The most expensive hole in the world

The largest ones were the size of golf balls, including the 130.85 carat Olonkho diamond, worth about £250,000.

The diamond deposits were discovered by three geologists – Ekaterina Elagina, Uri Khabardin and Viktor Avdeenko.

When the news was relayed back to Moscow, digging began.

Jet engines were used to blast holes in the permafrost and dynamite was used to excavate the surface rock and loosen the kimberlite ore.

The three geologists were awarded Russia’s highest award, the Lenin Prize for their efforts.

After Russia was left devastated by WW2, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin used the money made from Mir mine to help rebuild the country and turn Russia into a global superpower to rival the USA.

The area in Siberia where the mine is based is home to some of the harshest weather conditions in the world. Winter can last up to seven months and temperatures can often drop as low as -40 degrees Celsius.

This made mining difficult and after jet engines failed to sufficiently melt the perma frost dynamite was also used.

The rapid development of the first diamond mine in the Soviet Union worried the South African De Beers company, who until that point had been distributing most of the world’s diamonds.

After being granted permission to visit Mir mine and learn its secrets the company’s executive Sir Philip Oppenheimer and chief geologist Barry Hawthorne were deliberately delayed for so long upon their arrival in Moscow that by the time they arrived at the mine their visas were due to expire.

This meant the pair managed to view the site for just twenty minutes.