16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Konduki, spring

Aerial photo. The middle of Russia, Tula region, near Konduki village. Among plains, cornfields and copses lies the abandoned Ushakovsky coal cut. During the Soviet era lignite was mined there, but in the 90s mining was closed due to unprofitability. Now 50-meter-high clay hills are overgrown with birches and aspens, forming a landscape very unusual for this region.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2018
Photo Location: Konduki, Russia
Camera: FC220
Copyright: © Alexey Kharitonov