Final Group from the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition Returns to Bulgaria

The last group of the 34th Bulgarian Antarctic expedition returned today, March 12, to Sofia, the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI) announced.

The following are returning from the Ice Continent: Kamen Nedkov - commander of the Bulgarian base “St. Kliment Ohridski", Dr. Atanas Peltekov - base doctor, Eng. Alexander Bogdev - electrical engineer, the logisticians Eng. Lyuben Lyubenov, Boyko Kolyovski, Antonia Tilyasheva and Dragomir Mateev, who is head of logistics for the Bulgarian Antarctic Program.

On February 17, the head of the expedition and of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, Prof. DSc. Hristo Pimpirev, returned to Bulgaria along with biotechnologist Kiril Kandilarov, writer Vasil Popov, and journalist Zhivko Konstantinov. Our 34th Antarctic expedition is the most organized, has a rich scientific program, and includes the participation of foreign scientists, Prof. Pimpirev said then. 

The research vessel “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” also participates in the expedition, and is expected to dock at the port of Varna on April 9. It set sail on February 17 from Antarctica.

The Bulgarian research vessel “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” (NIK 421) left for the Ice Continent on November 7 last year from Varna. 

BTA has a national press club on board NIK 421 since 2022. In February 2024, the national information agency of Bulgaria opened one in 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 NIK 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 of 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 then emphasized.

The materials of the special correspondents of BTA on NIK 421 and in Antarctica are freely accessible in the special thematic section “The 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 reminded that thanks to its correspondents, the Agency is among the first results in Google's search engine when searching with the phrase Antarctica correspondent.

/TS