>>20152401From what I've read about the geologic history of the Donbas, after the Carboniferous deposited large amounts of coal, there were magmatic intrusions that did two things: 1) metamorphose some of the coal into anthracite and meta-anthracite/semi-graphite (98+% carbon content); and 2) brought up other elements and compounds from the depths of the earth, and they cooled and solidified in the same basin as the coal.
This could explain the abundance of myriad minerals there.
As a hard core miner, the Donbas is just one of those places I have to go and mine for at least a chapter of my life, so that I can have experienced it. This can wait, but I have to do it eventually. The place is just too damn interesting to miss out on.
As someone well studied in history, I wouldn't mind, later in life, writing a thorough history of mining, minerals, and life in the Donbas -- a big tome that is the go to guide for anyone who wants to know about that area and what made it what it is, physically and culturally. Also, such a book, written in English, would introduce this little known mineral trove and unique cultural zone to the Western World.