One day in Antarctica: Traveler’s story

All year round in Antarctica there are five Russian polar stations: "East", "Mirny", "Novolazarevskaya", "Progress" and "Bellinshausen". The latter is the most affordable from the Big Earth.

She is located on King George Island under 62 degrees of southern latitude, 1000 km from Chile. In addition to Bellingshausen, there are still eight countries on this block of sushi: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, China, South Korea, Poland, Peru and Brazil. So, if you turn on the mobile phone here, it can go crazy and periodically congratulate you on arrival in one of these countries.

– Bellingshausen, Bellingshausen, this is a sailing yacht "Lady Mary", reception.

– Bellingshausen in touch!

After six days of the way through the strait of Drake, the most dangerous on earth, we are anchored opposite the Russian polar station. The boat will be covered in a gentle coast, penguins look curiously in the UNGI’s face nearly at their level. And here is the first polar star – a radist Alexey. He welcomes our small team and leads to the main buildings of the polar station – rectangular parallelepiped on piles. Beige Board Houses is Russian Radio House, Friendship House and Hospital, Garage, Warehouse, Ecological Complex. And red houses for streams – Chilean. Not far from our Diesel Power Station "Roskosmos" establishes new GLONASS antennas. Slightly further through the stream, a bridge for the Chilean station "Frey".

Photo: Marina Klochkova

When in 1968 the USSR founded the Bellingshausen station, Chile, the country nearest to Antarctica, was unwound: "And what are you? So the whole island King George praise!"And the next summer on the opposite of the" Bellylshausen "the coast of the stream arose a Chilean house.

Thanks to the proximity of your country to Antarctica, Chileans thoroughly allowed roots here. The dual station "Eduardo Frey" and "Villa Las Estreres" form a polar settlement with the only airport on the island, rows of rectangular houses, indoor stadium, hospital and mail. Postcards with Prints of Antarctica from the local post office are delivered to the mainland by a warship.

The polarists of all neighboring stations come to our Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, and therefore the service is conducted in Russian and Spanish

Russian polar explorers call the Bellinshausen station to the resort for the most softer among all Antarctic climates, a warm company and regular communication with a large earth. In winter, there is rarely below -10 ° C, and in the summer it happens and +6 ° C. As accepted at the resorts, tourists and researchers arrive here here. Every day, from the Argentine city of Ushuaia through the Strait of Drake, cruise ships are sent, arriving from 50 to 100 passengers. A dozen sailing yachts bring groups of six to eight people. King George Island – first of several stops of such a trip. Cruises last two or three weeks, their cost begins from $ 7000. You can get to Bellingshausen with the airline DAP airline from the Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Ticket to both end costs $ 5000. Regular flights from the airport to the continent. In the tourist season from December to February, airplanes can take off five times a day, and in the winter aircraft may not be from month to three.

On the Chilean base there is everything, even a bank and school, but, unlike "Bellingshausen", there is no year-round temple. The polarists of all neighboring stations come to our Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, and therefore the service is conducted in Russian and Spanish. The most southernmost temple of the world was built in 2004 from Altai Cedar. To withstand hored winds, church logs are reinforced with chains. Such a movable design is more reliable than a hard frame, and during the storms the walls are slightly swing. Warm coniferous smell and slippers in which you need to rebuild, make a visit to the temple very home.