Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov

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Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov (Russian: Никита Акинфиевич Демидов) (7 September 1724 – 7 May 1789) was a Russian industrialist and arts patron.

Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov
Nikita Demidov
Born(1724-09-07)7 September 1724
Died7 May 1789(1789-05-07) (aged 64)
Occupation(s)Russian industrialist and arts patron

Life

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He was the younger son of Akinfiy Demidov, brother of Prokofi Demidov and father of Nikolai Demidov.

He was married three times: firstly to Natalia Yakovlevna Evreinova (1732-1756), secondly to Maria Sverchkova (1644–1776) and thirdly to Alexandra Evtikhievna Safonova (1745-1778).[1] His children from the first marriage were:

  • Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov and
  • Elizaveta Nikitichna Demidova.

From the third marriage:

 
Portrait by Alexander Roslin, 1772

Inheriting mines and metallurgical factories in the Urals and Siberia, he was also a major landowner, with properties in central and southern Russia and in Italy. He left eight metallurgical factories, a huge annual income and 12,000 serfs to his son Nikolai on his death.[3]

He was an amateur scientist, the first member of the Demidov family to protect the arts actively and a major traveller, journeying abroad to see Europe's industrial innovations, manners and culture.

In 1786 he published a Journal of his foreign travels,[4] and also corresponded with Voltaire and Diderot.

In 1779 he set up a medal to reward a success in mechanics, to be decided by the Russian Academy of Sciences.

References

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  1. ^ Смекалина, Валентина (2022-05-15). Русские путешественники в Швейцарии во второй половине XVIII – первой половине XIX (in Russian). Litres. ISBN 978-5-04-103832-8.
  2. ^ "Никита Акинфиевич Демидов". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  3. ^ Глушкова, В. Г. (2015-04-23). Усадьбы Подмосковья. Издательство "Вече". ISBN 978-5-4444-7746-5.
  4. ^ Романюк, Сергей (2013-04-03). Русский Лондон (in Russian). Litres. ISBN 978-5-457-25966-9.