Boris Lisanevich

Boris Nikolayevich Lisanevich, a.k.a. Boris Lissanevitch, _ru. Борис Николаевич Лисаневич, (October 4, 1905, Odessa—October 20, 1985, Kathmandu, Katmandu) was a Russian emigre to Nepal, a ballet dancer, and a hotel owner and restaurateur. He helped pave the way for tourism in Nepal, when he opened the country's first hotel, the Royal Hotel, and later when he created the Yak & Yeti Hotel and Restaurant.

Early life and ballet career

Lisanevich was the youngest of three brothers.ru icon cite web|url=http://www.paco.net.ua/odessa/media/odessa/04-0598/24.htm|title= "Odessa" journal N4-5, 1998|author= |accessdate=2007-08-11] His great-grandfather Grigory Ivanovich Lisanevich battled in Borodino and his portrait was placed in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace.

At age 9, Boris entered the Odessa Cadet Academy. In 1924 he moved to France. In Monte-Carlo he married a ballet dancer named Kira Shcherbacheva ( [http://home.comcast.net/~dargahi/ballet_fantasque.html Kira Ivanovsky] ). This would eventually lead to him dancing with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.

However because he had no citizenship and passport, he stayed in Calcutta, where with the help of his friends he founded the "Club 300". The club was opened in 1936. Lisanevich has made friends with Prince Emmanuel Golitsyn and met the Nepalese king Tribhuvan, devoid of throne. Lisanevich launched the secret meetings of Tribhuvan with Jawaharlal Nehru and participated in restoring Tribhuvan. In 1949 Lisanevich married a Dane and in 1953 with the king's invitation arrived to Nepal, where he managed the tourism. The local Soviet embassy asked Lisanevich to organise there a meeting for Valentina Tereshkova.

Nepal

At the time, Visas were difficult to obtain in Nepal.cite web|url=http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/286/History/10754|title= Boris - Nepali Times|author= |accessdate=2007-08-11] In an attempt to reform this process, Lisanevich convinced a group of 20 tourists from Kolkata, mostly women, to come to Nepal in 1955 and then proceeded to have a hot discussion with king Mahendra about granting them a 15-day visa. Finally the king relented, the guests arrived and Boris held the country’s first handicraft exhibition..

Later Lisanevich opened the country's first hotel, The Royal Hotel, in a converted Rana Palace, and then went on to open the famous Yak & Yeti Restaurant, which he later expanded into what is now the Yak & Yeti Hotel.

Lisanevich was buried on the cemetery of the British embassy in Katmandu.

Notes

reflist

Further reading

* Michel Peissel. "Tiger For Breakfast". Time Books International, 1990

Other Links

* [http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=17288687 Boris on Saturday Night Live TV Comedy Sketch 1977]

[http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37291451 Boris interview in Kathmandu 1961 with video montage ]