Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov (russian: Никита Акинфиевич Демидов) (7 September 1724 – 7 May 1789) was a Russian industrialist and arts patron.

Life

He was the younger son of Akinfiy Demidov, brother of

Prokofi Demidov Prokofi Akinfiyevich Demidov (1710–1786) was a Russian industrialist and philanthropist. The eldest son of Akinfiy Demidov, Prokofi inherited the enormous Demidov family fortune on his father's death in 1745. He gave freely to charitable works, ...

and father of Nikolai Demidov. He was married three times: firstly to Natalia Yakovlevna Evreinova (1732-1756), secondly to Maria Sverchkova (1644–1776) and thirdly to Alexandra Evtikhievna Safonova (1745-1778). His children from the first marriage were: * Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov and * Elizaveta Nikitichna Demidova. From the third marriage: * Jekaterina Nikitichna Lvova (1772-1832), *

Nikolai Nikitich Demidov Count Nikolai Nikitich Demidov (9 October / November 1773 Chirkovitsi village near Saint Petersburg – 22 April 1828) was a Russian industrialist, collector and arts patron of the Demidov family. Life The son of Nikita Akinfiyevich Demidov ...

and * Maria Nikititchina Durnova (1776-1847). Inheriting mines and metallurgical factories in the Urals and Siberia, he was also a major landowner, with properties in central and southern Russia and in Italy. He left eight metallurgical factories, a huge annual income and 12,000

serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

to his son Nikolai on his death. He was an amateur scientist, the first member of the

Demidov The House of Demidov (russian: Деми́довы) also Demidoff, was a prominent Russian Empire, Russian noble family during the 18th and 19th centuries. Originating in the city of Tula, Russia, Tula in the 17th century, the Demidovs found suc ...

family to protect the arts actively and a major traveller, journeying abroad to see Europe's industrial innovations, manners and culture. In 1786 he published a ''Journal'' of his foreign travels, and also corresponded with

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

and

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominen ...

. In 1779 he set up a medal to reward a success in mechanics, to be decided by the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...

References

1724 births 1789 deaths Scientists from the Russian Empire Philanthropists from the Russian Empire Explorers from the Russian Empire 18th-century businesspeople from the Russian Empire

Nikita Nikita may refer to: * Nikita (given name) * Nikita, Crimea, a town in Crimea * Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore Film and television *''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film * ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), also known as ''Nikita'', a 19 ...

18th-century philanthropists {{Russia-business-bio-stub