Historical memory: visit by Bishop of Yekaterinburg and Irbit Nathanael to the Nizhny Tagil plant. Day one – June 27 (July 10, New Style) 1886translated

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

From the diary of His Eminence Nathanael: “In the last days of June, I was invited to the Nizhny Tagil plant for the burial of the body of the factory owner Demidov, Prince S. Donato. brought for burial to Nizhne Tagilsk from Florence, where he lived and where he died. On June 27 at noon I left Yekaterinburg along the Ural Mining Railway with the housekeeper, the protodeacon, the subdeacons, and the same […]

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Ольга Смирнова

It is interesting that the body was brought all the way from Florence. How many days did it take to travel this way by rail and beyond?

Thomas Hall

That’s a long haul from Florence. The train part from the port up through the Urals must have taken at least ten or twelve days back then, plus whatever time the body spent on the ship first. Wonder how they kept everything in order during the trip.

Ján Novák

All the way from Florence to here in Tagil, it was quite a journey. I'm interested in how they endured with the body on the ship in the summer of 1886 and then in those wagons across the Urals - Olga, you asked about the days, I'd just like to know if they had any ice or special coffins.

Ლ

ლევან აბაშიძე

Still, it is interesting that Demidov's corpse was brought from Florence to all of Europe and Russia. To Olga's question - then it would take at least ten to twelve days to reach the Urals by railway, and even more by ship. I don't know how they kept their bodies in that hot June, maybe they had a special box or ice.

Екатерина Соловьёва

It is interesting that Nathanael went with a whole team - the steward, the protodeacon, and the subdeacons. And the body was transported from Florence in the summer, in the heat, and Olga was right, how many days did it all take by rail through the Urals? Probably, it could not have happened without special training.

Юрій Коваленко

It is interesting that Nathaniel left precisely on June 27 with a whole team - the housekeeper, protodeacon and subdeacons. The body was transported from Florence in the heat of June, probably without ice. Olga, didn't you find out exactly how many days the steamer went to Odessa or St. Petersburg?

Γιάννης Θεοδώρου

Yes, interesting that they brought the body from Florence in the summer of 1886. It must have taken many days by ship to Odessa or Petro, then the train through the Urals – no refrigerators then, so they would have had something special, ice or a metal case. Nathanael went with the whole team, steward and horse deacons, as if it were a big deal for the parish.

Θεόδωρος Γεωργίου

Yes, John, the trip from Florence to the Urals in the summer without refrigerators was definitely a challenge. I remember that back then they used special metal sarcophagi with ice that they renewed at each station. Nathanael went with so many people because the Dimitriades were the biggest benefactors of our parish, it was not a simple funeral.

Მ

მაია კაპანაძე

Levan, indeed, would be at least ten or twelve days by rail. I have no idea how they preserved the body in that hot June - they probably had a special metal coffin and blocks with ice, as was the custom back then. I wonder if they were brought from Florence by ship or directly to Russian ports?

Σπύρος Γεωργίου

Yes, John, the journey by ship and then train through the Urals in the summer of 1886 was certainly difficult. I remember that the Demidovs also had their own specially equipped wagons, which is why they took it so far. How do you know this incident, from a book or from the parish?

Მ

მაია ჩხეიძე

Maya, you are right, it would take at least ten to twelve days by rail. I read that he was brought from Florence by ship to the port of Odessa, and from there by train. Ice blocks and a metal coffin would certainly have been useful, otherwise what would have happened to the body in the June heat.