Great careers of Poles in Russia

For many Poles Russian land was cursed, the place of punishment, prison or exile. For example, my parent Leokadia of Dr. Prokopowicz spent the Siberian exile of 1940-1946, working hard from the age of 11 at the logging of taiga trees. But to our fellow countrymen, Russia was the Promised Land, where they made powerful fortunes. I'll compose about any of them...

The richest Pole in past was Karol Jaroszynski He was born in Kiev on 13 December 1878 as the boy of Joseph, the owner of extended goods and respective sugar factories, and Karolina of the Borsz-Drzewieckie coat of arms of Nałęcz. He graduated from the First Classical advanced School in Kiev. postgraduate of the Commercial Department of the Real School in Moscow (1899). Owner of Antopol's goods, Crossopol, Limemaker. In 1909, in Monte Carlo, he won over 2 million francs in roulette, a million rubles. In a large simplification, it can be assumed that at the parity of 1 ruble then 0.7742 g gold. Charles left the casino with 774 kg of pure gold. During the visit of Tsar Nicholas II in Kiev in 1911 Franciszek JaroszyńskiCharles' brother was promoted to the younger chamberlain of the court, which brought the household closer to the highest circles of power.

In March 1916 his property was estimated at 26.1 million rubles, 300 million rubles in bills of exchange and 950 million rubles in gold and real estate. He became the most powerful financial magnate in Tsarist Russia. He owned or co-owned 53 sugar factories and refineries and 12 banks throughout the Russian Empire.

In 1917, he was a planet sugar tycoon producing half a million tons of sugar per year. He owned palaces in Ukraine (including Antopol), St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, Warsaw (Al. Ujazdowskie 13), and the West (Residence in London on Berkeley Street, in French Beaulieu – Mont Stuart villa and in Monte Carlo). He generously supported Polish organizations, scouting, built a dormitory for Polish students.

He besides left the owner of many mines, steel mills, railway companies, 2 shipping companies on the Dniepore, oil companies, e.g. Russian Nafta and Ter Akopov – and insurance, 8 metallic and device factories (two in Kiev), textile factories, cement factories, luxury hotels in Kiev (e.g. the European Hotel at the main street Chreszczatyk 2), press releases “Nowoje Wiremia” and “Birzewyje Wiedomosti”, forest areas. At the parity of 1 ruble equal then 0,7742 g of gold the property of Karol Jaroszyński was equivalent to about 1 1000 tons of pure gold. Turning it into today's money would be over PLN 200 billion.

Karol Jaroszynski

For the management of the Jaroszyński Syndicate, he formed a Council consisting of 5 erstwhile ministers and 10 senators, including erstwhile president of the Council Ministers Vladimir Kokowieccy (1853–1943) and erstwhile manager of the Police Department of Alexey Lopuchin (1864–1928), And the direct administration of assets called “The Board of Goods and Interests of Karol Jaroszyński” was located in the Kiev Grand Hotel in Chreszczatyk 22, occupying 2 floors (1917–1918). Jaroszyński maintained many facilities for his own needs and families, e.g. the palace in Antopol, 2 palaces in St. Petersburg, B. Morska Street and Kamienna Island, and in Kiev on the Jarosław Wale, houses in Odessa, London on Berkeley St. (1919), villas "Mont Stuart" in French Beaulieu, Monte Carlo and Warsaw in Al. Ujazdowskie, 13 houses in Kiev, among others, at 12 (1882–1912) and 8 in Petersburg.

In 1917 he became active in the creation of the Polish Catholic University (later KUL) in Lublin. He designated over 8 million rubles for this intent (for comparison, the wage of a middle-level authoritative was around 200 rubles a month). He wrote: “It is our work to strive after the sufferings we have endured to revive Poland, and thus to exert all efforts to resurrect the largest sum of national energy” (St. Zieliński, “Karol Jaroszyński”, p. 3). Despite the financial ruin after the Bolsheviks took over power in Russia, Jaroszyński donated 350 1000 rubles to Lublin in 1918–1922, about 15 million brands, 291 1000 crowns, 500 pounds and 40,000 francs, and contributed further sums until his death.

Jaroszyński is the main character and spokesperson of the alleged banking intrigue in Russia, whose goal was financial support by the Allied anti-bolshevik forces in Russia. He supported the White Volunteer Army with a sum of 15 million rubles. In 1920, he evacuated the last ship from Crimea through Constantinople to Paris, where he resided at the Vendôme Hotel. He then lived in Warsaw in Sobanski Palace (1921–1923). All of his properties in Russia were taken over by the Bolsheviks, bank shares became worthless. Savings have gone down. Jaroszyński lived in a tiny flat in Warsaw at 7 Smoka Street. No wife or children, reportedly he was in love with 1 of the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. He died on 8 September 1929 of abdominal typhoid at St. Ghost infirmary in Warsaw. He was buried with the Archbishop. Edward Ropp in a household tomb in Powązkowski Cemetery. The sermon was given during the ceremony mass by the Rector of KUL Fr Józef Kruszyński. Karol Jaroszyński was decorated with the papal Grand Ribbon of the Order of St. Gregory.

Another countryman, a nobleman from Vitebsk, had a large part in the economical improvement of Siberia. Alfons Koziel-Poklewski. At the age of 20, he began working in St. Petersburg, then moved to Astrachania, from there the general politician of Western Siberia prince Piotr Gorchakov called him in and entrusted him with oversight of government supplies for the military. In 1852, Poklewski abandoned government service and privately began to deliver supplies to the military, thus gaining considerable wealth. Investing in manufacture and trade, he became 1 of the richest people in Siberia. He was the 1 who set up the first regular steamship on Both and Irtysz. He became the largest vodka maker in Siberia and owned hundreds of hams. On Ural he built a modern glassworks, led mines of gold and costly stones, steam mills. In the 1990s, he founded a sulfuric acid factory, stearin candles and the first phosphorus mill in Russia. In his establishments he employed Poles first. He besides established hospitals, schools and shelters. He financed the construction of Polish churches, including Omsk, Perma, Yekaterinburg, Tobolsk and Tomsk. In 1857, erstwhile Alexander II announced an amnesty for a crucial group of exiles, Poklewski gave his river fleet free of charge at the disposal of returning Poles. It consisted of respective twelve ships – and it was steamers, for Poklewski was the first to introduce steam ships to usage in Russia.

In 1860 he had 3 parastats, 28 river barges (cursed on the Ob River) and 5 cononades, i.e. large ships, and on each 1 up to 120 train horses to towing up the river attached to the cononade 8 or 9 freight barges. In 1866 he arranged a free kitchen for Polish exiles in Tobolsk. He was a rich man and a individual in Siberia who was highly respected, and the only charge he was sometimes charged with – that by setting up many distilleries and hams he had a monopoly on, he contributed to drinking the Siberians...

In his example, Poles in Siberia are not only exiles and prisoners, but besides businessmen, governors, successful people – who went there voluntarily for better work, careers and studies. They did not forget their Polishness. Another example of this can be born in 1829 under Troki Alexander Despot-Zenovich. He was a prominent Russian general, senator, and in 1862–1867 politician of Tobolska – so besides during the January Uprising! After the fall of the uprising on Siberia, erstwhile its participants were sent in – Zenowicz supported them, he helped – besides materially. In 1867 he became a associate of the General Council of the Ministry of the Interior in St. Petersburg. He took an active part in the life of the Petersburg Polonia, was 1 of the founders of the Society of Charity at the Polish Church of St. Catherine. He was besides 1 of the initiators, sponsors and founders of the University of Siberia in Tomsk (1888). In diplomatic missions he went to the capitals of China and Mongolia. He died in Crimea in 1897. A very advanced assessment of his life and patriotic activity was given to him by a large Polish traveler Benedict Dybowski.

Alexander Despot-Zenovich

A large contribution to the improvement of Russian discipline was made by the Tsar general, Pole Alfons Szaniawski, founder of the first free university in Russia. The Russian State Humanities University (Russian Gumanitarian University) inactive exists today.

Alfons Fortunat Szaniawski, the coat of arms of Junosz, was born on 17 February 1837 in the ancestral property of Szaniawa in the Siedlet Voivodeship. He studied his first years at a school of drunkards in Lukov. At the age of nine, he became an orphan without a close family, and distant cousins caused him to begin training in the Russian cadet corps in Tule.

Wikipedia says that the outstanding abilities and industriousness of young Alfonso enabled him an highly fast career. After graduating with distinctions from Cadet Corps in Tule and Orle, he was directed to the Officer's School of Constantine in St. Petersburg. A marble plaque with his name as the best postgraduate in 1855 remained in the school building until today. The prize was directed to a privileged regiment of lejbguardia, or imperial guard. In 1860, he began his studies at the Nicolausz Academy of General Staff, while besides being a talker of lectures at the University of Petersburg. He served in east Siberia, and last years in the General Staff in St. Petersburg. He was highly rapidly promoted and received many military awards. However, as early as 38, being in the rank of Major General, due to mediocre wellness he was transferred to rest.

After his retirement Alfons Szaniawski began a completely different phase of life. He left again for Siberia and joined the gold exploration and exploitation company. Thanks to his social position, outstanding abilities and contacts, shortly he and his wife became 1 of the largest shareholders of many gold mines. The general travelled a lot during this period – he spent almost a year in Japan and Mongolia. After rapidly gaining a crucial fortune, the childless Szaniawski matrimony began to transfer its income to charity. It besides allocated a crucial amount for the activities of the Female Medical Institute in St. Petersburg.

Women's vocational training at the time was something completely fresh in Russia. In later years, the Szaniawskis lived in Moscow, where they bought an property on Arbat. The general’s main intent here was to organize a free university. The establishment of specified a university was intended to constitute a major breakthrough in access to higher education in Russia. The anticipation of obtaining education at the time was limited not only due to its advanced costs, but besides due to its "inappropriate" social origin. Moscow Pride on 25 October 1905 decided to accept the general's proposal "with gratitude". The Testament was signed by Szaniawski at noon on 7 November, and in the evening the testator died.

Two and a half years after the decision of Duma Moscow, after an highly turbulent discussion, the task was decided to adopt. This decision was approved by the Council of State and yet signed by Tsar Nicholas II himself. Many critical articles appeared immediately in the press, and any of them under crucial titles for us, specified as the nest of Polish rebels in Moscow, the heart of Russia (Sznol 2004).

On October 1st, 1908 the university with the formal name Moskovska Gorodskoj Narodnij Universitity named after A.L. Szaniawsko was opened. Among the students were many people who later gained crucial fame, including poet Sergey Jesienin or an outstanding student of genetics Timofeyev-Riesowski. Today, the university has its authoritative name: Russian State Humanities University.

Mariusz Swider

The author is the author of the book “How Poles built Russia”, which can be purchased in the store of Polish thought (with the author's autograph): www.myśmyspolska.info/shop

Think Poland, No. 1-2 (5-12.01.2025)