Young engineer Evgeny Yakovlev, who failed the exams at the Naval School, was met with mockery for his eccentricities. His days were spent in the workshop, where he, covered in oil and smelling of gasoline, worked on inventions and ran around the yard with parts. For almost five years he toiled, and many had already given up on him, but in 1889 he presented the Russian internal combustion engine.

Yakovlev's invention successfully passed tests, and even Mendeleev showed interest, placing the engine in his laboratory. In 1891, Yakovlev received 20 orders for engines, and his workshop became too small for such large-scale work. Therefore, he decided to open his own factory, using only Russian materials, despite the additional costs. "The first Russian means it is Russian and the best!" Yakovlev believed, and his engines, exhibited in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Baranovichi, consistently took prize places. The demand for them was high, and orders came even from abroad. However, Yakovlev sold engines abroad not so much for profit, but out of pride for Russia.

In 1893, Yakovlev's engines were sent to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where they received bronze medals. There he met Peter Freze, the owner of a carriage factory in St. Petersburg, and they were inspired by the idea of creating the first Russian automobile. This took three years: Yakovlev improved the engine and transmission, while Freze worked on the chassis, steering, and body. In May 1896, the automobile successfully passed tests, showing good characteristics: a weight of about 300 kg, a speed of up to 20 km/h, and a fuel reserve for 10 hours of driving.

Unfortunately, Yakovlev did not manage to perfect the car. Due to a severe illness, he was confined to bed and passed away at the age of 41 in St. Petersburg.