Presidential Library tells about creator of first steam engine in Russia, Ivan Polzunov

On March 14, 1728, Ivan Polzunov was born, the future inventor and creator of Russia's first and world's second steam engine. Information about self-taught scientist was added to the section Outstanding Scientists and Inventors of the 18th century of the Great Russia project, which was created by the Presidential Library.

Ivan Polzunov was born in Yekaterinburg in the family of a state construction worker. As a child, he attended the Mining School at the Yekaterinburg Metallurgical Plant, where he studied arithmetic and literature. In his adolescence, he learned about the intricacies of metallurgical production from Nikita Bakhorev, the chief mechanic at Ural Plants, including mechanics, calculations, and drawings.

At the age of 19, Polzunov was sent to Kolyvan-Voskresensk, where precious metals were extracted for the state treasury. There, he studied the specifics of metal melting, delved into details, and read works by M. V. Lomonosov at the factory library.

It is believed that Polzunov acquired his first design experience in 1754 when he created a water-powered sawmill for the plant's needs. In 1759, he received his first senior officer rank.

In the 18th century, Russia's mining and metallurgical industries were completely dependent on water wheels as the main source of energy for their production processes. In April 1763, Ivan Polzunov, with the goal of breaking this dependence, presented a project to the head of Kolyvan-Voskresensk factories, A. I. Poroshin. His project was for a "fire engine", a steam-powered engine that would operate without the use of hydraulic power.

Polzunov's steam engine was the first in the world to have two cylinders working on a single shaft, allowing it to function in a waterless environment. After reviewing his project, Catherine II awarded him 400 rubles and promoted him two ranks, promoting him to Mechanicus with the rank of engineering captain-lieutenant.

In January 1764, the Kolyvan-Voskresensk Mining Authority decided to commission Ivan Polzunov to build a fire-fighting machine. In March of the same year, he created a new design for a steam-powered machine that was 15 times more powerful than his previous model. This new steam engine, designed to power blast furnaces, had a record-breaking horsepower capacity of 32 for its time, allowing for the first time the abandonment of water wheels in factory production.

After the tests, the fire-fighting machine began servicing three melting furnaces. It paid for itself and even made a profit, but after three months of operation, it was disassembled due to a breakdown and replaced with a conventional hydraulic drive. Ivan Ivanovich Polzunov, the inventor of the machine, did not live to see this, as he died of tuberculosis a week before the trial run. The model of his steam engine is now in the Kunstkamera museum, and a current model of his machine is presented in the Altai State Museum of Local Lore in Barnaul. The inventor's legacy has not been forgotten, as several places in Russia bear his name, including the Kolyvan stone-cutting plant, Altai State Technical University, railway station, and Mining and Metallurgical College in Yekaterinburg.

The Great Russia Project, which is presented on the Presidential Library's portal, consists of several sections. One of these sections contains information about scientists and inventors from the 17th and 20th centuries. This section provides information about their lives and work.

Another section is dedicated to cultural figures, including writers, poets, architects, artists, composers, musicians, and dancers. These figures are all from the 17th to 19th centuries and have made significant contributions to Russian and world culture.

Additionally, there is a section dedicated to prominent military figures who have left their mark on history. The Great Russia Project continues to be updated with new biographies of outstanding Russians who have been ahead of their time and have achieved great success in various fields, contributing to the development of both Russian and global science and culture.