Demidov Prize Laureates

The Demidov family (Russian: Деми́довы), also known as Demidoff or Dimidov, is a prominent Russian noble family that rose to immense wealth and influence during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Demidovs became a wealthy industrial family alongside the Stroganov family. Their legacy is closely tied to the industrialisation of Russia, significant contributions to the arts and sciences. The Prince Lopukhin-Demidov lineage resides in Finland.

History

The family's progenitor, Demid Antufiev, was a blacksmith from Tula in the 17th century. His son, Nikita Demidov (1656–1725), achieved fame and fortune through the manufacture of weapons and the establishment of iron foundries. His skill and entrepreneurial spirit attracted the attention of Peter the Great, who ennobled Nikita in 1720 and granted him extensive land and mining rights, marking the family's formal entry into the Russian nobility.

Under Nikita and his son Akinfiy Demidov (1678–1745), the family expanded their holdings to include gold, silver, and copper mines, particularly in the Ural Mountains. By the end of the 18th century, the Demidovs controlled vast estates and enterprises, producing about 40% of Russia’s cast iron output. Their industrial empire played a crucial role in Russia’s military and economic development.

The Demidovs introduced advanced metallurgical techniques, such as blast furnaces and hydro-powered machinery, enhancing productivity. They also pioneered vertical integration, controlling mines, forests, and transportation networks to streamline production. Their factories supplied materials for international projects.

Philanthropy and Patronage

The Demidovs became renowned patrons of the arts and sciences. Pavel Grigoryevich Demidov (1738–1821) supported Russian scientific education, founding the Demidov Lyceum in Yaroslavl and sponsoring academic prizes. Nikolay Nikitich Demidov (1773–1828) and his sons, Pavel Nikolaievich Demidov (1798–1840) and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov (1812–1870), continued this legacy, funding schools, hospitals, and scientific endeavors both in Russia and abroad. The Demidov Prize, established in 1831, became one of the most prestigious awards for scientific achievement in Russia.

Pavel Nikolaievich Demidov died in 1840 leaving a substantial heritage to his spouse Aurora Demidova (nee Stjernvall, later Karamzin) who became a famous benefactor and philanthropist in the Grand Duchy of Finland. Later, she married colonel Andrei Karamzin, the son of historian Nikolay Karamzin, who fell in the Crimean War. Many places are named after Aurora Karamzin in Finland because she supported schools, the first Deaconess Institution in Finland, orphanages, and other purposes in Finland. Through Aurora Karamzin the legacy of Demidovs lives in Finnish history and heritage.

International Connections

The Demidovs forged significant ties with European aristocracy. Anatoly Demidov acquired the Italian title Prince of San Donato and married Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, daughter of Jérôme Bonaparte, further elevating the family's international stature. The family owned estates such as the Villa San Donato in Florence, and their descendants were connected to the House of Bonaparte and the Karađorđević dynasty.

Demidov Collection

The Demidov Collection was a renowned private assemblage of art and cultural artifacts amassed by the Demidov family, notably Nikolay Nikitich Demidov (1773–1828) and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov (1812–1870). Housed primarily at Villa San Donato near Florence, it included Old Master paintings (e.g., works by Rubens and Vermeer), sculptures, malachite vases, and rare artifacts like the Polish coronation sword ''Szczerbiec''. Anatoly commissioned Karl Briullov’s '' The Last Day of Pompeii'' (1833), a landmark of Russian art. The collection was dispersed through auctions in Paris (1863, 1870) and Florence (1880), with key pieces now held by institutions such as the National Gallery, London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Hermitage Museum. The Demidovs’ patronage bridged Russian and European cultural spheres, leaving a lasting legacy in art history.

Later History and Legacy

The Demidov family's industrial empire and wealth, which had made them Russia's second-richest family after the Romanovs, faced severe repercussions during and after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Their vast industrial holdings, including iron foundries and Ural Mountain mines that once produced 40% of Russia's cast iron, were nationalised by the Bolsheviks. The family lost their estates, factories, and heirlooms as the new Soviet government seized private property.

The second and last Prince Lopukhin, Pavel Petrovich Lopukhin (1788–1873), son of Pyotr Lopukhin, was granted the right in 1873 to pass his title and name to his great-nephew, General Nikolai Petrovich Demidov (1836–1910), who became the 1st Prince Lopukhin-Demidov. A representative of another branch of this industrialist clan, Nikolai was succeeded by his son, Colonel Aleksander Nikolayevich Demidov (1870–1937), the 2nd Prince Lopukhin-Demidov. After the Russian Revolution, Aleksander relocated to Finland, purchasing Anttolanhovi Manor in Anttola near Mikkeli in 1917, where he resided briefly until exhausting his inheritance. His wife, Princess Natalia Dmitrievna Naryshkina (1886–1957), died in Mikkeli in 1957.

Their son, Nikolai Alexandrovich Demidov, 3rd Prince Lopukhin-Demidov (1904–1995), resided in New Hampshire, USA. His brother, Aleksander Aleksandrovich Demidoff (1905–1982), was born and lived in Finland.

Aleksander’s son, Yrjö Onni Johannes Demidov, 4th Prince Lopukhin-Demidov (1936–2018), fathered Nikolai Alexander Paul Demidov, the 5th Prince Lopukhin-Demidov (born 1976).

A lineage descending from Aleksander Nikolayevich Demidov (1870–1937), the 2nd Prince Lopukhin-Demidov, changed its surname to Tammipuu (which means "oak tree" in Finnish).

The Demidov family residing in Finland has not been introduced to the House of Nobility because the Finnish nobility ceased introducing new families after the collapse of the Russian Empire (under which Finland existed as a Grand Duchy until 1917). This closure was compounded by the failed establishment of the Kingdom of Finland in 1918, when Germany’s defeat in World War I prevented Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse from assuming the throne. Finland subsequently became a republic in 1919.

The International Demidov Foundation was established in Russia in 1992. The foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of the Demidov family, including their cultural, industrial, and philanthropic heritage. It supports the study and popularisation of the Demidov heritage and participates in the preservation and restoration of historical monuments associated with the family.

Notable Members

* Nikita Demidov (1656–1725): founder of the family fortune, ennobled by Peter the Great
* Akinfiy Demidov (1678–1745): expanded the family’s mining empire
* Prokofi Akinfiyevich Demidov (1710–1786): industrialist, philanthropist
* Pavel Grigoryevich Demidov (1738–1821): philanthropist, active state councillor, botanist, and a patron of Russian education
* Nikolay Nikitich Demidov (1773–1828): ober-chamberlain, industrialist, benefactor, and patron of the arts
* Pavel Nikolaievich Demidov (1798–1840): governor of Kursk, active state councillor, master of the hunt, philanthropist, founder of the Demidov Prize
* Aurora Demidova (1808-1902): philanthropist
* Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov (1812–1870): 1st Prince of San Donato, art collector, and patron
* Pavel Pavlovich Demidov (1839–1885): 2nd Prince of San Donato, jurist, philanthropist, and author
* Elim Pavlovich Demidov (1868-1943): 3rd Prince of San Donato, ambassador, master of the hunt, chamberlain, active state councillor
* Nikolai Petrovich Demidov-Lopukhin (1836-1910): 1st Prince Lopukhin-Demidov, lieutenant general
* Aleksander Nikolayevich Demidov (1870–1937): 2nd Prince Lopukhin-Demidov, colonel
* Hasan Arfa: his mother was the daughter of a British diplomat and a Russian woman who was a member of the Dedimov family

Hereditary commanders of the Knights Hospitaller

In 1798, Nikolay Nikitich Demidov was appointed Family Commander of the Russian Grand Priory of the Order of Saint John by Tsar Paul I. Those favored by Emperor Paul and his son Alexander were granted beneficed Commanderies, while others were encouraged to use their wealth to establish their own Commanderies; these were known as Family or Ancestral Commanderies

In 1811, a Ukase was enacted which brought this institution to an end. However, by personal grant of the Emperor, the title of " Hereditary Commander" was held by some descendants who qualified.

In 1928, a group of descendants of the original Family Commanders formed an Association. By 1958, the group was chaired by Grand Duke Vladimir (claimant to the Russian Throne). This group regulated the claims of the descendants. On 14 April 1958, under his signature of Grand Duke Vladimir decided in favour of Paul Demidoff; "''de faire droit à Votre requête et de confirmer Votre titre de Commandeur Héréditaire de l'Union des Descendants des Commandeurs Héréditaires et Chevaliers du Grand Prieuré Russe de l'Ordre de St. Jean de Jérusalem en tant que descendant direct de Demidoff Nicolas fils de Nicétas qui, par grâce de Mon trisaïeul, S.M. l'Empereur Paul I-r Grand Maître de l'Ordre de St. Jean de Jérusalem avait été élevé le 2I Juillet 1799''" - in translation; "''to grant Your request and to confirm Your title of Hereditary Commander of the Union of the Descendants of the Hereditary Commanders and Knights of the Russian Grand Priory about St John of Jerusalem as a direct descendant of Demidoff Nicholas son of Nicétas which, by grace of My great-great-grandfather, H.M. the Emperor Paul I Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem had been elevated 21 July 1799''".

Alexandre Tissot Demidoff (of Berkshire, England) chairs an association dedicated to continuing the humanitarian tradition of the Russian Grand Priory, of which Alexander Demidoff (of Paris, and son of Paul Demidoff mentioned above) is a member.

Publications

* Anatole Demidoff,
Travels in Southern Russia, and the Crimea; through Hungary, Wallachia, & Modavia, during the Year 1837
', London, J. Mitchell, 1853,

See also

* Alla Demidova
* Demidov collection
* Demidov Square
* Demidovsky Pillar, Barnaul
* Demidovsky Pillar, Yaroslavl
* Princedom of San Donato
* Villa San Donato

References

External links

History and portraits of the DemidovsHistory of the Demidov Family (from the website of Demidov University)

{{Authority control

Russian noble families