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Initiate Command Action – East German film poster (1983). Depicts figures running from fire against a black and blue backdrop.

Initiate Command Action

Unknown, 1983

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Grocery Shopping, 1987 Budapest, Hungary Photograph: Attila Manek
The Mirny mine is a massive diamond mine located in Mirny, in the Sakha Republic of eastern Siberia. It’s one of the largest man-made holes on Earth—over 525 meters deep and 1,200 meters across—making it the fourth-deepest open-pit mine in the world. The pit is so vast it’s visible from space. Diamond-bearing deposits were discovered at the site on June 13, 1955, by Soviet geologists Yuri Khabardin, Ekaterina Elagina, and Viktor Avdeenko. They found traces of kimberlite, a volcanic rock typically associated with diamonds. It was only the second confirmed kimberlite discovery in the Soviet Union, following a decade of failed expeditions. For the discovery, Khabardin received the Lenin Prize in 1957, one of the USSR’s highest honours. Mine development began later that year under extreme conditions. The region sees seven months of winter annually, with temperatures dropping below –40°C. The ground freezes solid in winter, making excavation difficult. In summer, the permafrost softens into deep slush. Buildings had to be raised on piles to avoid sinking, and the main processing plant was built 20 kilometers away on more stable land. The cold was so severe that car tires and steel components shattered, and oil froze solid. To break through the permafrost, workers used jet engines to thaw the ground or blasted it with dynamite. Protective structures were built along the pit walls to prevent collapses. At its peak, the Mir mine produced 2,000 kilograms of diamonds annually. Its sheer size also gave rise to unusual hazards. The open pit is rumored to create dangerous air currents, strong enough to pull helicopters out of the sky. While there are no confirmed incidents, helicopter flights over the pit are restricted as a precaution. Open-pit mining continued until 2001. In 2009, operations resumed as an underground mine, and production continues today
Evia Stalbovska, winner of "Miss Riga" beauty contest , 1989 Riga, Latvian SSR Photograph: Igor Boyko
A Soviet statue of Vladimir Lenin turned into a skate ramp, 2024 Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Russia Photograph: Arthur Aleskerov
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Initiate Command Action – East German film poster (1983). Depicts figures running from fire against a black and blue backdrop.