Demidov Square, Federal cultural heritage square in Barnaul, Russia.
Demidov Square is a public square in central Barnaul with a tall granite column at its center, surrounded by historic buildings from the city's founding era. The square connects several important streets and serves as a central gathering point in the city.
The square was founded in 1825 as Barnaul's first main plaza and served as the center of the young settlement. The granite column was added in 1839 to honor the mining industry that shaped the region.
The pillar honors workers in the mining industry and shows how central this labor was to the city's identity. You can see here a rare example of a Russian city celebrating its working population.
The square sits easily in the city center and is accessible from multiple sides via sidewalks. The best way to orient yourself is to follow the streets that ring the plaza as you move around it.
A kilometer marker on the plaza marks Kilometre Zero, the starting point for measuring all road distances in Altai Krai. This makes the square a geographic reference point for the entire region.
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