Happy geologist!

In 2016, our country celebrates the 50th anniversary of the celebration of the Day of the Geologist. This holiday was established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 31, 1966 to commemorate the merits of Soviet geologists in the creation of the country's mineral resource base.

The holiday falls on the first Sunday of April, which is due to the start of preparation for summer expeditions. Geological romance attracted young people to technical schools and universities, science and expeditions. The profession of a geologist was considered prestigious and honorary. It was these geologists of the bygone century on the balance of the state that were placed deposits of hydrocarbons, diamonds, gold, polymetallic ores, rare and rare -earth metals, potassium salts and other types of minerals.

All these types of mineral raw materials are still the basis for the export of the Russian Federation, in the structure of which the share of natural resources in 2015 exceeded 74%. At the same time, geologists, who ensured their labor itself, the possibility of the country's survival in the conditions of sanctions and the financial crisis, in modern Russia feel like people forgotten by the state.

At all levels of public administration, in the media, on various economic and political forums, ideas are replicated that Russia enters the sixth (post -industrial) technological way, although in fact Russia was stuck in the 4th way of the “oil era”. And it is not the fault of geologists that, as before, minerals are exported from Russia without any serious processing.

On the eve of the anniversary celebration of the Geologist's Day, I would like to remind all our fellow citizens and fellow countrymen of those people-Soviet and Russian geologists, whose selfless labor was created the same mineral resource base, which will ensure the stable development of the Russian economy for many years and decades.