A. A. Reyer

Born on April 30, 1895, in Petrograd, Russia; died on April 29, 1946, in Shanghai, China. First wife Anna V. Reyer (nee Kasproff) and sons Alexander (b. Sept 19, 1924, in Shanghai, d. March 19, 2004, in San Francisco) and Victor (Vitaly) (b. Aug 16, 1925 in Shanghai, d. April 1, 2014) together emigrated to the USA after Reyer’s death in 1946. Second wife – Ludmila Fedorovna Reyer (son Michael b. 1941; daughter Olga b. 1955).

A. A. Reyer was son of an architect, also named A. A. Reyer, who built a cathedral in Libava.

Reyer’s career in Shanghai started in 1920: he was president and general manager of the Reyer Construction Corporation. He was the only Russian expatriate to be featured in George Nellist's Men of Shanghai (1933), and the list of his works is extracted from that book. His construction firm’s portfolio included the general works and plumbing service for the Astor House and Majestic hotels, the design and construction of the Country Club’s swimming pool, the construction of the Cavendish Court and the North End Apartments, as well as multiple factories, wharves and warehouses.

Reyer was a generous supporter of the Russian community and contributed both his expertise and materials to its architectural projects. His key role in the construction of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Russian Commercial School was celebrated at a large gathering in June 1933. Reyer personally organized and financed the laying of the Cathedral’s foundation, thereby initiating the construction.

Reyer’s brother Esper Aleksandrovich Reyer and nephew Alexander Esperovich Reyer lived in Cavendish Court, which Reyer built for Palmer and Turner. Esper Reyer managed the A. A. Reyer construction firm until 1954, when his family’s repatriated to the USSR. [source]