functioned as a miniature 'City of London,'

Attracting a diverse array of individuals. While merchants spearheaded this vibrant community, diplomats, travelers, soldiers, sailors, engineers, craftsmen, and others soon followed suit.

In the 16th century, the English harbored a fascination with a northern route to the Indies. In 1553, the Edward Bonaventure anchored off the White Sea's southern shore, establishing a thriving trade with Russia through Archangel. This led to the formation of the Muscovy Company in London, facilitating annual exchanges of cloth, silks, and goods for Russian pelts, wax, tar, and pitch. English merchants even set up a rope works near Archangel to process Russian hemp, earning a stellar reputation.

By the mid-17th century, Anglo-Russian commerce faced challenges from Dutch competition and the Baltic transit trade through Nava. However, towards the late 17th century, British interest in the Russian market revived. The prospect of breaking the Scandinavian naval stores monopoly and exploring the potential tobacco market prompted British merchants to challenge the Russia Company's monopoly. In 1698, Parliament abolished the company's monopoly, but the outbreak of the Russia-Sweden war in 1700 disrupted immediate opportunities. The conflict, driven by economic motives, persisted until 1721.

Tsar Peter the Great's military success allowed him to establish St. Petersburg in 1703, becoming Russia's premier trading center. Exclusive trading rights granted in 1713 further boosted its prominence, making it a hub for export staples like hemp, hides, caviar, tar, and potash. The development of a canal network expanded the port's commercial influence.

Even before the October Revolution dealt a blow to British commercial enterprise in St. Petersburg, the labor unrest of the 1905 Revolution and the trade blockade during World War I had destabilized the survival strategies of the remaining British merchant families. Nonetheless, for two centuries, these families played a pivotal role in connecting St. Petersburg to the international economy.

 when he worked at Count Kamarovsky's woollen mill at Ochta near St Petersburg. His dedication and expertise led him to become the mill manager by 1829.

Meanwhile, in the thread manufacturing sector of the city's textile industry, the British presence was established by J & P Coats in 1889. Their involvement started with the acquisition of a small mill, which underwent modernization and expansion under their stewardship. Over time, J & P Coats further strengthened their position by acquiring two additional mills. This strategic expansion not only solidified their foothold in the textile industry but also contributed to the growth and development of the overall textile landscape.

In a time when the misty tendrils of history intertwine with the present, the tram journey through the less affluent end of Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg carries echoes of a bygone era. Aboard the tram, one can witness the fading transition from the vibrant Baroque structures of the city center to the more somber industrial hues that permeate the suburban landscape.

As the tram curves alongside the River Neva, there emerges a stop that holds a particular significance. Gazing over the water, the imposing silhouette of the Nevsky Manufacturing building stands tall, a solemn reminder of a time long past. Eight decades ago, my great-grandfather, Willie Brooke, would have observed the same structure, but in his era, it bore the name "Thornton Woollen Mill."

In the year 1900, lured by an advertisement in the Huddersfield Examiner, Willie Brooke, accompanied by his wife Lucy and their three-year-old daughter Nellie, embarked on a journey to St. Petersburg. He assumed the role of mill manager under the Thornton brothers, proprietors of the woollen mill. A wave of British immigrants had preceded him, contributing to the industrial development that the Tsarist regime sought in Russia during the 19th century.

The right bank of the Neva, isolated due to the absence of bridges, remained a wilderness. Marietta Shagenyan's historical account vividly describes this period, portraying the mill as a fortress surrounded by extensions and outbuildings. In winter, ice floes from Lake Ladoga complicated river crossings, enhancing the mill's splendid isolation.

The mill, with a compound the size of a small town, housed over 3,000 Russian workers and English staff. Life within the compound was a microcosm of self-sufficiency, boasting shops, itinerant traders, and a vibrant community. However, this idyllic existence was not immune to the tumultuous events of the time.

The 1905 revolution saw the mill occupied by workers until Cossacks intervened, leaving lasting impressions on Nellie Brooke, who recalled their jolly presence amidst the upheaval. Further challenges arose, including a 1907 robbery that claimed lives and a subsequent purging of workers with revolutionary ties.

The mill's fortune waned with the onset of World War I, leading to discontent among workers. The February 1917 revolution brought riots and strikes, with the mill becoming a focal point of insubordination. Negley Farson's account captures the surreal contrast of driving through angry mobs to find the Thornton family sipping tea, seemingly detached from the upheaval around them.

By September 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution prompted the final exodus of British families. Nellie Brooke recalled their escape to Bergen, while her father remained until Easter, enduring imprisonment in the Peter and Paul Fortress before finally returning to England, penniless and jobless.

Under Communist rule, the mill was renamed the "Red Mill," witnessing further transformations and challenges. Archive material from subsequent years remains sparse, and access for foreigners became increasingly difficult.

Decades later, a pilgrimage to St. Petersburg unfolded, spurred by the thawing of East-West relations. The mill, now Fabrika Telmann, retained echoes of its former self, albeit with significant changes. The visit provided a glimpse into the historical importance of the mill, as Georgi Priamursky highlighted the impact it had on the local community.

The journey back to the mill revealed a complex interplay between the historical and the modern. The austere entrance, adorned with a plaque commemorating Lenin's call to strike, hinted at a troubled past. Yet, despite the political changes, the mill retained an air of secrecy, mirroring the challenges faced by strangers seeking entry in the past.

Two revolutions, separated by decades, had left their mark on the Thornton mill. While the physical structure endured, the associations and connections of yesteryear had faded into the annals of history, waiting to be uncovered by those who sought to traverse the mists of time.

In the midst of the February Revolution and its immediate aftermath, the emergence of factory committees became a defining feature of the transformative landscape in Petrograd. This phenomenon, characterized by a flurry of organizational activity among workers, unfolded in various ways and under diverse names throughout the city. Among the pioneers in this movement were the workers at the Thornton textile mills, where a strike committee played a crucial role in the formation of a factory committee on February 26, 1917, just a day before the establishment of the Petrograd Soviet.

The Thornton textile mills, situated in the heart of Petrograd, became a focal point for the burgeoning workers' movement during this revolutionary period. On February 26, as the city braced for the formation of the Petrograd Soviet, a strike committee at the Thornton mills emerged as the catalyst for the establishment of a factory committee. This early initiative marked a pivotal moment in the broader context of the Russian Revolution, as the industrial workers at Thornton actively participated in shaping the trajectory of the revolutionary fervor sweeping across Petrograd.

The workers' decision to form a factory committee was not an isolated event but part of a larger trend taking shape throughout the city. Diverse committees were rapidly established, each with its unique organizational structure and nomenclature. However, it was at Thornton, with its textile mills at the forefront, that the workers took a proactive stance, recognizing the need for collective representation and action.

The Thornton factory committee, rooted in the momentum of the strike committee, became a microcosm of the larger struggle for workers' rights and control in the industrial sector. The workers' demands, mirroring those of their counterparts across Petrograd, encompassed issues such as improved working conditions, fair wages, and the overarching call for workers' control in the industrial landscape.

The timing of the committee's formation, occurring on the eve of the Petrograd Soviet's establishment, underscored the interconnectedness of the various revolutionary elements at play. The workers at Thornton, through their committee, sought not only to address immediate concerns but also to contribute actively to the broader socio-political changes that were unfolding in Petrograd and, by extension, throughout Russia.

The Thornton textile mills, with their early adoption of factory committees, set a precedent for the industrial workers' role in shaping the revolutionary narrative. This grassroots organizational model would soon spread throughout Petrograd and beyond, becoming a hallmark of the Russian Revolution's industrial landscape. The workers at Thornton, in their commitment to collective action and representation, played a pivotal role in the rise of factory committees, leaving an indelible mark on the history of this transformative period.