History of Perm
Russian memorials say, that on the Kama river there was a great land – Perm the Great. The endless vastitudes, full-flowing rivers, wonderful riches were specific for this land. Perm, Perem, Pera ma – far foreign land.
Since XV century Perm the Great has become a part of Russia. Industry in Urals began with Verkhnekamsk salt and Perm copper. Salt and copper triggered town settlements, which turned into the largest towns of Prikamie in the course of time.
In 1723 the construction of Egoshikha coppermelting plant began. This plant gave birth to Perm – the centre of the great Ural province. Soon the fate of Egoshikha town changed dramatically. With the new administrative division it was made the centre of the future province according to the decree of Ekaterina II on the 20th of November 1780. The coat of arms of Perm was accepted: «in the red field there is a silver bear, above this bear there is a Evangelistary with golden icon-setting, and above it there is a silver cross». The coat of arms symbolized the Christian enlightenment of wild Perm forests, the greatness and wisdom of Perm inhabitants, their aspiration for tranquility and wealth.
In the course of two centuries new houses, industrial and educational buildings, churches and sales areas were built on the bank of full-flowing river Kama. At the beginning of the XIX century an administrative centre was formed in Sybirskaya street, that became a front, aristocratic and business street. The residence of Perm governors was situated in it – a governor’s house, a state chamber, an excise government, a city government, the house of noble assembly, a theatre, a shopping arcade, shops and mansions – all this formed the provincial face of the city.
On the high bank of the Kama river a Savior-Transfiguration cathedral was build. In its construction the material of the famous Pyscor monastery of Stroganoffs was used. Iconostasis still exists – it is the richest and the most ancient in Perm region. For a long time it had been a Perm state gallery and a regional natural history museum.
In 1841 an expedition of an English geologist R. Murchinsky worked in the Urals. He began to explore surroundings of Perm. He was one of the first scientists, who found out deposits of new geological epoch here, which was later called “perm”, “perm geological system” and came into all languages of the world.
Perm was becoming one of the main industrial centers and arsenals of Russian Empire, and the greatest canon plant was built here. The 20-inch steel canon, which blazed away with 30 pud crude iron balls, became a symbol of high skill. A new stage in the development of canon plants was connected with the name of a famous inventor of electrical welding N.G. Slavyanov. His method of electrical welding of metals was awarded a golden medal at the worldwide exhibition in Chicago, and Perm canon plants became the first enterprise, where welding was used in industrious scales.
The construction of Perm plants and factories caused the influx of workforce, and that in it’s turn increased the town population. At the beginning of the XIX century about 4000 people lived in Perm, and at the end of the century it’s population was already 28000. It cause some changes in the face of the town. The buildings of a railway station and railway offices replaced the old pulled down private houses. New residential districts, stony pavements, brick houses appeared, and water pipelines were put into operation. In 1901 one of the first Russian electric power stations was constructed in Perm.
Perm was a well developed cultural city of Urals. In 1870 the Opera house opened here, though the first musical performance took place here in 1806, and in 1821 there was a theatre performance, made by manufactures of the Vsevolgskys and the Stroganovs. At instigation of the city intelligentsia a science-industrial museum opened in Perm. At the end of the XVIII century, the first public college began its work. It was called a Russian Perm municipal school, that had only one teacher. By the beginning of the XX century, Perm had already more than 20 educational institutions. And in 1916 the first university in Urals was founded. It was the Perm State University.
