Mir diamond mine, Diamond mine in Mirny, Russia.
This circular open pit reaches 525 meters (1,720 feet) in depth with a diameter of 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), ranking among the largest open excavations worldwide. The terraced walls of the crater rise in a spiral pattern from bottom to surface.
Geologists discovered diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in this part of Siberia in 1955. Commercial extraction began in 1957 and continued as an open pit operation until 2001, when operations shifted entirely underground to access deeper ore deposits.
This operation established Mirny as a major economic center in the eastern Siberian republic of Sakha, creating industrial infrastructure that attracted and settled multiple generations of worker families in this remote region.
The Alrosa company continues underground extraction through an extensive tunnel system. The facility remains off-limits to visitors but can be clearly viewed from the outskirts of Mirny, where observation points offer views of the pit.
The massive excavation generates powerful downdrafts that required establishing a no-fly zone directly above the crater. Helicopters occasionally report unusual turbulence even when passing at safe lateral distances from the pit's edge.
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