Stroganovs

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Stroganovs or Strogonovs (Строгановы, Строгоновы in Russian), also spelled in French manner as Stroganoffs, was a family of highly successful Russian merchants, industrialists, landowners, and statesmen of the 16th - 20th centuries that eventually earned Nobility.

The Stroganov family came from the rich Pomor peasants. Feodor Lukich Stroganov - the originator of the family - settled in Solvychegodsk in the late 15th century. Here, his son Akiney Fyodorovich Stroganov (1497-1570) opened the saltworks in 1515, which would later become a huge Industry. In 1558, Ivan the Terrible granted big estates along the Kama and Chusovaya Rivers to Akiney Stroganov and his successors. In 1566, their lands were included into the Oprichnina at their own request. Conquering the lands from local population and colonizing them with the arriving Russian peasants, the Stroganovs developed farming, Hunting, saltworks, Fishing, and ore mining in these areas. They were building towns and fortresses and, at the same time, suppressing local unrests with the help of their druzhinas and annexing new lands in the Urals and Siberia in favor of Russia. Semyon Anikeyevich Stroganov (? - 1609) and Anikey's grandsons Maksim Yakovlevich Stroganov (? - 1620s) and Nikita Grigoriyevich Stroganov (? - 1620) financed Yermak's Siberian campaign in 1581. During the times of Polish intervention of the early 17th century, the Stroganovs rendered humanitarian and military support to the Russian government (some 842,000 rubles just in terms of money), for which they would receive the title of distinguished people in 1610. In the 17th century, the Stroganovs invested heavily in the salt industry in Solikamsk. In the 1680s, Grigory Dmitriyevich Stroganov (1656 - 1715) united all the scattered lands of the heirs of the children of Anikey Stroganov. He also annexed the saltworks, which belonged to the Shustov and Filatiyev families. In the 18th century, the Stroganovs established a number of Ironworks and Copper-Smelting factories in the Urals. During the Great Northern War of 1700–1721, the Stroganovs rendered big financial support to the government of Peter the Great, for which Alexander Grigoriyevich, Nikolay Grigoriyevich, and Sergei Grigoriyevich would be granted barony in 1722 and later – earldom. From then on, the Stroganovs became members of Russian Aristocracy and held important government posts. Sergei Grigoriyevich (1707-1756) played a significant role during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. His son Alexander Sergeyevich (1733-1811) was a member of the commission on elaborating the new code of laws during the reign of Catherine the Great. In the late 18th – early 19th century, he held different posts, such as president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, art director of the Public Library, and member of the State Council. Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov (1772-1817) was a member of the Private Committee (Негласный комитет) of Alexander I and assistant to the minister of the interior. Sergei Grigoriyevich Stroganov (1794-1882) was the governor general of Moscow in 1859-1860. Alexander Grigoriyevich Stroganov was the minister of the interior in 1839-1841 and then a member of the State Council (since 1849).

Most of the Stroganovs are known to have shown interest for Art, Literature, History, and Archaeology. They used to own rich libraries, collections of paintings, coins, medals etc. Stroganov Palace (now one of the buildings of the State Russian Museum) is among the chief sights of Nevsky Prospect in St.Petersburg.

Stroganovs

See also