Sergei Eisenstein was born on 22 January 1898 in Riga, Latvia (then part of the Russian Empire in the Governorate of Livonia), to a middle-class family.
His family moved frequently in his early years, as Eisenstein continued to do throughout his life.
His father, the famous architect Mikhail Osipovich Eisenstein, was born in Kiev Oblast, to a Jewish merchant father, Osip, and a Swedish mother.

The family had converted to the Russian Orthodox Church.
His mother, Julia Ivanovna Konetskaya, was from a Russian Orthodox family.
She was the daughter of a prosperous merchant.
Julia left Riga the same year as the 1905 Russian Revolution, taking Sergei with her to St. Petersburg.
Her son would return at times to see his father, who joined them around 1910.
Divorce followed and Julia left the family to live in France.
Eisenstein was raised as an Orthodox Christian, but became an atheist later in life.
Sergei Eisenstein was born on 22 January 1898 in Riga, Latvia (then part of the Russian Empire in the Governorate of Livonia), to a middle-class family. His family moved frequently in his early years, as Eisenstein continued to do throughout his life. His father, the famous architect Mikhail Osipovich Eisenstein, was born in Kiev Oblast, to a Jewish merchant father, Osip, and a Swedish mother. 
The family had converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. His mother, Julia Ivanovna Konetskaya, was from a Russian Orthodox family. She was the daughter of a prosperous merchant. Julia left Riga the same year as the 1905 Russian Revolution, taking Sergei with her to St. Petersburg. Her son would return at times to see his father, who joined them around 1910. Divorce followed and Julia left the family to live in France. Eisenstein was raised as an Orthodox Christian, but became an atheist later in life.
Sergei Eisenstein