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“The Literary General”

Егор Карнеев
© Форпост Северо-Запад

Exactly two hundred years ago, in 1824, Yegor Karneev was appointed as the director of the Mining Cadet Corps and the Department of Mining and Salt Affairs, which was the main government department responsible for managing the mining industry and state-owned mines and smelting plants. Interestingly, although he was not an expert in metallurgy, geology, or mining, the years under his leadership are considered to be among the most successful for the Mining Institute during the 19th century.

Egor Vasilyevich was born the same year as the founding of the country's first technical university - in 1773. As a young man from a noble family, he was expected to receive a classical education: college, Moscow University, and the Semenovsky Life Guard regiment, which was founded by Peter I. Despite his successes, his military career did not last long.

Карнеев
© Художник: Адольф Гебенс/ Семеновский лейб гвардии полк

Since 1800, Karneev worked in the civil service and held various responsible positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Finance, and Public Education. He was the director of the Department of Manufactures and Internal Trade and a member of the Main Directorate of Schools. He also served on the Council of the Ministry of Finance. Eventually, he was offered the position of head of the Mountain Cadet Corps.

The position came as a surprise, and it was mainly received by industry experts, outstanding mining engineers, and organizers of the mining business in Russia. This was understandable, as in addition to managing a specialized educational institution, the heads of the corps almost always simultaneously became managers of the Berg College and, after its abolition, the Department of Mining and Salt Affairs. The institution was entrusted with a large-scale task - overseeing the entire profile industry of the country. It was also responsible for managing state-owned mines and metallurgical plants, as well as controlling the activities of private mining enterprises and collecting taxes. Only highly qualified specialists, undisputed leaders, and talented managers could cope with this task.

Connections helped, as corny as that may sound...

In 1823, Egor Frantsevich Kankrin, a German-born economist, became Minister of Finance. He became famous for his successful monetary reform that allowed the establishment of a stable financial system in Russia. In November 1803, Kankrin met his namesake, Yegor Vasilyevich, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Yegor Frantsevich was an adviser to the state property expedition for the department of salt affairs, while Yegor Vasilyevich was the head of the Department of Medical Affairs.

Канкрин
© Художник Егор Ботман/ Портрет Егора Канкрина

Cancrin, who was under the command of the Corps at the time, was aware of the energy, hard work, and extensive experience of his former colleague in administrative work, and, without exaggeration, considered him to be one of the most well-educated people of his day. For instance, even while he was a student, he was proficient in several foreign languages, including ancient Latin and Greek, and had translated the works of Cicero, Cornelius Nepos, Montesquieu's "On the Spirit of Laws", Jean Philippe Dutuit-Mambrini, and Quintus Tertullian. It was not without reason that he was later referred to as the "literary general".

Korneev responded positively to the offer he received.

Egor Vasilyevich started his career at the Mining Cadet Corps with a series of decisions that have become significant milestones in the history of the university and the industry in general.

Firstly, on his initiative, a Scientific Mining Committee was established at the educational institution. Its purpose was to act as a scientific center for mining issues. The committee was responsible for reviewing various specialized projects submitted to the Mining Department. The association of professors from the Mining Cadet Corps, heads of enterprises, representatives from the Mining Department, Mint, and other officials played a significant role in the development of technology and production. Mining societies were planned to be formed in factory districts, acting as branches of the Scientific Committee.

горный журнал
© Форпост Северо-Запад

The tasks of the organization, at the suggestion of Yegor Vasilyevich, also included publishing a monthly "Mining Magazine" in order to disseminate information and new discoveries about mining and the salt industry, as well as "to help officials of the mining service improve their knowledge through the success of scientific Europe." This is the oldest technical magazine in the world. In 1825, the number of subscribers was 1,093 and this figure was rapidly growing. In just the first year, 74 articles and 40 translated works were submitted to the Scientific Committee for publication. The editors quickly realized that they had an unparalleled opportunity to share their ideas with a wide range of readers, including Emperor Alexander I, who personally supported the magazine's idea.

«Who knows? Perhaps the launch of the "Mining Magazine" that we have started will mark a new era in Russian mining history and lead to important and positive changes in this field.»,- Korneev delivered prophetic words at the first meeting of the Scientific Committee.

The initiative has fully justified itself. The journal has become a valuable source of knowledge and information for students, teachers, scientists, and field workers. It has enjoyed great prestige both in Russia and abroad and was published until 1918 based on the Mining Corps. Due to the transfer of capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the editorial office moved to Belokamennaya Street. At the university, they began publishing "Notes of the Mining Institute," which over the years has become one of the leading scientific publications in the world in the field of earth sciences.

записки горного
© Форпост Северо-Запад

Secondly, an important initiative of Yegor Vasilyevich for the future of the educational institution was the decision to appoint graduates from the campuses as teachers in all disciplines. The director believed that this would ensure a consistently high level of teaching staff. This tradition has been maintained for many years.

Горный институт
© Группа профессоров и преподавателей Петербургского горного института в 1902 году - Н. Яковлев, К. Богданович, В. Бауман, И. Долбя и другие. Все выпускники вуза/ ГИН РАН

Karneev had a paternal attitude towards the cadets, taking care to improve their situation and constantly seeking to broaden their horizons. One of his students, who later became the director of the Mining Institute, Professor Nikolai Ivanovich Koksharov, recalled:

«Korneev's appearance was very pleasant, despite the fact that he was in old age. There was a lot of kindness and friendliness in his gaze and in his conversation. On Sundays and other holidays, he would take two of the best cadets for the whole day, which was considered a great honor among them. When Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich found out about this, he instructed the Minister of Finance to thank Korneev and award him 2,000 rubles in special banknotes».

To improve the quality of education, the director has resumed the practice of sending the most talented graduates abroad. There, they get acquainted with the best practices of other countries and study at foreign academies. Upon their return, they begin teaching at their alma mater, sharing what they have learned with their fellow students.

In addition, under Karneev's leadership, the practice of teachers from the Corps giving public speeches on topical scientific issues for everyone began. Similar lectures had already been popular in Europe - Humboldt received standing ovations in Berlin, and Cuvier and Gay-Lussac in Paris.

карнеев
© Майкл Фарадей в Лондонском Королевском обществе

As expected, there was a high level of interest in the crowded classes in the Russian capital. In less than an hour, all 300 seats for the first lecture on geology had been sold out. Additional tickets had to be printed. It should be noted that this approach worked as effective advertising. The number of students reached a record high for that year – more than 500 people attended.

Karneev was concerned about improving mining education and science. In 1825, he developed a project to improve the entire training system for the mining industry, which was approved by the highest authorities. The project aimed to create factory schools for children of miners, craftsmen, and government officials. These schools would provide primary education, and after graduation, students would move on to higher education institutions.

карнеев
© Государственный исторический музей Южного Урала

In 1833, the Mining Cadet Corps was renamed the Mining Institute. The pupils of the two higher classes were given the rank of student instead of a non-commissioned officer. The uniform for students retained the dark blue color of the mining department, but the military shakos, shoulder belts, and cutlasses were removed. Instead, students wore triangular hats and other students wore caps according to the color of their uniform.

However, a year later, a new phase in the development of the educational institution began. The emperor was increasingly inclined towards transforming civilian cadet corps into military educational institutions. Let us recall that Nicholas I was the third son of Paul I and he was not prepared for reign and state activities – he received a military education as a harsh and extremely temperamental man who loved discipline and drill.

On January 1, 1834, as part of the Ministry of Finance, a paramilitary organization called The Corps of Mining Engineers was formed with full-time officers. The special names of mountain ranks were replaced with military ones. The Mining Institute became the Institute of the Corps of Mining Engineers. The Minister of Finance was given the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Corps, and the Chief of Staff of the Corps of Mining Engineers would head the university.

In this situation, Karneev was unable to continue as director. Instead, Infantry General Konstantin Chevkin took his place. Chevkin had previously participated in numerous military operations and had carried out assignments for military intelligence agents in France..

железная дорога
The railroad complex in Russia is one of the largest in the world. It ranks second in terms of total track length, second only to the USA. But 200 years ago the issue of creating a network of cast-iron roads in the country caused heated debates, and along with supporters there were those who argued that in our climate their construction was impossible and that the cost would significantly exceed the expected return.

Egor Vasilyevich was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, appointed as a senator, and moved to Moscow. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1849.