Institute of geology: 60 years of research and discovery

The article presents a brief history of the Institute, the development of the main directions of its research and key achievements at various stages of formation. Re- searches of the Institute of Geology cover a wide field of Earth Sciences. The well- known works of employees in related, boundary areas allowed to form such scientif- ic directions as archaeomineralogy, vitamineralogy, nanomineralogy, lithochemi- stry, paleobiogeochemistry, the concept of coevolution of the mineral and living world and the origin of life, the concept of self-organization of matter, the basics of bacterial lithogenesis. Since its foundation, the Institute has been playing an impor- tant role in coordinating scientific geological research in the region, implementing the program of development of the mineral resource base, creating the key elements of the mineral complex and the formation of the industrial structure of the region. Close cooperation with production enterprises has led to complicity in the discovery, exploration and development of mineral deposits - coal of the Pechora basin, oil, gas, shale oil of the Timan-Pechora province, bauxites, diamonds, gold, titanium ore from the Timan ridge, barites, copper, manganese, high purity quartz and gold ore in the Urals, fluorite, manganese, non-ferrous metals in Pai-Khoi and Novaya Zemlya. The most significant results of scientific activity are given, the main direc- tions of research and scientific developments in the context of the state priorities of science development are formulated