Nikolay Stepanovich Kobozev (Russian: Николай Степанович Кобозев; also spelled: Кобызев, Кобезев, Кобзев; (6 December 1793 – 2 March 1866)) was one of the founders of

Berdiansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk (, ; , ) is a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Berdiansk Raion. The c ...

, and its first mayor. He was a merchant of the 1st Guild (since 1841), a fishing magnate, and a hereditary honorary citizen of Berdiansk since 1851.

Background

Nikolay Stepanovich Kobozev was born on 6 December 1793, in

Bakhmut Bakhmut is a city in eastern Ukraine. It is officially the administrative center of Bakhmut urban hromada and Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast. The city is located on the Bakhmutka River, about north of Donetsk, the administrative center ...

(now,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

) to Stefan Vasilyevich Kobozev, a merchant of the 3rd Guild and a fishing industrialist descended from the

Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...

branch of the Kobuzev noble family. His ancestor, Naum Ivanov syn Kobozev (Kobyzev), a gorodovoy Boyar scion, was mentioned in the

gentry list (''Razbornaya Desyatnya'') of 1636 with the land allotment (''oklad'') of 150 chets (about 75

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

). Naum's son, Danila Naumov syn Kobozev, was mentioned in the Kursk book of troop inspection (''Smotrennaya Kniga'') in 1652. He became a cannoneer (''pushkar''). After 1687, his son, Grigory, served as a cannoneer for his father due to the latter's illness. Grigory's brother, Minay, moved to

Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...

. Minay's grandson, Ivan Nikiforov syn Kobozev (1713 – 1788) became the first merchant in the lineage. His grandson, Stefan Vasilyev syn Kobozev (b. 1772), Nikolay's father, moved to

. From Bakhmut, his father started to develop a fishing, wheat farming and vinery business in the Northern Azov region.''Попова Е.А.'' Восточная (Крымская) война 1853–1856 гг. – новые материалы и новое осмысление, Том 2.. – Крымский архив, 2005. – С. 186. He acquired a fishery near Nogaisk after the city's founding in 1821. Then he expanded his business to the area of the Berda River where the future city of

was to be founded. Nikolay's father had 12 boats and 23 seine nets.6 декабря исполняется 220 лет со дня рождения Николая Степановича Кобозева (1793–1866)...... ''Блог библиотеки-филиала №5 г. Бердянска'' (5 декабря 2013 г.) He also owned a large amount of land where he grew wheat for export.

Berdiansk

City founding

Since the early 19th century the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

had plans to build a port in the Northern Azov region to develop international trade. Originally, the port was suggested on the sandspit at the village of Obetochnoe,Порт при сей косе...
/ref> near the city of Nogaisk, founded in 1821. The village belonged to Count Vasily Orlov-Denisov. The results of an investigations of the site were submitted to Admiral

Aleksey Greig Aleksey Samuilovich Greig () (6 September 1775 – 18 January 1845), born into the noble Greig family, was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. Born in Kronstadt, he was the son of Admiral Samuel Greig (1735–1788, then Governor of Kronstadt ...

, who sent captain, later counter-admiral, Nikolay Dmitrievich Kritski to study the area. However, he reported that Nogaysk area was inferior to the bay of the Berda River. In the early 19th century, the area near the Berdiansk bay belonged to merchants Ivan Chetverikov and Nikolay's father, Stephan Kobozev. In 1816 they received the right for exclusive fishing there and salt extraction in the local

saline lakes A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

. In 1825, still a merchant of the 3rd Guild, Nikolay Kobozev started construction of a private wooden quay that was opened with a ceremony on 1 July 1830. He attracted a great deal of publicity and invited the city governor of

Kerch Kerch, also known as Keriç or Kerich, is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of Crimea. It has a population of Founded 2,600 years ago as the Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies, ancient Greek colony Pantik ...

Ivan Stempkowski, and provincial

Saint-Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

newspapers to the ceremony. Simultaneously, the authorities gave land near the Bay of Berdiansk for a public quay, which was opened on 12 January 1835 with Kobozev's participation. The next year the first foreign ship entered the Bay of Berdiansk. In 1833 Kobozev put up a wooden post with a light to serve as a beacon. The modern stone Lower Berdiansk Lighthouse was built in 1838 under the leadership of the Italian merchant from Kerch Carlo Tomasini. In 1841 Kobozev was elected the city's first mayor (''gorodskoy golova'' was an elected head in the Russian Empire). Berdyansk was part of the Kerch-Enykale city governorate, which, represented by Kerch-Enikale city governor, ran the state bodies of the city and surrounding territory. Gorodskoy golova was the leader of the city duma and was to manage social affairs of the city. The office seat of gorodskoy golova was in city ''ratusha'' (lit.: rathouse, city hall). Alongside, gorodskoy golova, Berdyansk had the office of city port's head. Before Nikolay Kobozev's election in 1841 the area of the prospective city was made of a few fisherman's huts and a custom officer's shelter. In his diaries,

Titular councillor The Table of Ranks () was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a struggle with the existing hereditary nobility, or boyar ...

Vasily Kryzhanovsky left an account of what the place was like when

Governor General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Mikhail Vorontsov came there to officially open the port of Berdiansk and the customs office in 1836:

It was January 30, 1836 ... there was no single church in Berdiansk then, just a preaching house with a thatch roof, put up at the square where there is now the cathedral; Nikolay Stepanovich Kobozev was the first citizen of the town; he was no older than forty; his wife was Anna Ivanovna. As of now, it has been his entire family. No other notable man — all peasants. In other words, it was a true rural locality: no foreigner, no stone building; the entire town was made of thatched huts. Even Kobozev himself owned a small house where he received Count Vorontsov'.

Kobozev remained in office until 1857. During his first term he built the first city's stone houses. He was re-elected in 1860. He remained active in the city for his entire life that he dedicated to the city's development. During his time in office the city went through a radical transformation. From 1837 to 1864, the number of foreign ships entering the Bay of Berdiansk rose by 3.5 times, while wheat export grew by 11.5. In the eight years since 1830, the population of Berdiansk increased 15 fold. As early as in 1840 the city had 14 foreign offices. A very telling remark concerning Kobozev's accomplishments in the development of Berdiansk was made by A. Skalkovsky: "...a poor marina has now turned into a remarkable marketplace named Berdiansk". Berdiansk Winter Theater

He built the city cemetery and the Saint Nicolas church (no longer in existence) at his own expense. He was one of the participants in the construction of the Berdiansk Cathedral of the Ascension and the city park. In 1852 he built two stone houses in

Yeysk Yeysk () is a port and a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the shore of the Taganrog Gulf of the Sea of Azov. The town is built primarily on the Yeysk Spit, which separates the Yeya River from the Sea of Azov. Population: ...

one for an orphanage and the other for the police. At his own expense, Kobozev built the famous Winter Theater, that was badly damaged during the

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It was opened on 24 April 1849. Initially, he planned a residence there, however, for some reason, he decided to rent the building and it was later turned into a theater. In 1861 it housed the first theatrical performance. Because of his enormous debts, the Winter Theater was given away to the city by his brothers after Kobozev's death. In 1943, during retreat German troops put the theater on fire.Энциклопедия Бердянска. Том 1: А-Л. Бердянск, Пiвденна зоря, 2013. С. 584. In 1960 the remains of the theater's building were eventually removed. In 1852 Berdiansk suffered from a vast flood. It was decided to construct a

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...

. However, due to the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

of 1853 – 1856 the building project was put off until the 1860s. Kobozev was the main contractor for the breakwater. In particular, he organized the delivery of stone. The project was overseen by the staff-captain and engineer Robet von Desin, the younger brother of Admiral William von Desin.Население. Известные личности. Династии // Энциклопедия Бердянска. — С. 122. On Kobozev's advice, von Desin decided to use local stone, instead of that from Kerch. However, Kobozev did not manage to complete the construction, and the breakwater was finished by A. Belichkov in 1869.

Fishing business

Nikolay Kobozev was the largest fishing industrialist on the

Azov Azov (, ), previously known as Azak ( Turki/ Kypchak: ), is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. The population is History Early settlements in the vici ...

sea. Kobozev had managed to extend his father's business: he acquired 16 fisheries and developed a significant fishing fleet. Without being knowledgeable in ship construction or geometry, he took personal part in drawing and building his first two-master

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

named ''Berdiansk'' that was launched on 14 April 1841 and set its first sail to Constantinopole. The brig was capable of carrying up to 246 tons of cargo. Kobozev had a dream to build a

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

from the draft plans sent to him by his friend Prince Mikhail Vorontsov, but the

ruined his plans. Apart from fisheries near Berdiansk, he owned one on the Obetochnoe sandspit and the Fedotov sandspit, where his partner was Friedrich Fein, ancestor of Eduard von Falz-Fein.

Crimean war

On 31 May 1855, an Anglo-French squadron approached the Bay of Berdiansk seeking provisions. Berdiansk was heavily bombed. Kobozev managed to organize the evacuation of women, elders and children to the German colony of Neuhofnung (now, Osipenko, Berdiansk rayon) that housed them until the end of the war. He initiated the intentional

scuttling Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel ...

of merchant ships in the bay to prevent the enemy's fleet from landing in Berdiansk. As a result, he had lost six vessels and one brig, as well as 14 fishing boats. However, Kobozev's motives in doing this were uncertain. Alongside some other city residents, he was suspected of collaborating with the English. A secret investigation was carried out against him. After the war Kobozev organized the reconstruction of 250 buildings in the city.

Personal life and family

Nikolay Kobozev was married to Anna Ivanovna. The marriage was childless. After his death, his estate passed to his brothers and his nephew, Fyodor Timchenko, the only surviving son of his sister Alexandra.Дневник В.К. Крыжановского. — Март 1866. The rest of her children died of

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposu ...

in 1865. Nikolay had three brothers: Ivan, Aleksey and Alexander, all of whom moved to

and a sister named Alexandra. Ivan Kobozev was a merchant of the 1st Guild, a hereditary honorary citizen of Kerch, and a fishing industrialist. He was the sponsor of the Kerch girls' boarding school, and one of the activists for developing spa resorts in Kerch. He was the owner of an estate at Orta-Aul near Kerch. He was married to Anna Petrovna Mitrova (1834–1895), the daughter of the mayor of Kerch. During the Crimean War (1853–1856) she organized a free hospital for the wounded, for which she was awarded with the rank of honorary citizen, rare for women. Ivan Kobozev had a son named Aleksey. The latter's daughter, Alexandra Alekseevna, married Antuan Dziewanowski, the chief sanitary doctor of the Taurida district, and the brother of the Russian-Polish general and a friend of Dmitry Lenin. His other grandchild, Ivan Alekseevich Kobozev (b. 1878) was a famous ophthalmologist. He was married to Maria Schlee, the daughter of Ferdinand Matveevich Schlee. Alexander Kobozev had a son named Grigory, a staff-captain. Kobozev's home in Berdiansk was visited by three heirs to the Russian throne. In the 1830s he housed Grand Duke

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

, the future Emperor Alexander II. In 1863, Alexander II's son, Nikolay, stayed at his house in Berdiansk. In 1866 Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich visited Kobozev's home. In 1881, the members of the

Narodnaya Volya Narodnaya Volya () was a late 19th-century revolutionary socialist political organization operating in the Russian Empire, which conducted assassinations of government officials in an attempt to overthrow the autocratic Tsarist system. The org ...

assassinated Alexander II. Coincidentally, one of the organizers, Yuriy Bogdanovich, used the alias "Kobozev". One of Kobozev's friends was Andrey Dostoevsky, the younger brother of the famous writer. He frequently visited Kobozev for dinner, which he mentioned in his memoir.Воспоминания А.М. Достоевского//Квартира VII: Переезд в Таврическую Губернию, июль 1858 - май 1860
6 февраля 1896 �л. ресурс Once A. Dostoyevsky took part in Kobozev's famed ''

ukha Ukha ( ) is a clear Russian soup, made from various types of fish such as bream, wels catfish, northern pike, or even ruffe. It usually contains root vegetables, parsley root, leek, potato, bay leaf, dill, tarragon, and green parsley, ...

'' (fish soup) reception which took place at one of his fisheries on the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov is an inland Continental shelf#Shelf seas, shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Ru ...

several miles from Berdiansk. His famous ''ukha'' was made from the freshly caught fish by his cooks on the spot. A. Dostoyevsky also took note of Kobozev's hospitality and exquisite treatment of his guests. However, Kobozev's fortunes declined over years. He did not have an heir. After his death, he left large debts. To pay them his brothers transferred the ownership of the Winter Theater building to the municipality. He died on 2 March 1866 in Berdiansk. His brothers arrived late to his funeral due to bad weather. He was buried at the cemetery church he built. The coffin was carried by the Cossacks who had worked at his fisheries. The funeral service was carried out by Archbishop

Alexis Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946– ...

Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...

and the

Taurida The recorded history of the Crimean Peninsula, historically known as ''Tauris'', ''Taurica'' (), and the ''Tauric Chersonese'' (, "Tauric Peninsula"), begins around the 5th century BCE when several Greek colonies were established along its coast ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kobozev, Nikolay Stepanovich 1793 births 1866 deaths People from Bakhmut People from Bakhmutsky Uyezd Mayors of places in the Russian Empire City founders from the Russian Empire Merchants from the Russian Empire 19th-century businesspeople from the Russian Empire Mayors of places in Ukraine Russian people of the Crimean War