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Vol. I · 2026
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Tier B
Business Moguls · Australia · Russian Empire

Sidney Myer

Сидни Майер

Born in Krychaw (Krichev), Russian Empire; founder of Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores

🇦🇺 Fame: Australia🇷🇺 Origin: Russian Empire🔗 Connection: Lived under Russian or Soviet rule🗣 Russian: Yes
SM
Profile #824
ProfessionBusiness (Myer Stores)
Russian originKrichev (Belarus)Russian Empire
ConnectionLived under Russian or Soviet ruleEzekiel Baevski; Koona Dubrusha (née Shu…
RussianYes
CategoryBusiness MogulsTier B
Biography

Sidney Myer — business (myer stores) with roots in the Russian Empire

Sidney Myer (born Simcha Myer Baevski) was an Australian businessman best known for founding Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores. He emigrated to Melbourne in August 1899 with very little money and little knowledge of English; during the Great Depression he financed a Christmas dinner for 10,000 people at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Russian Connection

Tracing the roots — Krichev (Belarus)

Born Simcha Myer Baevski on 8 February 1878 in Krychaw (Krichev), Mogilev Governorate, Russian Empire (now Belarus), to Ezekiel Baevski, a Hebrew scholar, and Koona Dubrusha (née Shur). He emigrated to Melbourne in August 1899.

Family Tree
Subject
Sidney Myer🇦🇺 Australia
↑
Self (born there)
Ezekiel Baevski
Koona Dubrusha (née Shur)
↑
Origin
Krichev (Belarus)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
Map of the Russian Empire

Krichev (Belarus). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.

Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements

A career defined by ambition

01
Founded Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores
02
Emigrated to Melbourne (1899) with very little money and little English
03
Financed a Christmas dinner for 10,000 people at the Royal Exhibition Building during the Great Depression
04
His estate funded the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (1958), named in his honour

"The community needs its rich men to give back. There is no other way."

Sidney Myer
Russian diasporaborn in Russia/USSRRussian Empire roots
Sources