I am trying to determine the location in the Ukraine of what was Ljubowscha & Sirki Russia in 1913. These villages have to be relatively close to each other as the two individuals I am researching were married in Russia before immigrating to the U.S. The family referred to themselves as Russian and spoke Russian. While their passenger lists state country as Russia, I have been told by other researchers that the places that contain g Czernig, g. Czerncz and gub Czernigow should be in the Chernihiv gubernia which at some point became the Ukraine.

This is the information that I have so far:

Iwan BELAJ
-Czar passenger list 3-5-1913, departing from Libau
-last foreign residence-Ljubowscha, Russia
-nearest foreign relative-wife Warwara Belaj, Ljubowscha, g. Czerncz
-birthplace-Lubowsha, Russia
-nationality-Russian
-race-Russian
-There are other passengers on the page that appear to have a connection to Iwan with either residence or birthplace and U.S. destination. These other locations are:
Schuron gub Czernigow
Schirki, gub Czernigow
Ljubowitz, g Czernig
Popowa Gora, g Czernig
Krustz, gub Czernig
gub Czernigow

His birthplace listed on later U.S. documents was spelled as follows:
Libovsho; Lubowsha; Lubovso, Russia; Labavsa; and
Lubavse/Lubavso, Garnigow/Garnigov, Varnigov/Vernigov (This last line are typewritten words that are difficult to read. This is what I think are possibilities.)

Warwara BELJAEWA & Alexander BELJAEWA
-Philadelphia passenger list 8-2-1913, departing from Southampton
-last foreign residence-Schirok, Russia
-birthplace-Schirok, Russia
-nearest foreign relative-father, Metrofan Sahkreda, Schirok
-nationality/citizenship-Russian
-race-Polish

Her birthplace listed on later U.S. documents was spelled as follows:
Schirok; Sirki; Sirky; Schirki, gub. Czernigow

I have searched old and more current maps looking for these villages. The only place that looks similar is Ljubjatsch (may go by the spelling of Ripky now). I know that spellings and even names of villages often changed with a political change and that translation from Cyrillic also results in different spellings.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated that will help me determine if these villages are indeed a part of Ukraine now and where they may be located more precisely.