Scholarly record

OLD MINES OF THE NORTHWEST OF RUSSIA IN THE CONTEXT OF CHANGING ROLE OF MINING-INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

Kirill Shekov

Abstract

Russian northern territories? cultural advance and development were directly connected to the extraction of minerals. Development of northwest Russia?s mineral resources became more planned and systematic with ?Mining Prikaz? established by Peter the Great. There are numerous old mines preserved in Leningrad region and Karelia, and their cultural potential is underestimated by the state and their historical value is downgraded. This article considers spreading in Russia practices of using shut-down underground mining workings for the purposes unrelated to the extraction of minerals. In particular scientific researches in artificial undergrounds including participation of speleo-divers, making scientific-educational and feature films, museumification of mines, excursions, creative interpretation of underground space, religious ceremonies, searches for assets, leisure activities are implied. Empirical basis for the research are the mining-industrial heritage sites of Leningrad region and Karelia: the quarries of Telezi (limestone) and the quarries of Sablino (quartz sand), Ruskeala underground labyrinths (marble), the mines of Rogoselga (hematite) and ?Senkina Yama? (copper), Shungite drift way (shungite), ?Gerbertz-1? mine (metals) and mines of Loukhi district (feldspar and mica). Russian legislation is so contradictive and complicated that in practice legal use of underground workings carries many difficulties, and the existing exceptions such as Ruskeala Mining Park and Sablino Natural Monument only prove the general rule. The legislation provides for a complicated and expensive licensing procedure of underground works irrespective of the purposes of the further use of the underground space. Alongside with legal forms of underground mining workings? exploitation illegal practices are developing surreptitiously. Besides, low security level of these sites is a serious obstacle for their integration into tourist routes. Vandalism and piecemeal destruction of rare monuments of mining-industrial history raise concerns. The huge and most important cultural-historical layer is today unavailable for the population who has no appropriate notion of their roots and raw wealth of their land. Creation of various simulations of mines in museums does not compensate the loss of real mining monuments as the field of application for such sites is not limited by scientific and educational activities only.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/5.3/s28.077

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