The Borells descend from ancestors who migrated to Switzerland from the French commune of Otriv (Allier) after the St. Bartholomew's Night in 1572. A descendant of this family, Jean Borell, arrived in Russia on March 28, 1766, and settled in the Balcer colony (the village of Golyy Karamysh in the Kamyshin district of the Saratov province).

The Borells were engaged in agriculture, milling, and the production of sarpinka fabrics. By the end of the 19th century, the trading house "E.I. Borell" became the largest milling firm in the Volga region. They owned steam mills and a vast trading and industrial conglomerate that developed through the efforts of several generations.

In 1905, after the death of Emmanuel Ivanovich Borell, his business was inherited by his sons Emmanuel, Ivan, Vladimir, Alexander, and Konstantin. The eldest son, Emmanuel Emmanuelovich Borell, took over the firm. He had a large family: his wife Ksenia Fyodorovna, four sons (Emmanuel, Konstantin, Vladimir, Viktor), and a daughter, Elza.

Emmanuel Emmanuelovich was an active participant in the Saratov Stock Exchange Society, a senior member of the Exchange Committee, and a member of the Accounting and Loan Committee of the State Bank. He was awarded gold medals for diligence and successfully continued his father's business.

The trading house grew into a huge conglomerate with four steam mills and nine sales branches. Flour from their mills was sold in St. Petersburg, Moscow, along the Volga, in the Transcaspian region, the Baltics, and Finland. The mills produced up to 50,000 poods per day, with one processing up to 19,000 poods of rye. The flour received awards at various exhibitions.

The mills were equipped with modern machinery, and the firm owned its own transportation. The trading house had a small shipping company with two tugs and 14 barges. In the Ural province, the Borells owned cement plants and agricultural enterprises.

After 1917, the fate of Emmanuel Emmanuelovich and his children became sad and largely unknown. After the revolution, the Borells, like other major entrepreneurs, were subjected to contributions. Most family members left Saratov and hid in various places, while some ended up abroad.

Emmanuel Emmanuelovich disappeared after the October Revolution of 1917. The Borells, like other entrepreneurs, faced repression. Ivan Ivanovich Borell was arrested in 1937 and executed in 1942. Sons Emmanuel and Vladimir also faced repression. Vladimir lived in Noginsk and worked as an accountant, but this did not save him.

Only the daughter of Ivan Ivanovich, Lyudmila, managed to escape, emigrating to the USA, along with her brother Arthur, who lived in Saratov, and Vladimir's daughter Valeria.