site.btaBulgarian Antarctic Base Reopens for New Polar Research Season

The Bulgarian Antarctic base opened for the new polar research season, said the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute on Facebook, quoting the head of the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions, Prof. Christo Pimpirev, based on information by Elka Vasileva, the only woman currently at the base.

On November 23, 2024, the Bulgarian Antarctic base of St. Kliment Ohridski officially opened its doors, the post informed. The members of the expedition set foot on the snowy shore of Livingston Island at 9:30 pm. The journey through the stormy waters of the Drake Passage was carried out with the help of the Chilean naval ship ship Aguiles. The crew also assisted in unloading the necessary provisions for the scientific and logistical projects before the arrival of the  Bulgarian naval research/survey vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421).

This was followed by the work of putting the base into operation, clearing the snow accumulated during the Antarctic winter and starting the generators, under the leadership of Commander Kamen Nedkov. Next the crew will start the water supply, activate the power grid and all other machines and begin preparations for the upcoming scientific projects and continue the construction of the new laboratory block.

The first group of the expedition included Commander of the Bulgarian Antarctic Base Kamen Nedkov, expedition doctor Dr. Atanas Peltekov, mechanic Vladimir Gigov, boat driver Elka Vasileva, electrical engineer Alexander Bogdev, and Damyan Morandov, Georgi Pironkov and Miroslav Kunev, project contractors for the construction and commissioning of the new laboratory block of the base, as well as microbiologists Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Dimov and PhD student Tsvetana Muleshkova.