Leonid Ivanovich Lutugin in Kuzbass (1914–1915): on the role of geological research in the development of the coal region

This article focuses on the important period of geological studies of the Kuznetsk coal basin in 1914-1915 conducted under Leonid Ivanovich Lutugin, one of the founding researchers of the geology of coal fields. The goal set by the authors is to reveal the significance of the contribution of this famous geologist to the formation of knowledge about Kuzbass as a unique source of coal resources. Despite Lutugin's brief participation in these research activities, objective geological data obtained thanks to his professionalism and personal qualities substantiated systematic studies of the basin and contributed to the activation of the coal-industrial development of the territory. The work is based on biographical studies of this renown geologist’s life and publications on the history of geological exploration of Kuzbass; especially significant were the articles written by authoritative scientists and geologists who participated in the exploration of the Kuznetsk coal basin of the period. Based on a systematic scientific approach using biographical and comparative methods and reconstruction of events, the authors of this article link the process of intensive exploration of coal mining in the Kuzbass region to L.I. Lutugin's organizational and scientific activities in Kuzbass, pointing to their causal relationship. Geological information about the coal basin known by 1913 did not satisfy the demands of the scientific and industrial-economic community, which was eager to determine the prospects for the development of the coal industry. Initiated in the interests of the Kuznetsk Coal Mines Joint Stock Company (Kopikuz) created in 1912, the research aimed at solving applied problems, such as selecting sites for the construction of coal mining enterprises. Due to the complexity of the upcoming commercial studies, Kopikuz invited L.I. Lutugin to conduct them. As a specialist in the geology of the Donetsk coal basin, he received wide professional recognition for the creation of a geological map of Donbass and the development of a detailed geological survey technique. The decision of L.I. Lutugin to head the work on the study of the Kuzbass coal basin, coupled with his life circumstances and his scientific interests and personal motives, played a key role in obtaining a fundamentally new understanding of it. Thanks to his leadership, initially commercial explorations acquired large-scale scientific character: the age and thickness of many kilometers of coal-bearing strata were established; the variety and characteristics of the properties of Kuznetsk coals were revealed; and, for the first time, reliably assessed coal reserves showed national significance of the basin. Thus, because of scientific and organizational activities of L.I. Lutugin in the study of the geology of the basin, coal-mining and scientific communities obtained data that intensified the formation of the coal industry in the region and indicated broad prospects for its further development. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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