MINSK, 9 January (BelTA) – The latest episode of the documentary series Time Chose Us aired by the Belarus 1 TV channel recounted how the Belarusian Antarctic station was built in 2016, BelTA has learned.
After conquering space, it was time to get a foothold in the South Pole, which Belarusian scientists had been exploring since 2006. For ten years they had been working and living in the Russian station. In 2016, the situation changed.
"We built the first modern facility of the Belarusian Antarctic station from scratch rather quickly in historical context," said Aleksei Gaidashov, geographer and head of all Belarusian Antarctic expeditions. "Belarus gained its foothold on the sixth continent. Only ‘armchair strategists’ can say that we did it only for flag-waving purposes."
According to him, the launch of the Belarusian Antarctic station has actually become a significant step forward: "Believe me, it literally can be compared with spacewalking."
Vladimir Ryzhikov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) (in 2016) and head of the National Center for Polar Research of NASB, pointed out that only few country can afford to conduct this kind of research and long-distance expeditions. "Not every country has such stations," he emphasized.
The Belarusian Antarctic station was built in the area of the Mount Vechernyaya field camp in East Antarctica. The unique facility capable of withstanding squalls and cold up to -60°C was made at the Belarusian enterprise.
"The first facility was constructed in the harshest climate and meteorological conditions. It was the first time when we did something like that. We had no experience in assembling such a large construction in these severe conditions and in a short period of time. The ship brought the station's structures. It was on the roadstead for two days, 28 kilometers away from the coastline, and helicopters delivered the constructions one by one. There were only four of us. We were to assemble the platform that would hold the first modules of the Belarusian Antarctic station. We did it. It was actually a breakthrough," Aleksei Gaidashov added.
You can learn more about the big events of our country's history in BelTA's YouTube project How It Was.
After conquering space, it was time to get a foothold in the South Pole, which Belarusian scientists had been exploring since 2006. For ten years they had been working and living in the Russian station. In 2016, the situation changed.
"We built the first modern facility of the Belarusian Antarctic station from scratch rather quickly in historical context," said Aleksei Gaidashov, geographer and head of all Belarusian Antarctic expeditions. "Belarus gained its foothold on the sixth continent. Only ‘armchair strategists’ can say that we did it only for flag-waving purposes."
Vladimir Ryzhikov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) (in 2016) and head of the National Center for Polar Research of NASB, pointed out that only few country can afford to conduct this kind of research and long-distance expeditions. "Not every country has such stations," he emphasized.
The Belarusian Antarctic station was built in the area of the Mount Vechernyaya field camp in East Antarctica. The unique facility capable of withstanding squalls and cold up to -60°C was made at the Belarusian enterprise.
"The first facility was constructed in the harshest climate and meteorological conditions. It was the first time when we did something like that. We had no experience in assembling such a large construction in these severe conditions and in a short period of time. The ship brought the station's structures. It was on the roadstead for two days, 28 kilometers away from the coastline, and helicopters delivered the constructions one by one. There were only four of us. We were to assemble the platform that would hold the first modules of the Belarusian Antarctic station. We did it. It was actually a breakthrough," Aleksei Gaidashov added.
You can learn more about the big events of our country's history in BelTA's YouTube project How It Was.
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