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Empire & Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond

Rock Brynner, author and Adjunct Professor of History, Marist CollegeDiscussant: Brigitta Ingemanson, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Washington State University

Date & Time

Tuesday
Apr. 18, 2006
3:30pm – 5:30pm ET

Overview

At a recent Kennan Institute talk, Rock Brynner, author and Adjunct Professor of History, Marist College, discussed the story of the Brynner family and how members influenced the history and culture of Russia and the United States. Rock Brynner traced the paths of four generations in the Brynner family (his great-grandfather, his grandfather, his father, and himself), and recorded their biographies in his book, Empire & Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond. Furthermore, Brynner's book examined the role of language, culture, trade, geography, and environment in each biography and in Vladivostok through time.

Upon arriving in Vladivostok in 2003, residents welcomed Rock Brynner with warm greetings, commenting, "You've returned!" Rock Brynner is the great-grandson of Jules Brynner, a Swiss native, who is remembered as an influential resident and founding father of Vladivostok, where he was a successful businessman and civic patron. Jules Brynner had worked in China and Japan before moving his company to the newly-founded city of Vladivostok in the late 1870s, taking advantage of the city's "Porto Franco" (no taxes/tariffs) status. Vladivostok's transition from a naval base into a civilian city attracted an influx of people from around the world, and was selected as the destination for the Trans-Siberian Railroad in the 1880s. Within two decades, Jules established a contractual agreement with King Cojung of Korea, allowing him to operate a lumber company within Korea. A year later, in 1897, Tsar Nicholas purchased this contract from Jules, financing the transaction with his private imperial money, not government funds.

Rock Brynner argued that his great-grandfather's sale exacerbated a decline in Russian-Japanese relations. With the Brynner sale, the tsar now had control of land in Korea in addition to operating the Chinese Railroad Company, which traveled from Russia into mainland China. This Russian control posed a threat to Japan's own expansionist ambitions into Korea and China, and the Japanese navy launched attacks on several of Russia's Pacific ports in 1904, setting off the Russo-Japanese War. The cost of the war and Japan's decisive victories sparked public protest within Russia. Confronted with domestic tensions and the naval loss, the Romanov dynasty created the Duma, and ended its 300-year autocratic rule.

Jules's son, Boris, assumed control of his father's silver mine north of Vladivostok. In 1918, Soviet army seized the mines, which then ceased to operate. For several years, Boris Brynner negotiated with Lenin to reopen the mines; however, this industry was not compatible with the terms of the small business ventures outlined in the Soviet government's New Economic Plan. Eventually, Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Cheka, permitted Boris to reopen the mines in 1924.

In 1927, the Brynner family—including Boris's 7-year-old son, Yul—moved to China, and later to France, joining the large Russian émigré community in Paris. Through family connections, Yul met Mikhail Chekhov, nephew of author Anton Chekhov and a well-known actor and director. Yul joined Chekhov's theater group, which launched his acting career in the United States. In 1942, Yul debuted on Broadway in the musical Lute Song. Later, he was given the lead role as the King of Siam in the King and I, in both the theater and film productions. He received an Academy Award for his performance in the film version.

Rock Brynner, Yul's only son, had a special relationship with his father. Rock accompanied Yul on the sets of his films, meeting with numerous stars and sometimes appearing in films. In 1971, Rock became friends with Muhammad Ali and worked as his bodyguard. He also worked as a road manager for The Band. Rock later earned a Ph.D. in American history from Columbia University. Additionally, he has authored six books, including two biographies on his father, which have been translated into Russian.

Discussant Birgitta Ingemanson, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Washington State University, emphasized the geographical importance of Vladivostok in Russia and in Asia, and its position in the context of Russian history. She commented that from a western, Eurocentric view, Vladivostok is positioned at the "end of the world." Ingemanson commented on how each Brynner developed and remained connected to this "isolated" city. She referenced Jules's ability to turn coincidental events into opportunities for foreign trade. Although Vladivostok is deemed a "Russian city" in Asia, the initial residents included nationalities of Russians, Swedish, Japanese and Korean. Vladivostok hosts a diverse population and diverse projects in the past and the present, and as Ingemanson remarked, is a "true crossroads" in many unique ways.

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Kennan Institute

The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the surrounding region though research and exchange.  Read more

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