Hendrik Kruys

Hendrik Kruys (1851–1907) was a Dutch trader and entrepreneur in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Biography Hendrik Kruys was born in Vriezenveen, Overijssel, on 10 December 1851. His father Claas Kruys (1802–1877) was Mayor of Vriezenveen from 1852 to 1870, and a merchant at the firm Jansen, Joost & Co in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His mother was Frederika Bramer (1823–1899), the second wife of his father. Hendrik was a half brother of Gerhardus Kruys, a Dutch vice admiral and minister of Navy. Hendrik's great uncle was Jan Kruys (1767–1830), the first Mayor of Vriezenveen.

History Hendrik was a member of the ‘Rusluie’, a Dutch community in the city of Saint Petersburg. From 1721 to 1918, Saint Petersburg was the capital of the Russian empire of the tsars.

The Rusluie, mostly traders and merchants, originally came from the town of Vriezenveen in the Netherlands and included members of the Kruys family. The distance between Vriezenveen and Saint Petersburg is about 2,400 kilometres. According to a description in the diary of Hendrik's uncle Jacob Kruys (1812–1852), the journey by covered wagon led through Osnabrück, Berlin and Riga and took 15 days.

Between 1720 and 1917, several hundred people from Vriezenveen lived in Saint Petersburg. Although they formed a tight community with their own customs, most eventually returned home to enjoy their acquired wealth.

Trading house 'Java' In 1868 Hendrik travelled to the Russian capital via Berlin. He became an apprentice at the Dutch textile company Engberts & Co, trading linnen. In 1884, he started his own trading house ‘Java’ on Grosse Morskaya 38, where he sold Dutch coffee and cocoa, tea, spices, liquor, Delft pottery and other products. In the early days, cacao was not very popular in Russia. Customers visiting Hendrik's store were offered a cup of hot cocoa by his Russian sister-in-law Katarina Awdejewa (1854–1921), the wife of his half-brother Bernardus Kruys (1840–1911).

In 1890, he married the Dutch Alida Boom (1861–1940) in Vriezenveen. She followed him to the Russian capital. A year later a daughter was born, over the years followed by three sons. All their children were born in Saint Petersburg. In 1897, after the birth of their youngest child, Alida and the children returned to Vriezenveen to live in their newly built villa. Hendrik remained in Russia. He visited his family regularly. In 1903, Alida and Hendrik celebrated their years wedding, for which he returned to Vriezenveen.

Russian revolution alt=Saint Petersburg storekeepers protect their stores during the revolution (1917). Saint Petersburg storekeepers protect their stores during the revolution (1917). Hendrik also recorded the first Russian Revolution of 1905 in his diary:

Death Hendrik died in Vriezenveen (Oosteinde 59) on 24 May 1907, at the age of 55.