The Velvet Book (Russian: Бархатная книга, romanized: Barkhatnaya kniga) was an official register of genealogies of Russia's most noble families (Russian nobility).
[1] It was compiled during the regency of Sophia (1682–1687) after Tsar Fyodor III of Russia abolished the old system of ranks (mestnichestvo) and all the ancient pedigree books had been burnt to prevent contention between the feuding aristocratic clans.
The Velvet Book includes the ancient genealogical register from 1555 (Gosudarev Rodoslovets) featuring the family trees of Rurikid and Gediminid princely houses.
As it was fashionable to trace one's blood line back to a foreign immigrant, all sorts of fantasy genealogies abound.
[1] The Velvet Book first appeared in print in 1787: Nikolai Novikov prepared the first edition at the Moscow University Press.