PUNTA ARENAS
REPUBLIC OF CHILE
This might sound a bit strange now, but...
if you ever decide
to travel to Antarctica,
youll find yourself asking,
Where do I begin?
Cruises to Antarctica
depart from New Zealand
as well as from Tasmania, Australia.
The second option is
Cape Town, South Africa.
The third, more traditional option
is South America,
either Ushuaia, Argentina,
or Chile, Punta Arenas.
This is where we are now.
The 30th Ukrainian Antarctic
Expedition will set off from here
and head to the Akademik Vernadsky
Research Station for a whole year.
We're joining this expedition.
Not for the whole year,
but for a little less.
At around 5 p.m., I reached the cabin
that was to be my home
for the next three weeks.
Or maybe longer than three weeks.
I am not sure yet.
And this is the Ukrainian icebreaker
that will take us to Antarctica.
This ship is called Noosfera.
"Noosfera" is not something fictional,
the name comes from Volodymyr Vernadsky,
a Ukrainian scientist,
whose name our Antarctic station bears.
The Noosfera is primarily
a scientific research vessel.
There are plenty of devices here
for studying the ocean.
This ship is operated by the National
Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine.
Yes, we have such an institution.
Being so far from home,
at the very edge of South America,
it was very unusual to see
the Ukrainian flag,
the blue-and-yellow symbols,
and the inscription "Noosfera Odesa."
Odesa is the port of registry,
although now the ship
is based in Cape Town.
That was my first impression.
And later, when you walk along the deck,
you start noticing a lot of signs
written in a language
that is clearly not Ukrainian.
Phrases like mind your head
and these ladder instructions
eventually make you realize
that this ship was not built in Ukraine.
This vessel was called
the RRS James Clark Ross.
If you look closely,
you can still see the old letters
on the ship's hull.
Theyre still there.
A QUICK BIT OF HISTORY
This ship was named after
a famous British polar explorer,
Sir James Clark Ross.
The vessel was launched by Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
In 2021, after 30 years of service
for the British Antarctic Survey,
the royal icebreaker was put up for sale.
That same year, Ukraine bought it.
Now it is the flagship
of the National Research Fleet.
A Ukrainian vessel
with a very experienced Ukrainian captain,
Pavlo Panasiuk,
a Ukrainian crew, but a British character.
I was honestly impressed by
how well-made and comfortable it is.
The British have been building
ships for hundreds of years.
But whats also important is,
we bought it for a very good price.
The James Clark Ross was
put up for sale for $12,000,000.
Ukraine bought it for just five million.
Thanks again to Great Britain
and our diplomats for that.
If this icebreaker were to be
torn apart for scrap metal,
its value would be
three to four million dollars.
We bought it for five.
Just six months later,
the ship went on
its first voyage to Antarctica
under the Ukrainian flag.
Things could've turned out differently,
because the icebreaker
left the port of Odesa
on January 28, 2022.
That is, less than a month
before the full-scale invasion.
And if that hadn't happened,
I think the Noosfera
would have shared the fate of Mriya.
However, the adventures
of the Ukrainian ship didnt end there.
When the Noosfera was passing
through the Dardanelles Strait,
it encountered Russian landing ships.
The captain, Pavlo Panasiuk,
called the head of the National Antarctic
Scientific Center, Yevhen Dykyi.
He said, I didnt think
anything could happen,
but now weve met these
Russian landing ships."
They were moving like
they were in military mode,
maintaining radio silence.
It didnt look like training at all.
Thats how Noosfera
narrowly missed the w*r.
Right now, the final preparations
are underway on the ship.
We are still waiting
for the polar researchers.
And tomorrow morning
we depart for Antarctica.
EVENING
Good evening.
Place your belongings by the wall
and board the ship.
Around 11 p.m.,
the polar explorers of the 30th
Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition,
who will stay at Vernadsky Station
for the winter, came aboard.
In total, thats 13 people.
Eight scientists, a doctor,
a cook, a sysadmin,
a systems mechanic,
and a diesel electrician.
Everyone's here now.
MORNING
DAY 1
So, it's 8 a.m., March 11, 2025.
The Noosfera is raising
the gangway and casting off.
We are heading out to sea.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN
So, we are now in the Strait of Magellan.
This is the strait between
the Tierra del Fuego archipelago,
"Fireland" in English,
and the mainland of South America.
Its quite a tricky place for navigation,
because there are many
underwater rocks, storms,
and quite strong gusts of wind.
So this route must be navigated
with the help of a harbor pilot,
a local who knows the area
and can guide the way.
It's mandatory.
The waves are already
starting to rise a little,
but this is just the beginning.
It will get much worse.
So, what am I getting at?
Let's take a closer look at the Noosfera
while it's still not rocking too much.
MODERN POP MUSIC PLAYING
We can finally launch the drone
and, from above, grasp the scale
of this nearly 100-meter, six-deck vessel.
This vessel is as tall
as a 10-story building.
The Noosfera is not an ordinary liner
but an ice-class vessel
with a reinforced hull
for navigating Antarctic conditions.
The bow has a strong ice belt,
with which the icebreaker,
at very low speed,
can cut through young ice
up to one meter thick.
The rudder and propeller
are protected by an ice cutter,
and the hull is made of special steel
designed to withstand low temperatures.
Behind this rugged exterior
is a surprisingly comfortable ship
that can carry 50 passengers
and has everything needed to create hygge
even in harsh polar conditions.
Here you have a medical unit,
laundry room,
a cozy crew lounge, and a library
that has some preserved gems
of British literature,
like Mike Oldfields autobiography,
the novel Roses are Red,
and also a detailed guide to using
the MS-DOS operating system.
The ship is over 30 years old.
Look how cute this is.
Theres still a sticker from
the James Clark Ross library
asking people to return any books
before leaving the vessel.
The British...
The Ukrainian period on the ship
is marked by heavy use of the walls,
with photos of Noosfera, polar explorers,
and, of course, penguins.
There are the mostly penguins here.
I also want to show you the engine room,
because in terms of its engine,
the Noosfera is built quite unusually.
Right now,
we are entering the compartment
where the ships propeller rotates.
Which is this huge metal pipe here.
And listen. Its so quiet here.
This is the real sound.
Speaking in automotive terminology,
the Noosfera is a hybrid.
Two diesel engines
feed a massive generator,
which provides the current
to move the vessel.
After evacuation drills
and courses on zipping yourself
into an immersion suit,
which is not that easy,
we left the Strait of Magellan,
and only the pilot had to be dropped off.
This happens in a very interesting way.
A boat comes right up
to the Noosfera, without slowing down,
and a passenger jumps over
while the ship is moving.
And thats it.
People cheer, wave, and are like,
It worked. Unbelievable!
And the boat departs.
Ive only seen something like this
in Michael Bay movies.
They docked so skillfully,
picked up people, and so quickly departed.
At the end of the first day,
we were rewarded with sun,
waves, and an increasingly strong wind
that created absolutely
incredible scenes at sea.
Honestly, I was lost in thought
and couldnt move,
because it was so beautiful.
It felt like CGI, computer graphics.
Yes, these days I probably should say
that everything you see is
not ChatGPT, not Midjourney...
In short, its not AI.
Its all nature.
DAY 2
On the second day, for me, as a passenger,
the hardest part of the journey began.
Around 10 a.m. on March 12,
we entered the Drake Passage.
THE DRAKE PASSAGE
Drake Passage is about 800 km of open sea
between South America and Antarctica.
It is one of the most dangerous places
for sailing in the world.
Known for its unpredictable weather,
winds, strong currents,
and waves of up to 10, 15 meters high.
The Drake Passage is considered
the stormiest place on the planet.
Meaning theres no scenario
where theres no storm.
The only question is,
is it weak, or is it strong?
Today, most likely,
we are at least a bit lucky.
It's not rocking too much.
However, the day has only just begun.
Two hours later, I was already
lying in deep Savasana,
because I was hit with seasickness.
To be honest, it doesn't feel very good.
Seasickness is essentially a bug
in the brain's functioning.
It happens because the eyes see one thing,
but the body feels
something completely different.
When I walk down this corridor,
the brain perceives this image as static,
but Im being rocked from side to side.
As a result, a kind of
sensory system conflict arises.
Seeing these movements
with your eyes isnt that easy.
I mean, when you turn on the tap,
just like now,
you can see the water.
But when you walk around
the lounge, its not that obvious.
From the porthole, the sea
doesnt feel stormy at all,
but it becomes clearer
when you go up to the captain's bridge
and see the vessels vertical
movements with your eyes.
As you can see now...
Down, up, down, up...
Well, you get the idea.
This happens even in calm weather,
when the sun is shining, the sky is clear,
and you dont see
any super high waves.
But still, if youre in the strait,
youre constantly riding
these roller coasters.
And it feels pretty awful.
I hope green suits me.
Everything is fine
as long as you're lying down.
But when you get up...
Before entering the Drake Passage,
everything should be fixed and fastened,
because everything
immediately starts flying.
The sailors even use
their own terminology,
"Drake Lake" when the passage is calm,
and "Drake Shake"
when there are turbulent waters.
Weve had some "shake" moments,
but I wont show them to you,
because when it happened,
I was just lying in my cabin
in a brick-like position.
The only thing that made me get up
was simply the need to go to the restroom.
Thats it.
There is definitely a way out of this.
But personally,
the pills just made me sleepy,
which, overall, isnt bad either,
but some people still need
to work in these conditions.
For example, cooks.
And how do they do it? I have no idea.
In short, Drake is quite
an unpleasant experience
that you just have to get through.
After all, its the price you pay
to reach Antarctica.
DAY 4
After two days of constant rocking
and seasickness,
we exited the Drake Passage
and entered the Southern Ocean.
THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
Maybe this is the first time
some of you are hearing this toponym,
because we are used to the idea
that there are only four oceans.
But since 2000,
the International Geographic Organization
has recognized a fifth ocean,
which lies beyond
a latitude of 60 degrees south.
Its this ocean that surrounds Antarctica.
Besides the harsh climate,
the Southern Ocean has one
very distinctive feature
that makes it easily recognizable.
This ocean is the main source
of icebergs on the planet.
Under the influence of wind and waves,
fairly large chunks
can break off an iceberg.
This is called calving,
and we were very lucky
to witness this spectacular process.
And on the evening of the fourth day,
I finally saw Antarctica.
Let's clarify one important point
before we continue.
If you happen to have any sailor friends,
you know that you should
never say that a ship sails.
Because it is not sailing, it is moving.
Sailors get offended
if you say it the other way.
Polar explorers have the same problem
when someone confuses
the Arctic and the Antarctic.
In 2021, I was 1000 kilometers
from the North Pole,
on the Spitsbergen archipelago.
Thats the Arctic,
and its very different from Antarctica.
In general, they can be confused
because both are cold,
both have polar days,
polar nights, and the aurora.
But the Arctic is mostly ocean and ice.
Antarctica,
which is in the Antarctic region,
it's a separate landmass,
a part of the Earths surface.
And this continent is actually huge.
Its area is larger than Australia.
One more thing.
Polar bears are in the Arctic.
There are no polar bears in Antarctica.
There are penguins here.
NIGHAs night falls, the danger level
for the Noosfera rises.
The lights are turned off
on the ship's bridge.
and the crew carries out
a very important task
in complete darkness.
Tracking icebergs.
Each iceberg is roughly like
a concrete slab in terms of density.
DAY 5
By the fifth day of the journey,
Antarctica felt especially close.
Yes, its March now,
but were on the other part of the globe.
This means that autumn
has already begun in the region
WIENCKE ISLAND
However, when the snow stopped,
the views were simply magnificent.
THE BISMARCK STRAIWhat youre seeing now is the Antarctic,
that is, the islands that are located
not far from the continent.
Its clear to see
where the icebergs come from.
By the way, about icebergs...
I understand that these ice blocks
dont look as spectacular
on screen as in real life.
It's particularly hard to grasp
the scale of each iceberg on video.
For example,
if this bird hadnt appeared here,
you probably wouldnt realize
that this ice block is actually
the size of a multi-story building.
But despite all this,
there will be many icebergs in this movie.
During my entire stay in Antarctica,
I filmed them like a maniac,
and now I have a small collection.
And this is the highlight of it.
Im talking about
this quite rare striped iceberg.
It looks as if it was modeled
in a 3D program.
This effect comes from the fact
that the ice absorbed sediment
and dust each year,
forming a multi-layered structure,
which actually serves
as a very visual biography
of this iceberg.
Icebergs are like Airbnb
for local wildlife.
This is actually how I first met
subantarctic penguins,
who ran away from our icebreaker
as fast as they could.
Theyre so adorable!
As the ship approaches
the final point of our route,
we meet more and more icebergs.
This makes navigation much more difficult.
The risk of collision with them
is quite real.
In 2007, a cruise ship in this area
hit an iceberg and sank.
Fortunately, no one died.
This part of the route,
like the Drake Passage,
is quite dangerous.
It requires maximum attention
and caution from the crew.
The Noosfera is forced to go
very slowly, actively maneuvering.
It literally squeezes between
ice blocks of various sizes.
All this is complicated
by snowfall and poor visibility.
Around 2 p.m. on March 15, 2025,
we finally reached the Penola Strait.
The ship will stay here for the next week.
Four and a half days at sea
and we are finally almost there. Almost.
This is the final point
of the route for the Noosfera,
but we'll keep moving.
Lets look at everything from the air
to understand why this is happening.
This red dot on the horizon
is our icebreaker,
and you can see the station
in the foreground.
There is no special pier
for large ships at Vernadsky Station.
The strait through which you can reach it
is narrow and often
completely blocked by icebergs.
You can end up here
and stay for a long time.
The only connection between
the Noosfera and the station
is small Zodiac boats.
For the next week,
these boats are both
our Bolt and Bolt Food.
The first polar explorers
from Vernadsky are arriving on them.
In a few days, they will head home
after working for a long time
in Antarctic conditions.
They will be replaced by the team
of the 30th Antarctic Expedition.
They are currently preparing
to depart for the station.
Boarding the boat here
is done via a Jacob's ladder.
When there are waves at sea,
climbing this ladder turns into
a real Fort Boyard,
because you can easily fall off here.
The polar explorers are heading
to Vernadsky Station,
and they will return
to the icebreaker in a year.
This is not the last time well see them.
Now, some important information
about this region.
The nearest ATB supermarket
is about 15,000 kilometers away.
So I can't just run out
to grab some chips whenever I want.
Therefore, to allow 13 people to live
for a year in Antarctic conditions,
its necessary to deliver
enough provisions,
fuel, and materials to the station.
All of this must be
very precisely calculated.
It's not fun to be without food
in the Antarctic winter.
Frankly, it's not a very good scenario.
This is the Noosfera's hold,
which carries several dozen tons of cargo.
Everything that's needed
to survive the harsh winter,
from fresh vegetables to medications.
This is just a small part
of what the Ukrainian
icebreaker can carry.
Before we had the Noosfera,
we used or chartered ships
from other countries
to deliver the crew
and cargo to Vernadsky.
That was quite complicated and expensive.
The demand for those kinds
of vessels here is enormous.
The Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition is
no longer dependent on anyone now.
On the contrary,
we can now provide services
to other countries ourselves.
Spoiler, we are really on top of this.
On the return from Antarctica,
the Noosfera brought
polar explorers back to Chile
from the Polish station, Henryk Arctowski.
Here is the Polish station behind me.
Previously, both the Polish
and several other stations
were serviced by the Russian vessel,
Akademik Fedorov.
It was before the full-scale invasion.
All these contracts have been
taken over by the Noosfera.
This Ukrainian vessel services
not only the Polish station,
it also services
the Spanish station, Gabriel de Castill,
and the American station, Palmer.
The demand
for the Noosfera's logistics services
is much greater
than the ship can currently handle.
The main obstacle is its age.
The icebreaker is 35 years old,
and it requires technical maintenance
much more often than a new vessel.
Honestly, I only realized it
while loading this lifeboat,
that we have finally reached
Antarctica, the station.
I thought this was
the most remote place I had traveled to.
Turns out, it wasnt.
New Zealand was farther.
It really feels like
it's the edge of the world.
Ive said many times
that Im at the edge of the world.
This is truly that edge.
As soon as the lifeboat departed
from the Noosfera,
new boats began mooring to the icebreaker.
Their task was to quickly load
and deliver to the station
the supplies for the polar explorers
that had arrived in the ships holds.
In about two months,
this entire area will be covered with ice,
and any navigation will become impossible.
Meaning people will
literally be blocked in here.
One of the most important
and most difficult things
to transport is fuel.
These tanks for carrying fuel
are loaded onto the boats.
Each of these tanks holds
roughly one ton of diesel fuel.
Over the next six days,
140 of them need to be delivered.
Zodiac boats are completely open,
so being the boat's driver in a blizzard
is not an easy thing.
But there is no other choice.
The Noosfera does not have much time,
only about a week,
to deliver the cargo to the station.
The main obstacle is the weather,
because the boats can only moor
to the icebreaker
in relatively calm seas.
During loading, crane operations,
even in mild storms,
can be extremely dangerous,
especially if fuel is being loaded.
So, if the sea is calm
and there are no waves,
the work continues right into the night.
You already know what a night
on the Noosfera looks like.
Iceberg movement is monitored
with four spotlights.
If the crew realizes
that an iceberg is approaching the ship,
the Noosfera must quickly move
to a safe distance.
The icebreaker is currently held in place
without an anchor,
This is how
its dynamic positioning system works.
The computer automatically controls
the engines
to keep the vessel in place
within a few centimeters.
In case of danger,
the Noosfera doesnt waste time
lifting an anchor,
but immediately accelerates
and changes its position.
During our stay in this strait,
the icebreaker did this at least once.
This was because icebergs began
blocking us from all sides.
DAY 6
When all the loading bustle eases a bit,
the first thing you notice
is Antarcticas wildlife.
Whales swim around, birds fly,
huge schools of fish jump out of the sea.
Wait a minute...
I'm not sure about the fish.
Lets watch that again in slow motion.
Oh, now I see...
Sorry, I thought they were fish,
but they were penguins.
So yes, penguins are
jumping around, birds are flying,
and almost immediately after
I launched the drone,
I spotted my first whale swimming nearby.
This is a humpback whale.
Theyre the most common in Antarctica.
Here, they mainly feed
because Antarctic waters
have an abundance of krill,
which is a kind of Antarctic shrimp.
But for mating purposes,
they migrate closer to the equator.
Thats about 8,000 km away.
They cover that distance
every single year.
Eventually, the whale spread its fins,
humpback whales really
do have enormous fins,
and dove deep underwater.
Most likely, it went to look for food.
Ive filmed whales in different places,
but to see one right on the first day,
just like that...
Ive never experienced that before.
And it wasnt just one whale,
there were, honestly, dozens of them.
I've definitely seen a few whales today.
This is a real whale party out here.
It's just...
I'm so impressed.
That's crazy!
As you remember,
to reach the station,
you have to pass through a strait,
where the ice conditions
can change several times a day.
But we were lucky.
Id like to say
that my foot has now stepped
onto the last continent
I had yet to visit,
but thats not entirely true.
The Ukrainian station
is located on an island.
Technically, this is not yet Antarctica,
its still the Antarctic.
The continent itself is
just within arms reach.
In fact, you can see it now.
Those massive mountains in the background,
separated by a strait.
This part of the mainland
is called the Kyiv Peninsula.
This is a real toponym.
It's probably the only Kyiv in the world
that hasnt yet been covered
in high-rise buildings.
Vernadsky Station is located
on Galindez Island.
Its actually tiny,
less than one square kilometer.
The main buildings are concentrated
on a small patch of land.
So its almost like
a holiday cottage here.
Before this blue-and-yellow flag
was raised here,
the station belonged to the British.
It was handed over to us for free in 1996.
That was a goodwill gesture
from the British government,
because after the collapse of the USSR,
Russia denied Ukraine all 12
Soviet Antarctic stations.
It declared itself their sole successor.
Well then, welcome.
Damn, I forgot...
All the doors here open inward.
There's so much snow here in winter,
so you simply couldnt open them outward.
Lets take a look around.
Here we see this big green building,
which is the central one at the station.
Passing through the changing room,
you then enter a long corridor
lined with old pictures.
There are a lot
of different artifacts here.
An autograph of Thor Heyerdahl,
and a picture of Bill Gates,
who visited Vernadsky
with his family back in 2010.
Here youll find the biology lab,
the radio station,
the station commanders office,
as well as two items
youd least expect to see here.
A snowboard and a crossbow.
Ill explain later why theyre here.
For about nine months of the year,
Vernadsky Station is completely cut off
from the outside world.
You can neither get here nor leave.
So if something happens,
no help will arrive.
Everything follows one
very important rule here.
And this rule is "Better safe than sorry."
There are three generators
powering everything here.
The first one is running,
the second one is undergoing maintenance,
the third is kept just in case.
There are two boilers.
But again, theres also
an electric one, just in case,
The fuel tank,
designed for the station
by the Paton Institute,
has a double hull.
Finally, there is a spare building.
Also just in case.
The main building, constructed
by the British, is made of wood.
Fire is probably
the worst-case scenario here.
Every wall is covered
with fire extinguishers.
Another crucial aspect
is self-sufficiency.
The team must be able to survive
a whole year without outside help.
There are bottles of water everywhere,
but there are not enough
to last that long.
The water here is taken
from the ocean, desalinated,
then the water mineralized
and supplied through the tap.
It's desalinated, mineralized water
from the Southern Ocean.
It tastes like regular water.
Another interesting area is medicine.
Meet Ivanka,
the doctor of the 29th
Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition.
Come in, please.
Being already almost middle-aged,
the first thing I asked Ivanka
was to show me the medical storerooms.
Here's what you can see here.
Medicine for every need.
The same applies
to the doctor at the station.
They're a very broad specialist
who can do far more
than an ordinary physician.
For example, take X-rays and treat teeth.
There is a separate dental office.
Ivanka knows how to use all of it.
I think many of you
have seen this picture,
a Soviet polar explorer
removing his own appendix in Antarctica.
Because he was the doctor
and the only person at the station
capable of carrying out such an operation.
Some countries take radical measures
to avoid such incidents,
In Australia, doctors wintering
at Antarctic stations
are required to have
an appendectomy before the trip.
Chile has gone even further.
At the Chilean settlement
on King George Island,
all long-term residents,
including children,
must have their appendix removed
before moving there.
There are no such requirements
at the Ukrainian station.
We didn't have that.
But we did have to undergo
an upper endoscopy,
that is, to swallow a tube.
Thats the standard procedure
for anyone coming here.
By the way, polar explorers
almost never get colds
or the flu in winter.
Theres simply no one here
to spread those illnesses.
The first cases appeared
with the first visiting tourists.
Yes, tourists do come here.
About 4,000 people would visit the station
every year, before COVID times.
It must be said that tours to Antarctica
are probably one of
the most expensive types of tourism.
The cheapest cruise I found
started at around $12,000.
Usually, the tickets cost
between $15,000 and $20,000 per person.
And thats the lower end.
It can be more expensive.
The conditions the polar explorers live in
cant be called ascetic,
but its definitely not a hotel.
The rooms are very similar
to train compartments on Ukrzaliznytsia.
I have to speak in whispers
because everyones sleeping.
The partitions between the rooms
are very thin here.
People just don't set alarms here.
An alarm might wake up your neighbor.
Instead, people are woken up by touch,
and requests are left on this board.
Heres an example.
Tania has the night shift.
She wants to be woken up
at half past eleven.
Rounds are made every hour,
both day and night.
It's done to check the main equipment,
whether the generator is running properly,
and whether
the food storage fridges are okay.
Again, just to be safe.
Look at this.
Speaking of food.
Food in Antarctica is more than just food.
Polar explorers burn calories
because of the cold and stress.
Tasty, varied meals are very important.
Food provides psychological support
for the team in isolation.
Thats why the cook is one of
the most important people.
A lot depends on them.
And they're the only team member
with an official day off.
On Sundays,
the other polar explorers cook.
Everyone uses their own skills.
As you may have guessed,
it's Sunday today.
Nazar is a young and talented chef
on the 29th expedition,
When I came into his kitchen,
Nazar was making cheese
using Carpathian recipes
and cinnamon rolls in Antarctic style.
Powdered milk...
A lot of butter...
This is a good, fatty,
delicious, high-calorie bun.
We make them in different sizes.
Everyone can choose what they want.
Polar explorers have different appetites.
Someone needs two big buns,
while for others, one small is enough.
Katsurin and I have said many times
on "The Food of Ukraine,"
Look, this is the best,
the most beautiful kitchen."
"The view is incredible.
This one actually has the best view.
I'd give four out of five stars.
It's tasty.
The biggest challenge with food
in Antarctica is storing it.
Here, its stored in all possible forms,
from fermentation to dehydration.
This is salted pork.
Wait a second.
This is a salted pork
that has been hanging here
for more than a year.
Meaning it's from the previous year.
The pork was 1.7 kilograms.
It is a bit smaller now.
It has dried a bit.
We will try it when we switch shifts.
Some 70 years ago,
the food for polar explorers
was not so varied.
This old cookbook has recipes
that the British Antarctic station
overwinterers used
back in the 1950s.
Here youll find roulades of seal
and roast penguin breast.
It sounds strange even hearing that,
as Antarctic wildlife
is strictly protected today.
Penguins are one of
the main symbols of Vernadsky.
The first creatures you see
at the station are penguins.
They are the ones to greet
newcomers right at the pier.
There are two piers at Vernadsky Station.
Both piers are guarded by penguins.
The biggest colony is
at the edge of the island,
at a place called Penguin Point.
PENGUIN POINAround 6,000 penguins
live on Galindez Island.
If you wonder how theyre counted,
well, using a drone.
They just count these little white dots.
Its done by biologists,
who work on many other research tasks
besides counting penguins.
Lets take a closer look now
at what Ukrainian polar explorers
actually do.
METEOROLOGY
First, meteorological research.
Antarctica plays a key role
in global atmospheric circulation.
This region influences the weather
across the whole planet.
Winds in America or Europe can be strong.
It all depends on the situation
at the South Pole.
Antarctic meteorological data
is critical for aviation.
It is key for sailing
and climate forecasting too.
Without knowing the weather in Antarctica,
the weather elsewhere
would be far less predictable.
Thats why constant
weather monitoring here is so important.
The first polar stations in Antarctica,
like this British one,
were established here
specifically for meteorology.
That's how important they are here.
limate research projects
are the longest in Antarctica.
They have been conducted
every day since 1947.
That is, for almost 80 years continuously.
Thanks to this huge dataset,
scientists have determined
that over the past 70 years,
the average annual temperature
in Antarctica
has risen by 4C.
The highest temperature
I personally recorded here was 6C.
You thought Antarctica
was really cold too, right?
Actually, no.
Sure, it can get very cold here,
and the lowest ever recorded
on the continent was -89C.
But that was on the Antarctic continent.
Here, in the Antarctic,
at Vernadsky Station
winter temperatures
are usually around -15C.
This place is famous
for its very strong winds.
Last year, winds of about
45 m/s were recorded here.
Thats roughly 160 km/h.
This boat, which had been secured,
was almost blown off the pier.
And throw some snow in.
A lot of snow.
As for the amount of snow
that falls at Vernadsky.
See that ladder?
It's here for a reason.
Snow usually covers
the entire first floor.
And people use this ladder,
via that balcony, to go outside.
And now it looks like this.
This is a fur seal.
Explorers said a fur seal once
warmed itself here in winter.
Because snow filled
the first floor up to the roof.
Just look at this weather now.
It's just autumn.
It's not even winter yet.
But the meteorologists
will be working all night.
Theyve gone to launch
a weather balloon.
Thats how weather data is collected.
The data is collected here
eight times a day, no exceptions.
Every three hours, the weather data is...
Now it's snowing...
Theyll know about it within
three hours in Greenwich, London,
They will compile the weather forecast.
When you read
the weather forecast in your city,
its partly thanks
to the meteorologists at Vernadsky.
Another line of research here
is chemistry and geophysics.
By which they mean atmospheric chemistry.
The main studies focus on ozone levels.
It's measured here through the ozone hole.
It was discovered right here at Vernadsky.
Back then, the station was British
and called Faraday.
Since then,
this hole either increases or decreases.
But it constantly looms over Antarctica.
Thats why its so important
to monitor the ozone layer.
The ozone layer blocks
harmful ultraviolet radiation.
This data is updated daily
as notes on a board.
The lower the number,
the more you need
to protect yourself from UV.
If ozone levels
in the atmosphere are low,
you need to put on sunscreen,
even on a cloudy day.
If you dont, then this might happen...
You could end up on the cover
of a dermatology magazine.
Measuring ozone at the station
is the job of a dedicated person,
the ozone researcher.
This devoted worker lives at work.
Literally.
There is the equipment right there,
and underneath is the researcher's bed.
Well, at least he has a private room.
They also study the Earths magnetic field
using sensors placed
in these two pavilions.
Theyre made of non-magnetic material
and are located some distance away
from the station.
Any iron object, even keys in your pocket,
can affect their work.
Thats why approaching
these pavilions is forbidden.
Forbidden for everyone, but penguins.
Theyre allowed.
Penguins are allowed everything here.
It's the biologists here
who conduct research on them.
And not just them,
because biology is another
major area of work at the station.
BIOLOGY
They study microorganisms,
parasites and insects,
They also study marine mammals,
including whales.
You dont even need
to go anywhere for that.
You can just step onto the pier
and meet a whale.
It's napping 30 meters from the station.
They sleep here in pairs
or even in threes.
Its part of their social behavior.
Just like dolphins,
half of their brain stays active
during this time,
to control breathing,
since whales breathe air.
Thats why they need to surface
even while sleeping.
Here's how it works.
The whale takes a breath and dives again.
So, now its time to explain
why they have a crossbow at the station.
Its used to collect biopsies
from the whales.
That is, a small sample of skin.
There is a special arrow here,
it has a slightly sharpened tip
and a float.
Just one shot from the crossbow...
Damn, this phrase sounds barbaric.
Believe me, its not that bad.
The crossbow shot is aimed
at the least sensitive spot,
near the dorsal fin.
If you are ready, let's sh**t.
It looks unpleasant,
but the biologists say
that it feels like
a mosquito bite for a whale.
I don't think anyone has ever shot
a biologist with a crossbow,
but let's just believe them.
Whales here are identified
by the pattern on their tail, a fluke.
Each one is unique.
Its almost like a fingerprint,
allowing individual animals
to be distinguished.
Whales are studied so extensively here
because theyre good bioindicators.
Toxins accumulate in whale tissue,
so a blubber biopsy allows us
to assess environmental pollution.
I should admit that whales
are just adorable.
When the weather is nice in Antarctica
and a whales in the right mood,
he can do things like this.
Just look at this swimmer.
He relaxed so much
that his fin brushed against the boat.
At that moment,
Sashko was also on the boat,
he's the station's system administrator.
He was actually piloting the drone.
Whales arent aggressive at all.
We've seen hundreds of whales,
and none of them showed
any aggression toward us.
You can even see
when he was slapping with his flippers,
this whale got scared himself
that he might hit something.
The whale rolled back over,
shocked by what just happened.
Another focus of the biologists
at Vernadsky is penguins.
The station is unique in this sense,
as penguins live here
as close to people as possible.
It hasn't always been like that.
In 2007, there were no penguins here.
But due to global warming,
they started nesting on Galindez.
There are strict rules
regarding penguins here.
Penguins always have the right of way.
If your paths cross,
youre always on the secondary road.
The penguin always has the right of way.
You always have to let it pass.
Youre also forbidden to touch them
or get too close to them.
But if you crouch down,
making yourself look less tall
and threatening,
well, you can see what happens.
Penguins get curious
and they usually approach on their own.
That part isnt regulated by the rules.
Penguins from Vernadsky Station
are called subantarctic penguins
or gentoo penguins.
They have this white stripe on their head.
Theres one more trait
that's unique to the gentoo.
You know that penguins walk really funny,
because of the way their bodies are built.
As our polar explorers say,
penguins are just swallows
that had a late-night snack.
They slide on their bellies
across the snow,
and thats a pretty common technique.
But gentoo penguins can really show
their abilities in the water.
Thats where everything
changes completely.
It is very difficult
to film penguins moving underwater
because of their incredible speed.
Sorry, I really messed this up.
Just look at this colony of penguins.
Can the word "colony" be
used in relation to penguins?
Anyway, look at their speed.
Subantarctic penguins
are the fastest of them all.
They can reach speeds
of up to 36 km/h underwater.
Like a motorboat.
You can see
this hydrodynamic trail in real life.
It's something like a jet stream,
but underwater.
That speed helps them escape predators
and catch prey.
Penguins feed on krill.
Krill are tiny Antarctic shrimp,
which are very nutritious and healthy.
Krill are used both as a bioresource,
and in pharmaceuticals,
because omega-3 from krill
is much better absorbed by our bodies
than traditional fish oil.
Almost everything
in Antarctica eats krill.
This is a crucial part of the food chain.
Its time to talk about
something really important.
I mean the way penguins defecate.
Penguins very diligently build nests
out of pebbles
so they can later incubate
their eggs there.
The incubation itself lasts over a month.
Both parents take turns doing it.
Theres no option to relieve themselves,
because skuas are always on patrol nearby.
Theyre big, very aggressive birds
that hunt both eggs and chicks.
Soiling the nest
isnt a great option either.
So, nature has gifted penguins
with very strong muscles.
They can sh**t their poop
without leaving the nest.
Yes, you heard that right. sh**t it.
And trust me,
Ive seen it with my own eyes.
German scientists, quite seriously,
calculated how far
they can do this using
all the laws of hydrodynamics.
Just remember this number.
You might meet a penguin one day.
That's why you need to know that.
Maybe some of you are already wondering,
"What's the point
of biology in Antarctica?"
Whats the benefit for us?
Let me explain it
using an example from plants.
This little plant is Antarctic pearlwort.
There are only two plants
across the whole of Antarctica,
Antarctic pearlwort and tussock grass.
The naming is a separate story.
But honestly, I was surprised.
I never expected anything
to grow in Antarctica.
Ukrainian scientists
asked the same question,
"How can anything even grow here?"
They checked the plants DNA
for possible mutations.
They found nothing unusual.
Then they hypothesized
that the bacteria inside the plants
helped them survive in extreme conditions.
It's like the good bacteria in our stomach
that help with digestion.
It's the same here.
And this hypothesis was confirmed.
Our biologists found that bacteria
in these plants.
So wheres the benefit?
In theory, these bacteria
could be transferred to the plants we eat,
like wheat, etc.,
to help them grow better.
Here is a practical use of science.
It sounds simple,
but it takes years of research
in practice.
Science rarely has an instant effect,
because research studies
always take a lot of time.
But so much
of what we have today as humanity
is thanks to science.
The camera we use is science.
The phone is science.
The medicines we take, it's all science.
Thanks to the research
at Vernadsky Station
and the icebreaker Noosfera,
Ukrainian scientists have joined
international research projects.
The state gains access
to modern technologies
as well as scientific partnerships.
I have never been this close
to a whale before.
What an experience!
You don't even need to look
for whales in Antarctica,
you go somewhere, and they just show up.
That's why this region is so unique.
Well then, now its official.
Were in Antarctica.
Antarctica is huge.
This continent is
1.5 times larger than Europe.
In winter, it doubles in size
due to the ice.
That ice contains about 80%
of all the fresh water on the planet.
Theres so much ice here.
If this ice ever fully melted,
the water level in the world's oceans
will rise by 60 meters.
Antarctica is the least-explored
continent on Earth.
Under a kilometer of ice lies
hidden lakes and Alpine-size mountains.
No one has ever seen them.
It is impossible not to fall in love
with these landscapes.
Once you recover a bit
from all that beauty,
a question comes to mind
that every Carpathian realtor would ask.
Whose land is this?
The short answer is simple. No one's.
The long answer is,
its pretty complicated.
The complication is that
as many as seven countries
lay claim to different parts
of Antarctica.
Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand,
Great Britain, and Norway.
Norway, for example, claims a sector
that is seven times larger
than Norway itself.
Countries wanted to prevent countries
from harming anyone,
so they signed the Antarctic Treaty.
I'll read it for you.
The treaty basically says that
Antarctica is a place
for scientific research.
Any military activity here is forbidden.
In 1998, a protocol on environmental
protection was added to the treaty.
It includes a clause, Prohibition
of Mineral Resource Activities.
Yes, you heard that right.
And you, Donald, heard that right too.
There are resources here.
Data from the 1950s suggests
there are deposits of oil,
gas, nickel, chromium,
and possibly uranium,
gold, and diamonds.
Theres no exact information,
because drilling is restricted
by international agreements.
You get the idea.
Imagine, you have a continent, Antarctica.
It belongs to no one.
It is twice as large as Australia.
No one has ever mined any resources here.
There may be more resources
than anyone could ever imagine
It sounds very good, doesn't it?
There are about 70 stations
in Antarctica right now,
and that number keeps growing.
Trkiye is building its own station,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
have announced their plans too.
But Russia and China are
the most active in construction.
They have over ten stations combined.
Why is this activity needed?
The moratorium on resource extraction
is valid until 2048.
It may be reviewed later.
Considering everything
happening in the world,
I think we can predict
which direction that revision will take.
Only states with stations here
and active research programs
will gain access
to the continents resources.
As of early 2024,
56 countries are part
of the Antarctic Treaty.
Twenty-nine of them have voting rights,
including Ukraine.
Why does that matter?
Decisions about Antarctica
are made unanimously.
We have the right to veto.
Here's an example.
Ukraine wants to create a protected area
on the Argentine Islands.
We want to protect it from tourists.
This decision is blocked by two countries.
Guess these countries?
Russia and China.
Russia wants to involve Belarus.
It wants give it voting rights
in the Antarctic Club.
This decision is also blocked.
Guess by whom?
It is blocked by us.
The Antarctic Club is truly a place
of fierce diplomatic battles.
Theres another reason
for this activity on the icy continent.
If it weren't for the jacket,
one could easily say
that I'm somewhere in the Azores.
But this is Antarctica.
Its greener than youd expect.
It's covered in different colors.
It unfolds, spreads,
and starts to photosynthesize.
It's so bright green, so unique.
The greenery you see is algae.
They havent seen anything like this
for decades here.
Such rapid algae growth
was caused by heavy rain.
Rain that was triggered by global warming.
Antarctica warms up three times faster
than the rest of the planet.
Some forecasts suggest
the continent may lose lots of ice
by the middle of the century.
In coastal regions,
melting ice is already
uncovering rocks and shores.
Ecologically, this means rising sea levels
ecosystem disruption,
and shifting ocean currents.
Economically, this means
future mining will be much cheaper.
But for now, these are just forecasts.
Antarctic glaciers are still in place.
We even approached one of them.
They collapse sometimes
That can be dangerous
for small boats like these.
If the wave is really big,
it can even flip the boat over.
The real danger is the blue ice.
I mean that one, right there.
This isnt color grading.
Antarctic ice really does look
stunningly blue in real life.
It becomes especially vivid
when the sun briefly comes out.
The effect comes from
the very structure of Antarctic ice.
It is extremely old.
It's formed over hundreds of years
by layers of snow piling up.
The snow compresses over time,
air bubbles inside get squeezed,
then gradually disappear.
As a result, a structure forms
that absorbs nearly all light
except for the blue waves.
These waves arent absorbed,
but reflected.
Thus making Antarctic ice
that magical, mesmerizing blue.
Nature is a first-class master
at creating spectacular sights.
Icebergs are probably one of
its most beautiful creatures.
They appear in all shapes and forms here.
If you turn on your imagination,
you can see real sculptures
in these blocks of ice.
I wont say
what each iceberg reminds me of.
Try to think what they remind you of.
This arch became one of the symbols
of my journey to Antarctica.
It drifted near the station
for the whole week we were here.
If you treat icebergs as art,
then its very fleeting.
Neither the arch nor any of the icebergs
youve seen exist anymore.
Theyve either melted, disappeared,
or completely changed their shape.
Only these images remain.
Biologist Ivan suddenly started
frantically hitting the water
with his paddle on our way back.
I did not understand it at all,
but then I saw the head of a leopard seal.
It's one of the most
dangerous predators in Antarctica.
The day before,
he had punctured a boats tube.
It was made of very strong rubber.
Ivan was just trying to scare him away.
It didnt really help much.
It is so big.
I repeatedly saw this leopard seal
right near the stations pier.
He swam up to the boats
every time we were here
and inspected the passengers.
Well, you get it.
This leopard seal is the boss here.
We arrived at the station
during the shift change.
It's quite a stressful time here.
Everything must be unloaded within a week,
including 140 tons of diesel.
We weren't lucky with the weather.
We even doubted the polar team
would stay on schedule.
All the supplies have to be sorted.
Duties have to be handed over
to the new crew.
There are about 30 people
living here now instead of 13.
People sleep anywhere they can find space.
I was kindly given a place in the attic.
People also live up there
during shift change.
I had my own separate corner.
It was storage for the ski equipment.
I found everything there,
including a sleeping bag.
I stayed at Vernadsky
for almost three days.
Here is my feedback.
What can I say?
The station quickly feels like home.
But theres one crucial detail.
There is absolutely
no personal space here.
Im speaking almost
in a whisper in my tiny room,
It's because people are sleeping
just behind this thin wall.
Its really tough.
There arent many places
to find privacy here.
You can lock yourself in a lab,
you can go to see the penguins,
or visit the chapel.
By the way, the last one
is actually a very good option.
You are not only alone there.
The Wi-Fi signal is also
pretty strong there.
But jokes aside, it's true.
It's extremely
psychologically difficult to spend
a whole year in such voluntary seclusion.
Not everyone can handle it.
Long isolation is one of
the toughest parts of polar work.
Imagine spending a whole year
on an island you cant leave.
You only get three hours
of daylight in winter.
It's the same view every day.
The weather is constantly bad.
It's an enclosed space, the same faces.
You still have to take shifts,
work outside.
Although its the South,
its definitely not Miami.
If youre thinking like,
well, at least there are penguins,
then Ive got bad news for you.
Penguins arent here in winter.
They migrate to warmer places
with access to open water.
Lets discuss traditions that help polars
manage their mental health.
Most of the traditions came
from the British, like this pool table.
The British started Friday cleaning.
Then they drank beer.
The Ukrainians kept Friday cleaning,
but they moved the dinner to Saturday.
They allow a bit of wine on Saturdays.
The British wore suits
for festive dinners.
The Ukrainians changed it to vyshyvanky.
Every expedition invents
its own tradition.
Heres what the 29th expedition did.
Our expedition had a special tradition.
Every Saturday, no matter the weather
or the supplies left in the freezer,
we ate borscht.
Borscht with meat.
Even when we had strict limits
on meat supplies.
There was always
a little hidden meat reserve.
It was divided into 52 portions,
52 Saturdays.
Borscht always had to be with meat.
We have borscht left.
Today is Monday.
We have borscht, wait.
Give me a second.
Here it is, on delivery.
This borscht has been steeping
for two days.
Borscht is the only soup
you cant leave unfinished.
I thought maybe the tradition
wouldn't be kept up, or was pointless.
Then I heard the phrase,
Im waiting for Saturday
to enjoy borscht with pampushky."
How many were there in total?
Around seven or eight thousand.
- Pampushky?
- Yes.
- Seven thousand pampushky in a year...
- With garlic.
We cooked a lot of borscht.
We made 25 liters
of borscht for 40 weeks.
Then we cooked
35 liters each for 12 weeks.
Thats about 1.5 tons of borscht in total.
The borscht was served with sour cream
that Nazar made himself.
He used a fermented dairy starter.
This is how it was.
Since were talking about leisure,
there is the worlds
southern-most bar at this station.
It's named after Michael Faraday.
Polar explorers can relax a bit here.
If you forget were in Antarctica,
the bar looks quite sophisticated.
The British planned to build
a conference hall here with a library.
But the carpenter knew how
to build pubs, not libraries.
He didn't build what was needed,
but what he could.
He was even fired for misuse of resources.
But I have to admit, the bar is amazing.
Theres Ukrainian liquor,
rare British vinyl records
and a big collection
of National Geographic magazines.
Wasnt that interesting?
Now I better show you penguins.
PENGUIN PEEK
I had a few free hours on the last day,
so I decided to spend them
with penguins near Vernadsky.
I adore watching the family dramas
of subantarctic penguins.
It's almost like
scrolling TikTok, I swear.
It is very addictive and very funny.
The relationship between parents
and their children is amazing.
The penguin on the right is a chick.
It pecks at its mothers beak
to show that its hungry.
Thats a tactile stimulus
that triggers the regurgitation reflex.
Thats how parents feed chicks
with half-digested food.
Sometimes there are too many
waiting in line to be fed,
and then the parent
makes the only right choice,
just to run away.
When parents run from their chicks,
like Youre grown-ups, you handle it,
it looks very funny.
Pure escapism.
I'm done with penguins.
This is the last day at the station.
The sun finally came out.
This is the end of the shift change.
Two base commanders sign
the handover papers.
The commander of the 30th expedition,
taking over the duty,
receives the keys to a chest
with gifts for the polars.
Congratulations!
It usually contains alcohol and sweets.
I also took part in filling it up.
I brought Shakhtar cake from Kyiv.
Thats a traditional cake
from Luhansk, my hometown.
This cake was designed
by the confectioners to resemble coal.
This chest is hidden.
It is usually opened
in the middle of winter.
Finally, a new flag is raised
over the station.
It was brought from Ukraine
by the 30th Antarctic Expedition.
They officially take over
the duty from this moment.
The polar explorers get ready
to load onto the boats,
They finally begin the long journey home.
Everyone is getting ready,
we are departing.
Just look at what nature
has given us before we leave.
This is the moment
when I am incredibly happy.
I swear...
After a vibrant seven days,
we leave the station.
We also leave these 13 people.
They will spend the next year
in isolation, on the edge of the world.
They will support the Ukrainian mission
in Antarctica.
I think this mission is not only
about scientific discovery.
Not only about raising a new generation
of Ukrainian scientists.
Its not only about politics
and diplomacy,
not only about bioresources and minerals.
Its also about something to be proud of.
Ukraine has been in Antarctica
for 30 years,
despite the w*r, economic crises,
and countless other obstacles.
Ukraine is not sending people
into space right now but,
as you just saw,
making it possible for 13 people
to live for a year in a polar desert.
Keeping the station...
it is something like a space program.
Thats another reason to be proud.
We spent just a week in Antarctica.
Its not that much time.
But it's enough to understand
that this is one of the wildest,
most inaccessible,
and most beautiful places Ive ever been.
It's an incredible privilege
to be here and film this moment.
I fully realize this.
I am thankful to the Armed Forces
and Ukrainian polar explorers.
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Antarctica (2025)
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