Georg Wilhelm de Gennin is a talented engineer of German origin, who devoted almost his entire life to serving Russia. He is considered the founder of Yekaterinburg and Perm, who built and organized the work of mining plants in the Urals, creating a training system for workers and craftsmen. He is the author of a book with a description of the factories built in the Urals and Siberia, dedicated to the technical support and organization of mining. Residents of Yekaterinburg remember the role of this person in the foundation of their city, giving the name st. Wilhelm de Gennin.
Way to Russia
Wilhelm de Gennin, or Wilim Ivanovich Genin (he chose this name in Russia after moving to serve with Peter the Great), called Hanover his hometown, but later he mentioned Nassau-Siegen, a place near Cologne. He was born in October 1676 into a noble family, his father served as an officer in artillery.
In his youth, Wilhelm began his career at a metallurgical plant in Siegen, where he was engaged in the casting of artillery weapons. Then he joined the Dutch army, where he served as a non-commissioned officer. In 1697, while in Amsterdam, he was introduced to the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, who traveled with the Great Embassy to the countries of Western Europe. On the recommendation of the burgomaster, he was invited to the Armory of Moscow for artillery service.
The first years of Vilim Ivanovich passed in the cares of teaching young Russian nobles the art of artillery, the organization of military construction. Since 1968, he became a firework at the court of Peter the Great.
Participation in the northern war
Since 1701, William de Gennin has been in the Russian army and holds the position of military engineer. During these years, Russia participated in the Great Northern War, where it fought against Sweden in order to provide access to the ports of the Baltic Sea and to expand trade ties with Europe. The beginning of the war was marked by the defeat of troops near Narva (1700), after which Peter the Great decided to reorganize the army and create the Baltic Fleet.
The service of Vilim Ivanovich progressed successfully, during the war years he took part in the creation of defensive structures in Novgorod, he was successively awarded the rank of lieutenant, captain, and then major. In 1710, during the battle for Vyborg, he attracted the attention of the king, the consequence of which was entrusted to him with the work on the removal of plans for Kexholm, during which Gennin also took part in the construction of fortifications near Gangut. After the successful capture of Kexholm by the Russian army, he was awarded a gold medal and elevated to the rank of colonel, and received the ownership of the village of Azila in Kexholm county.
Taking into account his successes in management, Peter I appointed him head of the construction of a foundry and powder factories in St. Petersburg.
Management of the Olonets region
Since 1713, Gennin became the commandant of the Olonets region and led the construction and operation of local mining plants. Previously, this territory was part of the Novgorod province, and from 1708 the county passed to Ingermanland. The importance of the region was determined by its proximity to the region where military operations took place during the Northern War, from here came the supply of weapons to the army.
Carrying out the management of mining, Vilim Ivanovich was able to improve and modernize the process of creating and quality guns, to master the technology and process of smelting iron ore using several varieties of it. 6 new domains were built, the production of iron-containing products was successfully launched, he personally developed and put into operation a machine for drilling and turning guns.
The experience gained during the work of the commandant of the Olonets factories was subsequently useful to Wilhelm de Gennin in Yekaterinburg during the construction of the Ural enterprises.
In 1716, Gennin went to Europe with the aim of inviting experienced specialists to his factories; in total, he brought 16 craftsmen. With their help, he carries out the expansion and mechanization of production. During the next trip, in 1719, Wilhelm inspects European enterprises and draws up their detailed plans.
After his return, his main occupation was the creation of a factory school in Olonets, as well as the construction of the first resort in Russia on ferruginous (martial) water. The resort was built by 1718, one of its first visitors was Peter I.
Direction for work to the Urals
After returning from Europe in 1720, V. de Gennin was appointed and became the chief engineer of the construction of the Sestroretsk arms factory, and then - the manager of the Ural plants, which at that time were unprofitable, where he worked for the next 12 years of his life. Together with him, he brings to the Urals mining professionals: 36 masters and their students.
Arriving first in Solikamsk (1722), Vilim Ivanovich was engaged in the restructuring of old factories, during which the domain was enlarged, its structure, blowing process improved, and new plants were built.
At the same time, he began laying the local management system for the Ural plants, at the head of which was put the Siberian ober-bergamt, which carries out the solution of administrative, financial and other issues for many years to come.
Work in Yekaterinburg
Arriving in the Urals with a specific purpose of building and setting up mining in this region, V. de Gennin possessed sufficiently broad powers that allowed him to single-handedly manage the financing and provision of construction work. So, to carry out various works, peasants from 5 neighboring settlements were involved, professional craftsmen were specially brought from Tobolsk: masons, blacksmiths, carpenters, and even a regiment of soldiers.
Since March 1723, V. de Gennin has been engaged in the construction of a plant and the city of Yekaterinburg, the construction of a dam, a blast furnace shop and a smelter, laboratory, etc. Modern machines (flatting and cutting), iron-making and drilling machines intended for the manufacture and drilling guns. A special machine was built to lift heavy machine tools and objects.
1723 is considered the official foundation date of Yekaterinburg, the name of which was also given to Gennin in honor of Peter I and Empress Catherine, as well as the patroness of heaven - St. Catherine, who is the patroness of mining crafts.
In 1723, Gennin compiled “Tables of Siberian Factories”, intended for reading by Peter I, where he proved the high profitability of the constructed Ural enterprises.
Personal life
Information about the personal life of V. de Gennin has been preserved very little. According to some reports, he was married twice: his first wife died in 1716, the second was the daughter of a Dutch merchant, whom he met during a trip abroad to Europe in 1719.
Together they returned to Russia and got married, they had 3 children: a daughter (died in 1724) and 2 sons. At a personal request, his father also moved to the Urals, who, at the request of his son, was promoted to Peter the Great as an artillery major.
Writing a book about the Ural factories
In 1722, Gennin rebuilt and expanded Uktusky, Alapaevsky and Kamensky, in 1724 - the Verkh-Isetsky, Pyskorsky, Polevsky, Egoshikhinsky, Lyalinsky and Verkhne-Uktussky plants were founded, in 1733 - the Sinyachikhinsky and Sysertsky plants were built, and in 1737 - the smelter factory in Tula.
Over the years of work in the Urals, V. de Gennin came to St. Petersburg many times, where he presented reports to the sovereign and to the Senate on progress. After each trip, he was awarded, and then again sent back to oversee the work of all the built factories.
In 1735, summing up the development of the Russian mining industry, Wilhelm de Gennin finished writing the book “Description of the Ural and Siberian Mining Plants”, which gives a geographical, historical and geological description of the Perm Territory, plans and drawings of mining and its individual processes. The book also contains practical guidance on the organization of metallurgy and mining.
The paper describes in detail the technology of melting, work during the construction of dams, traces the history of construction and the condition of Siberian plants. Information is also given on the fauna of the region, ethnographic data on the peoples inhabiting the Urals, interesting historical information on land development in the territories of the Ob and Irtysh, and the construction of fortresses.
In 1734, having returned to St. Petersburg, the head of the Ural factories wanted to personally present this work to Empress Anna Ioannovna, but something did not work out, because the official publication of the book only happened 200 years later. All these years, the work of Gennin was very popular among mining specialists, it was copied and copied many times in private. After 100 years, some passages of the manuscript were published in the Mining Journal.
Only in 1937, one of the 5 copies stored in the National Library was published in a book entitled “Description of the Ural and Siberian Factories” in Russian, but the illustrations were not fully published.
New power and resignation
In 1730, Anna Ioannovna became empress of Russia. Gennina summoned the Senate to the capital with a report on the state of production, the amount of metal produced and workers in the factories. In subsequent years, the empress and the government began to limit and delay the solution of many issues related to the work of mining, expressed intentions to transfer the state-owned factories of the Urals to private hands because they considered them unprofitable for the state treasury.
The final of these processes was the voluntary dismissal of Gennin from service, V. Tatishchev was again put in his place.
After the resignation, V. de Gennin lived in St. Petersburg and was engaged in managerial work, in 1735-1750 he led arms production in Sestroretsk and Tula, and headed the artillery department.
He died on April 12, 1750, having given 53 years of his life to the service of Russia.
Monument to the founders of Yekaterinburg
The main achievement of the head of the Ural factories was the creation of Yekaterinburg, which is now the largest Ural city with a high level of industrial production. His name is immortalized in the name of the street of William de Gennin in Yekaterinburg, and a monument to two famous people who played a big role in the founding of the city - V. de Gennin and V. Tatishchev was erected on Labor Square. Although both of the founding fathers of the city, according to some sources, were not on friendly terms, the monument depicts them standing next to each other: on the left is de Gennin in a cocked hat, and on the right is Tatishchev in a wig.
The bronze monument on Uralmash is cast according to the project of the Moscow sculptor P.P. Chusovitina and assembled from 19 parts. The grand opening took place in 1998 and was dedicated to the 275th anniversary of the founding of the city.
Yekaterinburg, st. Wilhelm de Gennina
The street named after one of the founders of Yekaterinburg is one of the youngest in the city. It connects the residential areas of Academic and Southwestern. In 2009, 18 Siberian cedars were planted here. Crossing the Leninsky and Verkh-Isetsky administrative districts, Wilhelm de Gennina street consists of newly built high-rise buildings. Today it is a major highway.
The streets of Wilhelm de Gennin index has the following: 620016.
In 2011, in the historical museum of Yekaterinburg, next to the figures of Peter I, Catherine, the breeders of the Demidovs and V. Tatishchev, a wax copy was placed of the head of the Ural plants V. de Gennin in memory of his participation in the foundation of the city and as a tribute to the residents of the Urals capital to the personality of this talented person, his achievements in the construction of the city and many of its factories.
Therefore, when a tourist asks a passerby: “How to get to Wilhelm de Gennin?”, You will have to specify what he means: his monument, street or wax figure in the museum.
The role of de Gennin in the history of the Urals and Russia
During the 12 years of the reign of V. de Gennin, 12 factories were erected in Yekaterinburg, his activity in the development of mining and metallurgical production in the Urals and Siberia was one of the most significant in the history of the Russian state.
The talent of Vilim Ivanovich was manifested in a clear knowledge of the metallurgical and mining process and its organization. Using German pedantry, he was able to create a perfectly organized production of metals and weapons in the Urals, which worked successfully until the middle of the XIX century. Thanks to him, the city itself and the factories built turned into a large industrial complex producing metal and weapons, becoming the pillar of the entire Russian state.
Named in honor of one of the founders of the city, st. Wilhelm de Gennina in Yekaterinburg will now remind all residents and visitors of the city about this worthy man, military engineer and great organizer.