Nikolai Demidov, a descendant of a famous Russian dynasty, served as the Russian envoy in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Despite his service to Russia, he made a significant contribution to the life of Florence, where the representation of the Russian Empire was located.
It is known that while living in Florence, Demidov financed the construction of a school and a hospital for the underprivileged. He also founded the Napoleonic Museum by acquiring Napoleon's first residence on the island of Elba in 1851, where he was in exile. The Villa San Donato, remodeled and adorned with Ural malachite, attracted the attention of all the high nobility of Italy. Demidov patronized artists, particularly Karl Bryullov, who created the famous painting 'The Last Day of Pompeii' at his commission, later gifted to the Hermitage.
In 1871, his children, Anatoly and Peter, erected a monument to their father in Piazza Mulina di San Giorgio, later renamed Demidov Square, created by Lorenzo Bartolini. The sculptor depicted Demidov in the guise of a Roman senator, embracing his son, at the feet of whom sits a female figure with a laurel wreath, symbolizing the gratitude of the Florentines. At the corners of the pedestal are four allegorical sculptures: 'Nature', 'Mercy', 'Art', and 'Siberia'.