The portrait of Akinfiy Demidov, which is exhibited in the collection of the Nevyansk State Historical and Architectural Museum, was painted by contemporary Russian artist Ivan Mamontov. This painting was donated to the museum in 2016 by Viktor Bulanichev, director of the scientific and historical public organization of the Altai Territory Demidov Foundation. The heir of the famous dynasty of Ural mine owners is depicted standing by a table, on which we can see sheets of paper, an inkwell with a quill, and a bell probably used to call the servants. In the background, the artist depicted a bust of Peter the Great, the emperor under whose rule the Demidovs founded the first plant in the Urals.

Akinfiy Demidov was born in 1678 and studied blacksmithing, weapons and ironwork from a young age. In his youth, he visited Saxony, where he got acquainted with the European experience of organizing and managing a mining and metallurgical system. After 1711, Akinfiy Demidov, together with his father, NikIta Demidov, was actively involved in the construction of the plant. The Nevyansk plant became the main residence and the capital of Akinfiy Demidov’s mining department.

Demidov factories produced iron of the StAry SObol (literally: Old Marten) brand, famous all over the world for its quality, which was distinguished by its malleability and ductility. The products of these factories were mainly used for the artillery and naval industry.

After Nikita Demidov’s death in 1725, Akinfiy Demidov inherited his Ural factories. A year later, Empress Catherine I granted him a hereditary title of nobility. In 1740, Demidov became a state councilor, and in 1742—an active state councilor with the rank of major general. By that time, he was free from supervision and interference from the mining authorities in the Urals, which allowed him to independently manage his factories.

By the end of his life, Akinfiy Demidov reached the peak of his success. He owned 25 metallurgical plants, 3 wharves - Shaytanskaya, Kurinskaya and Sulyomskaya, 36 villages with numerous settlements, 120 factory owner’s houses and 3661 houses for employees and workers. A total of 38,000 male peasants worked for Demidov.

In addition to the factories, Akinfiy Demidov built roads, ships, erected docks for the delivery of metal and weapons to the capital, encouraged the search for ore deposits.