Demidovs

The Demidov family began with Nikita Demidovich Antufeev. A simple blacksmith from Tula, he impressed Tsar Peter with his craftsmanship and became one of the most influential people of his time. Many dark legends are associated with him and his descendants, such as the story of workers drowned in cellars who were ordered by the owner to mint counterfeit coins, or about how the entrepreneur burned down a house he himself had ordered to be built, in which a government official conducting an investigation against him had previously lived. Over time, the Demidovs became true aristocrats and intermarried with the most noble families of the Russian Empire. Among them were eccentrics, spendthrifts who lavishly spent money without looking back, and connoisseurs of science, generous philanthropists, and excellent managers. For example, Prokofy Demidov sent a pig instead of himself to a son-in-law who had invited him to dinner, but he was also well-versed in botany, while his distant relative Pavel Pavlovich, known for his extravagance, played chess excellently and corresponded with leading grandmasters. Pavel Pavlovich's father, Pavel Nikolayevich, was the governor of Kursk and eradicated bribery among his subordinates, while his daughter, Aurora, became a fatal beauty who drove her contemporaries mad. Unfortunately, later generations of once enterprising industrialists distanced themselves from managing the family business, leading to its gradual decline. The establishment of Soviet power deprived the family of its source of income and forced many of its members to emigrate; however, factories, as well as amazing stories and legends, remained as a legacy of Russia.