Barnaul

Barnaul stands where the Barnaulka meets the Ob, on the northern approaches to the Altai. It grew around a metallurgical works established by the Demidov family, whose mining enterprises exploited the ores of the region. The town traditionally dates its beginnings to 1730, although construction of the works began later in that decade. Forests nearby supplied fuel for the furnaces.

In 1747 the works and the Demidov properties in the Altai passed to the imperial cabinet. Barnaul became a centre for refining silver from the mining district, and other works were added across the region. It received the status of a mining town in 1771. The settlement’s fortunes were tied to the movement of ore, fuel and skilled labour through the imperial mining establishment, as well as to its position beside the Ob.