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Petr GarduyAmerican entrepreneur, philanthropist of Galician-Russian, Lemko and Orthodox organizations in the USA and Poland
Date of Birth: 07.06.1897
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Petar Hardo: American Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
- Business Success and Philanthropic Activities
- Aid to Lemkos and Orthodox Organizations
- Literary Contributions
Petar Hardo: American Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Early Life and EmigrationPetar Hardo was born in the village of Jurkowce, Sianok County, in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Poland), to a peasant family. He attended elementary school and emigrated to the United States at the age of 15.
Business Success and Philanthropic Activities
Hardo's business acumen led him to acquire a substantial fortune. He became the owner of a successful aluminum manufacturing plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During a trip to his native region in the 1940s, he visited the graves of prominent Carpatho-Rusyn figures, contributing to the restoration of their memorials.
Aid to Lemkos and Orthodox Organizations
In 1946, Hardo established the "Lemko-Relief" organization in Yonkers, New York, to assist Lemkos affected by World War II. His efforts played a crucial role in the reopening and restoration of the Russian Orthodox church in Sianok in 1958, followed by churches in other Polish towns and villages.
Literary Contributions
Hardo supported the republication of important texts related to the history of the Carpatho-Rusyn people. In 1964, he facilitated the reissue of the "Thalerhof Almanac" (under the title "Galicia's Golgotha: War Crimes of the Habsburg Monarchy 1914-1917"). He also contributed to the re-publication of Filip Swistun's "Transcarpathia under Austrian Rule" (1970) and Rev. Peter Kohanik's "The Origins of American Rus'" (1970).
