The Stroganoffs in Amsterdam. (Report from Europe).

In common with many countries, there was a handful of extremely wealthy families in Russia before the Revolution who had enormous influence in many spheres. One such family was the Stroganoffs, whose fortune came from trading in salt and fur. From 1753 to 1760 they built a fine private palace in Saint Petersburg that rivaled its near neighbor, the czar's Winter Palace. The ballroom and facade of the palace have never been altered, although other rooms were renovated and refurbished according to the taste of the times. The family's art collection, which was hung in the palace, included masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn, Botticelli, Luca Giordano, Nicolas Poussin, and Antoine Watteau, as well as icons, snuffboxes, furniture, and works from China and classical antiquity.

In addition to the palace the Stroganoffs built two cathedrals, one in northern Russia and the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. They had a close relationship with the imperial family, and their wealth provided twenty percent of the tax revenues collected in Russia. In fact there is an expression in Russia: "Richer than the Stroganoffs you'll never be."

Each successive generation, from the eighteenth century to ...