Jonas Lied

Jonas Marius Lied (17 July 1881 in Sølsnes, Veøy – 25 April 1969 at Sølsnes, Molde) was a Norwegian entrepreneur, businessman, diplomat, author and art collector. He obtained a short vocational business education and was proficient in English, French, German and Russian. Lied was also a noted athlete, for instance in 1906 together with Erik Ole Bye he won the Lyle Cup for double sculls. He established The Siberian Steamship, Manufacturing & Trading Company (the Siberian Company; Norwegian: ''Det siberiske kompani'') in 1912 with the purpose of importing and exporting goods through a new northern shipping lane and the Ob River and Yenisei River. He obtained Russian citizenship with the help of Grand Duke Alexander, but regained Norwegian citizenship in 1931 when he left the difficult times in the Soviet Union. According to the Russian tradition, he long used the signature "I.G. Lid" (Jonas Hansson Lied) after his father Hans ("Gans" in Russian).

The first expedition through the Kara Sea was completed in 1913 with explorer Fridtjof Nansen and Siberian industrialist Stephan Vostrotin as prominent passengers. The journey was a great success and the international press reported from the trip. Both Nansen and Lied gave several lectures. Lied lectured in Russian in St. Petersburg, in French at the Société Nautique, and in German at the geographical society in Hamburg. Nansen published a ''Through Siberia''.

In 1914, Lied photographed British naval vessels in the port of Newcastle and was for this arrested according to the Defence of the Realm Act 1914. According to his autobiography, he wired Secretary of Trade Walter Runciman for help, and the charges were dropped. Provided by Wikipedia