Black snow falls in Siberia
A coal mining region has been blanketed in inky flakes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Black snow has been spotted in a coal mining region in Russia.
The Kemerovo area in southwest Siberia has undergone a gothic makeover, with videos and photos shared on social media showing jet-black flakes transforming the landscape.
While the phenomenon may look eerily beautiful, it’s indicative of a coal mining industry that has very little in the way of regulation, according to environmental protesters.
“It’s harder to find white snow than black snow during the winter,” Vladimir Slivyak, a member of the Ecodefense environmental group, told The Guardian.
“There is a lot of coal dust in the air all the time. When snow falls, it just becomes visible. You can’t see it the rest of the year, but it is still there.”
There are multiple open coal pits in the Kuznetsk Basin, the epicentre of Russia’s coal industry, and activists claim the pollution from them is impacting on locals’ health and wellbeing.
Life expectancy is three-four years lower for the region’s 2.6 million inhabitants compared to the national average, while rates of cancer, TB meningitis and child cerebral palsy are also higher.
Deputy governor of the Kuznetsk Basin Andrei Panov has said the region’s black snow could originate from coal-burning factories, vehicles and unspecified businesses.
The latest black flurries follow an incident in December when officials in Kemorovo were accused of painting snow white to conceal soot and ash.
Footage shared by the Moscow Times showed a woman’s hands coated in white paint after she touched a snow bank outside a municipal recreation centre in Mysky.
The head of the town apologised and ordered the paint’s removal in response to public outcry.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments