The Siberian gold fever (Russian: Sibirskaja zolotaja lichoradka) was the trek of workers and happiness seekers to Siberia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, where gold was found. History
After the iron and copper was discovered in the Urals in 1630, the first opened mine there in 1696. By 1730, southern Ural was the largest mining and metal processing center of the Russian Empire. The first gold mine of Russia was opened at Berjozovski in 1748.
The first mining in Siberia began in the early 18th century. The mining started in the northern foothills of the Altai mountains where iron, copper, lead and zinc were found and near Nertsjinsk (about 200 kilometers east of Chad) where silver was dug. Gold seekers at Minoesinsk (now Kraj Krasnojarsk) in 1911
When gold was found in the Jenise river basin in 1838-1839, the Siberian gold fever broke loose. Thousands came to the area to try their luck. Until 1876, the gold fields of the Jennisej were the largest of the Russian Empire. More than 20% of all gold came from there. After that, the Lena gold fields were the largest. In 1908, more than 30,000 people worked here.
The people who came here consisted of a mix of roaring abductors (banned from "real" Russia; long after all, a colony of the Russian Empire), farmers, and chinese coolies (hardworking minors) who had to do the hard work in the mines. The working conditions in the mines were often very bad. All in the mines used as forced labor camps for political prisoners.
In 1910 a very rich gold vein was found along the Kolyma river. The mining started here only when Stalin made his prisoners work in the Kolymamines and the Bottenweg from Jakoetsk to Magadan was built. This road and the gold mines became known as one of the most famous parts of the goelags system.
Like the Klondike gold fever, the regions around the mining industry grew strongly in trade and agriculture. Large (industrial) cities originated, such as Barnaoel (Altaj), Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg (Oeral). Also see
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