The Black Russian

Frederick Bruce Thomas was born in 1872 to former slaves who became prosperous farmers in Mississippi. After much hardship, he sought greater freedom in Europe, then settled in Moscow in 1899. He changed his name, married twice, acquired a mistress, took Russian citizenship, and eventually became one of the city’s richest theater and restaurant owners. But the Bolshevik Revolution ruined him, and he barely escaped to Constantinople in 1919. Starting from scratch, he made a second fortune, but the long arm of American racism, the xenophobia of the new Turkish Republic, and Frederick’s own extravagance landed him in debtors’ prison. He died in Constantinople in 1928.