François Chiro was born in approximately 1790. He was a farmer. The report to Count Nesselrode about all French subjects who became Russian citizens records that he came from the town of Colmar.
François Zhiro served as a soldier in the 61st French Infantry Regiment of Napoleon's Army and fought against the Russians. He was captured by the Russians.
Milovidov records that as of 1814 he had one brother who still lived in the vicinity of Colmar.
He was settled in the Volga German colony of Mariental and assigned to the household of Xaverius Kolveka.
Johann Franz Schanch [sic] from Germany married in Mariental on 12 January 1815 to Sophia Elisabeth Müller.
He is recorded there on the 1834 Census of Mariental in Household No. 115, the 1850 Census of Mariental in Household No. 175, and the 1857 Census of Mariental in Household No. 190.
Milovidov records that François Zhiro came from the village of Colmar in France.
Later records in Russia record this surname with the more German spelling of Schiro.
- 1834 Census of Mariental (Household No. 115).
- 1850 Census of Mariental (Household No. 175).
- 1857 Census of Mariental (Household No. 190).
- Belousov, S.V. "Prisoners of war of Napoleon's army in the Volga region: the arrangement, content, relationships with the local population." Bulletin of the Samara State University, No. 1 (Samara, Russia: Samara State University, 2006): 48-55.
- Milovidov, B. P. "Prisoners of War of the Napoleonic Army in the Saratov Colonies in 1813-1820: New Documents." (p. 34, #32)
- Parish register of Mariental.
- Report to Count Nesselrode about all French subjects who became Russian citizens. State Archive of the Russian Federation (F.109, O.119, D.90).
Brent Mai
Ivan Serov