Boris Lisanevich

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Boris Nikolayevich Lisanevich (a.k.a. Boris Lissanevitch, Russian: Борис Николаевич Лисаневич, October 4, 1905, Odessa—October 20, 1985, Kathmandu Katmandu)was an emigre, who danced with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and who, after WW II, helped paved the way for tourism in Nepal, when he opened the country's first hotel (the Royal Hotel), and followed this by founding the Yak & Yeti Hotel and Restaurant.

Lisanevich was the youngest of three brothers.^[1] His great-grandfather Grigory Ivanovich Lisanevich battled in Borodino and his portrait was placed in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace.^[1] Aged 9, Boris entered the Odessa Cadet Academy. In 1924 he moved to France. In Monte-Carlo he met Kira Shcherbacheva (Kira Ivanovsky), a ballet dancer and married her. However because he had no citizenship and passport, he stayed in Calcutta, where with the help of his friends he founded the "Club 300".^[1] The club was opened in 1936. Lisanevich has made friends with Prince Emmanuel Golitsyn and met the Nepalese king Tribhuvan, devoid of throne. Lisanevich launched the secret meetings of Tribhuvan with Jawaharlal Nehru and participated in restoring Tribhuvan.^[1] In 1949 Lisanevich married a Dane and in 1953 with the king's invitation arrived to Nepal, where he managed the tourism. The local Soviet embassy asked Lisanevich to organise there a meeting for Valentina Tereshkova.^[1]

Visas were difficult to obtain in Nepal.^[2] Lisanevich was determined to change this. He convinced a group of 20 tourists from Kolkata, mostly women, to come to Nepal in 1955 and then proceeded to have a hot discussion with king Mahendra about granting them a 15-day visa.^[2] Finally the king relented, the guests arrived and Boris held the country’s first handicraft exhibition.^[2]. Later Lisanevich opened the country's first hotel, The Royal Hotel, in a converted Rana Palace, and then went on to open the famous Yak & Yeti Restuarant, which he later expanded into what is now the Yak & Yeti Hotel. Lisanevich was buried on the cemetery of the British embassy in Katmandu.