Nevyansk

Navyansk

Firstly I heard about this Ural city randomly on the one of Tagil bazar in 12 age. I went with my mother to the market, known in Tagil as «kitayka», which is opposite UVZ, and we accidentally stopped at one counter. Mom just wanted to try on one of her favorite sweater. When she asked about the manufacturer, the trader told her that the manufacturer is the city of Nevyansk. Immediately I asked where it was. It turned out that Nevyansk — one of the cities of Sverdlovsk region 90 km North of Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg) and 45 km South of Nizhny Tagil. I immediately wanted to go there. In early August 2002. I first visited one of the cities of my region, where I came as a teenager to my grandmother on vacation. Then I did not manage to visit the main attraction of the city — the Inclined tower of Demidov — but I was satisfied with this visit. By chance I got to the day of the city; it was about 2 August. After 10 days I was waiting for the train to Moscow. After 2 years, I was able to visit the tower with a tour, and then by chance happened to visit twice. Since the very first visit I still have a commemorative medal «Nevyansk 300 years», which I initially took for a coin. Returning back to grandma's after the very first voyage to Nevyansk, my mother showed me a book about him from the series «cities of the edge» 1982 this Book kept me still, and today I decided to share with you my impressions of the Nevyansk. In 2016, the city celebrated 315 years!

Nevyansk is one of the oldest cities in the Sverdlovsk region. At his age he divides 4-5 place in the region from Kamensk-Ural'skiy, giving him only seven in number (23,5 thousand in Nevyansk, 170 thousand — in Kamensk). The first mention of Nevyansk dates back to the reign of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, the founder of the Romanov dynasty, to 1628 (according to other sources — to 1621). Then for the first time the fact of finding of iron ore near the river Neiva was documented. 40 years later, Dmitry Tumashev, one of the representatives of a whole family of mineral prospectors, built an ironworks on the river. And already in Peter's times, in 1697 the Tsar was reported on deposits not only of ore, but also of a magnet.

In March 1700, Peter ordered the start of construction of the plant in the Ural region, and five months later on August 8, 1700, he unleashed the Northern war with Sweden, the purpose of which was to reach the Baltic sea. It was then and there the Nevyansk. At this time, the country was turning from Russia to Russia and it was then that it began to gain strength. In November Peter moved his troops to Narva, but the first battle ended in failure. Later, the king admitted that he started the war recklessly, calling the event «embarrassment». The Russian army has lost all artillery.

It was then that Peter directly appealed To N. Demidov for help, and he, fulfilling the will of the king began to create in the Urals all that he considered necessary for the country to receive the status of a superpower. December 15, 1701 Nevyansk blast furnace gave the first cast iron. This date is considered the day of Foundation of the city, but nowadays it is traditionally celebrated in late July-early August. At Christmas 1702 the first iron was forged at the Nevyansk factory. Two months later, Peter finally gave Nevyansky plant «the weapons Tolentino iron case master Nikita Demidov (Altufievo)». No wonder the famous poet V. Zhukovsky called the Nevyansk plant «the grandfather of the Ural plants».

Nevyanskaya tower — the main attraction of the city, is a Federal monument of historical and cultural significance. She is the main symbol of the city, like her Italian sister from Pisa.

The mystery associated with the Nevyansk tower, refers to a legend that is still transmitted by word of mouth. In the legend we are talking about Demidovsky pieces of silver. Before coming into the country «of the red sovdepovskoy madness» existed a joke. The son of the founder of the Demidov dynasty, Akinfiy, deliberately losing at cards to the Empress, paid her with brand new silver rubles.

However, the largest Professor of numismatist of the Soviet period I. Spassky came to the conclusion that he could not find coins Demidov coinage. Another local historian of the Urals, Yevgeny Fedorov, paid special attention to Demidov rubles in his two-volume novel «the Stone belt». If such rubles were in circulation, it probably settled in some collection. But it is safe to judge that in the 18th century the Nevyansky plant amazed our country and the West are perfect for those times equipment.

Pisa or Nevyansk: whose tower is better?

We decided to compare different parameters of these architectural objects.

The slope of the leaning tower of Pisa today, after works to strengthen the Foundation, is five and a half meters or three and a half degrees, and in past years reached 5 degrees. Nevyansk is not so much inclined. The horizontal deflection at the level of the spire remains for many years almost unchanged — about two meters, or a little less than two degrees.

The height of the Italian loser is 56.7 m. Ours is 30 centimeters higher.

The age difference between the two historic sites is huge. The Italian tower was built in the 14th century, the Russian almost four hundred years later, in the first half of the 18th century.

The tower is a massive quadrangle, on top of which are built three octagonal tiers. Inside the tower is divided into several levels — floors. The purpose of the first floor is not exactly established. Demidov's office was on the second floor. On the third floor there was a laboratory: traces of silver and gold were found in the soot taken from the chimneys of the furnaces. According to one version, Demidov minted counterfeit money here. On the other — here Demidov secretly from the state Treasury smelted silver and gold, which was extracted in his mines in the Altai. Still higher is the so-called «hearing room»: a person standing in one corner of the room can hear well what is being said in the opposite corner. The effect observed in the room is associated with a special shape of the ceiling — it is vaulted and at the same time slightly flattened.

On the seventh and eighth floors are located chimes with musical battle, created by the English watchmaker Richard Phelps in 1730. Phelps made bells for the clockwork. The name of the watchmaker remains unknown. The watch was purchased by Akinfiy Demidov in England for 5 thousand rubles in gold.

The tower is completed by a roof and a metal spire with a weather vane mounted on it, made of wrought iron, in which the noble coat of arms of the Demidovs is embossed. Weight 25 kg wind vane To the spire announced the grounding. Thus, the tower was equipped with a lightning rod a quarter of a century before it was designed by Benjamin Franklin.

The Orthodox Church in Nevyansk, the city Cathedral of the Nizhny Tagil diocese of the ROC. It is located on the main city square (Revolution Square). After the revolution, in 1932, by the decision of the authorities the Church was closed, and the building was transferred to the «Nevyansk mechanical plant». The building was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church after restoration in the early 2000s. Also in Nevyansk represented the Church of the ascension of the 19th century.

There are two museums in the city: Nevyansk state historical and architectural Museum (Museum of history of Nevyansk region; Revolution Square, 2) and «house of Nevyansk icon». The Museum has a collection of more than 300 samples of Nevyansk iconography. There is also an icon-painting workshop.

Near Nevyansk, in the village Serbisyo, till 1935 acted Vvedensky female monastery. The graves of mother Valeria and father Simeon, who founded the monastery, have been preserved. A few kilometers North of Nevyansk is an old believer village Byngi. Among the attractions should be highlighted the Church of St Nicholas, and even a pottery workshop in the local Museum.