Nevyansk Tower

Nevyansk Tower is the most famous architectural monument of the Ural region, often called the Russian Tower of Pisa. It adorns the coat of arms of the city of Nevyansk and the emblem of the Demidov Institute, which conducts humanitarian research related to the Urals (in particular, its historical past). The tower is a symbol of the city and is very popular with tourists. For more than three centuries it looks out its windows at the Neiva River, the city and the preserved factory building, to which the tower probably owes its appearance. It is associated with unsolved to this day mysteries and riddles, as well as myths passed on by locals from generation to generation.

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Video: Nevyanskaya Tower

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History of the tower’s construction

Since ancient times the Urals, famous for its minerals, has been one of the most important industrial and mining regions of the Russian Empire. Great importance was attached to it by Peter I, under whom the active development of the region’s industry and the development of its subsoil began. In 1701, by the tsar’s decree, the city of Nevyansk was founded, or rather, it was decided to build two factories on the Neiva River – for smelting iron and pig iron. It was the first factory city in the world history. The construction was completed in record time for those times, and on December 15, 1701 the first smelting was carried out. This date became considered the birthday of the city.

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In 1702, Peter I issued a decree, according to which the owner of the plant became Nikita Demidovich Antufiev, better known as Nikita Demidov – Tula gunsmith and founder of a whole dynasty of industrialists. By the end of the second decade of the 18th century, Demidov’s factories gave about two-thirds of all metal produced in the Russian Empire.

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In September 1720 Demidov senior was granted a title of nobility, and the following year, by order of Akinfiy Demidov – the eldest son, actively engaged with his father in the construction of factories and their management – began construction of the Nevyanskaya Tower. It became a family symbol of the might of the industrial empire of the Demidovs, who by the beginning of the construction of the tower had unlimited power in the Urals, owning many factories and thousands of serfs. Suffice it to say that the construction cost a huge sum for those times – 4 thousand rubles, and the clock mechanism was even more expensive – 5 thousand rubles. The construction lasted four years and was finished in 1725. By the end of the tower Akinfiy Demidov decided that it would become an object that would immortalize the memory of his father.

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Still falling or tilting

It remains unclear who authored the design of the tower, which was intended to be used as a bell tower, watch post with observation deck, factory archive, treasurer’s office and laboratory. It is also unknown whether the tilt was the architect’s idea or whether groundwater that eroded the foundations on one side caused the building to “fall”.

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Modern architects, having conducted a lot of research and calculations, consider the tower not falling, as Pisa, but exactly sloping. Perhaps this was the architect’s idea. By that time the world already knew similar structures in Italy and China. If Demidov might not have known about the Chinese tower, he must have heard about the Italian miracle in Pisa and wanted to have a similar architectural creation in Nevyansk.It is also possible that there was a mistake in choosing the place and further construction. It was decided to erect the tower on the bank of a pond near Neyva. The ground under the foundation sagged, and the erected two-thirds of the base of the building gave a lurch: the deviation of the first tier from the vertical is two meters. Subsequently, the builders made an attempt to level the structure, “piling” little by little the higher tiers in the opposite direction. As a result, the tower acquired a saber-like curve. The building itself had to be reinforced with cast-iron beams and iron rods that penetrated the tower, as well as with iron washers and wedges fixed on the outside. This method of reinforcing the structure was used for the first time in the world.

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Nevyansk old-timers sometimes say that the tower took a lot of sin on itself, that’s why it swayed. Since part of the cellars of the building was assigned to the prison, we can only guess how many people were tortured here: in the labyrinths of the tower were found rooms with bunks and chains with fetters nailed to the walls. One of the legends says that Demidov, having learned about the arrival of the inspector, ordered to flood the cellars together with the workers, where he allegedly secretly minted counterfeit silver coins. As a result, the water eroded the soil under the foundation, which caused the building to tilt. There is another legend according to which Akinfiy pushed the architect from the upper tier so that he would not build such a tower anywhere else.

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Construction of the building

The height of the Nevyanskaya Tower is 57.5 meters. It has a massive base in the form of a square with sides of 9.5 meters and wall thickness reaching two meters. The upper part of the tower is made up of three octagonal tiers, the platforms of which are balconies with beautiful railings cast in cast iron. The whole building is divided into nine levels, but considering that there was nothing on the fifth and sixth except staircases, it can be considered that the tower is actually a seven-story structure.

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Were there counterfeit coins

On the second floor Demidov set up a personal office. The office was also located here. The third floor was allocated to the laboratory, part of which was occupied by small smelting furnaces. As a result of research it was found out that the soot covering the walls of the chimneys from the inside contained traces of precious metals. There are various assumptions as to how they got there. It is believed that the Demidovs were engaged in minting counterfeit coins in the cellars of the tower from gold and silver secretly smelted in these furnaces. Maybe that’s why there were two staircases leading up from the front on the second floor. The main wooden staircase led up to the fourth floor and higher, bypassing the third. The way to the laboratory was a narrow second staircase, located in the wall and hidden behind an iron door with a massive bolt.

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Acoustic Room

The floor above was a very interesting room, which had a unique acoustic feature due to the special shape of the ceiling in the form of a flattened vault. One could clearly hear whispered speech from the opposite corner of the room. The effect disappeared immediately when one tried to retreat to the center of the room.

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Nevyansky chimes

On the upper three floors, arranged in octagonal tiers, are chime clocks with bells brought from England. There is no exact information about who made the clock mechanism itself. It is only known that the bells were cast by the best master of London Whitechapel workshop – R. Phelps, who before that in a pair with the famous English clockmaker L. Bradley was engaged in the creation of chimes of St. Paul’s Cathedral, built in 1710. It can therefore be assumed that the mechanism itself was made by L. Bradley.

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However, the largest bell of the tower – the striking bell – was cast at the factory in Nevyansk on June 1, 1732, as evidenced by the inscription. Its weight is a little over a ton, its height and diameter are 1.21 meters. From top and bottom the bell is framed with patterns characteristic of the so-called Demidov casting. It was intended to warn of fire and call people to work.

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The clock of the Nevyanskaya Tower has three huge dials made of wood and looking in the north, south and west directions. On the east side there is a rectangular brick shaft reaching up to the second floor, in which the weights of the clock mechanism are lowered, setting it in motion.

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With the help of a special drum, the chimes can play twenty melodies, including famous marches of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, folk songs and minuets. Some of the melodies were added later, including “My native country is wide.”

The clock accurately shows the time even today. During its three-century history they have been repaired only twice (there is even an inscription about it above the dial on the north side). The clock is currently serviced by a specially trained person.

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First lightning rod

The uppermost octagonal tier is topped by a brick tent, which is covered with iron. At the top is a weathervane. From the ground it looks like a small flag, but in fact it is a two-meter iron sheet (also quite thick), which weighs 25 kilograms. It depicts the noble coat of arms of the Demidovs, which is a shield with a mountain hammer and laurels on it, as well as a helmet with a raised visor, topped with feathers. Above the weathervane there is a metal sun with spiked rays, some of which are damaged. Demidov’s craftsmen adapted this metal construction as a lightning rod, having grounded it. Apparently, lightning repeatedly struck the ball, damaging many of its beams. This was the world’s first such practical use of metal as a lightning rod.

What else to see

Near the tower is the preserved building of the Demidov factory, which can be visited as part of a tour group. Both the factory and the tower itself are now historical objects that belong to the Historical and Architectural Museum. It has existed since 1947 and is probably one of the largest and most visited in the Urals. The exhibits of the museum, of which there are about sixty thousand units, tell about the history of the region and its attractions, tell about the secrets kept by the Nevyanskaya Tower. About one hundred thousand visitors come here every year, and the route to the capital of the former kingdom of the Demidovs is one of the twelve most popular routes in the Urals.

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Not far from the tower you can admire the beauty of the Transfiguration Cathedral, built in the XIX century next to the old wooden church. The idea to build a new stone church was still with the Demidovs, but it remained just an idea. The construction was started in 1824 on the money of the then owners of the plant and lasted two years. A quarter of a century later it was decided to add a stone vestibule with a bell tower to the church. The local priest wanted the bell tower to be higher than the Demidov tower, but it turned out to be lower. Then a pole with a cross on its end was placed on its top. As a result, the bell tower still rose above the Nevyanskaya tower.

On the territory of the complex there is a monument to Peter the Great and Nikita Antufiev (Demidov) – the founders of the city, who did a lot for its development.

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If you are interested in the history of Russia, the history of its formation as a great power, be sure to come to Nevyansk – a city with an amazing history, – visit the museum and, of course, the famous tower. You can climb it only as a part of a tour group – usually a little more than ten people, who are cramped in the narrow interior rooms (especially on the upper tiers). Try to agree on a group of no more than 5-6 people. During the tour of the tower you will be able to take part in making a commemorative Demidov coin and take it away as a souvenir.

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The cost of a full ticket to visit the tower is 350 rubles. Schoolchildren, students and pensioners can take advantage of discounts. Minting a coin costs 200 rubles. Excursion for a group of visitors will cost 1000-1500 rubles. Possible theatricalized excursions, immersing in the atmosphere of Demidov’s times. Additional paid services related to the marriage ceremony are provided (bride redemption, theatricalized performances, wedding photo session on the tower and others). The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the beginning of excursions – at 10 o’clock. The day off is Monday.

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How to get there

The Nevyansk Tower is located at the address: Sverdlovsk region, Nevyansk, Revolution Square, 2.

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There are several ways to get here:

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  • by your own transport, moving from Yekaterinburg towards Nizhny Tagil (you will have to travel about 70 kilometers);
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  • from the Severny bus station by one of the buses or shuttle buses heading towards Nizhny Tagil;
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  • by electric train, taking a ticket to the station “Nevyansk”.
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