Russia’s subsurface riches: Status and innovative approaches

The impact of natural resources on socioeconomic development is a widely discussed theoretical and practical topic at present. The authors insist that subsurface riches are absolutely beneficial if used diligently. The notions of subsurface riches and levels of subsurface riches are defined depending on the extent of development of the country’s mineral resources, and methodological approaches to the estimation of subsurface riches are described. The idea is proposed to form so-called centers of economic growth that are to ensure conditions for the rational exploitation of natural resources on the basis of innovative technologies.