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Brothers Vasily Nikanorovich and Ivan Nikanorovich Rysin, merchants of the 2nd guild in the city of Tsaritsyn on the Volga. General trade in furniture, church utensils, chandeliers, tableware, jewelry, and watches.
They developed their business activity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rysins’ trading house is mentioned in guidebooks to Volga cities issued by the well-known steamship company "Samolet"; the authors recommended that travelers be sure to stop by the Rysins’ shop. The brothers were members of the Tsaritsyn City Duma, engaged in charitable work, and built several buildings in the city, one of which—the house where they lived—has survived to this day.
The Rysin brothers’ charitable work took various forms. On February 15, 1899, the Tsaritsyn City Duma allowed Vasily Rysin to open an inexpensive tea room and dining hall for the poor on the premises of the municipal night shelter.
In the tea room and dining hall for the poor run by the trading house "Br. Rysins", monetary substitutes circulated in the form of coin-like tokens of small denomination. Charitable societies bought them from the trading house and distributed them to those in need. Such support for the poor—who often abused alcohol—provided a guarantee that the aid would be used only in the dining hall.
Prices in the tea room–dining hall: A piece of herring — 1 kopeck, mustard free of charge; A serving of tea — 5 kopecks; Snacks — 10 kopecks; Borscht soup — 10 kopecks; Roast — from 10 to 15 kopecks.