INRTU Ready to Donate Mineral Collection to Mongolia's First Underground Mining Museum
INRTU museum staff visited the Underground Mining Museum and Training and Tourism Center of Mongolia, to open in early August. The INRTU experts assisted their Mongolian colleagues in establishing the collection and organizing the museum space.
The unique complex will open in the city of Berkh. This is where the fluorite mine used to be. Mongolian and Soviet graduates of the INRTU Mining Department worked there. In 1973, a Soviet-Mongolian company was established, which is now Mongolrostsvetmet State-Owned Enterprise. The company is the main partner of the project to revitalize the mining town.
The Director of INRTU Museums Polina Loginova and the Curator of the A.V. Sidorov Mineralogical Museum Victoria Krasivykh visited Berkh on July 17-20. The excursion for the INRTU representatives was conducted by Head of the Center of Education and Tourism of Mongolia N. Batbold.
The large complex includes underground and above-ground museums, an information center with exhibition halls, a training center, a cafe, and much more. A hotel for students, teachers and tourists is under construction, and an aqua park is going to be opened.
Polina Loginova said, they were impressed by the Underground Mining Museum, which is located at the depth of 45 meters, the excavation length reaches 810 meters:
"Educational, research and entertaining interactive locations have been created at the site. Here you can learn about the history of mining, get acquainted with real mining equipment and raw material extraction processes. Special halls are dedicated to Mongolroszvetmet and the history of mining in Mongolia".
Polina Loginova added that the museum is aimed not only at tourists, but also at students:
"Mongolian colleagues invite INRTU miners for an internship. Thanks to its equipment, the museum serves as a training and laboratory base, allowing future engineers to experience mining at first hand. Special classrooms and accommodation in an on-site hotel have been arranged for the students."During the trip, the INRTU representatives paid special attention to the Berkh Mineralogical Museum, located in a separate two-story building. Polina Loginova and Victoria Krasivykh helped their Mongolian colleagues to arrange mineralogical specimens and organize the museum space. In addition, they shared their experience on the museum fund establishment.
"We plan to transfer the mineral samples of the Irkutsk Region to the Mongolian museum. The collection shall include charoite, apatite, mica, some types of jade, and lapis lazuli," added the Director of the INRTU Museums.N. Batbold also sent a letter to INRTU Rector Mikhail Korniakov expressing his gratitude to the INRTU experts and inviting to the grand opening of the Underground Mining Museum in Berkh.
Photos by Polina Loginova
