Oil Industry Workers' Day: the history of the industry and the people shaping its future
On the first Sunday of September, Russia celebrates Oil, Gas and Fuel Industry Workers' Day. The holiday brings together specialists from a wide range of professions, including geologists, drillers, engineers and technologists. It was first celebrated in the USSR in 1965.
The traditions and experience of using hydrocarbons established in Russia centuries ago laid the foundations for one of the country's most important fuel and energy industries. Today, the oil and gas industry goes far beyond the extraction of natural resources. It encompasses new technologies, cross-industry integration, large-scale infrastructure and the work of hundreds of thousands of specialists.
Visitors can learn about the role of the oil and gas industry in the country's life at the "Journey Across Russia" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow. The exposition covers all federal districts, presenting the oil and gas industry in the context of regional development, the use of natural resources and the creation of modern infrastructure.
Particular attention is paid to this subject at the National Centre RUSSIA branch in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra. The "Oil. Triumph" exposition tells the story of the search for the first deposits, the work of geologists and drillers, the construction of cities and the major industrial breakthrough that transformed the region. Newsreel footage, documents, discovery maps and interactive installations show how the courage of pioneers and advances in technology made Yugra one of the leaders of Russia's oil and gas industry.
For younger generations, discovering the industry becomes an engaging hands-on experience. Young visitors can see a driller's cabin and control panel, trace the history of oilfield development on a map, try to "extract" a barrel of oil using an interactive installation and find out why oil workers call a wellhead assembly a "Christmas tree".
On Oil and Gas Industry Workers' Day, the National Centre RUSSIA congratulates everyone who has dedicated their life to the industry, preserves the experience of previous generations, develops new technologies and contributes to Russia's development.
