D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak was born and lived most of his life in the Urals. He entered the history of Russian literature primarily as the author of his 'Ural' novels, which brought him widespread acclaim. Everything in them seemed unusual to readers: the very flavor of Siberian life—nature, everyday life, traditions, folk speech—and the new heroes—gold prospectors, Old Believers, and hunters—with their strong, determined personalities. At one point captivated by the idea of ​​leasing gold-bearing land, the writer traveled to the mines, met with prospectors, and asked them about their daily lives. Mamin-Sibiryak never became a gold miner, but the experience he gained formed the basis for his novel 'Gold' (1892).