“... Demidov early became an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences, and in 1831, “wishing to contribute to the success of sciences, literature and industry, he undertook during his lifetime and a quarter of a century posthumously to donate five thousand rubles for prizes to writers, historians, economists , scientists or travelers who have enriched the storehouse of folk wisdom with their labors. At the same time, he set a condition that the academicians themselves should not dare to participate in the competition for the Demidov Prize:- I know this audience ... the academician himself! Give them free rein, so they will start distributing my awards to one another, and our Gogols and Pushkins will get a fig with butter from them ... "