Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists of Odesa: Professional, Scientific, Technical and Public Activity by H.E. Veinshtein (1860-1929)

Abstract

The article examines the Odesa period of Hryhorii Emmanuilovych Veinshtein’s life. It reveals his active professional, scientific, organizational and social activities. He was an engineer-technologist, a famous entrepreneur, and one of the best representatives of the scientific and technical intelligentsia of the industrial South of Ukraine. This study became possible due to the use of the biographical method.

Particular attention is paid to the activities of H. Veinshtein as part of the Odesa branch of the Imperial Russian Technical Society (IRTS). Information about his social activity and initiatives is systematized. The importance of studying the processes of self-organization in the technical environment of industrial cities of the Northern Black Sea region in the second half of the 19^th – early 20^th centuries is emphasized.

It is concluded that the availability of a sufficient number of historical sources and consideration of the topic in chronological order allows us to objectively assess the professional and social activities of H. Veinshtein. He made a significant contribution to the industrial development of Odesa. He also contributed to the formation of educational institutions to train technical personnel and organize research activities as a member of the Odesa branch of the IRTS. H. Veinshtein was a professional in his field and a responsible and conscious member of society. He was actively involved in public activities, financed various projects, and was one of the leaders of public initiatives. His example reveals the self-organization of the scientific and technical intelligentsia after the reforms and the formation of industry in the South of Ukraine.