Borzoi History

Borzoi, or Russian Wolfhound by Freeman Lloyd [first published in “Hark to the Hounds”, National Geographic, October 1937] The Borzoi, or Russian Wolfhound, is not only a hound of great distinction in appearance, but one of the oldest, most carefully purebred of all the European varieties. Long the pride of Russian rulers, nobles and their ladies, the Borzoi during Imperial times was maintained chiefly for sport coursing the hare, the fox and particularly the wolf. While one dog could easily cope with a fox, at least two strong Borzois were usually needed to hold a wolf by the neck until the [...]

A short film from British Pathe' about the South African Borzoi Clubs first show.

Notes regarding Borzoi in Russia in the period 1940 to 1950! In the 1940s, just as the second WW had ended, a Soviet soldier, Constantin Esmont made detailed records of the various types of borzoi he found in Cossack villages in the south of Russia. His job was to visit horse farms and to select horses for the army. Because of this he traveled much in the steppe regions of Southern Russia and he saw a lot of local sighthounds. Esmont was concerned that the distinct types of sighthounds were in danger of degenerating without a controlled system of breeding. He convinced the Soviet government [...]

Signe and Axel Hallqvist started their breeding of Borzois-"Russian Wolfhounds" in 1948. They lived in Arendal, just outside Gothenburg at the time and had aquired the female Bonnens Roity, sister of the more famous Ch-siblings Bonnens Fedja and Raija. This litter of kennel Bonnens brought together all the famous names from kennels as Perchino, Ramsden, Addlestone, Ural, Hassia, and Wergei, which had formed the Swedish line. Roity, that was white with black spots (sorry, no photo) was mated to HeimerbergsTzarewitch, a male who was linebred on Int Ch Wladislaw Monasterium. Wladislaw went in his [...]

Galina Viktorovna Zotova on Russian borzoi after the revolution. This is an interpretation of Madam Zotova's letter regarding borzoi in Russia, from about 1920 to about 1980. She had strong opinions, was outspoken, in some cases even controversial. In a time when knowledge of the borzoi in Russia and the Sovjet Union was limited, was Galina Zotova allowed to travel abroad and tell borzoi enthusiasts in the west that borzoi still existed in it's motherland. Some additions have been made, like adding names known in the west and Marina Orlova's pictures. After the October revolution, and the [...]

Barbro Blomqvist started her Borelands kennel in Norrkoping with a Borzoi named Natascha (Trolle av Vaktarbo-Heimerbergs Natascha), born 1948. Natascha eventually became SE Champion, and besides her physical appearance she was a Borzoi with many qualities. She followed her owner without a leash when she rode her bike, and was left outside the store while her mistress did her shopping. She also with ease jumped over the height of her owner standing up. Natascha was bred to Ch Gilgamesch (Sergei-Bonnens Zazza). They were closely related, with the same background as almost all Swedish Borzois [...]

A splendid photograph of two grand Borzoi, American Ch. Sunday of Tam-Boer on the left and American Ch. Vigow of Romanoff III on the right. Sunday was a well-bodied white and red bitch bred by Leonard and Elizabeth Tamboer and owned by the Larsons. She was whelped December 6, 1956 and of Romanoff bloodlines, being sired by Vigow of Romanoff II ex Lady Gretchen of Tam-Boer. As a brood bitch, she produced 2 litters [1960, 1961] both sired by Haljean’s Flame, and her offspring were behind Cordova and Conamor Borzoi, among others. Her most influential daughter was Hasu’s Elena of Conamor, who was [...]

A most famous book, The Borzoi Handbook was written by Winifred Chadwick.

At the show in Gothenburg in 1960 Ekhaga showed a group of borzois. One of the dogs, Ch Ekhaga Rimski went BOB and the group was Best Group in Show,

Ute Dick has sent us this story about the kennel aus der Taiga in what then was Easten Germany. "This is my memories of the Kennel aus der Taiga: I met the Nellissen family in the years 1968-1972, I was a child at the age of 9 years. The residence of the Nellissen family was 50 km away from us, they lived in Kändler a small village near Chemnitz. I often visited the family with my parents. According to my memories, there lived about 7-10 barsois in the colors bright (blonde) and red coat dogs. They were very typical dogs with very nice narrow heads and dark eyes and very good physique [...]