ABSTRACT
The question of whether Siberia represents a resource or a burden for the USSR would meet with blank incomprehension from most Soviet citizens. The enormous land area, the wealth of water power, the gigantic forests, the immense reserves of energy, the innumerable deposits of raw materials and the ever-fascinating gold, platinum, and diamond deposits seem to provide an unequivocal answer. Long ago, Lomonosov saw "the future of Russia's power" in Siberia. And to the present day the riches of Siberia are a source of pride in their homeland for almost all Soviet citizens. The men and women who are opening up these riches are the new generation of heroes in the Soviet Union. This positive image has replaced the terrors with which the name of Siberia used to be associated; Siberia is no longer a synonym for an inhospitable land to which people are banished.
