The first occupation of Savva Sobakin, a 21-year-old young man who came from a provincial town to St. Petersburg, was traveling trade. He carried goods, fish and meat along the city streets, luring buyers with a low price. At the same time, he tried to trade closer to the city center, where the demand for his goods was higher. It is not known how long such trade could have lasted, and what else could have done, Savva, if his fate was not changed by chance.
Sobakin in his youth.
Elizaveta Petrovna, the empress, became interested in the young merchant. Maybe the products in his cart were of excellent quality, or maybe the royal person liked the very sight of Savva, his manner of communication, but only responsible people from the royal palace suggested Sobakin to regularly supply fish and meat to the palace. From that day forward, Fortune led him to such heights that he had never dreamed of.
Patronage, or, in other words, the necessary acquaintances that ensure progress towards success, apparently always existed. She helped the individual entrepreneur Sobakin to "go up the hill." Already after a relatively short period of time, other people carried the carts with meat and fish, and Sawa turned out to be the owner of a rather large fortune. However, an experienced entrepreneur knew that money had to work. Only then will they be profitable. For this reason, he bought several factories in the Urals. The deal cost Sobakin one and a half million rubles.
By the way, such an operation he had at that time was not the only one. There were other deals, some of which were dubious. Savva was even convicted of fraud, but managed to maintain a respectable reputation, extricating himself from the bad situation. The former traveling salesperson took a few steps to make himself look more attractive. Including he got rid of the discordant surname Sobakin and became Yakovlev.
Now let us return to an earlier time preceding the appearance of Sobakin - Yakovlev in St. Petersburg. Savva began his career as an assistant shopkeeper in the city of Ostashkov. The boy received this position on the initiative of his father, who, being a merchant, sent his son to study with a familiar successful colleague in the workshop. Helping in the shop and learning the trade craft, Savva at the same time mastered literacy and counting.
Several years have passed. The assistant shopkeeper became a skillful, competent salesman, or clerk, as this position was called in those days. Savva, who became a young man, no longer wanted to vegetate in the provincial, provincial Ostashkov, where in the future it was possible to become the owner of a shop. The stories of friends of the capital's life also added fuel to the fire. From their stories it followed that for enterprising people in St. Petersburg, luck itself rushes to meet.
And then the day came when Savva Sobakin went to the capital, having only a parental blessing and half a dollar in his pocket. In the beginning, luck didn't come in any way. Street trading took several years. In the summer heat and winter cold, in the snow and rain, the merchant rolled the cart with the goods to the Summer Garden and, smiling affably at the passers-by, invited them to make purchases. It was here, in his permanent place, that the empress drew attention to the young merchant.
Promotional video:
As already mentioned, the street vendor became the palace vendor. His income grew. By 1737, he reached such heights that he was able to enroll in the merchant class. The documents that have survived from that time contain information about the acquisitions made by the newly-minted merchant. The first were a house worth a thousand rubles and a massive shop. Then the Yaroslavl Manufactory was acquired. The transaction amount is sixty thousand rubles. Savva was also engaged in the supply of flax abroad. Due to his connections with the royal palace, Sobakin made the most profitable deals. Among these was the acquisition of a tannery. We must pay tribute to the merchant who was gaining strength, he not only took care of expanding the workshop, thereby increasing its gross production, but also equipped it with the most advanced equipment at that time. The sale of wine gave Sobakin a good income,which he led, while preferring to deal with large cities.
Savva's fortune grew along with his popularity. Ties with the imperial court made it possible to achieve something that once did not even have to be dreamed of. Emperor Peter I made him a hereditary nobleman. During the reign of Catherine II, Sobakin became a more euphonious Yakovlev. The merchant was engaged in the equipment of ships, loaded them with goods produced in Russia, and sent them abroad. Here are a few lines from Savva's letter to the commission that provides and controls commerce: "Your Excellency … would I wish to send a ship to Lisbon with a cargo of Russian products …".
Yakovlev organized export supplies of iron from the Urals. In two years, 1766 - 1788, he built six factories and bought sixteen more. His sons helped him manage a large farm. Savva tried to pay for the labor of the workers at a minimum. Sometimes he went so far as not to comply with the terms of the transactions. For example, according to a dishonest scheme, he made a deal with the merchants Demidov.
Mansion of Savva Yakovlev, Baroque, Architect Rastrelli F.-B.
Yakovlev's mansion in St. Petersburg was built by the architect Rastrelli. He also owned land. As for patronage, Savva donated a considerable amount for the construction of the Church of the Savior on the Sennaya.
From documentary evidence of that time, it follows that the merchant “warmed his hands” in the course of financial fraud when supplying the army with food. He was not prosecuted. According to informed people, he managed to pay off with bribes.
Savva Yakovlev (Sobakin) is recognized as one of the richest people in the Russian Empire. He died in 1784. He was buried where they buried high officials, in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, at the Lazarevskoye cemetery.