History of development of the Russian mining and geological information systems

The history of applying computer technologies in the mining industry goes back for more than half a century. Research activities in the 60s-70s of the last century were focused on modeling of deposits, machine representation of mining and geological information and creation of mathematical models of surface and underground mines. The first automated control systems started to emerge at mining enterprises during this period. The main trends in application of computer technologies, including geological modeling, support of surveying and design, as well as planning of mining operations, were established by the 1980s. Several industry programs to create computer-aided design systems for the mining industry were implemented in the USSR in the 1980s. However, despite significant achievements, the development of these systems faced a number of challenges, such as a lack of software unification and a shortage of technical means at workplaces. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, many scientific teams fell apart, and the previous developments were lost. Modern developments in the mining and geological information systems (MGIS) in the post-Soviet countries were initiated by new teams in the 1990s. The withdrawal of foreign MGIS from Russia, on the one hand, opened a window of opportunities for the Russian developers, but, on the other hand, challenged them with a difficult task to create a domestic full-featured MGIS in the shortest time possible, i.e. within 2-3 years.