Deep in the frozen heart of Eastern Siberia lies a gaping chasm so immense it creates its own weather patterns. The Mirny Diamond Mine is a man-made crater that descends over 1,000 feet (305 meters) into the earth and spans more than half a mile (0.8 kilometers) across. This colossal pit sits in the wilderness, flanked by a small town built entirely on stilts to survive the shifting permafrost. The mine is a place where the air currents are so powerful they can drag helicopters out of the sky, and where billions of dollars in diamonds were pulled from the frozen ground.
A Frozen Treasure Hunt in the Wilderness
In 1955, Soviet geologists scoured the Siberian landscape for kimberlite, a rock type that signals the presence of diamonds. Three scientists found the mineral, prompting Joseph Stalin to order the immediate construction of a mine in 1957. The environment proved brutal. Winter temperatures plummeted to 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius), cold enough to shatter car tires and freeze oil instantly. To penetrate the permafrost, which remained frozen for seven months of the year, engineers blasted the ground with dynamite and used jet engines to thaw the soil.
Unprecedented Riches and Suspicion
By the 1960s, the Mirny mine churned out 10 million carats of diamonds annually. The site produced gems at a rate of four carats per ton of ore, including a massive 342.57-carat lemon-yellow diamond. Over its lifetime, the mine generated $13 billion worth of stones. This output baffled global competitors. De Beers, the world’s leading diamond distributor, suspected the production numbers were impossible for a mine of its size. In 1970, they requested a tour, but Soviet officials delayed approval for six years. When the visit finally occurred, the tour lasted only 20 minutes.
The Vortex That Rules the Sky
The open-pit operations ceased in 2004 following reports of flooding, though underground work continued. Today, the massive hole remains a hazard to aviation. The sheer depth of the pit causes a sharp temperature difference between the warm air rising from the bottom and the frigid air at the surface. This collision creates a powerful downward vortex capable of sucking small aircraft and helicopters into the abyss. Authorities have restricted the airspace above the crater to prevent accidents.
A City Beneath a Dome
While the pit sits abandoned, ambitious ideas for its future have surfaced. In 2010, an architectural firm proposed constructing a futuristic domed city inside the crater. The plan envisioned a solar-powered structure housing 10,000 residents, shielded from the harsh Siberian winter. However, these blueprints remain unrealized, and the Mirny mine continues to sit as one of the largest excavated holes on the planet.