Bulgarian Polar Explorers Live from Antarctica: Tasks, Projects, and Challenges

The head of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition, Prof. Hristo Pimpirev, the commander of the Bulgarian Antarctic base "St. Kliment Ohridski" Kamen Nedkov, microbiologist Snezhana Rusinova-Videva, and journalist Zhivko Konstantinov connected live on Friday from Antarctica with Sofia.

Prof. Pimpirev and Kamen Nedkov spoke about the tasks of this year's expedition and what projects had been implemented so far.

"The ship set off for the Antarctic Peninsula and the Argentinian base "Esperanza", where it will stay for three days. The German team, led by Emil Stanev, will conduct a study of the currents," said Prof. Pimpirev and added that this year there are projects for bathymetry, monitoring of seismic stations, a team of scientists from the United Arab Emirates, etc.

Prof. Pimpirev added that this year progress has also been noted in the commissioning of the new laboratory. "It is something to be proud of," he emphasized.

According to Prof. Pimpirev, an interesting project was that of two marine biologists from the USA from the beginning of the season, studying the behavior of leopard seals. 

He also told about the amateur projects of some of the scientists, such as that of Ivaylo Nachev, who created a radio station at the Bulgarian base. "He put up antennas so that we could connect with other radio amateurs," said Prof. Pimpirev.

Kamen Nedkov said that another group of Antarctic explorers is expected to arrive in Antarctica this month. After that, the wintering of the equipment and buildings of the base is forthcoming, and at the beginning of March the last group will leave the island.

Our Antarctic explorers also answered curious questions from the audience in Sofia. They explained that the temperatures at the Bulgarian base are not very low - about 5 degrees. Nedkov emphasized that it is not the low temperatures, but the strong wind that worries the polar explorers.

"Antarctica is not a place only for scientists, it is for people of art, because it is a continent of all mankind," said the head of the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions.

He also noted that the special correspondent of BTA transmits every day from the base and the ship, and interviews with all scientists and their projects are published daily in the "Ship's Diary" of BTA.

The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and "Kaufland" are the initiators of this live connection with the Bulgarian Antarctic explorers, who are at the Bulgarian base on Livingston Island.

The program in Sofia continued with a screening of Zhivko Konstantinov's latest film „Expedition Antarctica“, which shows Antarctica through the author's lens and brings together impressive shots, the scientific presence of Bulgaria there, and the human stories behind the great journey.

The Bulgarian research vessel „St. St. Cyril and Methodius” (NIC 421) set sail for the Ice Continent on November 7 from Varna. The vessel arrived at the military base of the Argentinian city of Mar del Plata on December 13, 2025, after a month-long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

BTA has a national press club on board NIC 421 since 2022. In February 2024, the national information agency of Bulgaria opened one at the Bulgarian Antarctic base „St. Kliment Ohridski“ on Livingston Island. The general director of BTA, Kiril Valchev, announced before the fourth voyage to Antarctica of NIC 421 on November 7 last year that the national news agency would send its special correspondent in January-February 2026.

The press clubs exist thanks to the gratuitous support of the Bulgarian research vessel „St. St. Cyril and Methodius“ and the Bulgarian base „St. Kliment Ohridski“ with the provided premises, which are added to the other 41 national press clubs (33 in Bulgaria, seven abroad in neighboring countries and in countries with large Bulgarian communities and one mobile National Press Club of the Book), Valchev emphasized then.

The materials of the special correspondents of BTA on NIC 421 and Antarctica are freely accessible in the special thematic section „Ship's Diary of BTA“ in Bulgarian and English # Bulgaria - Antarctica / Bulgaria - Antarctica and can be freely used by all media with reference to BTA. Kiril Valchev recalled that thanks to its correspondents, the agency is among the first results in Google search when searching with the phrase Antarctica correspondent.