page_title: Alrosa
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Alrosa / History
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Карьер "Мир" в городе Мирный, Якутия
context_page_description: Alrosa is a Russian group of diamond mining companies that specialize in exploration, mining, manufacture, and sale of diamonds. The company leads the world in diamond mining by volume. Mining takes place in Western Yakutia, the Arkhangelsk region, and Africa. Alrosa is Russia's leading diamond company accounting for 95% of country's diamond production and 27% of the global diamond extraction.
  The company's headquarters are located in Mirny and Moscow.
context_section_description: The history of Alrosa dates back to 1954, when the first primary deposit of diamonds in the Soviet Union, the kimberlite pipe Zarnitsa, was found. In 1955 the Mir kimberlite pipe and the Udachnaya pipe were discovered. A total of fifteen primary diamond sources were found in 1955.
  In 1957, a decision was made to begin mining and production operations on alluvial and ore deposits in Yakutia. To manage the facilities construction and subsequent operations, the Yakutalmaz group of companies was established with headquarters in Mirny. The first commercial-grade diamonds were recovered the same year. Two years later, the Soviet Union sold the first shipment of diamonds on the world market.
  For the most part during the Soviet period, the diamond mining industry developed on the basis of the Mir open-pit mine and adjacent alluvial deposits. In those years its main open-pit mines, processing plants and related energy generating facilities were put into operation. In 1960, the Djomolungma and Chimyan was discovered, and in 1969, the International kimberlite pipe.
  In 1963, the first sales contracts between the USSR and De Beers group were signed. In 2009 this cooperation was brought to an end as contrary to European Union competition laws in compliance with a decision of the European Commission. Now Alrosa independently distributes its rough diamond production on the world market.
  Through 1980, rapid development of primary deposits continued in Aikhal township on the basis of the Jubilee pipe and in Udachny town. Today the Udachny open-pit mine is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world.
  Alrosa closed joint-stock company was set up according to Presidential Decree №158C of the President of Russia "On the Establishment of the Almazy Rossii-Sakha Joint Stock Company" signed on 19 February 1992, based on NPO Yakutalmaz, a former USSR state-owned diamond mining company.
  In 2011, Alrosa was reorganized as an open joint-stock company with free float of Alrosa's shares on financial markets.
  In July 2007, Verkhne-Munskoye diamond field in Yakutia was discovered with an estimated value of about $3.5 billion.
  In August 2009, during the recent financial crisis, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced the Russian government, via Gokhran, would buy $1 billion in uncut diamonds from Alrosa. This was to support the Russian diamond mining industry while avoiding saturation in the global diamond market and thus further depression of diamond prices. The diamond mining industry is critical to the Yakutia economy.
  On 28 October 2013, the company carried out the IPO. The Russian government and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) sold a combined 14% stake (in equal shares), while Alrosa offered about 2% in treasury stock. U.S. investors were the biggest buyers of the shares, purchasing up to 60% of the stake, 24% got European investors, Russian investors accounted for about 14%. Investment funds Oppenheimer Funds Inc. and Lazard Ltd. took part in the IPO and bought over 2% of the stake. Alrosa raised $1.3 billion in share sales.
  In 2016, Alrosa was ranked as being among the 12th best of 92 oil, gas, and mining companies on indigenous rights in the Arctic.
  In 2017, ALROSA was ranked among the top three in the environmental responsibility rating of the Russian mining and smelting companies. The rating was developed by the World Wildlife Fund, United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
  In June 2017, Memorandum of Cooperation between PJSC ALROSA and Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) was signed in the scope of India-Russia Summit with the participation of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  In June 2017, ALROSA entered Top-5 of companies with sustainable development, according to "Polar Index". “Polar Index” is the first and only specialized rating in Russia of companies whose geography of activities affects the Arctic zone of Russia.
  According to the results of the research conducted by PwC in 20
caption: "Mir" open-pit mine, Mirny, Yakutia
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