In that distant land, cities are few and far between, but the depths are rich. Layers of ore lie embedded in the mountains, and gold is scattered along the riverbeds…
These words, spoken by the poet Khedrin, were how Yermak’s envoys described conquered Siberia to Ivan the Terrible.
But Siberia’s riches go beyond mineral deposits. Soviet scientists uncovered an unexpected treasure in the heart of the region: heat. Beneath several kilometers of earth, across more than a million square kilometers of Western Siberia, lie hot lakes whose water temperatures exceed 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
This geothermal heat is an inexhaustible source for heating cities and villages and for growing vegetables and fruits in greenhouses. But are those the only uses? The Soviet people will surely find many other ways to use it.
