Mikhail Shevelev facts for kids
Mikhail Grigoryevich Shevelev (1844 – 1903) was a clever Russian businessman. He was known for trading tea and for starting Russia's very first shipping company. He also studied China and its culture, which made him a Sinologist. He lived and worked in the Vladivostok region.
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Mikhail Shevelev's Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Mikhail Shevelev was born in 1844. His family were merchants, which means they bought and sold goods. They lived in a town called Verkhneudinsk, which is now known as Ulan-Ude.
Mikhail was very interested in science. He also became an expert in the Chinese language. In 1861, he finished school in Kyakhta. This school was special because it trained people to be translators. It was started by a famous person named N.Y. Bichurin.
Because he was so good at Chinese, Mikhail got an important job. He became a translator for the Russian Orthodox mission in China.
Building a Business Empire
While Mikhail was living in Hankou, China, he started a tea trading company. It was first called Oborin, Tokmakov and Co. Later, in 1874, its name changed to Tokmakov, Shevelev and Co. By 1880, his company was one of the biggest Russian tea traders in the eastern part of the world.
Mikhail didn't stop there! In 1879, he created the Russian Shipping Company in Vladivostok. This company used ships to carry goods and people. At first, their ships traveled between Vladivostok and Nikolayevsk-on-Amur. Around 1881, they started routes between Vladivostok, Shanghai, and Hankou. However, these shipping operations stopped in 1883. This might have been because British companies were becoming more powerful in the tea trade.
Love for Chinese Culture
Mikhail Shevelev was also very interested in Chinese history and culture. He collected many Chinese books and writings. He became a trusted helper at the Oriental Institute in Vladivostok. This institute was a place where people studied Asian cultures.
Mikhail Shevelev passed away in 1903 from a heart attack. He was buried in Vladivostok. His daughter, Margarita, later married a famous Russian tiger hunter named George Yankovsky.
