Asmolov, Vladimir Ivanovich

Vladimir’s brother, Vasily Asmolov , owned a large tobacco factory. After the death of Vasily in 1881, the company was headed by Vladimir Asmolov. Vladimir showed good skills as a tobacco manufacturer, engaged in the modernization of production. In 1888, the company employed 1920 workers, the turnover was 5 million rubles. The company sold 200 million pieces of cigarettes, 1,600 tons of tobacco. By the end of the 19th century, the main funds were 28 tobacco crusher, 60 shell-and-cigarette machines and 57 cigarette machines. In 1898, the enterprise received the title “Supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty”, since it was the products of this factory that were purchased by Tsar Nicholas II and other government officials. The factory established export deliveries abroad: to France , England , the USA , Italy , Japan . The quality improved, the assortment of tobacco products became more diverse, which began to be produced I, II and III grades. Raw materials for the operation of the enterprise were imported directly from Odessa , Turkey and Bessarabia , which significantly reduced the cost of production. In 1909, new Ayvaz machines appeared at the factory, capable of producing 5.5-6 thousand cigarettes per hour and Seklyudsky machines, whose productivity amounted to 10 thousand cigarettes per hour. By 1912, the Asmolov factory became the largest private tobacco factory in the world in terms of the amount of tobacco produced. The number of factory workers was 2000 people ^[1] .

Vladimir Asmolov was also engaged in social activities: several times he was elected as a deputy of the Rostov City Duma, he was engaged in the improvement of Rostov and the resolution of social issues; Engaged in charity work, which spent hundreds of thousands of rubles. In 1910, for his services to the army, Donskoy received the honorary title of Cossack.

In 1908, the company established the Internal Rules, according to which all employees of the tobacco factory and their families, regardless of position, used free treatment at the factory hospital and received cash payments for temporary incapacity for work. Asmolov opened a school, two clubs and a savings ship for workers at the factory.

In 1883, Asmolov built a stationary theater for 100 spectators in Rostov-on-Don, designed by Moscow architect V.I.Sherwood . Performances based on plays by foreign and Russian classics were staged, in 1896 the first cinema session took place. In the season of 1886-1887, Asmolov himself held the entreprise, but without outstanding success. In 1910, Asmolov sold the theater to lawyer Volkenstein and businessman Fayn, the theater worked until 1920 ^[2] . Asmolov also built a building in the city Nikolaev hospital, an arena for cycling in the Merchants Park, an almshouse. Asmolov led the construction commission for the construction of the City Museum and Library in Rostov. When the collection of money began, he proposed “to strengthen the museum fund” to slightly increase the price of tickets in his theater. This helped to collect 16595 rubles. 37 cop., Another 15283 rubles. 49 kopecks Asmolov added from his funds. However, in the 1920s, most of the buildings constructed by Asmolov were destroyed.

In 1912, Asmolov, due to illness, ceased to manage the factory, entrusting the conduct of business to shareholders. In 1913, the relatively small Rostov tobacco factories Y. Kushnaryova and A. and H. Aslanidi were absorbed by the Asmolov factory, as a result of which the Asmolov & Co. ° Joint-Stock Company appeared, which later became part of the All-Russian Tobacco Syndicate under the auspices of the Russian-Asian Bank and London branches of the Russian commercial and industrial commercial bank. In 1916, when the factory set a performance record, releasing 5 billion pieces of cigarettes and more than 2 thousand tons of tobacco, Asmolov transferred the case to the management of the Rostov Merchant Bank ^[1] .

After the October Revolution, Asmolov emigrated to France, where he had to go to work as a fireman ^[2] . He died in poverty.

Outwardly, Asmolov was thin and looked more like a Zemstvo doctor. The wife of Vladimir Asmolov, Sofya Sergeyevna Barykova (b. 1864), was the daughter of the poetess Anna Pavlovna Barykova , who had connections with the Volunteers and published an underground publication, "The Tale of How Tsar Akhreyan went to God to Complain." The son of Vladimir Asmolov, Vasily, headed the Rostov Union of Journalists before the revolution ^[2] .