Frederick Bruce Thomas (; November 4, 1872 – June 12, 1928) was an American from

Coahoma County, Mississippi Coahoma County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,390. Its county seat is Clarksdale. The Clarksdale, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Coahoma County. It is loc ...

who became a prominent businessman in the entertainment industry of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and, later,

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. Thomas was born to former slaves Lewis and Hannah Thomas, who owned a farm in Coahoma County. After his father was murdered, he left Mississippi for

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, intending to work as a

waiter Waiting staff (British English, BrE), waiters () / waitresses (), or servers (AmE) are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a Bar (establishment), bar and sometimes in private homes, attending to customers by supplying them with food an ...

but then moved to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, where he prospered and owned and operated a number of successful theaters and restaurants for 19 years. During the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

, he fled to İstanbul Turkey, where he had less success in business and went into debt. His passport request was denied by US consulate due to his slave past and he was unable to return to the United States and died in a debtor's prison. He was buried in the

Pangaltı Catholic Cemetery Pangaltı Roman Catholic Cemetery (), also known as Feriköy Latin Catholic Cemetery (), is a historic Christianity, Christian cemetery in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the largest Catholic cemetery in Istanbul. The cemetery is located in the Feriköy ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

References

External links

*For more information about Frederick Bruce Thomas, ''The Black Russian'', and Vladimir Alexandrov, se
https://www.valexandrov.com/the-black-russian
1872 births 1928 deaths American entertainment industry businesspeople American expatriates in Turkey American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Istanbul People from Mississippi Businesspeople from Moscow 20th-century African-American businesspeople American emigrants to the Russian Empire {{US-business-bio-1870s-stub

References

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