Zarnitsa mine
The Zarnitsa mine was the first kimberlite diamond pipe discovered in Russia.
In was discovered on August 21, 1954 by geologists Natalya Sarsadskikh and Larisa Popugayeva, however their priority was recognized only in 1970 for Popugayeva and in 1990 for Sarsadskikh. Initially the mine was underestimated, and the Mir mine was developed first. Zarnitsa was reevaluated in the early 1980s and recognized as developable. It has been working at full capacity since the early 2000s.
