The Research of Prospects of Salt Extraction in the Russian Far East (1865-1925)
The paper deals with the history of the search for salt deposits and the study of the prospects of its extraction in the Russian Far East in 1865-1925. At that time, the region was supplied with foreign salt mainly, as the delivery of cheap but low-quality salt from Transbaikalia was expensive. The region was in high demand for salt as raw material for the fishing industry and one of the basic essentials. Because of high dependence on the import, the government was in need of supplying the local population with salt by its extraction in the Far East of Russia. This problem was supposed to be solved by the exploration and further development of salt deposits in the region. However, the search for deposits of rock salt were unsuccessful: reports from local residents about salt springs and lakes were not confirmed. Further research of salt clays found by mining engineer A. Yefimov on the right bank of the Maly Iskay River in the Nikolaevsk area of Primorsky region was not continued, despite the fact that the need for geological exploration was emphasized by both local administration officials and experts. In the 1920s, at the initiative of the authorities, artisanal methods of salt extraction from sea water were investigated for technological improvement, but their potential profitability proved to be low.