Wilhelm de Gennin: biography

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

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 system for training workers and craftsmen. He is the author of a book describing the plants built in the Urals and Siberia, dedicated to the technical support and organization of mining. Residents of Yekaterinburg remember the role of this man in the founding of their city, giving the name of the street. Wilhelm de Gennin.

Road to Russia

Wilhelm de Gennin, or Vilim Ivanovich Genin (he chose such a name for himself in Russia after moving to the service of Peter the 1st), called Hannover his hometown, but later already mentioned Nassau-Siegen, a place near Cologne. He was born in October 1676 into a noble family, his father served as an officer in the artillery.

In his youth, Wilhelm began his professional career at a metallurgical plant in Siegen, where he was engaged in casting artillery weapons. He then entered the Dutch army, where he served as a non-commissioned officer. ATIn 1697, while in Amsterdam, he was introduced to the Russian Tsar Peter the 1st, who traveled with the Great Embassy to the countries of Western Europe. On the recommendation of the burgomaster, he was invited to the Moscow Armory for artillery service.

The first years of Vilim Ivanovich passed in the care of teaching young Russian nobles the art of artillery, the organization of military construction. Since 1968, he became a fireworks at the court of Peter the 1st.

Participation in the Northern War

Since 1701, Wilhelm de Gennin has been in the Russian army and holds the position of a military engineer. During these years, Russia participated in the Great Northern War, where it fought against Sweden in order to secure access to the ports of the B altic Sea and to expand trade relations with Europe. The beginning of the war was marked by the defeat of the troops near Narva (1700), after which Peter the Great decided to reorganize the army and create the B altic Fleet.

Vilim Ivanovich's service progressed successfully, during the war years he took part in the creation of defensive structures in Novgorod, he was awarded successively the ranks of lieutenant, captain, and then major. In 1710, during the battle for Vyborg, he attracted the attention of the king, which resulted in the commissioning of him to remove the 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 promoted to the rank of colonel, and received the village of Azila in the Kexholm district.

Taking into account his successes in management, Peter I appointed him head of the construction of the foundry and gunpowder factories in St. Petersburg.

Olonets Region Leadership

From 1713, Gennin became the commandant of the Olonets region and headed the construction and operation of local mining plants. Previously, this territory was part of the Novgorod province, and since 1708 the county passed to Ingermanland. The importance of the region was determined by its proximity to the region where hostilities took place during the Northern War, from here weapons were supplied to the army.

Being in charge of mining, Vilim Ivanovich was able to improve and modernize the process of creating and quality of guns, to master the technology and process of smelting iron ore using several of its varieties. 6 new blast furnaces 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 while working as 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 travels to Europe to invite experienced specialists to his factories, in total he brings 16 craftsmen. With their help, he carries out the expansion and mechanization of production. During the next trip, in 1719, Wilhelm inspects European enterprises, draws up detailed plans for them.

After his return, his main occupation was the creation of a factory school in Olonets, as well asarrangement of the first resort in Russia on ferruginous (martial) water. The resort was built by 1718, one of its first visitors was Peter I.

Destination for work in the Urals

After returning from Europe in 1720, V. de Gennin was appointed and became the chief engineer for the construction of the Sestroretsk arms factory, and then the manager of the Ural factories, which at that time were unprofitable, where he worked for the next 12 years of his life. Together with him, he brings mining professionals to the Urals: 36 masters and their students.

Arriving first in Solikamsk (1722), Vilim Ivanovich is engaged in the restructuring of old factories, during which an increase in the size of the domain is made, the improvement of their design, the blowing process, the construction of new industries.

At the same time, he began laying the foundation for a local management system for the Ural factories, headed by the Siberian Oberbergamt, which handled administrative, financial and other issues for many years to come.

Work in Yekaterinburg

Arriving in the Urals with the specific purpose of building and establishing mining in this region, V. de Gennin had fairly broad powers that allowed him to single-handedly manage the financing and provision of construction workforce. So, peasants from 5 nearby settlements were involved in various works, professional masters were specially brought from Tobolsk: masons, blacksmiths, carpenters and even a regiment of soldiers.

Since March 1723, V. de Gennin has been studyingthe construction of a plant and the city of Yekaterinburg, the construction of a dam, a blast furnace shop and a copper smelter, a laboratory, etc. Modern machines (flattening and cutting), iron-making and drilling machines designed for the manufacture and drilling of cannons were brought into the workshops. A special machine was built to lift heavy machines and objects.

1723 is considered the official date of foundation of Yekaterinburg, which was also named by Gennin in honor of Peter I and Empress Catherine, as well as the patroness of heaven - St. Catherine, who is the protector of mining crafts.

In 1723, Gennin compiled the "Tables of Siberian factories" intended for reading by Peter I, where he proved the high profitability of the built Ural enterprises.

Private life

There is very little information about V. de Gennin's personal life. 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.

They returned together to Russia and got married, they had 3 children: a daughter (died in 1724) and 2 sons. At his personal request, his father also moved to the Urals, who, at the request of his son before Peter I, was elevated to the rank of artillery major.

Writing a book about Ural factories

In 1722, Gennin rebuilt and expanded Uktussky, Alapaevsky and Kamensky, in 1724 Verkh-Isetsky, Pyskorsky, Polevsky were founded,Egoshikhinsky, Lyalinsky and Verkhne-Uktussky plants, in 1733 - Sinyachikhinsky and Sysertsky were built, in 1737 - a copper smelter in Tula.

During the years of work in the Urals, V. de Gennin came to St. Petersburg many times, where he presented reports on his activities to the sovereign and the Senate. After each trip, he was awarded, and then sent back again to oversee the work of all the factories built.

In 1735, summing up the development of Russian mining business, Wilhelm de Gennin finishes writing the book "Description of the Ural and Siberian Mining Plants", where he gives a geographical, historical and geological description of the Perm Territory, plans and drawings of mining and its individual processes. The book also contains a practical guide to the organization of metallurgical and mining.

The work describes in detail the technology of melting, work during the construction of dams, traces the history of construction and the state of Siberian factories. It also provides information about the fauna of the region, ethnographic data on the peoples inhabiting the Urals, interesting historical information about the development of land in the territories of the Ob and Irtysh, the construction of fortresses.

In 1734, returning 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 took place only 200 years later. All these years, Gennin's work has been a great success with mining specialists, it has been copied many times.and transcribed privately. After 100 years, some fragments of the manuscript were published in the Mining Journal.

Only in 1937, one of the 5 copies kept in the National Library was published in Russian, but the illustrations were not published in full.

New power and resignation

In 1730, Anna Ioannovna became Empress of Russia. Gennin was summoned to the capital by the Senate with a report on the state of production, the amount of metal produced and the 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 their intention to transfer the state-owned factories of the Urals to private hands because they considered them unprofitable for the state treasury.

The finale of these processes was the voluntary dismissal of Gennin from the service, V. Tatishchev was again put in his place.

After the resignation of V. de Gennin lived in St. Petersburg and was engaged in managerial work, in 1735-1750 he headed the weapons production in Sestroretsk and Tula, led the artillery department.

Died April 12, 1750, giving 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 city in the Urals with a high level of industrial production. His name is immortalized in the name of the streetWilhelm de Gennin in Yekaterinburg, and a monument was erected on Truda Square to two famous people who played a big role in the founding of the city - V. de Gennin and V. Tatishchev. Although both founding fathers of the city, according to some reports, were not on friendly terms, however, the monument depicts them standing side by side: on the left - de Gennin in a cocked hat, on the right - Tatishchev in a wig.

The bronze monument is cast at Uralmash according to the project of Moscow sculptor P. P. Chusovitin 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 Gennin

The street, named after one of the founders of Yekaterinburg, is one of the youngest in the city. It connects the Akademichesky and Yugo-Zapadny residential areas. In 2009, 18 Siberian cedars were planted here. Crossing the Leninsky and Verkh-Isetsky administrative districts, Wilhelm de Gennin Street consists of newly built multi-storey buildings. Today it is a major highway.

Wilhelm de Gennin Streets index is as follows: 620016.

In 2011, in the Historical Museum of Yekaterinburg, next to the figures of Peter I, Catherine, breeders Demidovs and V. Tatishchev, a wax copy of the head of the Ural factories V. de Gennin was placed in memory of his participation in the founding of the city and as a tribute to the residents of the Ural capital to the personality of this talented person, his achievements in the construction of the city and manyhis factories.

Therefore, when a tourist asks a passer-by: “How to get to Wilhelm de Gennin?”, You will have to clarify what he means: his monument, the street or the wax figure in the museum.

The role of de Gennin in the history of the Urals and Russia

During the 12 years of V. de Gennin's reign, 12 plants were built 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.

Vilim Ivanovich's talent manifested itself in a clear knowledge of the metallurgical and mining process and its organization. Using German pedantry, he was able to create an ideally established production of metals and weapons in the Urals, which worked successfully until the middle of the 19th century. Thanks to him, the city itself and the factories built turned into a large industrial complex producing metal and weapons, becoming the backbone of the entire Russian state.

Named after one of the founders of the city, st. Wilhelm de Gennin in Yekaterinburg will now remind all residents and guests of the city of this worthy man, military engineer and great organizer.