The history of Lipetsk is connected with the names of three Russian monarchs. One of the first resorts in Russia was established there in 1805 during the reign of Alexander I; Catherine II in 1779 granted the village of Malye Lipskie Studyonki the status of a county town. In 1703, Peter the Great drew attention to the local iron ore deposits and ordered the construction of the ironworks in Lipetsk, which helped the future city prosper.
According to one of the legends, the first deposits were discovered on the territory of the Paroysk hermitage, and it was there that the furnaces were to be built. When asked what to do with the monastery, the emperor replied: “The Russian state needs guns and iron more than monks.” Nevertheless, construction began elsewhere, employing the monastery mill for factory needs. Despite the preservation of the monastery and the compensation received, the monks gradually left the hermitage, which ceased to be a secluded place. According to Peter’s plan, anchors and guns for the navy were to be cast at this factory.
In 1708, two factories were already functioning on the Lipovka River — the Upper and the Lower. After the end of the Russo-Turkish War of 1686–1700, the center of the metallurgical industry was moved to the Urals, and it was decided to put the Lipsky factories for sale. Historian Nikolay Petrukhintsev, citing archival documents as a reference, writes that in 1722 that Peter the Great personally came there to assess the importance of local production for the state. This fact is one of the few direct proofs that Peter visited these factories.
Another curious and telling episode, though true-to-life, in many ways resembles a legend. In 1707, while inspecting the factory, Peter I tripped and got his hand into a soil mold. The craftsmen at the site decided to immortalize this event by filling his handprint with metal.
In the 18th century, the panel with the imprint of Peter’s hand hung at the entrance to the factory, and in the 19th century — on the bathhouse of the Lipetsk resort. The latter is connected with another legend which tells a story that happened that same year, 1707. When taking a walk, the tsar’s attention was drawn to a natural spring, and upon drinking from it, he sent the water for analysis. The water turned out to be rich in iron.
In the 19th century, the factory of the Milovanov brothers made a copy of the plate and many of its prints, enclosing a relief image of the palm in an octagonal medallion and providing an explanatory inscription. Such medallions have served as souvenirs for a long time and can be found in many Russian cities.
