The Role of the Wife in an Industrialist Family. The Case of Natalia Kharitonenko, née Leszczyńska (1829–1904). An Attempt at Analysis

Natalia Kharitonenko (Charytonienko), née Leszczyńska, the wife of Ivan Kharitonenko, a sugar industrialist, conformed to the model of a wife typical of first-generation industrialist families. The traditional family model prevailing at the time assumed that the husband was responsible for running the family business, while the wife took care of the household and children, including their education, and engaged in charitable activities. The article also highlights the influence of Natalia’s background – she came from a landowning family of Polish origin – on marital ties within merchant and industrial circles, as well as on the relationship between the private and public spheres. This influence was reflected in the management of family property, the shaping of public image, charitable and educational activities, and religious life.