Commemorating coal mining worldwide / В память о добыче угля во всем мире

Coal is still a dominant fuel in America, Australia, China, Mongolia and Russia, but more and more countries are abandoning coal and turning to alternative sources of energy, increasingly renewable energy provided by wind, wave or solar power. So now is an opportune time to take stock of the impact that coal and coal mining have had on countries around the world. Some 48 countries have institutions recording or commemorating that history in the form of museums, heritage centres or preserved colliery sites, of which this book considers 432 examples. It is not a straightforward account of the history of coal mining but rather an examination of how that history has been presented by different institutions and cultures.

The introduction discusses some common themes found in many different institutions, such as the history of the development and subsequent spread worldwide of technology, the problems encountered in mining, how coal was transported underground, up the shaft and onto the markets, the workforce, including training, women and children working underground, slavery and forced labour. Mining is a dangerous occupation so miners sought to protect themselves with invocations of gods or saints, or by joining unions to bring pressure to bear on the owners. Disasters dogged coal mining, often with political consequences or leading to protective legislation and the erection of memorials to the victims. There are many different approaches to presenting this history, dependent on the financial resources available and the political approach of the country concerned, and many museums also consider topics such as art and fossils. <...>