Abstract
The article discusses the features of the development of the Donskoy chromite deposit and the improvement of the applied development system with self-caving of ore. For a system with self-destruction of ore, as well as for other similar systems, the weakest point is mining under the collapsed massif, which largely affects the stability of mine workings, their safety for the entire period of stope excavation, the effect of extensive zones of collapse on the state and behavior surface. This problem is one of the most important and urgent, especially with the transition of mining operations to deeper horizons, where the technological features of the mine field are significantly complicated. Therefore, the formation of extensive zones of collapsed rocks in the process of stope excavation leads to the development of negative processes for the formation of extremely high loads on the support of mine workings, and in certain geotechnical situations, the collapse zones affect the state of the day surface, where subsidence is possible up to the formation of craters. All this can lead to disastrous consequences, both in mine conditions and on the surface. The study of the formation of caving zones during the development of ore deposits is an urgent task.