The Mir Mine – one of the largest excavated holes in the world
Also called Mirny Mine, the Mir Mines is an open pit diamond mine located in Mirny, Sakha Republic, in the Siberian region of eastern Russia. The mine is more than 525 meters (1,722 ft) deep (4th in the world), has a diameter of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). It is owned by ALROSA Diamonds.
The mine first opened in 1957 and was closed in 2004, before being recommissioned in 2009. It was expected to remain operational for 50 more years, but a deadly flood in 2017 led to its closure. ALROSA looks to restore the mine in 2024, fully to its 500,000t capacity at 800m below.
ALROSA CEO Sergey Ivanov said: “In our decision to reduce pace and output we were guided by new stricter rules governing health and safety system. Our employees’ health and safety are an absolute priority for us.”
