December Tretyakova: manufacturer and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov in Kostroma

On December 16, 1866, the Charter of the New Kostroma Linen Manufactory was approved.

We know how much the document has been in St. Petersburg since February. We have been waiting for approval in Moscow for almost a year. And Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov this was just a birthday gift – the day before he was 34 years old.

So it was expected that a week later, on December 30, despite the Christmas celebrations and the eve of the new year 1867, they gathered and held the first meeting of the board of the newly created partnership. In addition to Pavel came his younger brother Sergey Mikhailovich Tretyakov, son-in-law Vladimir Dmitrievich Konshin, a recent lieutenant of their father, and the Moscow 2nd Guild merchant (and according to the workers – a recent spinner of the neighboring Bryukhanov factory) Konstantin Yakovlevich Kashin.

After all, by that time the buildings of the flax-spinning factory were already being built. In order not to miss the construction season, Kashin by May of that 1866 began the construction of buildings, about which architect Roth managed to convince the provincial board: how so, without approval of plans and facades!

Next to the three-storey factory building near the Kostroma River, the director’s house was also built. He, Konstantin Kashin, an experienced spinner, will establish production, purchase equipment, hire the surrounding peasants and control their work. After the death of his father, his son Nicholas stepped in this place. Therefore, the factory came into use Kostromich not as “Tretyakov”, but as “Kashin”, although the family of the Tretyakovs, growing up with children and sons-in-law, invested both forces and capital. Both brothers were directly involved in factory operations.

The researchers are sure that it was on the income from this factory that Pavel and Sergey Tretyakov collected their collections. The older brother is said to have planned to make his meeting public from the outset:

For me, who truly and ardently loves painting, there can be no better desire than to establish a public, accessible repository of fine arts for the benefit of many, for everyone.

But Kostromichi was not forgotten either. On the same income from the factory for workers, the most comfortable hostel in Russia was built, which was called the “team”, a maternity shelter, a nursery, a school, a hospital. This also corresponded to the conviction of Pavel Tretyakov:

My idea was to make money from a very young age so that what I had gained from society would also be returned to society (the people) in some useful institutions.

December was a special month in his life. In December 1866, during the prayer for the opening of the factory, Kostroma churches beat all the bells. Not only was he born, he died on December 4, 1898. And the Kostroma bells rang again, this time with a commemorative chime.

In 2024, the name of the entrepreneur and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov was immortalized on the memorial plaque of the Alley of recognition on Peace Avenue in Kostroma. Guests of the city can see it on the red route of daily excursions."Kostroma at 15:15.".

According to the materials of the scientific consultant of the project “Kostroma at 15:15” candidate of cultural studies Larisa Sizintseva.