Anatoliy Demidov Russian and French philanthropist, scion of a family of Ural breeders Date of Birth: 17.04.1812 Country: France

1. Russian and French Patron, Anatoly Demidov
2. The Demidov Legacy
3. Anatoly's Quest for Recognition
4. Marriage to Princess Mathilde de Montfort
5. The Malachite Rotunda
6. A Gift Rejected
7. A Lasting Legacy

Russian and French Patron, Anatoly Demidov

Anatoly Demidov, a descendant of the Ural manufacturers, was a Russian and French patron. He was the grandson of the famous Nikita Demidov and owned numerous factories in the Ural and Siberia regions, as well as rich mines where the renowned Russian malachite was extracted. His palace in San Donato was adorned with a vast collection of objects and items made from Ural green stone, attracting visitors from all over Italy and even other European countries.

The Demidov Legacy

The Demidov family's passion for luxury and artistry continued with Anatoly's older brother, Pavel. Following the design of Auguste Monferan, Pavel built a palace for himself in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The interior of the drawing room was entirely decorated with malachite, making it the first malachite hall in the world. Meanwhile, Anatoly, with his daily income of 24,000 rubles, continued to enhance the beauty of his inherited estate in San Donato. To ensure that those who wished to admire the splendor of his "ancestral nest" faced no inconvenience, he arranged for carriage services from San Donato to all major cities in Central Italy. Additionally, he established a personal guard of three thousand soldiers dressed in a uniform of his own design.

Anatoly's Quest for Recognition

Anatoly's one constant disappointment was his failure to receive an invitation to the Winter Palace when visiting St. Petersburg. Tsar Nicholas I disliked Anatoly not only for his merchant ambitions but also because of the enormous amount of money that left Russia at his whim. To improve his relationship with the autocratic ruler, Anatoly could have followed his brother's example by making substantial contributions to charitable causes, including the development of Russian science and culture. However, Anatoly chose a different path. He believed that acquiring a princely title would open the doors of the Winter Palace to him. Thus, he purchased the title from a friend who had fallen on hard times. When news of this scandalous transaction reached Nicholas I, the emperor remarked, "Let him remain a prince there."

Marriage to Princess Mathilde de Montfort

Undeterred by his failed attempt to gain favor with Nicholas I, Anatoly decided to secure his place in the imperial palace by marrying a distinguished spouse. He wed Princess Mathilde de Montfort, the niece of Napoleon Bonaparte. Unfortunately, their married life was troubled from the start. The Russian way of life did not suit the princess, and Anatoly resorted to physically punishing her, tying her to a bed, simply to assert his dominance. Eventually, Mathilde sought a divorce, which she obtained on favorable terms. She received an annual alimony of 200,000 rubles, and considering that she lived for another 62 years after parting ways with Anatoly, the total amount equated to nearly 12.5 million rubles.

The Malachite Rotunda

Still unable to gain the favor of Nicholas I, Anatoly sought another, seemingly more reliable, method. He ordered a large quantity of high-quality Russian malachite to be delivered to Italy and commissioned renowned European craftsmen, including the Parisian firm P.-F. Thomire, to create a seni-rotunda that would overshadow all known masterpieces in the world of gem cutting. The result was truly an incomparable work of art. The rotunda, resembling a garden pavilion, was made using approximately 1.5 tons of exquisite, vibrantly colored, green veined stone, as well as eaglestone, lapis lazuli, serpentine, bronze, gold, and precious Italian marble. Standing at nearly seven meters tall with a diameter of three meters, the rotunda featured eight slender malachite columns crafted using the Florentine mosaic technique, resting on a podium made of colored stones. The beautiful gilded dome, adorned with malachite and other precious gemstones, displayed laurel wreaths, scrolls, acanthus leaves, and rosettes intricately carved from gilded bronze. In 1834, this masterpiece was exhibited in Paris and garnered universal admiration.

A Gift Rejected

Having paid 2 million rubles for the work, Anatoly added a bust of Nicholas I to the malachite rotunda, intended to be placed inside the structure, and sent the gift to the monarch. However, the emperor received the present without enthusiasm. He sarcastically remarked, "Where does he think I will fit into this cage?" Subsequently, orders were given to install the novelty in one of the halls of the Winter Palace, but this decision was quickly reversed, and the rotunda was sent to the inventory warehouse at the Tauride Palace.

A Lasting Legacy

The malachite rotunda remained in storage until 1862 when Alexander II gifted it to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to serve as a place for prayer. The Lavra treasured this unique masterpiece, and many residents of St. Petersburg visited the church specifically to admire this handcrafted wonder. After several decades, in 1952, the rotunda found its final home in the Hermitage museum, thanks to the initiative of the State Inspection for the Protection of Monuments of History and Culture in Leningrad. It is now preserved for eternity.