Afanasy Ivanovich Seredin-Sabatin
| Afanasii Ivanovich Seridin-Sabatin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 1, 1860 Lubny Poltava, Ukraine |
| Died | January 1, 1921 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Russian Legation Independence Gate Jungmyeongjeon Hall |
Afanasii Ivanovich Seredin-Sabatin (Афанасий Иванович Середин-Сабатин) was a Russian-born steersman-pilot and reporter for an English newspaper, but is best known as the first European (Russian) architect to live and work in the Korean Empire from (approximately) 1890 to 1904. He built a number of palaces in European style within the city of Seoul. He also built the first Russian Legation building, also in the city of Seoul. This building is a historical site because shortly after the Japanese invasion of Korea, in 1895, when the Korean Queen Min was assassinated by the Japanese, King Gojong and his son were given refuge in the Russian Legation for a year.
Ancestry
Afanasii’s father: Ivan Vassilievich Seredin-Sabatin. Was of noble birth, landed gentry, of the province of Poltava, Ukraine, where the family owned an estate, with serfs. They lived in the town of Lubny, in the same province, where they also owned properties.
Afanasii’s mother: (name unknown) Ivan Vassilisvich’s first wife (Afanasii’s mother) was a Ukrainian commoner, descended from Zaporozhian Cossacks (on the Dnieper River, Ukraine).
Summarized Biography
Afanasii Ivanovich Seredin-Sabatin, was born in Lubny, Poltava, Ukraine, in 1860. While he was still very young his father remarried. His stepmother was cruel towards him, thus, at the age of 14 he went to live with his uncle in Petrograd.
Afanasii attended the Petrograd Academy of Arts for a year. He also attended an architectural university (it is unknown which one). However, just before graduating he apparently had a falling out with a professor and left the university without graduating. With no certificate of graduation he was unable to find work as an architect. Later he entered a Sea Cadet Corps school. Upon graduation he became steersman-pilot of a Russian vessel in the Far East. It was there that he met his future wife.
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Wikipedia