On May 16, 1932, Ishimbay’s bore well No. 702 became the region’s first well to produce oil
in industrial-scale volumes. This day is rightfully considered the day of the discovery of Bashkir oil,
and the beginning of the formation of the Soviet Union’s new oil center, the Volga and Ural oil region, also known as the
“Second Baku.”
However, it took dozens of years of scientific research, as well as the efforts
of thousands of workers and oilmen who devoted themselves to the development of Ishimbay oil fields
for this significant event to finally take place. The exhibition “At the Wellspring of Bashkir Oil”
offers a fascinating and dynamic recount of this entire process: here, you will find historical
black-and-white photographs and propaganda posters side by side with genuine tools
of oil workers, pieces of art, and rare books.
