Ukraine is celebrating the 140th anniversary of the birth of philanthropist Mykhailo Tereshchenko
March 30, 2026, marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Mykhailo Tereshchenko—an outstanding Ukrainian entrepreneur and one of the wealthiest philanthropists of the early 20th century.
He became a symbol of Ukraine’s economic prosperity and unprecedented philanthropy, rooted in his family’s motto: “Striving for the public good.”
Mykhailo was born in 1886 in Kyiv into a family descended from a Cossack lineage.
As the grandson of sugar magnate Mykola Tereshchenko, he displayed remarkable abilities from an early age: he was fluent in 13 languages, including French, English, and German. He received his education in Kyiv, Leipzig, and Moscow, earning degrees in law and economics.
At the age of 17, following the deaths of his grandfather and father, Mykhailo became the heir to a colossal fortune estimated at 70 million rubles.
However, instead of squandering his wealth, the young millionaire chose to support culture. He invested over 50,000 rubles in the construction of the Kyiv Conservatory and founded the “Sirin” publishing house, supporting the leading writers of the time.
During World War I, Tereshchenko proved himself a true patriot. At his own expense, he opened a large hospital in Kyiv for the wounded and frequently visited the front lines.
His financial influence was so significant that weapons for the army were purchased using his personal property as collateral, which he later used to repay government loans.
After the Bolsheviks came to power, Mikhail found himself imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
His wife, Margarita Noe, saved him from the execution demanded by Lenin. She ransomed her husband from Trotsky by giving him a unique blue diamond—at the time, the second largest in the world.
Finding himself in exile without a penny to his name, Tereshchenko managed to start life with a clean slate. Thanks to his talent, he became Europe’s “financial genius,” managing major banks in London and Vienna.
He successfully collaborated with the Rothschild family and helped European financial institutions weather the crisis of the 1930s.
Mykhailo Tereshchenko died in 1956 in Monaco, leaving behind a legacy as a man who lived by his family’s precepts, giving most of his earnings to help others.
As a reminder, Ukraine is celebrating Lina Kostenko’s birthday.
Also, the royal family is ignoring Prince Andrew’s birthday.
