In the middle of XIX c it was a public centre of the city situated not far from the Barnaul silver-smelting works. An ensemble of the square that was called to be "a part of St. Petersburg" was built in 1820 -1850.

The square was named after the Demidov pillar, an obelisk in honour of 100 years of mining in Altai. 
The pillar was erected in the period of 1825 - 1839. It is 14 m high and made of grey granite processed in Altai. First there were memorial bronze plates with inscriptions: 

• "To 100 years of the Kolyvano - Voskresensky Works occured in the reign of the Imperor Alexander the 1."
• "The Kolyvano - Voskresensky Works was founded by a councillor of State Demidov in 1725. Became the property of His Imperial Majesty in the reign of the empress Elizaveta the 1 in 1747."

The Demidov pillar in Barnaul is one of few monuments in Russia perpetuated the name of Akinfy Demidov and an important historic event that is the foundation and development of mining in Altai that provided the Russian Imperia with silver in XVIII - XIX c.

Created in traditions of the Russian classicism an ensemble of the square is composed of buildings of a mining school, a hospital, an almhouse with Dm. Rostovsky Church.

Architectors: A. I. Molchanov, Ya. N. Popov, L. I. Ivanov, I. N. Shreiber
 

For 170 years many famous russian and foreign scientists, travellers, politicians, literature and art workers left their signs in the book...

In the 3 page there are autographs of Elim Pavlovich Demidov San Donato and his wife S. I. Demidova ( Vorontsova - Dashkova born ), a married couple of Englishmen Littledale and a doctor of the expedition Nevsky travelled together with him.

A 3-month expedition undertaken in the summer of 1897 had for an object to hunt wild argali sheep at the border of Altai and Mongolia. The results of hunting were described by E. P. Demidov in the september issue of the magazine "Nature and Hunting" ( 1897 ) and were accompanied by a photo of "hunting trophies" taken by Demidov himself in Kosh-Agach.

Elim Pavlovich said in the Travel Notes published in London in 1900: "We arrived in Barnaul on the 30th of May. General Boldyrev placed his house at our disposal... We planned to leave Barnaul on the 3 of June. The weather was cold and rainy all the time... We visited an interesting  museum where there was even a stuffed tiger shot in former times in this place.".

Elim Pavlovich Demidov left his autograph in the Visitors' Book of the museum where there were materials about the development of mining in Altai started by his ancestors.
 

In Altai where Gebler lived 40 years he became famous not only as a doctor but also as a scientist - naturalist. He is an author of a number of works appeared in separate editions and articles published in domestic and foreign scientific magazines. His scientific interests covered a wide range of questions connected with the exploration of Altai nature: geography, botany, entomology, etc . A collection of F. Gebler's books that includes his own works and papers of european scientists he maintained scientific contacts with is kept in the museum.
 

Gebler F."A list of beetles observed in the Kolyvano - Voskresensky mining district in the south of the Western Siberia" is one of the most important works of the scientist.

Fabritsy I."A systematization of insects" is a book of a famous Danish entomologist with a Gebler's autograph.

F. Gebler was a member of many russian and european scientific societies including the Moscow society of naturalists, the society of Rein naturalists in Meinz, the Paris society of Kuvie, etc . K. Ledebur and A. Gumboldt knew about his scientific work and met him in Barnaul.

Gebler F. V. is one of few explorers of Altai who became an Associate Member of the 
Russian Academy of Sciences ( 1833 ).

In 1837 F. Gebler was honoured with Demidov prize for Altai explorations conducted in 1833 - 1835 and described in his book "A review of the Katun Mountains with their highest peak Beluha in the russian Altai".
 

Beluha. A source of the Katun River - a Katun glacier explored by F. Gebler and named after him. Postcards. Beginning of XX c.

Demidov prizes were instituted by Pavel Nikolaevich Demidov (1798 - 1840), a councillor of State, a gentleman in attendance, a great grandson of the founder of  mining in Altai. These prizes were awarded by the Russian Academy of Sciences in the period from 1832 till 1865.  

The prizes are awarded by the Council for prizes and presented on the 27 of February. Just on this day in 1726 it was issued an Edict about the Berg - College that let A. Demidov to work Altai ores. The prizes are presented in such sectors as History, Architecture, Literature, Art, Music - Mastery Art, Enterprise, Educational Programs, Public Activity, Young talants.

About 30 representatives of the creative intellectuals of Altai have become Demidov prize laureates for 5 years of the Fund's activity. They are famous in Altai historians, musicians, writers and poets, painters, buisinessmen.
 

Architector P. I. Anisiforov Explorer of regional lore V. F. Grishaev Writer E. G. Gushchin Drawer V. A. Ramensky Historian A. D. Sergeev Geologist V. M. Chekalin

In the photo (from left to right): P. I. Anisiforov, V. F. Grishaev, V. A. Ramensky, A. D. Sergeev, V. M. Chekalin, E. G. Gushchin. Photo from the paper "Dobryi den"