Discovery and Development:
- Diamond-bearing deposits discovered in 1955 by Soviet geologists during the Amakinsky Expedition.
- Traces of kimberlite, a volcanic rock associated with diamonds, found.
- Second successful kimberlite discovery in Russia after failed expeditions in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Mine development started in 1957 in extremely harsh climate conditions.
- Main processing plant built 20km away from the mine on better ground.
- Workers used jet engines and dynamite to thaw and dig out the permafrost and access kimberlite.
Operations:
- Mir mine was the first and largest diamond mine in the Soviet Union.
- Surface operation lasted 44 years, closing in June 2001.
- Mine operated by Sakha diamond company after the collapse of the USSR, reporting annual profits over $600 million from diamond sales.
- Later operated by Alrosa, the largest diamond producing company in Russia, employing 3,600 workers.
- Construction of underground tunnels for diamond recovery began in the 1970s, with exclusive underground mining by 1999.
Recognition and Awards:
- Yuri Khabardin, one of the geologists who discovered the mine, awarded the prestigious Lenin Prize in 1957 for the discovery.
Related Mines:
- Zarnitsa mine was the first diamond mine discovered in the area in 1954.
- Udachnaya pipe is another diamond mine in the region.
External Links:
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mir mine.
- Mirny Diamond Mine at Atlas Obscura.
- United States Mine Rescue Association.
- BBC News Photo journal: Postcards from Russia.
- A Face of Mirny: Aerial view of the Mirny Diamond Mine from Airliners.net.
Mir mine Data Sources
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| Glossary | https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/mir-mine |
| Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_mine |
| Wikidata | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369879 |
| Knowledge Graph | https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0fxbgt |