Bartsinan Quarry

The Bartsinan Quarry (Baphian: Kofonu Bartsinan IPA: /ko̞.fo̞.nu bal.tsi.nan/) is an abandoned quarry, steel mill, and concentration camp which was operated by the Bartsinan Mining Company and overseen by the State Ministry for the Azkalis from 1981 to 2005 in Lazhang, Ukilen Union. The quarry is the largest in the world, being over 3.2 miles (5.2 kilometers) wide, 2.3 miles (2.1 kilometres) long, and at its deepest, over 1800 feet (548 meters) deep.

The main quarry was opened on June 1st, 1981 to provide stone for infastructure works in relation to the planned colonization of Azkali by the Ukilen Union; when the plan failed, the goal was changed to provide raw materials for Baphian infastructure projects, primarily for residential buildings and motorways. The quarry was intended at the start to utilize Azkali slave labor, and Azkalis were used promenantly until the quarry closure and abandonment in 2005 following the Winter of Love and the abolition of slavery in the Ukilen Union.

As in other Baphian concentration camps and industrial facilities operated by the Bartsinan Mining Company and other companies, the Bartsinan Mining Company utilized Azkalis kidnapped during the Azkali genocide as slave labor under conditions that caused many deaths. Azkalis were used primarily to mine stone to produce bricks for Baphian state construction projects, with some being used to produce steel at the nearby steelworks. Out of some 150,000 individuals who were interned at the quarry during its history, it is estimated that approximately 138,000 died, from both the deadly working conditions at the quarry, which claimed the vast amount of lives, and from direct execution. The quarry is also home to the largest mass grave in the world; some 74,000 corpses have been identified, and it is thought that tens of thousands more corpses lie next to the quarry, likely underneath current residential developments adjacent to the quarry.

Approximately 8,300 survivors of the Bartsinan Quarry are alive today, with most residing in the Ukilen Union. Several notable individuals who survived were Bapho-Azkali singer Ari Peiderezek, who was one of four individuals to have been confirmed to have escaped from the quarry whilst it was still in operation; Hngatil saxophonist Nguuhraduu Atugbi; and Azkali Executive Deputy Korru Sematsura. Notable individuals who were believed to have perished at the quarry include Azkali folk singer Kazo; Heti Mairitiz, daughter of former Azkali president Ari Mairitiz; and Azkalo-Sunterian writer Kizto Tzepusto.