A comfortable Russian wintering complex for scientists opened in Antarctica

In the coldest place on Earth, at the Russian Vostok station in Antarctica, a new wintering complex is now in full swing. The unique structure was opened the day before; Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko took part in the ceremony via video link.

This is the first modern building built at the southern cold pole. The expedition members are already preparing to implement large-scale plans for scientific research. Correspondent Igor Baldin told what secrets of Antarctica will be revealed.

“Vladimir Putin is giving the start to the large-scale project of the new Vostok station from his residence in Konstantinov. From St. Petersburg to Antarctica there are approximately 17 thousand kilometers. But the Russian flag flies there too,” – noted the journalist.

At the solemn ceremony there are two presidents at once – Alexander Lukashenko at the table with Vladimir Putin. This is also an important part of his visit, because Belarus plans to participate in our Antarctic projects.

“The opening of a new wintering complex at the legendary Vostok station is a big and significant event for our polar scientists, and I think even for the whole country,” – said the Russian leader.

There are five Russian stations in Antarctica, but Vostok is located in the coldest place on the planet. A negative temperature record was recorded here – almost 90 degrees below zero. But now it’s summer for polar explorers. By local standards, it’s warm – just minus 30.

“The conditions at Vostok station are, without any exaggeration, extreme: real highlands almost 3.5 thousand meters above sea level. Low oxygen content, extremely dry air, hard ultraviolet radiation. Indeed, this is a feat. It is difficult to imagine the conditions in which people live and work “, – Putin noted.

More recently, the Soviet station looked more like an Eskimo igloo. And now the builders have done a fantastic thing: among the eternal snow and ice, in just over two years, they erected this colossus.

A little about the scale: the three-module structure, 140 meters long, rests on huge metal piles, which are not afraid of either blizzards or moving Arctic ice – they go deep into the ground.

“A modern and comfortable complex for people with a multiple safety margin. By the way, all the equipment – heating, ventilation, energy, water supply – are all Russian-made”,” the president emphasized.

Inside there is a dining room, laboratories, a gym – everything for the work of polar explorers. Nowhere in the world is there a station of this scale. And such large-scale tasks: here they will study the Antarctic grail – Lake Vostok, which hides its secrets under a four-kilometer layer of ice.

“DNA molecules of thermophile bacteria that live in waters with temperatures above 60 degrees were discovered. What is this? How can we understand this? This means that there may be volcanoes in these lakes below. Where can all this come from?” – said Putin.

“Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, parts of bacteria were found, not whole bacteria. And secondly, why we want a new project for studying the lake, because the main life and understanding of how everything happens happens at the bottom of the lake,” – explained the head of the glacio-drilling team of the FSBI “Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute” Alexey Turkeev.

Research in Antarctica will also tell us about the planet’s past.

“Unique technologies for deep drilling of glaciers were developed; the resulting ice cores provided information that over the past 420 thousand years, four complete climate cycles have passed from warming to glaciation. Interesting, right?” – the head of state drew attention.

Alexander Lukashenko listened with interest, but not without concern for the future of the entire civilization.

“Four periods have passed. I’m so, jokingly, interested to know what period we are in, and at what point we are, when this cooling or warming will come to us, so that not during our children’s lives, because I really want not to only us, but the planet also existed,” – said the Belarusian president.

“We are in an interglacial period. It guarantees 20 thousand years of heat, we have already lived 10 thousand years. We still have 10 thousand years of heat guaranteed.”,” explained the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov.

Footage that will undoubtedly go down in the history of the exploration of Antarctica: tracked vehicles roll out and compact snow. Over and over again until this road becomes hard as concrete. This is how a real runway appears here.

They are ready to continue investing in Antarctica – the government promises multi-billion dollar investments.

“Today we considered such an unusual issue as cooperation in Antarctica. It would seem: where are we and where is Antarctica? No, it turns out that there are common interests there too, there is something to work on together. And we will certainly do this.”Putin said.

The new Vostok station inspired Alexander Lukashenko so much that he proposed to Vladimir Putin – quote – “together we go to Antarctica.” The President promised to think about it.