Research of the Kola Peninsula Complex Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences 1928 – 1934: towards the Knowledge of Natural resources and Traditional Culture of the Russian Arctic

Boyakova Sardana Il'inichna ORCID: 0000-0001-6067-6385 Doctor of History Chief Researcher, Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 677027, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Petrovsky str., 1 boyakova@mail.ru Pokatilova Nadezhda Volodarovna ORCID: 0000-0002-2869-1400 Doctor of Philology Chief Researcher, Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 677027, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Petrovsky str., 1 pnv_ysu@mail.ru

Suleymanov Aleksandr Albertovich ORCID: 0000-0001-8746-258X PhD in History Senior Researcher, Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 677027, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Petrovsky str., 1, room 403 alexas1306@gmail.com Other publications by this author

Introduction. The history of our country's development of high latitudes includes countless heroic pages, examples of overcoming oneself to achieve a higher goal. At the same time, this story is so rich and multifaceted that it continues to have a significant number of "white spots" and historiographical lacunae.

One of such undoubted achievements is the accelerated development of the territory of the Kola Peninsula during the 1920s and 1930s, which during this period became the most important resource base for ensuring the industrial development of the Soviet Union. Undoubtedly, a significant role in the intellectual support of this breakthrough belonged to the leading scientific center of the country – the Academy of Sciences (AS). The inexhaustible history of academic activity on the Kola Peninsula and in the Russian Arctic as a whole actively attracts the attention of researchers. In this regard, it is necessary to note the biographical works dedicated to the participants of Arctic research: A.E. Fersman, S.V. Slavin, A.N. Labuntsov, G.D. Richter, etc., as well as presented in a number of anniversary publications of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences ^{[2; 5; 19; 21; 22 and others]}. A lot of work The head of the scientific archive of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, E.I. Makarova, carried out the perpetuation of the names of researchers who devoted their lives to the study of the Kola Peninsula, as well as the reconstruction of a number of plots from the history of academic activity in the region. In particular, the researcher reviewed the history of the organization of botanical, biocenotic and zoogeographic surveys, named their leaders and the most important results of their activities in the 1930s. ^{[10; 11; 12; 13; 15 In addition, the history of academic activity in the European North of the USSR at the end of the XIX – first half of the XX centuries was analyzed in his dissertation by A.A. Brovina. One of the sections of this work is devoted to the organization of the Kola complex expedition [4]}. However, despite this, the possibilities and the need to reconstruct the history of this initiative and, first of all, its direct research component, are not far exhausted and need, as it seems to us, not only special consideration within the framework of individual articles, but also monographic work.

Considering that the issues of reindustrialization of the Russian Arctic and the development of new approaches to its development in the face of sanctions pressure are currently on the agenda, the study of existing experience in this regard is one of the important tasks that the work of historians can and should contribute to solving. In this regard, this article presents an attempt to create a succinct picture of the research carried out by specialists of the USSR Academy of Sciences within the framework of the Kola complex expedition. Chronologically, we will consider the period from 1928 to 1934. The initial boundary is due to the creation of the expedition, the final one is due to its reformatting into a stationary structure – the Kola base of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Materials and methods. The work is based mainly on the analysis of expedition and scientific reports that were identified by the authors during the search work in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and in the Library of the Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg). The methodological basis of the work was the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity and consistency. In solving the tasks set, special methods of cognition were used: historical-typological, historical-comparative and retrospective analysis. 

Results and discussion. The beginning of systematic research in the Khibiny mountain range located on the Kola Peninsula was laid by the work of a special commission, which included two outstanding geologists – the President of the Academy of Sciences A.P. Karpinsky and the director of the Mineralogical Museum, Academician A.E. Fersman. In the spring of 1920, the members of this commission visited the Kola (Alexandrovsky) district of the Arkhangelsk province. Already in August 1920, under the leadership of A.E. Fersman, the first academic expedition conducted research in the Khibiny Mountains. In 1921, scientists found the first blocks of apatite ores in the Khibiny, and in 1923 discovered apatite placers. In 1926, A.N. Labuntsov discovered the first large indigenous deposit of this mineral.

The identification of mineral resources during these expeditions contributed to the development of scientific research in the region, the formulation of the task of its systematic study. A comprehensive study of the Kola Peninsula in 1928 was recognized as of paramount economic and political importance. In this regard, the Kola Complex Expedition (KKE) of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created ^{[6, p. 5]}.

The tasks of the KKE of the USSR Academy of Sciences were geomorphological, geological, soil, geobotanical studies on the territory of the interior parts of the north-east of the peninsula. The study of the nature and resources of the region was considered as a necessary condition "for the expedient planning of socialist construction here" ^{[6, p. 6]}.

In 1928, as part of the Kola complex expedition, the participants of the natural-geographical detachment conducted surveys, which included: A.A. Grigoriev (head of the detachment, Commission for the Study of the Natural Productive Forces of Russia), Yu.D. Tsinserling (Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences), G.D. Richter (Geographical Faculty of Leningrad State University [LSU]) and scientific and technical employee A.A. Lobek.

In the course of this work in the eastern part of the Kola Peninsula, A.A. Grigoriev conducted geomorphological, geological, soil studies and barometric leveling, Y.D. Tsinserling carried out geobotanical surveys, G.D. Richter performed route topographic survey, collected cartographic materials, photographed, A.A. Lobek replenished collections of entomofauna.

The results of the detachment's activity were the accumulation of rich petrographic material, the compilation of geobotanical characteristics of the area, obtaining a set of topographic information, as well as interrogative data necessary to compile an up-to-date map of the northeastern part of the Kola Peninsula ^{[6, p. 7-16]}.

In 1929, four detachments were already working on the Kola Peninsula: natural geography (head A.A. Grigoriev), fishing (S.Y. Mittelman - Institute for the Study of the North), geological and mineralogical (A.E. Fersman) and anthropological and ethnographic (D.A. Zolotarev – Geographical Faculty of LSU).

In this article, given its limited scope, it is proposed to pay special attention to the coverage of the history of the work of the last of the named detachments. Its members, along with the head, included: A.I. Yemelyanov (linguist), V.V. Charnolusky (ethnographer), T.V. Samoilova (anthropologist), F.G. Ivanov-Dyatlov (doctor), G.K. Volkov (scientific and technical employee).

In this regard, it is necessary to clarify that the Kola Peninsula is the place of traditional residence of the Sami (Lapps). As part of the work of the detachment, the collection of linguistic materials characterizing the native language of the Sami, its dialects was carried out. One of the goals of the research was to obtain information "for the unification of the Lappish dialects in order to develop a generally accepted Lappish language that could be a useful tool for bringing the national views and national policy of the USSR into the Lappish mass" ^{[14, p. 38]}.

At the same time, information was accumulated characterizing the physical anthropology of the Sami and other local residents (Russians, Finns). In this regard, the researchers measured various indicators and took blood samples from 120 people.

In addition, ethnographic observations were carried out and the traditional folklore of the local population was recorded. Thus, a shaman's song was recorded in the Kamensky churchyard ^{[14, p. 39]}.

In 1930, A.E. Fersman identified deposits of sulfide and copper-nickel ores in the Monchetundra, N.N. Gutkova established the presence of indigenous deposits of a new mineral in the Khibiny – lovchorrite, which was named after Mount Lovchorr on the Kola Peninsula. In the same year, A.A. Grigoriev discovered large deposits of diatomite in the Lovozersky district. The fact that a significant part of the research of the Kola complex expedition was devoted to the search for deposits of various minerals should not be surprising: almost 2/3 of the chemicals known to mankind at that time were found only in the Khibiny mountain range ^{[24, p. 30]}.

The geological detachment of the KKE of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1931 was engaged in the search for titanite deposits in Khibiny. Exploration led to the discovery of small veins of rocks with its 15 – 35% content. At the same time, in the course of the survey, new root outcrops of apatite-nepheline ore were found and their thickness (about 30 m) was determined ^{[26, p. 328]}.

The fate of the leader of this detachment, A.N. Labuntsov (Mineralogical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences), is interesting: during the Civil War, he – a colonel and a Cavalier of St. George – commanded the 1st Shock Division of the army of A.V. Kolchak. After its defeat, A.N. Labuntsov, who miraculously escaped from execution and suffered typhus, was exiled to Cherepovets, where he worked at the local history museum. Soon he entered Petrograd University, and in 1922, apparently thanks to the support of A.E. Fersman, he conducted his first geological surveys on the Kola Peninsula. During the "Great Terror", A.N. Labuntsov was dismissed from the Mineralogical Museum, remaining unemployed for two years, and his apartment was searched. Only after V.I. Vernadsky's petitions, the scientist was again enrolled in the Mineralogical Museum, where he worked until 1958 ^[9].

At the same time, participants of the geochemical detachments of the Kola Complex expedition conducted research in Khibiny under the leadership of E.M. Bonstedt and N.N. Gutkova (Mineralogical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences). These detachments continued the work begun in 1930 on a detailed mineralogical survey of the central part of the Khibiny Mountains in the area of apatite deposits ^{[7, pp. 27-37]}.

The work of the Lovozersky detachment of the Kola Complex Expedition of 1931 was also directed to the search for minerals, primarily diatomite. During the survey, which was led by N.V. Polonsky (Geomorphological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences), 20 deposits of diatomite were discovered and examined. The scientists measured their area and depth, collected rock samples for chemical analysis, and estimated the approximate reserves of the discovered deposits. The main result of the research was the identification of the most promising fields for production, taking into account operational and infrastructural factors. In the following 1932, N.V. Polonsky's detachment continued the search for diatomite in the southern part of the Kola Peninsula near the village of Kandalaksha (since 1938 – the city). The researchers identified and studied 5 more deposits of rock: determined their area and approximate reserves ^{[16, pp. 65-68]}. Similar surveys in 1931-1932 in the area of lakes Imandra and Kolvitskoe were conducted by S.F. Egorov's detachment (Geomorphological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences), who also discovered several deposits of diatomite ^{[8, pp. 54-56]}.

In addition, in 1931, the geochemical detachment of the Kola Complex Expedition under the leadership of V.V. Shcherbin (Mineralogical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences) worked in the Lovozersk tundra. The main task of this detachment was to search for alkali–rich rocks containing sodalite, a mineral used as a catalyst in various chemical reactions. However, the researchers failed to detect such rocks in quantities of practical interest. At the same time, the team members identified reserves of another mineral – nepheline, and also found deposits of eudialyte ^{[26, pp. 330-331]}.

In 1932, the participants of the KKE of the USSR Academy of Sciences began the tectonic study of the Khibiny Mountains. A team consisting of Academician F.Y. Levinson-Lessing (head, Petrographic Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences), E.E. Lebedev and A.V. Pek carried out studies of the crack propagation system in the Khibiny. The purpose of the research was to determine the justice developed shortly before by the German scientist H. Klossom theory concerning the importance of taking into account this factor for the stability of the constructed mine shafts. Actually, the research of the tectonic detachment of the KKE of the USSR Academy of Sciences was aimed at clarifying the possibility of applying the theory of H. Kloss, developed on the basis of the study of granite blocks, to the Khibinsky mountain massif. To this end, in 1932-1933, the researchers made descriptions and measurements of the detected cracks, made diagrams of their distribution, and also found out the origin. They compared the data obtained with the methodology of a German scientist and determined those components of it that are fair to the Khibiny. At the same time, the members of the expedition identified areas of the investigated workings that were dangerous from the point of view of crack propagation ^{[17, pp. 18-22; 23, pp. 302-303]}.

In 1932, the areas of the Tallow and Moose Tundra, located west and north of the Wolf Tundra, were explored by the detachment of A.D. Chebotarev. The participants of the detachment studied the local terrain, made measurements of the height and length of mountain ranges. They identified the rocks composing the mountains, found out their mineral composition and outlined the contours of future research related to the search for mineral deposits ^{[20, pp. 52-56]}.

In addition to mining and geological works, the research of the Kola complex expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences was presented by other scientific directions.

In 1931-1932, members of the botanical detachment of the expedition led by N.A. Avrorin explored the flora of the central part of the Khibiny Mountains. During the research, a herbarium of flowering plants was collected, a characteristic of the vegetation encountered was compiled ^{[1, p. 69]}.

In 1931, an ecological and biological survey in the Khibiny Mountains was also started by a zoogeographic detachment led by V.Y. Fridolin. In the research, which lasted until 1934, in addition to the head of the detachment, participated: E.M. Belyakova, K.G. Lukyanova, V.P. Rudolf (Zoological Museum of the USSR Academy of Sciences), G.A. Novikov, N.V. Provorov and N.M. Cheburova (Faculty of Geography of LSU). In the course of field work, scientists investigated the composition of the flora and fauna of the Khibiny, the nutrition of non-food animals, determined their habitats, and also recorded the life cycle of insects. Among the latter, the most important place in the activities of the participants of the detachment was occupied by bloodsuckers.  It was mosquitoes and midges that most annoyed specialists of mining enterprises and researchers ^{[25, pp. 65-75; 26, pp. 73-78]}.

In 1932, for the first time, the study of permafrost rocks was organized on the Kola Peninsula. The purpose of the research conducted under the leadership of the Patriarch of Russian Geocryology M.I. Sumgin (the Commission for the Study of Permafrost of the USSR Academy of Sciences) was to determine the areas of distribution of "permafrost", information about which is extremely important in the design of the construction of industrial and residential facilities, the organization of mining.

The activities of the members of the detachment were largely staged. The small, poorly equipped and time-limited detachment had to rely mainly on mines, pits and wells already dug or drilled during industrial work, which naturally limited the research capabilities of scientists. They could only establish the general fact of the presence or absence of permafrost rocks, without determining their characteristics (temperature, composition, etc.). As a result of the research, the researchers found out that the western part of the Kola Peninsula and presumably its eastern half, with rare exceptions (areas of bumpy marshes) are not covered with "permafrost", and agriculture, industrial and urban construction can develop according to the norms generally accepted in the European part of the USSR ^{[18, pp. 57-61]}.

G.D. Richter, as well as N.V. Polonsky in 1933-1935 took part in a joint study with the Leningrad branch of the Hydroelectric Project Trust of the hydropower resources of rivers flowing south from the Khibiny mountain range (Kolvitsa, Niva, Umba, etc.). The results of these studies formed the basis for the development of the project of the Niva hydroelectric power station, commissioned in 1938 ^{[3, l. 37]}.

The growth of the scale of the work carried out by the USSR Academy of Sciences on the Kola Peninsula, the vigorous lobbying of the interests of the Kola complex expedition and academic research in the region in general by S.M. Kirov allowed to create a full-fledged stationary research institution here. By the decree of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences dated June 10, 1934, the Kola Base was organized in Khibiny – the first such academic structure in the Russian Arctic. It includes: geological and climatological-meteorological departments, geochemical laboratory, biocenotic and economic-geographical groups, as well as the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden ^{[19, p. 7]}.

Conclusion. Thus, the above data indicate that the main vector of the expeditionary activity of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the Kola Peninsula within the framework of the KKE of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the period under review was the study of natural resources of the region. At the same time, scientists focused not only on mining and geological problems, but also ecological and botanical, geocryological issues, as well as the language and traditional culture of the aboriginal population. The most important result of the active development of the expeditionary research of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the Kola Peninsula were qualitative changes in the forms of organization of academic activities, expressed in the creation of a full–fledged stationary structure - the Kola base of the USSR Academy of Sciences.