Dynamics of Gold Mining by the «Sibzoloto» trust (1925–1927)

Abstract

The State Trust of regional significance Sibzoloto carried out its activities during the operational years 1925/26 and 1926/27, covering not only Western Siberia, but also other mining regions. It was created on the basis of the Siberian gold mining offices that preceded it and was an integral part of the state sector of the Soviet gold industry of this period. There is a peculiar aura of oblivion in the historiography of the results of the trust's work, so it is important to restore the relevant gaps. The purpose of the article is to analyze the dynamics of the main indicators of gold mining operations carried out by the Sibzoloto Trust. The research is conducted within the framework of the concept of frontier modernization in the interpretation continued by Russian historians.
It was established that the Sibzoloto trust produced 874.84 kg of slurry gold or 711.3 kg in terms of its chemically pure equivalent. The main feature was the decrease in production in 1926/27 by 12.7% compared to the result of the previous year, which was explained by the conduct of work on the old areas. Sibzoloto's attempt to organize gold mining in an economic way ended in failurein the use of labor resources. Attention is drawn to the strong drop in gold production by mine tenants and, in general, there is a decline in this type of activity. The stable level of gold mining was provided to the trust by prospectors; however, they did not listen much to the administrative and technical staff of the trust in the field, preferring to mine according to their own understanding. The central government's system of financing the trust seriously limited the trust's ability to scale up gold mining and improve the social infrastructure of mining districts.