When is the day of the geologist. The history of the holiday

Russian geologists celebrate their professional holiday, according to tradition, every first Sunday in April. Thus, the day of the geologist 2019 falls on April 7th. This day has been celebrated for the 39th year in a row, having appeared back in 1980 after another amendment to the decree on the holidays of the USSR.

Nature has bad weather

It is because of our capricious climate that the day of geologists is celebrated in April, and not, say, in January or February. Only with the arrival of the second spring month does the snow begin to leave and something similar to the real sun appears. Nature is dawning, and with it the mood of all geologists appears. Professionals begin a long preparation for intense summer work, expedition camps. One of those who decided to establish a separate holiday for geologists was Academician Yanshin. He gathered a group of initiators and made a proposal to separate the day of the geologist. Of course, in the days of the USSR, this impulse could not be born out of nowhere. The reason for creating a holiday was found, the most important one - the discovery of oil and gas fields in Western Siberia. By the way, we are still reaping the fruits of this work done by Soviet scientists half a century ago.

What is geology

First of all, it is a serious science that gives people the opportunity to penetrate not only into the bowels of the Earth in order to enrich themselves, but also to understand the nature of the appearance of life on the planet. When the day of a geologist did not yet exist, however, just as the profession itself did not exist, people tried to compare some facts, to find a logical explanation for certain events. Most were explained by divine power, not by scientific facts. And only relatively recently a separate science, like geology, has been formed.

In our country

The day of the geologist in Russia began with Peter the Great, or rather, his decree on the formation of an organization of miners. A century later, this structure was transformed into a more pretentious mining department, and later into a powerful committee on geology. The USSR understood that isolation from the countries of the main world does not give the country the opportunity to seriously develop various industries or production, so much attention was focused on the development of geological research. The country needed resources, and apart from natural resources, there was nothing available. The Soviet Union managed to build a huge and powerful geological exploration base, the resource of which has not been exhausted to this day. Apparently, this is one of the reasons why Geologist Day 2019 should be celebrated with a look back, and thank our predecessors for allowing us to jump from the hungry 80s of the last century into the well-fed 2000s of the current century, provided with oil, gas and other minerals .

Calculating what date a geologist's day is in 2019 is an extremely simple task, you just need to look at the holiday calendar or refer to our article. Let's figure out what kind of holiday it is - when, why and why it is celebrated.

When is the day of the geologist in Russia

The holiday is celebrated every first Sunday in April.. This year the date falls on April 7.
Why exactly on this day? This is explained quite simply: by the beginning of April, along with snow and frost, winter recedes and is replaced by a beautiful and warm period of the year, when the field of work for the geologist opens with might and main.

In our country, this holiday was introduced more than 50 years ago. Such attention to geologists and respect for their work is not surprising, because without knowledge of the earth it would be impossible to achieve good results in mining, and without this, economic growth is unrealistic. On March 31, 1966, it was decided to celebrate every first Sunday in April.

According to tradition, when the day of the geologist is celebrated in Russia, distinguished professionals and masters of their craft are awarded honorary medals and prizes, and young specialists who have just joined the circle celebrate initiation.

Why is this holiday important?

Today, like many decades ago, the profession of a geologist commands respect and sometimes admiration. His work, which consists in studying the structure of the Earth and its development, is sometimes really hard, requiring considerable endurance.

Surprisingly, without the work of geologists it is impossible to imagine everything on which the modern world is based! Thanks to their painstaking and hard work, mineral deposits are being developed, including oil and gas, on which modern production is based.

Geologists work in the fields and mountains, collecting material for study, compiling topographic maps and putting forward forecasts of surface movement. Our entire understanding of the structure of the Earth and its riches was formed thanks to the work of these glorious people.

For the first time, the need for geologists was recognized back in the Petrine era. Then the Order of Mining Affairs was created. A century later, it was renamed the Mining Department, and in 1882 the Geological Committee.

However, the 20th century gave the strongest impetus to the development of geology. Then new deposits were actively studied, lands were developed. In the 1940s, the Ministry of Geology of the USSR was created, which was in charge of all geological exploration and development of the country.

The profession of a geologist to this day remains one of the most important, necessary and interesting. The work of these specialists already means a lot to mankind and, who knows, perhaps in the future geologists will be able to make many more significant discoveries that will change the idea of our planet.

For such benefits as oil, gas and other riches of the Earth, humanity is obliged to the profession of a geologist. Specialists working in this field are doing an important job for the country and the population. They are constantly developing for the extraction of minerals in all parts of our vast state. Such people are dedicated to their professional holiday - Geologist's Day.

Story

The first mention of geologists in the Russian Empire was recorded during the reign of Peter the Great. He signed a decree by which he approved an institution for conducting prospecting and exploration work. Over the years, the institution underwent reorganization, it was renamed into a collegium, later into a department. In 1882, the main geological institution in the Russian Empire, the Geological Committee, was created.

The highest point in the development of the sphere of geology was in the post-revolutionary period. After the revolution, new territories were developed where geological developments were necessary. The soil, its deposits and the presence of the bowels of the earth were studied.

In the Soviet Union in 1946, the Ministry of Geology was created, which was engaged in all prospecting, surveying and reconnaissance work. It was Soviet geologists who discovered the well-known mining regions in Western Siberia. 1966 was marked by the opening of the West Siberian province for oil and gas production. This event was the reason for the creation of the day of the geologist.

The idea of celebrating a professional holiday was submitted by Yashin A.L., an academician-geologist who led the well-known geologists of the union.

The day of celebration was chosen at the beginning of the second month of spring not by chance. At this time, the preparatory work of specialists for development and research begins. From early spring to late autumn, geologists go on expeditions to the still unexplored regions of the country.

Traditions

On the Day of the Geologist, before the start of stormy work, the holiday is solemnly celebrated. It is celebrated by everyone associated with the development and extraction of minerals.

The management gathers colleagues for solemn congratulations. Diplomas, prizes and awards are given for valiant works and discoveries.

The holiday is also celebrated by future geologists-students, who with each academic year learn more and more about the intricacies of the profession and gain professional experience.

The earth keeps a lot of unknown and interesting things, so geologists will always have work. This activity is interesting and brings a lot of benefits both to the state and to every person. The work of geologists deserves respect; often specialists have to work in very difficult conditions.

The professional holiday of geologists was established in the Soviet Union, but even today the tradition is preserved in many CIS countries. First Geologist's Day celebrated in 1966 in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces.

The initiator of the establishment of the Day of the Geologist was A. L. Yanshin, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. On this day, it was customary to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Soviet specialists working in the field of geology. In the year of the establishment of the holiday, such an occasion was the discovery of the oil and gas region of Western Siberia.

In the Soviet Union, great importance was attached to geology, and this branch developed dynamically. In 1919, for the centralized management of all exploration work, the Central Directorate of Industrial Exploration was created, and in 1922 it was merged with the Geological Committee, which was established as the main geological institution in tsarist Russia in 1882. Since 1947, all geological work has been supervised by a specially created Ministry of Geology.

The first Russian geological institution, which was created in 1700 by Peter I to carry out prospecting and exploration work, was the order of mining affairs. Then it was transformed into the Berg College in 1719, and in 1807 the Mining Department was created on its basis.

Date of celebration of Geologist's Day

The decree established that Soviet geologists would celebrate their professional holiday every year in April, on the first Sunday. That's why Geologist's Day 2019 will be celebrated April 7.

The time of the celebration was not chosen by chance. By the beginning of spring in geology, the results of the past year are being summed up, and the preparatory period for new geological exploration expeditions and prospecting work begins. According to the traditions of the Soviet period, on the eve of the professional holiday, the leading specialists of the industry are rewarded and encouraged.

Today, the tradition has been preserved, and the holiday is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in most CIS countries: in Belarus, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. Corresponding decrees were issued by the governments in Russia in 2013, and in Ukraine in 1993.

Specialists of what professions celebrate Geologist's Day

This day is celebrated by all specialists associated with geology and exploration of the earth's interior:

hydrogeologists investigating the occurrence of aquifers;
geophysicists who are engaged, in particular, in seismic exploration, gravimetry, magnetic exploration, well research, etc.;
mine tunnelers;
geomorphologists whose field of activity is the study of deep processes of the earth's crust that form the relief;
mine surveyors, who monitor compliance with design requirements for the development of deposits, carry out appropriate measurements;
geochemists, etc.

All these professions are associated with the study of the earth's interior, exploration and production of natural resources, so Geologist's Day is a holiday for representatives of all these specialties.

The term "geology" is of Greek origin and is perceived, at first glance, unambiguously. Geo + Logos - the doctrine (science) of the earth. However, the fact has already been forgotten that the word was born not as denoting the science of the structure of our planet, but as an opposition to the science of God - theology. At the time of the introduction of the term into use (and this is the end of the twelfth - the beginning of the thirteenth century), geologists were those who studied everything mortal and existing, that is, they were engaged in earthly science as opposed to spiritual science. Now these same scientists would be called physicists.

A few centuries later, it was necessary to systematize the knowledge accumulated by mankind about rocks, ores and minerals. People increasingly used the resources of the lithosphere and the earth's crust, and professionals in this field were needed. They were called geognostics (Geo + Gnostics - knowledge about the earth). The term was widely used until the middle of the 19th century.

Now a geologist can call himself a specialist who studies the surface of the Earth. Science has a lot of directions, and they all consider the organization of the substance of the earth's crust. The professional holiday Geologist's Day in Russia is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of April. The order to establish the holiday was signed on March 31, 1961, this day fell on a Thursday. The next day off was the first Sunday in April. Since expeditions, excavations and field work begin at this time for workers in this industry, it was decided to fix the holiday in the first week of April.

The doctrine of the Earth is developing rapidly and is constantly updated with new discoveries, despite the fact that the object has been studied for a very long time. Scientists are engaged in raw materials research, replenishing the country's treasury resources with minerals. Together with historians, they are working on recreating the sequence of events that took place in the process of formation of modern crustal structures. Volcanologists study and try to predict the behavior of magma coming to the surface in order to prevent disasters and casualties.

The most interesting work is for those geologists who need to understand the origin of unique formations that have become a kind of landmarks. One can roughly guess how the famous Giants' Trail, a basalt formation in Northern Ireland, arose, considering it to be the result of a volcanic eruption. You can blame coastal erosion for the Moeraki boulders. These smooth, round hemispheres scattered across New Zealand's Koehohe Beach are still being explored. There is no exact answer about how and under what conditions the boulders ended up on the coast. It is expected from geologists.

These specialists also have unfortunate blunders. In 1971, in one of the Turkmen regions, gas deposits were discovered, hitherto held back by an underground void. As a result of drilling, the integrity of the cavity turned out to be broken, the gas began to come out. Geologists decided to set fire to natural fuel in the expectation that it would quickly burn out. But they were wrong. Gas still continues to flow from underground and burn. The locals called this gas crater "The Gates of Hell". Scientists have yet to study and prevent such phenomena.