The seventh volume of the multi-volume "History of the Southern Urals" is devoted to the events of the period of Russian colonization of the Southern Urals in 1734-1900. A comprehensive analysis of archival documents and Russian mining legislation of the 18th-19th centuries made it possible to find answers to questions about the reasons for the rise of metallurgical production in the South Urals in the 18th century and its crisis state in the 19th century.