Development of the gold mining industry of Dalstroy during the Second World War and the first post-war years. On archival documents of 1938-1948s

Document publication

doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-2-469–492

For citation

Zelyak, V. G., Grebenyuk, P. S. (2025). Development of the gold mining industry of Dalstroy during the Second World War and the first post-war years. On archival documents of 1938-1948s, Herald of an Archivist, № 2, pp. 469–492, doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-2-469–492

Zelyak, V. G., Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Novosibirsk, Russia

Grebenyuk, P. S., North-Eastern Integrated Research Institute named after N. A. Shilo FEB RAS, Magadan, Russia

Development of the gold mining industry of Dalstroy during the Second World War and the first post-war years. On archival documents of 1938-1948s

Abstract

The article introduces and analyzes archival references-tables with data on the development of gold mining industry of the Main Department of Construction of the Far North of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR (Dalstroy NKVD-MVD of the USSR) on the eve of World War II and in the first postwar years (1938-1948). They contain information on the dynamics of gold production, technical and economic indicators of enterprises, processes of mechanization of production, volumes of capital investments, etc. The published documents reveal the gradual depletion of rich alluvial deposits and a decrease in the average gold content in the sands. There is a significant increase in the scale of stripping and sand washing. The dynamics of placer and ore gold production and the development of production at full-cycle plants are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. A sharp reduction in capital investments in the development of Dalstroy, in the volume of cargo transportation and supplies of the most important types of equipment is observed. The ability of the industry to function and ensure the production of strategic metal under difficult wartime conditions is noted. High rates of mechanization of production in the post-war period, technical re-equipment of Dalstroy, increase in the fleet of machinery are studied. The growth of labor productivity at all stages of mining operations is fixed. Problems with the supply of equipment for the needs of the industry in the postwar years are revealed. The ability of Dalstroy to expand the scale of mining due to the growth of capital investment, introduction of new technologies is emphasized. The published documents contain unique statistical information on technical and economic parameters of gold mining of Dalstroy in 1938-1948 and allow a comprehensive assessment of trends in the development of the gold mining industry in the difficult economic conditions of wartime.

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Keywords

Gold, Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, gold reserves, gold industry, gold mining, Dalstroy NKVD-MVD of the USSR, ore gold, placer gold, USSR.

References

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About authors

Zelyak Vitaly G., Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Department of National History and History of Russia, Professor, Novosibirsk, Russia, +7-913-700-41-72, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0000-0003-2431-5536

Grebenyuk Pavel S., Doctor of Historical Sciences, North-Eastern Integrated Research Institute named after N. A. Shilo, FEB, Novosibirsk, Russia, +7-913-713-41-72; N. A. Shilo FEB RAS, Laboratory of History and Economics, Leading Researcher, Magadan, Russia, +7-924-693-67-89, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0000-0001-9940-9962

Grant information

The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-28-00296 “Comparative Analysis of the USSR Gold Industry on the Eve of and During World War II,” https://rscf.ru/project/25-28-00296/

The article was received in the editorial office on 24.01.2025, recommended for publication on 20.03.2025