Nikolai Bestuzhev, the exiled Decembrist, had a hard time in Siberia. After his hard labor, he settled in Selenginsk, where he worked as a carpenter. In the 1830s, he met a Buryat woman, Dulma Sabilaeva, and they had a son, Alexey. This man later became one of the successful entrepreneurs in the Chinese market. However, Alexey was an illegitimate son, and Bestuzhev, embarrassed by this, registered him under the surname of his friend Starcev.

Alexey began working for Starcev, first as a clerk, and then traveled to China with trade caravans. The experience he gained in his youth helped him later start his own business. Alexey noticed that Russian merchants were overpaying Chinese traders for tea and suggested buying tea leaves directly from the peasants, bypassing intermediaries. This brought him his first significant profits, which he then invested in telegraph lines, railroads, and shipping companies.

By the age of forty, Alexey had gained such influence in China that the governor-general of Zhili province sought his advice. He secured privileges for Russian merchants and provoked conflicts between European powers to prevent them from developing business in his territory. In 1891, Starcev decided to create his own estate on Putyatin Island, where he bred spotted deer and horses.

During the construction of the agricultural buildings, workers discovered kaolin suitable for porcelain production. Starcev planned to open a porcelain factory and invited Japanese craftsmen. However, the first products turned out to be of low quality, as the craftsmen intentionally allowed defects, understanding that the Russian factory would become their competitor. Alexey Starcev was also remembered for his philanthropy, often donating funds for the construction of museums, schools, and almshouses in the Far East.