Russia Builds a Massive Digital Diorama to Showcase the Coal History of Kuzbass

In the heart of Siberia, a new high-tech installation will immerse visitors in the centuries-long story of one of the world’s largest coal regions.

Inside the main office building of the Kemerovo Mine in western Siberia, work is underway on a large-scale “Coal Museum” — and its centerpiece will be a towering 10-meter digital diorama. Using advanced 3D video mapping, the installation will walk visitors through every stage of Kuzbass coalfield development. It’s an expansion of the “Birth of Kuzbass” exhibition, which for the past three years has traced the geological story of the region back to the Carboniferous period, when its vast coal deposits first formed.

The project will also feature an interactive information kiosk mapping the routes of the first explorers who ventured into the Kuznetsk Coal Basin. Visitors will learn about local legends such as Mikhail Volkov, credited with discovering coal in the region, as well as geographer Pyotr Chikhachyov and scientist Leonid Lutugin. The kiosk’s digital displays will be supplemented with historical artifacts and archival documents. Both the kiosk and the diorama are scheduled to debut by the end of this year.

The Kuznetsk Coal Basin — better known as Kuzbass — is one of the largest coal deposits on the planet and a key pillar of Russia’s economy. Organizers say the multimedia installation and museum expansion aim to preserve the region’s industrial heritage, offering residents and visitors a sweeping view of how coal mining shaped Kuzbass’s economic and cultural identity over the centuries.