Nobel moved to Russia from Sweden in 1838, to sell his inventions in Saint Petersburg, where he lived for two decades with his family.

[3] Among his successful creations was an improved version of an underwater exploding mine that personally interested Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.

Immanuel founded a war supplies factory, Fonderies et Ateliers Mécaniques Nobel Fils, which turned out to be a very profitable business.

However, the death of Nicholas I in 1855 and the end of the Crimean War in 1856 brought about a shift in Russian policies and the new Tsar Alexander II ordered a severe cut in the military budget that eventually placed Immanuel's company in serious economic difficulties.

In 1859, the technical management of Nobel Fils was passed to Immanuel's son Ludvig and the former returned to Sweden.