By Vania Raebel | October 4, 2019
The Hole
The sheer size of the Mir Mine in Mirny, Eastern Russia, is captured by this drone shot. Open-pit diamond mining began in the late 1950s and digging continued at a rapid rate in the decades that followed, making it one of the largest excavated holes in the world.
Large-scale mining activities were discontinued in 2001, but the mine was reopened by Alrosa, Russia’s largest diamond processor, in 2009. The mine is expected to continue to produce high-quality gem diamonds for another 50 years or so. Visitors, meanwhile, can admire the large hole from a safe distance.
