Natalia Alekseevna Shelikhova (Russian: Ната́лья Алексе́евна Ше́лихова; 1762–1810), was a Russian businessperson and the wife of

Grigory Shelikhov Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (Григорий Иванович Шелихов in Russian) (1747, Rylsk, Belgorod Governorate – July 20, 1795 (July 31, 1795 New Style)) was a Russian seafarer, merchant, and fur trader who established a perma ...

, founder of

Russian Alaska From 1732 to 1867, the Russian Empire laid claim to northern Pacific Coast territories in the Americas. Russian colonial possessions in the Americas were collectively known as Russian America from 1799 to 1867. It consisted mostly of present-d ...

.А. Ю. Петров «Образование Российско-Американской компании» — Москва: «Наука», 2000. She was one of the founders of the

Russian-American Company The Russian-American Company Under the High Patronage of His Imperial Majesty was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, United American Company. Emperor Paul I of Russia chartered the c ...

and has been referred to as one of the first successful female entrepreneurs in Russia.

Life

Natalia Alekseevna Kozhevina was the daughter of a prominent clan of

Okhotsk Okhotsk ( rus, Охотск, p=ɐˈxotsk) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk. Population: ...

navigators and mapmakers. She had very little education during her childhood. In 1775, Natalia Alekseevna married the fur trader Grigory Shelikhov. They founded the

Shelikhov-Golikov Company The Shelikhov-Golikov Company (SGC) was a Russian fur trading venture, founded by Irkutsk entrepreneurs Grigory Shelikhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov in 1783. Formed in Eastern Siberia during the 1780s along with several competing companies, t ...

in 1782. In the late 1780s, the couple settled in

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...

. During the absence of Grigory Shelikhov, he entrusted the authority of his company to his wife, who handled all the affairs of the economy of the company and its business relations. She kept informed of all relevant news through the wives of generals, and the agents of her spouse reported directly to her. She also conducted business negotiations as the representative of her spouse. Women's participation in trade and commerce on this level was very unusual in 18th-century Russia, but she managed to establish herself as an important person in society and enjoyed great respect even from officials, who referred to her by the honorary title of Mother. Though she lacked education, she reportedly made herself respected by a combination of firmness, charm and an ability to win people over. In 1795, her daughter Anna married the official

Nikolai Rezanov Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov (, – ), a Russian nobleman and statesman, promoted the project of Russian colonization of Alaska and California to three successive Emperor of All Russia, Emperors of All Russia—Catherine the Great, Paul, and Alexa ...

, which gave the family a link to the government. Upon the death of her spouse the same year, she applied for a permit to formally take over his company in her own name. This was controversial not only socially but also legally and led to a legal process that lasted for several years. During the process, she negotiated personally with the Russian government. In 1799, finally, her deal with the Russian government resulted in the foundation of the

. The Shelikhovs had five surviving daughters and one son.

References

* А. Ю. Петров «Образование Российско-Американской компании» — Москва: «Наука», 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Shelikhova, Natalia 1762 births 1810 deaths History of Alaska Russian colonization of North America Russian-American Company Fur traders 18th-century businesspeople from the Russian Empire 19th-century businesspeople from the Russian Empire 19th-century businesswomen from the Russian Empire 18th-century businesswomen from the Russian Empire