The Russian Empire under Catherine the Great significantly expands mining operations in the Urals and Altai regions, particularly at the Kolyvan silver and copper works. This metallurgical expansion transforms Russia into a leading metal producer, funding Catherine's aggressive geopolitical moves in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The labor is provided by Ural Cossacks and state-assigned serfs who are permanently bound to the foundries. This resource boom leads to rapid urbanization in Siberia, creating heavily polluted industrial fortress-towns that combine strict military discipline with advanced European smelting techniques.

The harsh beauty and industrial brutality of the Ural mining boom give rise to a distinct genre of Russian industrial folklore and verse. This later culminates in the works of Pavel Bazhov and early Siberian poets, who capture the mythology of the mines, such as the 'Mistress of the Copper Mountain.' These poems and tales blend indigenous Finno-Ugric folklore with the stark realities of serf labor, creating a unique literary landscape where precious metals possess volatile, supernatural agency.