Armenian Moscow: Famous families with Armenian roots who spent millions on the Russian capital

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The first "Armenian trace" in Moscow was found in documents dated 1390. They said that there was an Armenian trading row in the city. From then until now, the names of the Armenians have been closely associated with the history of Moscow. Among the representatives of this people there were many dynasties of merchants and benefactors who spent their millions on the improvement of the Russian capital and helping those in need.

In the 15th century, the Moscow Armenians lived mainly in Kitay-gorod and in the Presnya region, and then, according to the decree of Ivan the Terrible, they began to populate the White City and Stolpov Lane. During the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Tsar ordered to name one of his churches in honor of St. Gregory, the educator of Armenia.

Perhaps a significant event in the trade relations of Armenians with Moscow was the arrival of Armenian merchants to the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich for negotiations in 1660. In honor of friendship and future fruitful cooperation, the guests presented the famous diamond throne to the sovereign. It was made of sandalwood and trimmed with precious metals and ivory. One of its creators, Bogdan Saltanov, later became the Tsar's favorite and was invited to the Kremlin Armory Chamber as the chief master. Well, the negotiations, of course, were successful - Armenian merchants received special privileges and privileges in trade in a variety of goods on the territory of Russia.

Peter I also loved the representatives of this people - he even issued a decree according to which those who come from Armenia should be followed.

Mantashevs (Mantashyants)

Moscow merchant Levon Mantashev was the son of a famous oil magnate and philanthropist. His father, a native of Tiflis, Alexander Mantashev, was considered the most influential person in Russia. After studying in England, he first developed his father's textile and banking business, and having succeeded in this field, he became interested in oil.

The entrepreneur bought out unprofitable oil wells in Baku and made them profitable. Having bought two tankers in England, Mantashev began to supply "black gold" to the eastern countries. In addition to this, he acquired shares in several of the largest oil companies in the world and eventually became one of the richest men in Russia. By the way, Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) began his revolutionary activity at his enterprises as an agitator-striker.

One of the sons of the oil king, Levon Mantashev, increased his father's capital. At the same time, he was a gambling man and loved revelry, and was also fond of horses and racing. Levon had the best stables in Moscow, and one of his horses even won the Grand Prix in Paris.

He also became famous for the fact that in one night he won at cards from the merchant Ryabushinsky his famous villa "Black Swan" along with all the furnishings.

Such an extravagant character did not prevent Mantashev from being successful in commerce. He was also a well-known philanthropist - he donated large sums to those in need both in Armenia and in Russia.

Ananovs (Ananyans)

Located in the center of Moscow, Ananyevsky Lane is named after one of the most famous Armenians in the city - the banker and merchant Ivan Ananov. In the 19th century, he owned a large plot of land inside the Garden Ring, which previously housed the regimental artillery yard and through which this lane passed.

Ivan Stepanovich Ananov (Hovhannes Ananyan) began his career when he arrived at the age of 16 from Tiflis to Moscow with 150 rubles and entered the service of the banker Agalo Loris-Melikov. Already five years later, Ananov was the main military supplier of the Russian Empire - he supplied military hospitals and regimental units with things and food, differing in this matter with the utmost accuracy.

A merchant of the 1st guild, a full state councilor, a hereditary Honorary Citizen, a member of the council of the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, the chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair Exchange Committee, a member of the audit commission of the Moscow Trade and Industrial Association - this is only part of the regalia of an Armenian merchant. Ananov also co-founded Birzhevoy Bank, which was essentially the first commercial bank in Moscow.

As a well-known philanthropist, the banker took care of the Moscow Art Society. In several educational institutions of the Mother See, he established scholarships for children from poor peasant families. His ancestors in the Caucasus were also famous for their patronage activities.

Lianozovs (Lianosyans)

Georgy Lianozov was very famous in the capital circles of the beginning of the last century. He had several houses in the center of Moscow, owned a plot in the Moscow region, organized a summer cottage village Lianozovo (now a residential area within the capital), was a member of the Board of Trustees for prisons.

Together with the owner of a Moscow chemical plant, Moisei Saarbekov (Saarbekyants), Lianozov was considered the fish king in Moscow. They supplied large consignments of fish from Astrakhan to the capital and, by the way, it was Lianozov who made famous Caspian caviar famous all over the world.

As a benefactor, Lianozov, together with the book publisher Sytin, helped young people released from prison. Also, together with his brother, he financed orphanages.

The actual state councilor, merchant of the 1st guild, attorney at law of the Moscow Commercial Court, Georg Lianozov, was highly respected in the capital. After his death, commercial and charitable affairs were taken over by his middle son Stepan.

Dzhamgarovs (Dzhamgaryans)

The famous Jamgarovskie ponds are also associated with the dynasty of Armenian merchants. One of the largest banking houses in Russia was called “Br. Dzhamgarovs”- the shares were owned by five brothers. However, in addition to banking and trade, they became famous for the construction of a large village and the creation of a park and a pond in Losinka.

In 1905, the Dzhamgarovka beautification society appeared, which included many Moscow summer residents. Among them were the artists Korovin and Levitan. Here, in picturesque places, the Dzhamgarovs took the children of prisoners, orphans from orphanages and pulmonary patients to rest. The son of one of the Dzhamgarov brothers, Stepan, who served as director of the Yauz branch of the Moscow Council of Orphanages, also brought his wards here.

When the village grew, the Dzhamgarovs opened a telephone exchange, pharmacies, shops, a hospital, and built schools and gymnasiums on its territory.

After the revolution, the new authorities settled in all the houses of the village with the workers of factories and factories.

By the way, one of the brothers, the famous benefactor Isaak Dzhamgarov, was killed in Moscow long before these events, in 1902, at the hands of one of the revolutionaries. The reason for the contract killings was that the millionaire flatly refused to finance the Menshevik branch located in his homeland in Armenia.

Among the Moscow merchants-patrons of the arts stand a separate line brothers Ryabushinsky.