23 Facts About Jonas Lied

Jonas Marius Lied was a Norwegian entrepreneur, businessman, diplomat, author and art collector.

Jonas Lied obtained a short vocational business education and was proficient in English, French, German and Russian.

Jonas Lied obtained Russian citizenship with the help of Grand Duke Alexander, but regained Norwegian citizenship in 1931 when he left the difficult times in the Soviet Union.

Jonas Lied lectured in Russian in St Petersburg, in French at the Societe Nautique, and in German at the geographical society in Hamburg.

In 1914, Jonas Lied photographed British naval vessels in the port of Newcastle and was for this arrested according to the Defence of the Realm Act 1914.

Jonas Lied's plan was to transport goods through the great rivers of Siberia, and exchange goods to West European ocean vessels at these rivers' arctic mouth.

At Dikson Island Jonas Lied encountered Otto Sverdrup that had run aground with his ship Eclipse.

About 200 men were employed there when Jonas Lied set the saw mill in operation.

Jonas Lied built a fish canning factory in the same area.

Jonas Lied planned to invite Roosevelt on an expedition to Siberia, just like he had done with Nansen a few years earlier.

Jonas Lied was a man who knew very well what he wanted.

Jonas Lied had meetings with Lenin and Trotsky at the Smolny Institute in 1917 and describes the unusual experience in his autobiography.

Jonas Lied then wanted to sell the company's assets, but the board of directors in Kristiania hesitated and Jonas Lied then resigned as CEO in February 1918.

In May 1919 Jonas Lied was commissioned by Kolchak to negotiate with Winston Churchill about supplies to Kolchak's Siberia, the plan was not implemented.

In February 1920 Jonas Lied again travelled to Russia when there was still a civil war.

Jonas Lied then established himself in Moscow as an independent businessman during Lenin's New Economic Policy from 1921.

Jonas Lied was, among other activities, agent for the US aluminum company Alcoa.

Jonas Lied met with Trotsky on several occasions and traveled widely together with geologists within the Soviet Union.

Jonas Lied explored the possibilities of developing hydro power at Dneprostroi.

Jonas Lied soon continued an international business career as senior vice president of Aluminium Union Limited.

Jonas Lied left behind a notable collection of Russian icons and other art, some originated from the Winter palace.

Jonas Lied befriended Annenkov in Moscow and met again by coincidence in Paris in 1933.

Jonas Lied donated diaries and records about the Siberian company to the Norwegian Maritime Museum, other archival material is kept at Romsdal Museum.