Karelin, V. Russian business interests on Spitsbergen in the early twentieth century: Pavel Weymarn and Russian Spitsbergen Company // Norway and Russia in the Arctic : conference proceeding from international conference «Norway and Russia in the Arctic», Longyearbyen, 25-28 August 2009 / S. Bones, P. Mankova. – Tromso, 2010. – S. 19-27. – (Speculum boreale. The Publication Series of the Department of History and Religious Studies University of Tromso ; № 12).

Thus a new phase of his life, connected with business, started in 1909. The change was not accidental. Pavel von Weymam got married and his first son was bom soon after. He had to provide for his family. His aspirations to make a fortune, pursue a successful business career and obtain public recognition are therefore quite understandable. A secondary justification was the amazing financial and industrial growth in Russia on the eve of the First World War. More and more untold wealth was being created by the efforts of industrious businessmen. More and more noblemen preferred a career in business to civil or military service. They generally took positions in banks and insurance and industrial trading companies. Some ventured to gamble on the stock exchange. Others, like von Weymam himself, tried to establish their own business, relying on close personal contacts with civil and military bureaucrats who had access to state funds. Von Weymam, with his noble origins, energy, education and naval service acquaintances, had every chance of being successful. The archival documents offer little information about Weymam’s early undertakings, but it is known that between 1909 and 1912 he was engaged in geological prospecting for petroleum in the Ural and Caspian regions.11 Von Weymam’s first attempt to set up in business supported by the Naval Ministry took place in 1912. The naval forces of many countries were by that time trying more or less successfully to substitute coal with oil as fuel for their battleships. The Russian Parliament established a Great Shipbuilding Programme by law. By this means the Naval Ministry12was to provide the new Russian Fleet with all kinds of premium fuel, including coal and mazut13. On 22nd October 1912, von Weymam submitted a memorandum to the Naval General Staff. He stated his proposal of establishing a commercial enterprise under the supervision of the state authorities.14 The project was aimed at perpetuating the oil monopolies in the Caspian region and meeting the fleet’s needs with high-quality mazut at reasonable and stable prices. The project was not successful, however. Weymam received no influential backing in financial circles or by high-ranking bureaucrats. "Vladimir Konstantinovich Pilkin and N. Rutych, V Belov borbe na Severo-Zapade: dnevnik 1918-1920, Moskva, 2005, pp. 509-510 12Admiral Grigorovich submitted to Nicholas II in April 1911a draft of the Law stipulating the construction of three battle squadrons for the Baltic Fleet over 20 years. See S.P Shilov, "Ncmctskic firmy na sudostroitcl’nom rynkc Rossii pered mirovoy voynoy", Voprosy lstorii, 2001, vol.3 p.l 15 13A viscous liquid left as a residue after the distillation of petroleum, used as a fuel oil in Russia 14Fond 418. Opis 1. Russian Navy Archive in Saint Petersburg. File № 2645, p. 41 21