Mining Engineer L. F. Grauman and the gold mining industry development in Russia

Abstract

Russia began to establish its gold-mining industry since the end of the 19th—beginning of the 20th centuries and quickly became the world’s top gold producer. Gold mines of East Siberia made a foundation of the Russian gold industry and for a very short period developed from little handicraft diggings into big companies and transnational enterprises like Lena Gold Joint-stock Company. One of the key figures who played a significant role in launching and growth of the Russian gold industry was Leopold F. Grauman, a graduate of the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute. He was a type of a person who integrated the public interests in increasing gold production and the private initiative in development and foundation of the Russian gold industry as a rentable branch of industry based on long-term scientific planning and approach. Grauman was a kind of practitioner, who on his own experience knew how to organize geological expeditions in difficult to pass Siberian taiga, a year-round gold mining in difficult permafrost conditions, usage of technical innovation that indirectly influenced the development of domestic machine industry and production of machines for extreme weather conditions. He initiated the establishment of the Permanent Advisory Committee of gold and platinum entrepreneurs in order to transform Russian gold industry from spontaneous into a planned one. The Committee published its own journal and held regular congresses of gold and platinum entrepreneurs where delegates elected by the regional congresses represented the interests of the regions. The congresses were empowered to make decisions on technical improvements and funding of gold industry as well as questions of labor legislation and improvement of professional level of gold mine workers and employees.