MINERALS OF THE TURKESTAN TERRITORY IN THE SERVICE OF THE EMPIRE: IDEAS AND PRACTICE OF THE END OF THE XIX CENTURY

The article deals with the question of how the conquest of Central Asia by Russia in the second half of the XIXth century influenced the study of the geological riches of the region and the prospects for their use for the empire. From the moment of its conquest, the military administration of the region began to provide all possible support for the geological study of the region. The first optimistic studies by N. A. Severtsov and Tatarinov of coal mines and gold mines, by the beginning of the 70s, led to the first disappointments, whic h consisted in their futility. However, in the early 70s of the XIX century, by order of K. P. Kaufman organized a new geological study of Turkestan. The selection of suitable candidates was undertaken by the newly appointed official for special assignments for the mining part K. V. Gilev. With his assistance, a young graduate of the St. Petersburg Mining Institute, I. V. Mushketov, and later a professor of the same institute, G. D. Romanovsky, came to the Turkestan region. It was from their submission that the first general geological structure of the region was compiled and certain conclusions were drawn about deposits of coal, oil and other minerals. It was during this period that the issue of the geological riches of Turkestan began to be widely covered in the press and the opinion was voiced that Turkestan could eventually become the second Ural. But this optimism was short-lived, just as their predecessors Mushketov and Romanovsky come to the conclusion that the natural resources of the region are poor. After the death of Kaufman in 1882, the geological study of the region for the prospects of its wealth ceased altogether until the beginning of the XXth century.