Miner's Day is celebrated annually in the Republic of Belarus on the last Sunday of August. In 2025, the holiday dedicated to the profession of courageous and strong-minded people fell on August 31.
The history of the holiday
Miner's Day has been celebrated since Soviet times. In 1947, it was approved by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in recognition of the heroic work of Soviet miners. For the first time, this professional holiday was celebrated on August 29, 1948.
Industrial development of potash salts began in Belarus back in the 1960s. Today, the mining industry is functioning effectively in the republic. In addition to their main task – underground mining of mineral deposits,miners study the conditions and solve problems related to environmental protection and environmental safety.
Miners at BNTU
Mining engineers are trained at the Belarusian National Technical University at the Faculty of Mining and Environmental Ecology (FMEE). It is one of the main forges of personnel for the mining industry of the country, producing specialists who are in demand at leading Belarusian enterprises.: JSC Belaruskali, JSC Nedra Nezhin, RUE Shakhtostroy, JSC Belgorkhimprom, etc.
– When we talk about Miner's Day, we mean not only people who work directly in the real sector of the economy, but also those who accompany this process, including those involved in the training of engineering personnel. The Faculty of Mining and Environmental Engineering and the branch of the BNTU of Soligorsk train specialists in mining engineering for underground mining. BNTU graduates are in high demand at enterprises in the mineral resources sector of the economy," said Andrey Kologrivko, Dean of FGDE.
An important role in becoming a qualified mining engineer is played not only by theoretical training, but also by practical training.
– In the course of training, students complete an internship for 2-2.5 months in senior courses. At the faculty, we focus on practice-oriented training and academic mobility. An essential role in the preparation is played by teaching students mining and geological information systems. Our students attend universities in the Russian Federation, in particular St. Petersburg Mining University, where they go to summer and winter schools for two weeks, gaining additional competencies, – added Andrey Andreevich.
Thanks to close cooperation with domestic enterprises and foreign universities, FGDE trains specialists who are in demand in the labor market and are able to work successfully in modern conditions.
A miner is a profession of selfless and dedicated people. We congratulate all those involved in this important and difficult task: veterans of labor, current employees and future mining engineers – students of BNTU. We wish you good health, safe work and success in your work!
