It is complicated to evaluate the role of foreign specialists in Russian modernisation and the transfer of European knowledge and technologies into the country’s metallurgical and armament industries. For almost three centuries, these industries were marked by a symbiosis of state protectionism, private initiative, foreign entrepreneurship, and the interaction of heavy and light production. To understand the economic and acculturational processes involved, it is essential to compare the experience of industrial regions in Russia and Western Europe. Small independent craft workshops developed as alternatives and supplements to mass factory production. Analysing the interrelation of Russian and European experiences can clarify the role of foreign entrepreneurs and specialists in Russian heavy industry while also demonstrating the positive or negative role of the state.