On August 2, 1945, mine No.7 was separated into an independent division from the very first mine in Norilsk, which was called mine No.1. Later, merged with mines No.8 and No.9, it became known as the mine 7/9. And in 1959 it got its own name – Zapolyarny.
Zapolyarny mines ores from the Norilsk-1 deposit. It has a complex specific: complex mining and geological conditions of the ore body, the presence of methane and hydrogen in the rocks, but at the same time a wide range of high-value components – copper, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver and the platinum group metals.
Zapolyarny is considered a fairly cold mine: the year-round average temperature is plus five degrees, which means that air heating is required. Zapolyarny is a heavily watered mine and requires a well-established drainage system. Its depth reaches 450 meters. And horizontally, it stretches for more than 40 kilometers of workings, and these are only those that are being exploited.
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Text: Svetlana Samokhina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive
