The warning siren sounds. The bombers give the command. And a moment later bright flashes are visible. The quarry is so large that the sound reaches the observation deck in a couple of seconds. 200,000 cubic meters of ore and rock from the monolith turned into a pile of stones.

This is the Medvezhiy Ruchey quarry in Norilsk. One of the first places where nickel ore began to be mined in Taimyr in the mid-twentieth century. In size, this is a man-made “pit” 400 meters deep, 1300 m wide, and the length of the quarry field is about 3 km.

On the day of arrival there was silence. Work was stopped as planned before blasting. All equipment was taken to a safe distance from blasting operations. There were no more people or cars left below. Everyone watched from the observation deck.