Semyon Ulyanovich Remezov, a native of Tobolsk, came from a family of boyar children. His grandfather and father were service people in Tobolsk, and his brother Nikita served there as well. At the time of Semyon's birth, his father held the position of a streltsy hundredman. In 1668, Semyon began his service as a regular Cossack in the Ishim ostrog under his father's command. In 1670, his father was exiled to Berezov for 'flattery and whispering' to the Tobolsk voivode Peter Godunov. In 1682, Semyon was awarded the title of son of a boyar for his diligence in service and returned to Tobolsk. By that time, he already had three sons: Leonty, Semyon, and Ivan.

Remezov's activities were diverse. He participated in repelling raids by nomadic tribes, clashes with the Voguls and Tatars, collected yasak, founded new villages, and conducted population censuses. In 1689, he was recognized as an experienced draftsman, and in 1693, he tried his hand at icon painting. In 1695, he developed emblems for regimental banners and produced them at his own expense. Some of them may have survived and were known as 'Yermak's banners.'

Remezov became an architect and the head of the construction of the only stone Kremlin in Siberia, in Tobolsk. In 1697, he went to Moscow with his son Semyon, where he studied cartography and stone construction. Upon returning to Tobolsk in 1698, he created blueprints for fortifications, calculated estimates, and supervised construction. He was involved in sourcing materials and ensuring the construction.

Remezov was interested in the history of Siberia's annexation and outlined his research in the Remezov Chronicle, which includes 'Siberian History' and 'Brief Siberian Chronicle of Kungur.' He also wrote works on toponymy and ethnography of Siberia.

In 1703, Remezov and his son Leonty created the 'Map of the Kungur City Land,' paying special attention to waterways. During a business trip, he explored the Kungur Cave and made important bibliographic discoveries.

In 1711, the first Siberian governor, Prince M. P. Gagarin, arrived in Tobolsk. Important buildings in Tobolsk and Tyumen were constructed according to Remezov's blueprints. He also developed plans for a metallurgical plant and was involved in the search for saltpeter.

There is a legend that Gagarin planned to separate Siberia from Russia. In 1719, he was arrested, and in 1721, he was executed. Remezov, although close to Gagarin, was not harmed. In his last years, he was seen in Tobolsk by a German scientist and a Swedish officer. The year and cause of Remezov's death are unknown; he may have 'burned out' from work.