NIJNE-TAGHILSK, currently known as TAGHIL, a town and iron-work of Russia, situated in the government of Perm and district of Verkhoturie, 100 miles to the south-east of the district town. It occupies an advantageous position in a longitudinal valley on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, within a few miles of the place where the Taghil, cutting through the eastern wall of the valley, escapes to the lowlands to join the Tura, a tributary of the Tobol. The southern part of this valley is occupied by the upper Taghil, and its continuation towards the north by the upper Tura, from which it is separated by a low watershed ; it is dotted with numerous iron-works, and is now connected by railway (the first in Siberia) with Perm and Ekaterinburg (88 miles distant). The town was founded in 1725 by the well-known Russian miner Demidoff, and is still the property of his family. The river, which above the iron-work expands into a small lake, supplies the iron-work with motive power, driving no less than twenty-seven water-wheels, while there are several steam-engines. Nijne-Taghilsk is a central foundry for a number of iron-mines and eleven other works scattered in the valley of the Taghil and its tributary, the Saida, the aggregate production of which in 1879 amounted to 749,000 cwts. of cast iron and 280,000 cwts.

of wrought iron (547,500 cwts. of iron and iron-ware, worth 6,000,000 roubles, in 1881). About 3601 of gold, 2500 lb of platinum, and 11,600 cwts. of copper are also annually mined at Nijne-Taghilsk. The town has several educational institutions both primary and secondary, the latter including a technical school and a school for girls. It has a very animated appearance during its weekly fairs, and, being the chief corn-market for the supply of nearly all the iron-works of the district of Verkhoturie, carries on a brisk corn trade, which the railway has further developed. The inhabitants also make wooden boxes and trays which are sent to the fairs of Irbit and Nijni-Novgorod. The population, including that of the Vyiski iron-work, situated close at hand, exceeds 30,000, all Great-Russians, and chiefly Nonconformists.