In the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, scientists, geologists, and entrepreneurs were becoming increasingly interested in BashkIr lands. The need for oil soared during this period as a result of the introduction of the newly-invented internal combustion engine, which required kerosene, gasoline, or other petroleum-based fuel to run. The Soviet leadership, including Vladimir Lenin personally, realized that the country would soon require huge amounts of oil. For this reason, in May 1918, they established the Central Oil Committee headed by the brilliant geologistIvan Gubkin.
It is worth noting that in the early 20th century, the country primarily used oil extracted from the fields of Baku, which greatly complicated the delivery of petroleum products to various regions of the vast Soviet Union. After studying the geological features of the Volga and Ural region, Gubkin suggested that these territories might contain large deposits of oil: all that was left to do was locate them and start their development. It was GUbkin who convinced Lenin and other officials to fund the search for oil fields in BashkIr lands.
This effort is depicted in a large-scale genre painting by Bogdanov (his name and patronymic are unknown). The center of the canvas is occupied by Gubkin himself, sitting at the table in white clothes, surrounded by other members of the expedition. Judging by the saturated palette created by the setting sun, the geologists are discussing the results of their survey after a long day of work. The men at the center of the composition are surrounded by people in unusual ethnic garments, pictured along the edges of the painting. These are likely to be locals guiding the expedition through BashkIr lands in search of oil. The painting also represents the modest and austere life of both the scientists and the local residents, as, at the time, the Volga and Ural region had yet to become one of the most industrialized parts of the Soviet Union.
The search for Bashkir oil continued for over a decade. The initial lack of success in the early 1920s prompted the Soviet leadership to halt surveying work in the region. Gubkin, though, continued to stick to his guns and shared his viewpoint with new generations of scientists. For instance, in 1929, he wrote: ‘There are clear facts that allow us to assume the presence of oil to the north and south of Chusovskiye Gorodki. We are mapping out an extensive geological survey plan for 1929–1930. It will cover a vast area from the shores of the Pechora River and the Arctic Ocean all the way to the south, along the western slope of the Urals, all the way to the city of Sterlitamak.’
In April 1929, an expedition conducting drilling operations near Perm, not far from Bashkortostan, in search of potash deposits, discovered commercially recoverable oil in Permian sediments. Shortly thereafter, in 1932, the first commercial oil was recovered in the Bashkir city of Ishimbay, proving Gubkin’s hypothesis right.
It is worth noting that in the early 20th century, the country primarily used oil extracted from the fields of Baku, which greatly complicated the delivery of petroleum products to various regions of the vast Soviet Union. After studying the geological features of the Volga and Ural region, Gubkin suggested that these territories might contain large deposits of oil: all that was left to do was locate them and start their development. It was GUbkin who convinced Lenin and other officials to fund the search for oil fields in BashkIr lands.
This effort is depicted in a large-scale genre painting by Bogdanov (his name and patronymic are unknown). The center of the canvas is occupied by Gubkin himself, sitting at the table in white clothes, surrounded by other members of the expedition. Judging by the saturated palette created by the setting sun, the geologists are discussing the results of their survey after a long day of work. The men at the center of the composition are surrounded by people in unusual ethnic garments, pictured along the edges of the painting. These are likely to be locals guiding the expedition through BashkIr lands in search of oil. The painting also represents the modest and austere life of both the scientists and the local residents, as, at the time, the Volga and Ural region had yet to become one of the most industrialized parts of the Soviet Union.
The search for Bashkir oil continued for over a decade. The initial lack of success in the early 1920s prompted the Soviet leadership to halt surveying work in the region. Gubkin, though, continued to stick to his guns and shared his viewpoint with new generations of scientists. For instance, in 1929, he wrote: ‘There are clear facts that allow us to assume the presence of oil to the north and south of Chusovskiye Gorodki. We are mapping out an extensive geological survey plan for 1929–1930. It will cover a vast area from the shores of the Pechora River and the Arctic Ocean all the way to the south, along the western slope of the Urals, all the way to the city of Sterlitamak.’
In April 1929, an expedition conducting drilling operations near Perm, not far from Bashkortostan, in search of potash deposits, discovered commercially recoverable oil in Permian sediments. Shortly thereafter, in 1932, the first commercial oil was recovered in the Bashkir city of Ishimbay, proving Gubkin’s hypothesis right.
