In 1897, the Russian Empire was visited by the President of the French Republic, Felix Faure. It is unknown whether he visited Ukrainian lands, but he was informed about the rapid development of industry in the Kryvyi Rih-Donetsk region. Therefore, after returning to Paris, when the representatives of the trading world and the industrialists held a banquet for him, Faure, being impressed by what he had heard, said in his speech: “Without any loss of time, start to acquire new markets… hurry to send the barely familiar unexplored areas a private initiative … to promote the emigration of capital. We will not let foreign competitors be ahead of ourselves…”. He was heard. So, if by the calculations of the researchers in the 1870s, only 5 French joint stock companies were opened, in the 1880s – 9, then in the 1890s – 29, out of which 18 – in 1896-1900. This was the most significant period of the French investment in the industry of Ukraine.