site.btaBulgarian Antarctic Research Vessel Reaches Hannah Point in Antarctica

The Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) managed to land on the shore of the Hannah Point peninsula on Monday. The vessel sailed from the bay of the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski for a voyage around Livingston Island for the collection of scientific samples.

Scientists Snezhana Rusinova-Videva of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Microbiology and Vesna Macic conducted sampling on the shore, while Greek scientists Dionysia Rigatou and Eleni Kytinou deployed an underwater camera from a boat into the water.

The vessel’s Commanding Officer Radko Muevski cancelled the launching of boats and a planned landing on Elephant Point peninsula due to high waves. The vessel continued to Half Moon (Media Luna) Island, where it spent the night.

On Tuesday, a shore visit is expected for the collection of scientific samples, as well as the deployment of a rosette sampler to collect seawater samples at various depths.

After the commander of the St. Kliment Ohridski base, Kamen Nedkov, and logistics staff ensured the transport of scientists to the vessel at the beginning of the day, the team continued with its daily tasks. Renovation work on the new laboratory has made significant progress, with all 14 planned sleeping berths currently ready for use, and some members of the expedition already accommodated there. Construction of a photovoltaic park at the base also began today, aimed at increasing the use of solar electricity.

Admiral Boyan Mednikarov and engineer Ivaylo Nachev addressed greetings to Bulgarian school pupils and university students, encouraging them to apply for participation in Bulgaria’s first polar astronomy project.

Seismologist Gergana Georgieva conducted field research on glaciers on Livingston Island.

The group, led by the head of the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions, Prof. Hristo Pimpirev, includes Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, Capt. Prof. Miroslav Tsvetkov, Assoc. Prof. Stoyan Georgiev of the Geological Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Chief Assistant Snezhana Rusinova-Videva of the BAS Institute of Microbiology, Chief Assistant Gergana Georgieva from the Faculty of Physics at St Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, and Prof. Emil Stanev from Germany, as well as Greek researchers Dionysia Rigatou from the University of Athens and Eleni Kytinou from the Institute of Oceanography at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research.

The group also includes BTA special correspondent Simona-Alex Mihaleva, journalist Jivko Konstantinov, journalist Maria Cherneva, camera operator Anna Andreeva, biotechnician Kiril Kandilarov, and writer Vasil Popov. The group departed from Sofia on January 24.

RSV 421 departed for Antarctica from Varna (on the Black Sea) on November 7. After a month-long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, the ship arrived at the Argentine naval base in the city of Mar del Plata on December 13, 2025. BTA has had a national press club on board since 2022 and another on Livingston Island since February 2024.

The news pieces of the BTA special correspondents on RSV 421 and Antarctica are freely available in Bulgarian and English on the agency's website. They can be used free of charge by all media with reference to BTA.