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).

Von Weymam and his partners applied in the autumn of 1913 to the Imperial Government for patronage in their undertaking. In his letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs S. D. Sazonov, von Weymam stressed the strategic significance of Russian coal-mining on Spitsbergen to supply the Russian Baltic Fleet with fuel.19 The government officially promised the businessman its support. In March 1914, von Weymam and his partners set up an official joint-stock company named the “Russian Spitsbergen Company”. Its share capital was as much as 6 million roubles. St. Petersburg was specified as the place of residence for the company’s committee of directors. Experienced businessman, manager and engineer Edward Ullman was elected as Executive Director.20 An international conference on the legal status of Spitsbergen was about to commence in Christiania in the summer of 1914 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was strongly preoccupied with a demonstration of Russian business interests on the archipelago. The Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a certificate recognizing the rights of von Weymam and his partners. After deliberation, the Council of Ministers took the decision to categorize the coal produced by the Russian Spitsbergen Company and the joint-stock company Grumant and imported to the Baltic and Northern ports as being coal of Russian origin, and thus free of import tax. Attracting Russian investors’ interest in the newly-established company proved to be not an easy task. The Russian Spitsbergen Company founders therefore tried to attract investors from international business circles. In the spring of 1914 they signed a so-called “realization contract” with the German firm Piehl & Fehling from Lubeck. Its specialization was attracting investors and equipment supplies. This German company became a partner of the Russian Spitsbergen Company and concluded trade agreements with Norwegian coal deposit owners. Von Weymam later explained that “we had not enough capital at our disposal from the very beginning and so asked the German partner firm to make the first payment to the Norwegian counterparts before collecting the full share capital”.21 The Russian Spitsbergen Company co-operated with its German partners for about three months and Piehl & Fehling had time to make a first payment of 35,000 roubles on 15 May 1914. Von 19Russian imperial foreign policy archive in Moscow. Fond 155 (Vtoroy departament, 1-5). Opis 930. File 18., pp. 7-7 reverse side 20 Russian imperial foreign policy archive in Moscow. Fond 155 (Vtoroy departament, 1-5) Opis 930. File № 18., pp. 12-39. Ustav Russkoy Shpitsbcrgenskoy kompanii 21 Russian Navy Archive in Saint-Petersburg. Fond 418. Opis 2. File № 70., p. 32 23