Ukrainians Who Changed the World: Boris Lissanevitch, Odesa Adventurer who "Discovered" Nepal
Amidst the full-scale invasion by Russian occupiers in Ukraine, every Ukrainian, whether a soldier or civilian, will tell you that war is a dark and somber time. Yet, it is also a time of opportunities. Therefore, let's recall another Ukrainian who was forced to leave his homeland. However, this happened not now but back in 1924, and the man's name is Boris Lissanevitch.
From Odesa Cadet to Paris Ballet
Boris was born on October 4, 1905, in the city of Odesa. His father, Mykola Olexandrovich, was a renowned horse breeder and athlete. It seemed that Boris's fate was predetermined – cadet school, the navy, and then horse breeding on the family estate. Yes, the Lissanevitch family were nobles.
At the age of nine, Boris was sent to cadet school, and three years later, amidst the revolution and then the civil war. Fate took Boris off the beaten path, leading him in an unknown direction. In Odesa during the civil war, life was tumultuous and unclear. Today, one faction was in power, tomorrow another, and the day after the city was divided among the Reds, Whites, Makhnovists, Denikin's forces, and the Allied troops. Barricades with different flags lined every street, and skirmishes constantly erupted. During one of these clashes, Boris was wounded.
The civil war brought much sorrow to the Lissanevitch family – they lost everything, including Boris's older brothers. Boris was more fortunate, and with the help of an acquaintance, he entered ballet school. From a former cadet to a ballet dancer. Quite a twist, isn't it? But this was only the beginning.
Boris achieved great success as a dancer and started performing on stage. In 1924, Boris left his native Odesa, which had become unfamiliar, and departed for Paris, the center of the white emigration at the time. There, he obtained a refugee passport known as the Nansen passport and tried to establish his life. Initially, he had to change his role again and work at the Renault factory, but after a while, he managed to sign a contract with the ballet. Again, the stage, the spotlights.
Boris Lissanevitch could have made a career in ballet, but fate decreed otherwise.
This continued until 1933 when Boris's fate took another sharp and unexpected turn.
Turn to the East
With his troupe, Boris embarked on a grand Asian tour – India, China, Vietnam. The East made an indelible impression on Boris, and he decided to settle temporarily in Calcutta. Moreover, at that time, India was still a British colony, which meant that living there provided Boris with the opportunity to eventually obtain a British passport.
In India, Boris developed a passion for hunting and gained a reputation as a lucky and fearless hunter. Among his trophies were about sixty tigers, one of which was a man-eating tiger that terrorized local villages.
At that time, aristocratic clubs in the style of English clubs became fashionable in Calcutta. Locals and women were not allowed in such clubs, and Boris came up with the idea of creating the first club for everyone. More precisely, for those belonging to the upper echelons of society. With the help of friends, of whom Boris had quite a few, he opened "Club 300" in Calcutta. The club was located in a luxurious palace once built by the wealthy Armenian Philip for his runaway bride, who eloped with a common soldier a day before their wedding. Specifically for work at the club, Boris enlisted the services of a renowned chef from Nice, another fugitive from Soviet authorities, like Boris himself. The signature dishes of the "Club 300" kitchen included borscht, hazel grouse pâté, beef stroganoff, and Bombe à la Boris.
300 Friends of Lissanevitch
Boris's club quickly became one of the most popular and frequented places in Calcutta. Anyone could be found there – influential aristocrats, wealthy merchants, diplomats, maharajas, and hereditary princes from neighboring states. It was the first club where East met West, and also the first club that allowed women. Another innovation was that the club operated round the clock.
In this club, Boris met numerous interesting and influential people, including the famous Indian politician Jawaharlal Nehru, Nepalese General Mahabir, and later, the exiled King of Nepal, Tribhuvan.
The meeting with the King of Nepal turned out to be fateful not only for Lissanevitch but for the entire region. The royal dynasty of Nepal had been ousted from power by the powerful Rana clan back in 1846. Naturally, this situation did not sit well with the royal dynasty, and King Tribhuvan vowed to restore power in the country. But how to achieve this?
This is where Boris Lissanevitch's extensive connections came in handy. He introduced Tribhuvan to Jawaharlal Nehru. After a lengthy conversation, Nehru promised Tribhuvan full support from India, on the condition of establishing friendly relations between their countries. Naturally, King Tribhuvan agreed. And soon, with the support of the Nepalese opposition and India, King Tribhuvan regained power. After ascending to the throne, King Tribhuvan bestowed upon Lissanevitch the status of an honorary citizen of Nepal and invited him for a visit.
Jawaharlal Nehru
It's worth noting that in those times, largely due to the isolationist policies of the ruling Rana clan, Nepal was a closed country where foreigners could hardly enter. Even outstanding climbers planning to conquer Everest could enter Nepal no more than once a year, let alone ordinary tourists, who were virtually nonexistent in Nepal.
The First Nepalese Tour Operator
Lissanevitch first visited Nepal in 1950, and the visit made an indelible impression on him.
"On the very first night, I encountered a leopard on the streets of Kathmandu, and beyond the valley was Kipling's Asia, a blend of China and India, framed against a landscape that dimmed Switzerland," Boris later recounted.
Soon, Lissanevitch had the idea to organize a tourism business. He believed that Nepal could become a Mecca for tourists and mountaineers. However, his idea faced skepticism from European friends. What to do in a country with no skyscrapers, telephones, and even proper roads? Forget about roads, Nepal lacked electricity, gas, and kerosene! And their main airport was just a field with a dilapidated shed serving as customs.
Boris tried to convince the King of Nepal of his idea, but initially, the King didn't even understand what he was talking about. However, Lissanevitch couldn't be stopped. Realizing that even if he could persuade the King to open Nepal's borders, enticing tourists to a medieval country would be challenging. Therefore, he decided to open the first modern hotel in Kathmandu. General Bahadur Rana even provided Boris with a wing of his palace for the hotel.
But the premises were not the only challenge. Boris faced the fact that Nepal had... nothing. Cutlery, bed linen, kitchen equipment, beds – everything had to be imported from India. And not by plane or car (remember, there were no proper roads in Nepal), but on the backs of mules and porters. Boris also had to hire most of the staff and a chef from India.
He also had to order groceries because, as Lissanevitch discovered, people in Nepal exclusively ate and cultivated rice. As a result, the future hotelier and restaurateur, Boris Lissanevitch, had to engage in gardening – start growing carrots, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, and more. Later, he ventured into animal husbandry and built several farms for raising pigs and geese.
He also had to train the local staff to wear shoes and not serve water from the "little white sources" – as the locals called toilets in bathrooms.
Despite all the difficulties, in August 1954, the Royal Hotel was opened.
Kathmandu Becomes the Mountaineering Capital of the World
Initially, the King of Nepal was not very confident in Boris's success and doubted that tourism could benefit his country. However, after witnessing American tourists buying souvenirs on the hotel's terrace, he ordered the expedited issuance of visas, making them available to all interested parties directly at Tribhuvan Airport.
Soon, the Royal Hotel became the center of Nepal's tourist life. The country, unknown to most Europeans and Americans, began to appear more frequently in newspapers. The magazine "Life" dedicated four pages to Nepal.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Kathmandu became the mountaineering capital of the world, with the "Yak and Yeti" restaurant in the Royal Hotel at its heart. The restaurant's signature dishes included borscht, Chicken Kyiv, and pancakes.
Among the hotel's visitors were Queen Elizabeth II, Agatha Christie (rumored to have received several ideas for her works from Lissanevitch), Jean-Paul Belmondo (who even wanted to make a film about Lissanevitch), and Françoise Sagan. Three books were written about Lissanevitch – "Tiger for Breakfast" (Michel Pessel, France), "My Kathmandu" (Desmond Doig, UK), and "Mountains Stay Young" (Han Xuein, China).
Boris Lissanevitch also made a cameo in the film "Up to His Ears," in which Belmondo played the lead role.
What else can be said about Lissanevitch? Perhaps, he is an example of an truly unyielding person – someone capable of starting from scratch, achieving success, and then starting over again. Most of us would need ten lifetimes to see and accomplish what he did. No wonder he was called the second landmark of Nepal, after Everest.
Boris Lissanevitch passed away on October 20, 1985, and is buried in the British Embassy cemetery in Kathmandu. His gravestone bears the inscription, "Boris Nikolaevich Lissanevitch. Born in Odesa on October 4, 1905. Died in Kathmandu on October 20, 1985."