds register?

The animal section is the раздел животноводства of the Государственный реестр селекционных достижений.

Does the register include native and imported livestock breeds?

It includes local and imported breeds admitted for breeding use; each record shows admission status and region.

Can researchers cite the Russian register as a primary source?

Yes; it is an official primary source. The MDPI paper identified as DR93 uses it that way, but researchers should cite the original register page rather than a third-party summary.

Sources

• State Register of Selection Achievements animal section, official database of the Gossort Commission
• FAO Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS)
• MDPI paper identified as DR93