The Nevyansk Tower

Industrial drama, a fiery demon, and a test of skill. A thrilling Ural gothic.

In 1735, the well-known industrialist Akindfy Demidov faced the toughest period of his life. Family conflicts escalated into murders, and the state investigation over debts threatened to ruin him financially, fueling suspicions of counterfeiting. Count Biron, close to the empress, demanded a large bribe. Mining chief Tatishchev began persecuting the dissenters—an important part of Demidov’s enterprises. The final blow was the shutdown of the Névjansk factory—a key center of his industrial empire—which the demon attacked, destroying the workers.

In the book “The Névjansk Tower,” Alexey Ivanov describes Demidov’s struggle against a fiery demon. The grim Gothic atmosphere in Ivanov’s work reflects the historical process. In the 18th century, Russia was mostly agrarian, but Demidov’s factories were where a new industrial approach began. In the 19th century, it spread throughout the Ural region, and in the 20th century it became characteristic of the entire country. This future started at the Névjansk factory, beside which the mysterious and magnificent Névjansk Tower still towers to this day.