ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. A square of Geologists was opened in Krasnoyarsk, created at the expense of mining companies of the region – Nornickel, Polyus, RN-Vankor and others. The new attraction is located at the intersection of Karl Marx and Weinbaum streets, near the building of the former Krasnoyarsk Geological Administration.
The square’s central elements are a bronze sculpture of a geologist, a stele with a layered rock structure pattern and the professional motto: “With mind and hammer”. The monument is dedicated to the selfless work of geologists who explored mineral deposits in the Krasnoyarsk region, Tyva and Hakassia. The gold-bearing Olimpiada deposit, brown coal deposits of the Kansk-Achinsk group of regions, the Vankor oil and gas field and the unique Norilsk copper-nickel ores deposits, which provide 17 percent of the total world nickel production and almost 40 percent of palladium production, are among them.
“The most important monument of Norilsk is the very first house in the city, which was built in the 1920s by the geologists of the expedition of Nikolay Urvantsev. Without them, the Taimyr south production would not exist. And if geologists had not discovered the Talnah deposit in the middle of the 20th century, there would not have been the ore base that we have today. Thanks to geologists, a large part of the region and our entire country’s economy works”, said Igor Astapov, Nornickel’s Krasnoyarsk representative office deputy director.
We add that geology veterans took the initiative to create a sculpture and memorial complex in 2016 and the future monument first stone was laid. The project was implemented by the Krasnoyarsk Region Northern Territories’ Heads Association. In addition to the sculptural composition, the Geologists square has a recreation area, benches, and street lighting.
Worthy mentioning that in 1960s, Georgy Maslov pointed out the geological prospects of the territory in terms of reserves of sulfide platinum-copper-nickel ores. Subsequently, the area explored by him was recognized as a deposit. Today it is called Maslovsky and is part of the Nornickel’s Southern Cluster project.
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Text: Larisa Fedishina Photo: Nornickel Polar Division’s press service
