Local Voices Rise Against Copper Mining in Bashkortostan: A Fight for Nature and Community

«Whether it’s perfect in terms of ecological standards or not… we simply don’t need a mine. What we need is nature and health,» stated a woman from the village of Burangulovo.

This remark was made during a public consultation with representatives of a company associated with Russia’s third-largest copper producer, regarding plans to extract copper from the pristine Kyrktytau mountain range in Bashkortostan.

Despite the vocal opposition from locals, it seems unlikely that the Russian Copper Company (RCC) would have halted its geological exploration efforts in the area starting this month.

The 60-kilometer Kyrktytau range, home to several natural landmarks including Yaktykul, the deepest lake in the republic, is a favored destination for outdoor enthusiasts in Bashkortostan.

Residents and environmental advocates contend that mining copper in Kyrktytau would cause irreversible damage to its stunning surroundings, with pollution effects potentially reaching as far as western Kazakhstan.

«I am astonished by Bashkortostan’s beauty, but even more so by its wealth of natural resources,» remarked Murad Shafikov, part of a government-sanctioned team overseeing exploration activities.

«These resources ought to benefit our government—we truly need them right now,» he added in an interview on-site, which was shared by a local independent news source, Aspekty.

Bashkortostan, a resource-rich republic in Russia’s Volga-Ural region, is still grappling with the most significant protests during wartime Russia and the subsequent crackdowns, leading to the largest political trial in modern Russian history.

Over 80 individuals were detained, and nearly 500 charged with administrative violations following a gathering of at least 5,000 people in the small town of Baymak to protest the imprisonment of well-known Indigenous rights and environmental advocate Fayil Alsynov in January 2024.

Two individuals associated with the protests died while under investigation.

Although RCC had to abandon its initial copper mining plans at Kyrktytau in 2020 due to widespread protests, few anticipated further resistance after the events in Baymak.

«The reactions from authorities were entirely predictable. However, what was unexpected was the community’s willingness to stand up and voice their opposition against mining, even within town hall discussions,” noted Iliuza Mukhamedianova, a social researcher from Bashkortostan.

«I genuinely believed that any remaining opposition had been silenced following the Baymak protests,» Mukhamedianova told The Moscow Times.

Soon after the local RCC affiliate Salavatskoe announced in April that it had secured a license for exploration and mineral production at Kyrktytau, residents of Bashkortostan’s Abzelilovsky district established Telegram and VKontakte groups to share information regarding the project and coordinate protest actions.

Denied formal permission to hold a rally, citizens and environmental advocates shifted their focus to online activism and town hall meetings with Salavatskoe officials.

The heartfelt speeches delivered by locals in defense of the mountain range were recorded and soon went viral.

«I realize that this meeting is merely a formality. I know that those who spoke up will face harassment from the authorities,» expressed a local woman at an April town hall, addressing the audience in the Indigenous Bashkir language.

«I have just one question: are you so desperate for profit that this land is what you covet? Are you not worried about being cursed by those you intend to harm?» she continued, prompting applause.

Her words proved to be prophetic. On June 5, security forces raided homes and detained at least 15 activists who opposed the mining at Kyrktytau.

While most of those detained were released without charges, prominent Bashkir activist and blogger Ural Baybulatov was granted bail pending trial on charges of disseminating «knowingly false information,» a crime that could lead to a three-year prison sentence.

Following the raids, the coordination chats for protests largely diminished.

«We have had multiple discussions with the company’s management regarding this situation,» said Radiy Khabirov, head of Bashkortostan, during a government meeting on July 7, confirming that geological exploration at Kyrktytau was progressing rapidly.

«It’s a significant enterprise, and the company has committed to constructing it similarly to the Tominsky Mining and Processing Plant—with high quality and considerable environmental considerations,» Khabirov added.

Located in nearby Chelyabinsk, one of the most polluted regions in the country, RCC’s Tominsky plant commenced operations in 2020 despite a seven-year campaign by activists warning of severe air and water pollution from open-pit mining.

The plant is part of RCC’s portfolio of 11 mining and metallurgical operations in Russia and Kazakhstan, making it one of the country’s leading copper producers.

Russia holds the world’s fourth-largest copper reserves at 80 million metric tons. As of 2022, RCC is the nation’s largest single holder of copper reserves, with 16 million tons.

Unlike the U.S. and the UK, the European Union did not implement a sweeping ban on Russian copper imports as part of its sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Although Russian metal exports to the EU have decreased since the conflict began, European companies have not entirely ceased to engage with Kremlin-affiliated businesses. In 2023, Russia constituted 9% of the total copper imported by EU member states.

While RCC’s founder Igor Altushkin is speculated to be a key financial supporter of a volunteer battalion fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the RCC itself has not faced EU sanctions.

The Moscow Times sought confirmation from RCC regarding its exports to the European Union but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

During its five years of operation, the Tominsky plant, referenced by Khabirov, has occasionally gained media attention due to publicity tours for journalists organized by RCC.

The latest tour, conducted in April, was aimed at journalists from Bashkortostan, as part of a government-supported effort to influence local public opinion.

Many articles resulting from these organized visits emphasize the plant’s stringent emission control measures, praising it for being the only copper mining and processing facility in the post-Soviet region operating without a tailings storage facility for waste rock.

«The claim that the Tominsky plant ‘addresses’ certain environmental concerns by functioning without a tailings dam is misleading,» said environmental engineer Viliuia Choinova.

«The backfilling of the residual crushed rock and water mixture from the Korkinsky pit does not remove ecological harm but merely redistributes waste, which could potentially threaten other ecosystems and water sources,” Choinova explained to The Moscow Times.

While reports from the Tominsky plant often highlight its cleanliness and fresh air, Choinova warned against equating these observations with environmental safety.

«Air pollution isn’t always visible as ‘smoke,’ but fine particulates and chemical pollutants can still represent serious risks to human health and the environment due to their tendency to accumulate in the lungs and bloodstream over time,» Choinova added.

Equally invisible are issues such as groundwater and soil contamination with heavy metals, acid mine drainage that can endure for decades, and the destruction of vital habitats for biodiversity, she noted.

«Mining is inherently harmful. It involves extensive disruption to natural systems and leaves lasting scars on landscapes and ecosystems. There is no such thing as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ mining,» the expert cautioned.

«Responsible mining must begin with an acknowledgment that harm cannot be completely avoided, and must include transparent risk assessments, stringent environmental protections, and genuine public engagement at every step,» she emphasized.

If the geological exploration at Kyrktytau reveals viable copper deposits, RCC intends to begin mining as early as 2027, with the processing plant expected to be completed and operational by 2029, according to the head of its Bashkortostan branch.

However, while it may seem that opposition to RCC has been suppressed, the company’s path to mining extraction in Kyrktytau may not be as straightforward as anticipated.

«The land is extremely significant to the Bashkirs—not just for its spiritual and almost sacred value but also for their livelihoods,» noted researcher Mukhamedianova.

«I believe we will witness further protests,» she predicted. «They may be small-scale or primarily unfold through social media, but it’s hard to imagine that locals will simply remain passive.»