Institute of History and Archeology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia:

E. G. Neklyudov, Chief Researcher, Doctor of Historical Sciences, ntplant9@mail.ru

In 1861 the Mining Code Revision Commission established at the Ministry of Finance initiated development of draft mining law for the Russian Empire. The Commission participants represented the ‘mining elite’ of the time, held the highest ranks in the industry management and were the members of the Mining Council and Mining Academic Committee. The reformers had intentions to create conditions for development of the integrated mineral mining and processing industry in conformity with new social and economic environment after the abolition of serfdom. The scope of the reorganization were to embrace activities of all sector of the mining industry (government, session and possessory), as well as the sectoral management and taxation. Preparative activities in 1861–66 engaged Gornyi Zhurnal as an in-house publication for the Commission participants to announce their propositions to readers—mining engineers and industrialists. The journal published advertisements and the Commission’s minute-books, essays and articles on disputes on industrial regulations after the abolition of serfdom, on taxation in the mining industry, functions of the branch department and on supervision of the corporate sector. An emphasis was laid on the complicated aspects of the possession law essence and its elimination as these issues awoke grave clashes between the government and mining industrialists. Although the draft regulations comprising all propositions of the Mining Academic Commission were never put in force, the further improvement of organizational framework for the Russian mining industry followed the avenue made by the Commission. Forethought in the 1860s, the mining reform grew into a long-drawn and broken process. The reform was greatly backed up by the Gornyi Zhurnal as one of the channels of influence for the mining department reformers to govern public opinion.

1. Poletika I. A. Revision of the Mining Code and regulations issued on February 19 of this year on people escaped from villainage and adscript to private mining factories. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1861. No. 3. pp. 535–548.
2. Alekseev V. V., Gavrilov D. V. Metallurgy in the Ural : from the earliest up to our times. Moscow : Nauka, 2008. 884 p.
3. Neklyudov E. G. Mining reform in Russia in the mid-to-late 19^th century–early 20^th century : from the intentions to the implementation. Saint-Petersburg : Nestor-Istoriya, 2018. 576 p.
4. Shtilke I. Gornyi Zhurnal 1849–1860 index of articles. Saint-Petersburg : Tipografiya I. Ogrizko, 1861. 285 p.
5. Latynin V. A. Import of cast iron, iron and machines : a historical sketch. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1890. Vol. II. No. 4-6. pp. 258–307; 1894. Vol. II. No. 4-6. pp. 200–222.
6. Antipov A. I. Mining law and perception of mining labor class situation in England. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1861. No. 2. pp. 253–277.
7. Longinov K. V. Social care instructions in mining in foreign countries. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1861. No. 2. pp. 278–335.
8. Tributes to be paid by mines in England. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1861. No. 9. pp. 586–592.
9. I. P. A brief comparison of tribute systems in mining. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1862. No. 9. pp. 592–594.
10. Skalkovskiy K. A. Tributes in mining. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1864. No. 10. pp. 83–103.
11. Skalkovskiy K. A. Earnings of governments from the mining industry. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1864. No. 10. pp. 103–110.
12. Explanatory notes to the draft of the Mining Commission. Transactions of the Commission Set Up under Imperial Authorities to Revise Tributes and Dues. Saint-Petersburg, 1868. Vol. 13, Iss. 3. pp. 251–257.
13. Petrov A. A. Possession right in Russia. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1862. No. 1. pp. 137–166.
14. Poletika I. A. The right of possession of Russian mining factories. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1862. No. 9. pp. 547–558.
15. Mikhaylov N. I. Historic and modern importance of the possession of mining lands. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1862. No. 11. pp. 328–379.
16. I. Ch. The right of possession of mining factories. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1862. No. 12. pp. 492–518.
17. The course of sessions of the Mining Code Revision Commission. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1864. No. 1. pp. 1–3.
18. Poletika I. A. Meeting of lords–proprietors and managers of private mining factories. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1861. No. 10. pp. 141–148.
19. Minute-books of the Mining Code Revision Commission. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1864. No. 1. pp. 3–118; No. 4. pp. 1–11; N 5. pp. 31–52.
20. Skalkovskiy K. A. What is a mine administration and what should its sphere be. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1866. No. 9. pp. 366–388.
21. Minute-book of general meeting No. 61 of the Mining Code Revision Commission. Transactions of the Commission Set Up under Imperial Authorities to Revise Tributes and Dues. Saint-Petersburg, 1868. Vol. 13, Iss. 4. pp. 121–124.
22. Rozhkov V. I. Notes on the article of V. P. Bezobrazov on the Ural mining industry sector in Russkii vestnik. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1869. No. 2. pp. 309–331.
23. Kotlyarevskiy I. P. The Ural mining industry sector and sale of government mining factories. Studies of V. P. Bezobrazov. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1869. No. 6. pp. 471–524; No. 9. pp. 405–462; No. 10. pp. 99–145; No. 11. pp. 257–337.
24. Concerning V. P. Bezobrazov’s article : The Ural mining industry sector and sale of government mining factories. Gornyi Zhurnal. 1869. No. 2. pp. 332–351.