After the reforms implemented by Emperor Peter the Great, Russia made an enormous leap forward, becoming of the most influential European powers. It is at that time that Barnaul – now one of the oldest cities in Western Siberia – was founded. Its establishment was preceded by the discovery of rich copper ore deposits in the Altai Mountains and the construction of the first in the area Russian copper-smelting factory: Kolyvano-Voskresenskiy.
In 1730, developers sent by the famous Ural entrepreneur A. N. Demidov to search for a convenient spot for a new, larger factory, chose the delta of the Barnaulka river.
It was not only copper that attracted Akinfiy Demidov to Altai. On May 1, 1747, after silver ore deposits were discovered near Zmeinaya Gora (Snake Mountain), Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree by which significant territories of the south of Western Siberia were transformed into imperial estate.
Mines of the Zmeinaya Gora became the richest silver center of Russia. By the 18th – early 19th century, 90% of Russian silver (40,000 pounds a year) was produced in the Altai region. The Barnaul silver-smelting factory was rightfully known as the largest: it operated 13 smelting kilns, which produced about 16,000 pounds of sliver annually. The city grew rapidly, and in 1771 the once-small factory settlement acquired the status of a “mining town” - one of the largest in Siberia.
In the 19th century, world famous travelers and scientists A Gumboltd, K. F. Ledenbur, A. E. Brem, P.P. Semyonov (who later became known as Tyan-Shanskiy) visited Barnaul with their expeditions. In their travel journals, they left their impressions of the city, which amazed them with its magnificent architecture, a highly educated society of mining engineers and officers, and cultural establishments such as an amateur theatre, a museum, and libraries. Many Barnaul officials had beautifully selected collections of ancient Asian artifacts, minerals, and natural curiosities. In a word, Barnaul stood out favorably among other Siberian cities. It was referred to as “the Siberian Eldorado” and a “small corner of Petersburg”. P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shanskiy, who worked in Barnaul in 1856-1857, remarked that “Barnaul was, without doubt, the cultural center of Siberia, and I nicknamed it the Siberian Athens”.
Architects who worked in Barnaul included graduates of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts A.I. Molchanov and L. I. Ivanov, as well as Ya. N. Popov, who was a student of the famous creator of the unique palace complexes in Petersburg, architect K. I. Rossi. Their talent created beautiful buildings on Petropavlovskaya Street, and in early 19th century, Barnaul was decorated with a stunning ensemble: the Demidovskaya Square with an obelisk commemorating the 100th anniversary of mining in the Altai Region (architect: Ya. N. Popov). The monument was assembled from twelve various-sized gray granite blocks. The blocks were cut and polished in the Belovskaya village and delivered to Barnaul by rafts down the Charysh and Ob rivers. The obelisk is 14 m tall. It is a historical monument protected by the state.
One of the best monuments of classical architecture is the former Mining Hospital. The smooth surface of its walls is contrasted by a portico consisting of three-quarter columns with Doric capitals, topped with a triangular pediment. The absence of small details on the façade and the harmonious proportions of the building give it a monumental look. The former hospital is now home to an academic unit of the Altai Institute of Agriculture.
A fascinating monument of wooden architecture is the Shatrovaya (Tent) tower in Barnaul, located on the bank of the Barnaulka river. It is the former location of the private hotel “Imperial”. The rectangular building plan is a rare example of a wooden construction with a corridor lay-out, necessitated by its functional purpose. The axis of the front entrance axis is powerfully accented by a glass bay window, a pediment, and a tiled tent tower. The design of the main façade contrasts the calm, smooth surface of the walls with large windows and intricate wood carving on the frieze and the eaves. In 1919, the building served as the headquarters of E.M.Mamontov’s guerilla army. The building currently has the status of a historic and architectural monument.
In 1967, the Monument to Fighters for Soviet Power was erected in Barnaul (artist: V. F. Dobrovolskiy, architects: V. F. Nalimov, V. E. Osten-Saken, and V. V. Kazarinov).
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Barnaul was home to remarkable inventors and scientists: the creator of the first in the world continuous-action steam engine I. I. Polzunov; the railroad builder, engineer and public figure P. K. Frolov; the metallurgist P.P. Anosov, who discovered the secret of damask steel.
Abolition of serfdom and exhaustion of natural resources led to the decline of mining industry and the closing of the Barnaul factory in 1893. Life in the city slowed down, but not for long. Barnaul quickly changed its industrial orientation. As “The Siberian Commercial and Industrial Calendar” wrote in 1911, from a peaceful and serene corner of Petersburg with leisurely habits of an aristocrat, Barnaul becomes a major commercial center, a lively and energetic businessman. Barnaul turned out to be an energetic businessman indeed. At the end of 19th century, the city’s commercial turnover was third in Siberia, preceded only by Tomsk and Tyumen.
The economic well-being of Barnaul and Altai was based on the manufacture of agricultural products, especially the production of butter, whose success transcended the boundaries of the Russian Empire. Up to 16 tons of butter annually was exported from Barnaul to England, Germany, and Scandinavian countries. On several occasions, the Siberian transportation system found itself unable to cope with the huge quantities of butter, which resulted in an overproduction crisis. Prices of butter then plunged so low that it was used to grease carriage wheels.
At the same time, small semi-amateur enterprises in Barnaul manufactured famous “barnaulka” fur coats, which edged the formerly popular “Romanov” coats off the market. For their high quality, “barnaulkas” received awards at prestigious exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. Also famous were the Barnaul “valenki” (felt boots), irreplaceable in the severe conditions of Siberian winters. They were manufactured not only in the tradition black color, but also in white, pink, and maroon. At a customer’s request, they could be decorated with intricate multi-colored patterns.
Other industries were also developing in Barnaul. In 1864, engineer M. B. Prang opened the first in Russia soda factory on the left bank of the Pivovarka river. More than ten types of beer were manufactured by three breweries; sausages and confections were also produced. Still, the retail industry remained prevalent in Barnaul: in 1912, the city had more than 500 shops and stores, some owned by merchants of the famous Morozov family.
On May 2, 1917, Barnaul experienced a terrible tragedy – a large-scale fire, which was reported in Russian newspapers under the headline “the destruction of Barnaul”. After the fire, the entire city was in ruins. The fire destroyed more than 50 blocks of the central, commercial part of the city. Later that year, the class of Barnaul businessman was destroyed by a different kind of fire: the fire of revolution.
In 1917-1920, Barnaul, like the rest of the country, became the arena of a devastating civil war. The 1920’s did not leave a significant mark in Barnaul’s history: the municipal economy, destroyed by the fire and the war, experienced a slow recovery, and many buildings were never restored after losing their owners.
In 1932, the largest in Western Siberia mélange factory was founded in Barnaul. Its construction prompted the development of a “social town”: a complex of residential buildings, daycare centers, schools and medical offices for those who worked at the factory. In 1937, Barnaul became the administrative center of the newly formed Altai Region, and a large-scale construction of administrative buildings, schools, hotels, and movie theaters took place on the city’s central street, the Lenin Prospect.
However, the 1930s were not only the times of construction. It was during that time that all 16 Christian churches were destroyed in Barnaul. Only the Pokrovskaya Church at the outskirts of the city was miraculously spared, even though its bell tower was destroyed and it was turned into a warehouse. It opened again only during the Great Patriotic War.
During the Great Patriotic War, Barnaul housed about 100 industrial enterprises from Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa, and other cities occupied by the Nazi troops. It was at that time that major machine-building enterprises opened in Barnaul: the “Transmash” plant, a boiler plant, a machine-tool manufacturing plant, a radio plant. The city supplied the army with diesel tank motors, oxygen equipment for pilots, uniforms, coats, and boots.
The post-war years were marked by a rapid development of chemical industry in Barnaul. In the 50’s and 60’s, a chemical fiber plant, a tire factory, and many other enterprises were built. Residential districts emerged: Potok, followed by Cheremushki, Solnechnaya Polyana, Urozhainyi. A new industrial district – the Vlasihinskaya industrial platform – was built.
Now Barnaul is home to 8 institutions of higher education, 7 theaters, a planetarium, the Barnaul airport. Its population is about 660 thousand people.
