Hryhoriy Kurec


Hryhoriy Kurec was a Belarusian entrepreneur, architect and builder. He created one of the biggest paper factories of the time - Grigiškės. He was also founder of Grigiškės city. His son Vladimir was a pilot and rally driver.

Background

Kurec was born in 1868 in a family of Belarusian farmers in Shipka village. As a child, he was interested in mechanics and worked as an apprentice and as a metalworker in some factories of Vilnius. He gained experience at the Putilov Company and then with private orders.

Career

In the autumn of 1925, he opens Grigiškės. It could produce 5 tons of paper per year. The factory was nationalized in 1940 when the Soviets came. All of Kurec's property was evaluated as being worth 8 million Litas.