Основатели суконной империи

Abstract

The heightened interest of researchers of the Tambov Governorate in the biography of the Aseevs as the richest dynasty of the broadcloth manufacturers determines the relevance of the study. We summarize the known and new to the scientific community information about Vasily Aseev and Tikhon Aseev – the elder representatives of the main merchant dynasty of the Tambov Governorate. The study reveals the reasons for the resettlement of the Aseevs in the villages of Rasskazovo of the Tambov Governorate; the conditions for the acquisition of the first broadcloth factories and distilleries in the Tambov and Saratov Governorates; their productivity and staff; the prerequisites for their transition to the merchants heirs and the emergence of the “Trading House of the brothers M.V. and V.T. Aseev” and the social activity of the manufacturers. We present detailed metric data and the family ties of the first three generations of the Aseevs. As part of study we review and critically analyzed a number of works on the manufacturers’ biography and draw attention to the unipolar and tendentious approach in describing the personality of M.V. Aseev and his philanthropy to the detriment of historical authenticity, as well as the insufficiency and stinginess of researches on other representatives of the Aseevs and their industrial and social activities.