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About a Pile of Money and a Deep Hole in the Ground: Diamond Mining in Mirny, Yakutia

Last week I had the pleasure to attend a course in Sakha Republic (Yakutia), in the Russian Federation. The course within the thematic area of extractive industries brought me to Mirny, a small city which has been built around its mining activities. Since Russian geologists have found rich diamond deposits in the Republic of Sakha, Russia has become one of the world leaders in diamond production. Also Mirny is significantly shaped from the extraction of diamonds in the area ..
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From Murmansk to Nikel: Environmental Disaster on the Kola Peninsula

eroded landscape and nickel smelter
The nickel smelter in Nikel (Rus)

While I cannot and do not blend out human caused environmental degradation, I generally focus my camera lenses rather on the beauty of nature, which is why you predominantly find nature photography in my blog. But there are places, where this is simply not possible; places, where nature has been wiped out. One of these places is Nikel, on the Kola peninsula, in northwestern Russia, close to the Norwegian border … Continue to the photo gallery and the full article

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Last Ice Disappearing – Swimming Season Opened! Some Impressions from Inari and Abisko

Midnight sun in Inari
Midnight sun at lake Mutusjärvi, in Inari

A sudden temperature change finally melted down the snow and ice, making the waters easily accessible for swimming – without the need for an ice driller or an ice saw. That is – not yet everywhere in Lapland: While this was true for Inari, at the higher elevated Abisko for example, the lake Torneträsk was still frozen last week. Nevertheless, this year the spring – or actually rather summer arrived pretty early. I experienced this surprisingly warm weather in several places in Lapland … Continue to the photo gallery and the full article

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Research in Lapland – Stordalen Nature Reserve

Stordalen - Research FacilityLapland is of course not only an appreciated destination for tourists and travelers, but it also attracts a number of researchers from numerous fields. Mainly natural science is carried out in the Abisko Scientific Research Station, which is located in the village of Abisko in Norbotten (Northern Sweden), on the shore of lake Torneträsk. Some studies are carried out in the nearby Stordalen Nature Reserve, where in the end of May Continue to the photo gallery and the full article