The Institute Administration:

Director - V.A.Chanturiya, RAS Member, Prof., Dr.Sc.

Deputy Directors (Research) - A.N.Ruban, RAS Corresponding Member, Prof., Dr.Sc.

Deputy Directors (Research) - S.D.Victorov, Prof., Dr.Sc.

Deputy Director (General Issues) - L.M.Zenkovich, Cand.Sc.

Scientific Secretary - A.G. Krasavin, Cand.Sc.

Legal Address::
IPKON RAN, 4, Kryukovsky Tupik, Moscow, 111020, Russia.
Phone: +7(095)360-8960.  Fax: +7(095)360-8960.

Main Research Areas of the Institute:

Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources was established on the basis of the Section of Physical and Engineering Mining Problems of the O.Yu.Shmidt Institute of Geophysics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR (USSR AS), according to the Resolution of the Presidium of the USSR AS of 14.04.67 for the development of fundamental research into efficient management of the mineral wealth and comprehensive extraction of minerals. The Institute is a mining research focal point  within the system of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

The Research Institute for Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources plays a leading role in the development of scientific and methodological issues in mining research as a system of knowledge on the methods and laws of controlled technogenic transformation of mineral resources, their comprehensive and ecologically safe exploitation and conservation; in the development of the theory of rock pressure, gas filtration, sudden outbursts; in the scientific grounding of high resource-saving and resource-recovering ecologically safe geotechnologies which are used for the saving and growth of natural resources; in the development of the theory and methods for the processing of minerals.
The personnel of the Institute amounts to 290. K.N.Trubetskoy, V.A.Chanturiya, B.N.Laskorin are  Members, and D.M.Bronnikov is an Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Among the researchers of the Institute 27 are entitled with  doctor's degrees and 64 are entitled with  candidate's degrees in various sciences, some of them are members of the Russian and foreign academies and research associations and establishments.

The results of the  main research areas serve the basis for the development of mining sciences and scientific and technological progress of various sectors of mining industry.
In the research the personnel of the Institute employs modern analytical approaches, methods of experiments and equipment.
Research divisions of the Institute are furnished with computer equipment including wide colour plotters and scanners, digitizers and printers which are used in research and analysis of technological, ecological, social and economic problems of individual enterprises and mining regions, with the employment of advanced methods and computer technologies including geoinformation systems (GIS-technologies).

In the Institute the Center for the Automation of the Analysis of Optical Images has been established. This Center is equipped with the transmitted and reflected light microscopes, electronic, X-ray and scanning microscopes furnished with TV recorders of images, laser beam and X-ray microanalysers, diffractometers, chromatographs, derivatographs, personal computers, data base on the composition and structure of minerals and the system of computer-aided data processing which provides an opportunity for the investigation of the matter, mineral and phase composition of ores and coal. There are also pieces of equipment for various types of energy impact on minerals and rocks: diaphragm and diaphragmless electrolyzers, ultrasonic actuator and turbo-mill, magnetron, as well as instruments for the physical and chemical analysis of surface characteristics of minerals and water solutions.

For gas and dust analysis and investigation of sorption processes a generator of monodispersed aerosols, microcalorimeters, "Acusorb" and "Sorbomat" devices, oxygenmeters for liquid phases, gas chromatographs, electronic paramagnetic resonance plant and other instruments are used.
Pressing equipment in combination with auxiliary measuring instrumentation are used for the analysis of physical-mechanical, as well as physical- chemical characteristics of rocks and minerals. This equipment is necessary for the investigation of geomaterials under pressure, analysis of the stability of mine workings and identification of optimal technologies for the development of mineral deposits.

The Institute takes  an active part in the handling of the most important economic problems within the frames of the Federal special-purpose programmes, such as "Economic Mining Complex of the Future", "Security of the Population and Economic Objects with Due Account for the Risk of Natural and Technogenic Catastrophes", "Mineral Wealth of Russia", "Ecologically Clean Power Engineering", "Ecological Security of Russia"; coal industry programme "Coal of Russia" and regional programme "Science for Moscow". The share of research funded by the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Research (RFFR) is growing. IPKON maintains close contacts on a contract basis with research and development institutes incorporated by the Academy or various sectors of the industry, universities and colleges, industrial enterprises.

With its highly skilled personnel and research base the Institute has become a scientific center on the problems of mining research within the frames of the Academy in the shortest possible time, as it has gained important achievements in fundamental research into technologies for the development of deposits at great depths (the USSR State Prize in 1979 and the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1991); scientific grounding of directions for the development of mineral reserves and resources  and technical re-equipment of underground and open pits (the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1982); scientific grounding of optimal directions for the development of advance mineral processing equipment and technologies (the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1983), development and commercial application of induced gas drainage of coal mines (the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1984), development of technologies with the employment of elementary explosives and blasting technique for ore extraction with the employment of cluster charges (the USSR State Prize in 1988, the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in 1995), development and introduction of the strata control methods for underground  mining of ore deposits (the USSR State Prize in 1989), development and introduction of equipment and technologies for the processing and utilization of technogenic raw materials (the USSR State Prize in 1990).

For the series of research into comprehensive exploitation of mineral resources  the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences awarded N.V.Melnikov Commemorative Gold Medals and the Prize to the member of the Academy, namely: M.I.Agoshkov, V.V.Rzhevsky and K.K.Trubetskoy, in 1983, 1986 and 1989 accordingly, and in 1992 the N.V.Melnikov Commemorative Gold Medal was awarded to the member of the Academy V.A.Chanturiya by the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
For the research into mine aerology  the A.A.Skochinsky Commemorative Prize was awarded to the following Drs. Sc.(Eng.): G.D.Lidin, A.T.Airuni, I.L.Ettinger, to Cand.Sc.(Eng.) L.D.Voronina, Drs. Sc.(Eng.): V.V.Kudryashov and V.A. Bobin, M.O.Dolgova, I.V.Zverev and Cand.Sc.(Eng.) L.M.Zenkovich.

For their great contribution in the development of mining science and industry, education and training of researchers and fruitful public activity N.V.Melnikov, the member of the Academy, the first Director of the IPKON and M.I.Agoshkov, the member of the Academy and chief research associate have been granted the titles of the Hero of the Socialist Labour. Many experts of the Institute have been awarded  with the Government's orders and medals, 13 doctors of sciences have been granted with the titles of the Honorary Worker of Science and Engineering of the Russian Federation.
The research pieces of work of the Institute, such as the invention of methods, devices and substances relating  to the development of mineral deposits and processing of minerals, are protected with 350 Author's Certificates and 8 patents.

The results of the research findings and developments of the scientists of the Institute are reflected in more than 250 books, monographs and academic books, numerous works have been published in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, China, Poland, USA, Czechoslovakia and some other countries.
The results of research findings on the development of geotechnologies and mining and processing equipment are employed by mines and integrated mining and metallurgical works of Russia and the CIS members.

The Institute has courses for post-graduates and would-be doctors of sciences for the following specialties: "Underground Mining of Mineral Deposits", "Surface Mining of Mineral Deposits", "Physical Processes of Mining", "Mineral Processing", "Environmental Control and Conservation of Natural Resources".
For the coordination and development of scientific and methodological issues the Scientific Councils of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the problems of mining science and mineral processing operate within the frames of the IPKON RAS.

In the IPKON RAS two  councils for the examination and approval of the thesis for a Doctor's Degree in the following areas: "Underground Mining of Mineral Deposits", "Surface Mining of Mineral Deposits", "Physical Processes of Mining", "Mineral Processing", "Environmental Control and Conservation of Natural Resources".
On the basis of the IPKON RAS and Moscow State Mining University (MGGU) for the consolidation of efforts aimed at the research into top-priority mining issues, training and upgrading of mining engineers and experts the Research and Training Center for Fundamental and Applied Mining Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Higher Education System has been established.
Activities of 14 laboratories of the IPKON RAS which are headed by leading scientists are determined by the today's contents of mining sciences and top priority directions of their development.

Prospects for the development of scientific research of the IPKON RAS are associated with top-priority areas of science and engineering and critical technologies of the Federal importance approved by the Government of the Russian Federation which are considered the most promising from the viewpoint  of the development of the economy, science and engineering of Russia in the XXI century. The Government takes an obligation to finance and to control these programmes. Besides, the future of the Institute is also associated with the "Nedra Rossii" (Mineral Resources of Russia) Programme of basic funding of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Detailed description of these fundamental areas is presented in the monograph "Top-Priority Research Areas of Geological, Geochemical, Geophysical and Mining Sciences for the Investigation, Exploitation and Conservation of Mineral Resources" (OGGGGN RAN, Roskomnedra RF. - M.: IPKON RAN, 1996, 213 p., in Russian). The monograph was written under the editorship of Academician V.A.Zharikov by the group of authors in which the IPKON was represented by Academicians K.N.Trubetskoy and V.A.Chanturiya, professors D.R.Kaplunov and N.N.Chaplygin.

The Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of the RAS with its large research potential is a contemporary successor of the best traditions established by prominent mining scientists, such as Academicians A.A.Skochinsky, A.M.Terpigorev, L.D.Shevyakov, N.V.Melnikov, M.I.Agoshkov, V.V.Rzhevsky,  Associate Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR I.N.Plaksin et. al.