8. Mirny Diamond Mine – Eastern Siberia, Russia
The second largest excavated hole in the world- Mirny was made by Stalin, who desperately wanted a more independent economy for the USSR. It was the 1st and the largest diamond mine in the Soviet Union. The Mir mine also known as Mirny mine is now inactive after 44 years of surface operation. The mine is 1,722 ft deep and has a diameter of 3,900 ft. It started to develop in 1957. Climate conditions were extremely harsh to mine: 7 winter month of frozen ground vs. brief summer month of the slush-turned ground. And yet Mir mine was producing 10,000,000 carats of diamond/year in the 60s.
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