The history of the merchant house Eliseev

The story of the Merchant Eliseev Merchant House begins, oddly enough, from another surname - Kasatkina. At the beginning of the 19th century, Pyotr Eliseevich Kasatkin worked as a serf gardener on the estate of Count Sheremetyev in the Yaroslavl province. His talent was enough so that a fresh strawberry was presented to the Christmas dinner of 1812. The family and guests of the count were completely delighted. For such a performance of his duties, Sheremetyev decided to generously thank the gardener. Peter did not hesitate and asked for freedom. The count released, giving in addition 100 rubles, unheard of money for those years.

Soon with his wife Maria Gavrilovna and sons Sergey, Gregory and Stepan Peter Kasatkin moved to St. Petersburg. They begin their trading activity with the successful sale of oranges directly on Nevsky Prospect, which surprised the townspeople a lot.

Gradually, street trading grew to several shops in the city. There was now enough money to buy the brother of Peter Eliseevich. Upon the arrival of Grigory Eliseevich in St. Petersburg, the Eliseev’s sons filed an application for registration of the “Eliseev Brotherhood Partnership”.

Peter himself, leaving his brother Gregory to manage affairs, is sent by ship to southern Europe. In Madeira, he gets acquainted with winemakers and oversees the process of making and storing wine, negotiates trade deliveries. In St. Petersburg, the trade in imported wine was a huge success. The entire elite of the capital, including the French, now buys wine "from the Eliseevs." In addition to wine, exotic fruits and vegetables were sold all year round. To ensure the uninterrupted supply of “colonial products”, Peter buys several sailing ships to send them to the Mediterranean countries and even to India.

Alas, in 1825, he became very ill, Peter Eliseev dies. But before his death, he managed to declare his capital and record the whole family in the merchant estate. The case was continued by Maria Gavrilovna and brother Grigory Eliseevich. Especially great activity in the work was shown by the middle son Grigory Petrovich, who gradually headed the Partnership. He repeatedly, and then his son Grigory Grigorievich, received awards, both in Europe and at home, for his wine collections.

In the early years of the 20th century, Grigory Grigoryevich opened two stores - in Moscow on Tverskaya and in Petersburg on Nevsky, both richly decorated in the best traditions Russian culture , both designed by architect Baranovsky. According to an unknown author - “gluttony temples” with its own bakery and sausage shop. In addition to selling delicacies, at the St. Petersburg store on the upper floors there was a theater and a restaurant. March 14, 1913 - the year of the centenary of the Partnership of the Eliseev Brotherhood - by the will of Nicholas II, the Eliseevs become hereditary nobles.

About a year later, a tragedy overtook the family. Wife Maria Andreevna passed away, hanging herself on her braid. The cause of the disaster was the news of love between her husband Grigory Grigoryevich and a young married lady Vera Fedorovna Vasilyeva. They got engaged less than a month after the death of Maria Andreevna. The sons not only did not forgive such an act to their father, but also considered it an insult to their mother.

In the house of the merchant Eliseev and his new wife, only the youngest daughter of Grigory Grigoryevich, Maria, fourteen years old, remained to live. But with the help of her brothers, she also managed to escape from her father’s house.

After that, the elise family of the Eliseevs fell into a depression and moved away from managing all affairs. And in 1918 he lost all his wealth, including stores in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Grigory Grigoryevich moved to France and lived there until 84 years. It happened in 1949. His children had dispersed by that time around the world.

Thus ended the story of the Eliseev Merchants Trading House, but there were shops in Moscow and St. Petersburg with luxurious decoration, where you can still buy expensive exquisite products, and the townspeople still call them "Eliseevsky" instead of the official "Grocery Store No. 1".