Nikolaevskiy Mine

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Dalnegorsk, Dalnegorsk Urban District, Primorsky Krai, Russia

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Key Information

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  • The Nikolaevskiy Mine is in Dalnegorsk, Primorsky Krai, Russia, about 300 km northeast of Vladivostok, near China and North Korea.

  • It is famous for water-clear fluorite cubes, calcite, pyrite, and sphalerite, formed in limestone through hydrothermal processes.

  • Mining started in 1897, with the mine becoming notable for specimens in the 1980s; its current status is unclear but likely reduced.

  • The area has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers, and is part of the biodiverse Sikhote-Alin range, home to the Amur Tiger.

  • Dalnegorsk’s culture is tied to mining, with a connection to actor Yul Brynner; local specialties may include mineral specimens.

Location and Geography

Dalnegorsk, where the Nikolaevskiy Mine is located, sits in the far east of Russia, in Primorsky Krai, about 300 km northeast of Vladivostok (Wikipedia: Dalnegorsk). This region is near the borders with China and North Korea, nestled in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its mix of taiga and subtropical ecosystems (mindat.org: Dalnegorsk).

Minerals and Geology

The mine is renowned for its crystallized sulfides, especially water-clear fluorite cubes, which are highly prized by collectors. Other minerals include calcite, pyrite, sphalerite, and possibly datolite and dolomite (mindat.org: Nikolaevskiy Mine). These formed in limestone through hydrothermal processes, with the region also known for lead, zinc, and boron deposits (mindat.org: Dalnegorsk).

Mining History

Mining in Dalnegorsk began in 1897 with a lead and zinc mine by Julius Brynner, continuing privately until 1931 under his son Boris, one of the longest-running private enterprises in the Soviet Union (Wikipedia: Dalnegorsk). The Nikolaevskiy Mine became notable for mineral specimens in the 1980s, with collections from the 1990s still valued, but its current status is unclear, likely reduced given environmental concerns (mindat.org: Nikolaevskiy Mine).

Culture and Climate

Dalnegorsk’s culture is deeply tied to mining, with the town renamed from Tetyukhe to Dalnegorsk in 1973, meaning “far in the mountains” (Wikipedia: Dalnegorsk). It has two major industrial firms, JSC Bor and JSC Dalpolimetal, and a cultural connection to actor Yul Brynner, grandson of the mine’s founder. The climate is continental, with cold winters (February temperatures around 11°F to 17°F) and warm summers, part of the biodiverse Sikhote-Alin range, home to the Amur Tiger (Weather Underground: Dalnegorsk).

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