The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Poland's greatest tourist attractions. Above all, however, it is a mining facility. The underground workings, including galleries, chambers and shafts, require a lot of effort to be admired in perfect condition by future generations. The Wieliczka Salt Mine's mine shafts are one of the characteristic features of the Wieliczka landscape. Their silhouettes are familiar to anyone who has ever visited the mining town. What is their history? What functions do they fulfill? How are they secured? See for yourself. 00:00 Wieliczka Shafts A mine shaft is a gateway to the underground world for many of us. However, miners perceive them in a slightly different way - for them, it is rather a window to the world. Over the centuries, several dozen shafts have been dug into the mine. Only a few of them have survived to modern times. Each of them has a different function. Each of them, both in the underground and on the surface, requires constant supervision and renovation. 02:08 Daniłowicz Shaft Anyone who has ever visited the Wieliczka mine is familiar with the characteristic building of the Daniłowicz Shaft. Until 1874, the descent down the Daniłowicz Shaft took place on saddles made of lime bast attached to the main rope. In 1874, the first steam engine appeared here. With the help of steam, tourists and transport were pulled out until 1961, when the first electric machine appeared. Recently, the Daniłowicz Shaft has been modernized again. What exactly did the work done in this shaft consist of? 04:16 Paderewski Shaft This shaft was originally called the Francis Shaft and was hollowed out to relieve other, neighboring shafts. Since 1870, it has also served tourists, who originally descended through this shaft to a depth of 51 m, to cover the last dozen or so meters to level I by stairs. In 2016, a several-year revitalization of this shaft began. After the reconstruction, the Paderewski shaft was equipped with a staircase compartment. The building of the Paderewski shaft head, which in the 1950s almost completely disappeared from the Wieliczka landscape, was also renovated. What does the shaft look like today? 06:35 St. Kinga Shaft The St. Kinga Shaft is the main shaft of the Wieliczka mine - this is where miners go down every day, where they work renovating the galleries and chambers. In this way, we take care of our monument and the city that lies above the mine. The Kinga Shaft gained importance in the second half of the 19th century, when the first steam engine was installed in it. This type of device operated the shaft until 1938, when the first electric machine was used. This, in turn, underwent a thorough modernization, or rather replaced, in 2012, when the device that operates this shaft to this day was used. Have you ever wondered whether riding a mine hoist is safe? 09:14 Measurements related to shafts Shaft safety is not only about checking the mechanical aspects. It is also about checking the condition of the workings themselves, which is the shaft pipe. What do measurement measurements related to shafts consist of? 10:48 Works in the Chapel of St. Kinga Just like shafts or walkways leading to and from these shafts, chambers, in particular chambers such as the Chapel of St. Kinga, require renovations and constant supervision from time to time. What work has been done in this unique chamber recently? 13:59 Wilson Shaft The Wilson Shaft was built at the beginning of the 20th century with the aim of ventilating the mine - it is one of the ventilation shafts of the Wieliczka salt mine. How has the Wilson Shaft changed recently? 17:11 Kościuszko Shaft The Kościuszko Shaft, explored at the end of the 18th century, primarily served a transport function. For some time now, however, the transport function has no longer been the function of this shaft. What functions does the Kościuszko shaft currently perform? 19:37 Sharing the shafts Work in the shafts is an important task for Wieliczka miners - the shafts must be renovated, to an appropriate standard, but they must also be connected to the body of the mine. That is why reconstructions of the workings connecting the shafts with the rest of the mine are being carried out. What do they involve? 21:06 Regis Shaft The Regis Shaft is located in the very center of Wieliczka. In recent years, the shaft has undergone a complete metamorphosis - both underground and partly on the surface. What function does the Regis Shaft perform in the operation of the Wieliczka mine today? We invite you to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine and recommend our other films on the Wieliczka Salt Mine channel. Watch the film "Wieliczka Salt Mine 2021 - the foreman's story": • Wieliczka Salt Mine 2021 - the story of a foreman... Watch the film "The Salt Kingdom. Secrets of the Wieliczka Salt Mine: • Salt kingdom. Secrets of the Wieliczka Salt Mine... www.kopalnia.pl