There is a well-known saying: "A country can be considered a great power if it has three programs: space, nuclear, and Antarctic." In 1978, a young mechanic and designer, Nikolai Vasilyev, joined the Antarctic research department at his alma mater, the Leningrad Mining Institute. He certainly expected to make a contribution to the study of the Sixth Continent, but he had no idea what role he would play in this strategically important program.
The average winter temperature in Central Antarctica fluctuates around -50 to -60°C, but it can easily drop to -80°C. The harsh conditions of life and work in such extreme temperatures are vividly depicted in the film "72 Degrees Below Zero," starring the stellar cast of Soviet cinema—Abdulov, Yankovsky, and Kryuchkov.
Of living creatures, there are only penguins, seals, and birds, and even they are found only on the coast. In the area around the Vostok Station, the continent is a white desert, where there is practically no water.
The conquest of the North and South Poles has always been perceived as part of the Great Geographical Discoveries. The first Russian Antarctic expedition dates back to 1819, but full-scale exploration only began in the mid-20th century. Before that, conducting real research was not feasible due to the lack of proper equipment, transport, and essential knowledge about the geography of the continent. In 1911-1912, the whole world watched the race to the South Pole between Norwegian Roald Amundsen and British Robert Scott, which ended in tragedy. Scott's party perished along with their leader. The continent demanded special respect.
Since 1956, Russia has been building scientific observation stations, where the leading specialized research institutes and universities of the country carried out studies. The Saint Petersburg Mining Institute was responsible for geology. They started with a preliminary reconnaissance survey, surface mapping of mountain areas, and aerial photography of the coastline. However, the initiative later emerged to conduct investigations into the deep structure of the continent by drilling deep wells into the ice. Why did this idea arise? Ice, in which dust, various solid inclusions, and air bubbles accumulate, is a true information accumulator about the continent itself, as well as the planet's climate over hundreds of thousands of years.
The process is different from drilling wells in solid rock, so it was impossible to simply transfer the technology. New methods and equipment were needed, and the department of Antarctic research, where Nikolai Vasilyev had joined, took on the task of developing them. A new scientific direction was emerging, and the young specialist had the opportunity to get on the locomotive that was just beginning to pick up speed, rather than jumping into the last car, as often happens.
The task was set: the weight of the installation should not exceed 35 tons, the energy consumption should be within 40-50 kW, and the diameter of the core to be retrieved should be 120 mm. It was a synthesis of completely incompatible factors: very large core sizes, low energy consumption, and an incomparably smaller weight compared to an oil drilling rig. The first deep well at the Vostok station began drilling in 1970, but the process required further refinement.
It should be noted that during the Soviet period, this topic was very popular among young people. First of all, the exotic nature of the place was enticing. Plus, it was about going abroad, which was nearly impossible at the time. Secondly, polar explorers were paid salaries that significantly exceeded the average. But the main motivating factor was the Ice Continent itself. According to Vasilyev, the department was full of "romantics" for whom everything related to Antarctica was incredibly fascinating. Even if they left for some reason, they remained in touch and constantly followed the progress of the research.
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Nikolai Ivanovich’s first business trip took place in 1978. As part of the 24th Russian Antarctic expedition, he became a participant in an inland sled-and-tractor scientific expedition to the temporary polar station Vostok-1, located 600 km from the Mirny station. The drilling group in the polar regions and mountain glaciers passed more than 20,000 meters of core samples. The work was led by Vasilyev’s direct supervisor from the Mining Institute – the legendary founder of the domestic drilling thermophysics school, Boris Kudryashov.
The young scientist was literally “infected” with Antarctica. In 1988, he went to the Vostok station, and his second wintering took place in 1994. From then on, he regularly participated in expeditions for seasonal work until 2016. After Boris Kudryashov’s passing in 2002, Nikolai Ivanovich became the head of Antarctic research at the Mining Institute and also led the glacioborehole team in the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) and on the Northern Land.
In the 1990s, funding for the Antarctic program virtually ceased, which meant inevitable collapse for a project that was entirely state-funded. The scientist deeply felt the situation and found a solution that allowed Russia to remain a pioneer in the study of the Sixth Continent. His established connections with the Grenoble Glaciology and Geophysics Laboratory for environmental research helped. A trilateral Russian-French-American agreement was signed, under which the Russian team drilled, the French provided technical support, and the Americans transported the team to the Vostok station.
«We went to France, where we first developed and prepared our equipment in the laboratory, and then we ordered part of its production from French factories, while we made part of it ourselves in our machine workshops at the university. Naturally, no country paid anyone anything. But for the assistance provided, each state received a third of the core we obtained and used it at their discretion», - said Nikolai Ivanovich.
This continued until 2004, when the opportunity to reach the station with their own means became available again.
Nikolai Ivanovich's main achievements are connected with the development of drilling technologies using mechanical columnar electromechanical devices on a load-bearing cable in ice, as well as the technology for environmentally safe drilling of Lake Vostok under the ice, and the creation and testing of the corresponding technical means.
On February 5, 2012, the specialists of the glacioborehole team of the 57th Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE), led by Vasilyev, achieved the breakthrough of the relic Lake Vostok at a well depth of 3,769 meters, an event covered by numerous Russian and international media. Before that, no one in the world had drilled ice at such depths. Samples were brought to the surface and handed over to glaciologists and other scientists for research.
«You, my friends, made this triumph possible, and I know that the road was long and difficult. You and your colleagues worked in harsh conditions, tirelessly searching for new technological solutions, learning to use unique new technologies and equipment. The drilling work was recognized as one of the most significant pages in the exploration of Antarctica. This event not only attracted the attention of the whole world but also once again demonstrated the high level of Russian science and our country's firm position in the exploration of Antarctica»,- summarized Vladimir Putin during the presentation of state awards to the participants in the Lake Vostok study project.
Nikolai Ivanovich gained wide recognition in Russia and abroad as a theorist and organizer of scientific research on ice drilling, the head of the scientific school at the Department of Drilling at the Mining University, and an academician of the International Academy of Sciences for Ecology, Human and Nature Safety. He was awarded the Order of "For Services to the Fatherland" 4th class, the "Honored Subsurface Explorer" badge, and the Russian Federation Government Award for Science and Technology.
In 2017, the documentary film "Video Lake Vostok. Ridge of Madness" (directed by Ekaterina Yerenko) was released, which allowed the audience to visit the station and witness the polar researchers' activities firsthand. Nikolai Ivanovich calmly described the features of the drilling complex, explained the main processes, and, at the same time, invented, repaired, and modernized things on the go. And you can see the true creativity that drives a person to travel to the ends of the earth.
Vasiliev had planned to fly to Antarctica until he turned 50 and then "make way for the young." Over the years, doctors strictly forbade him from continuing to work in such extreme conditions. At the Vostok station — located at an altitude of 3488 meters, with extremely low atmospheric pressure of 450 mm Hg and a lack of oxygen — the polar explorers suffered from severe hypoxia during the first days. Doctors jokingly suggested spending the winter in Thailand for a change, but they received Vasiliev's response: "What's interesting about that?.
But the scientist was repeatedly drawn back to Antarctica — by the current and future tasks, scientific curiosity, responsibility, and, ultimately, the excitement. In the end, he continued to go on expeditions until he was 68, by which time the number of his trips had exceeded 20.
«I was lucky to know Nikolai Ivanovich when I was a young graduate student. He was not only a brilliant teacher who could inspire his students, but also a researcher capable of generating ideas and transforming them into results. The penetration of Lake Vostok was an industrial feat, technologically comparable only to sending a man into space. He communicated on equal terms with ministers and politicians, and was an unquestionable authority for glaciologists worldwide. Ahead of us were colossal plans — to begin developing a new drilling method while meeting the environmental requirements of the Protocol on Environmental Protection and the existing logistical capabilities of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) at the new wintering complex of the Vostok station», - said Vladimir Litvinenko, rector of the Mining University.
On January 4, 2021, Nikolai Vasiliev passed away.
Colleagues are convinced that there have been no specialists like him and that there are none even now. However, the professor believed in the continuity of generations in science. He was concerned with the training of a new generation capable of continuing the research. Over the entire existence of the scientific school of the department, which he led since 2004, more than 25 doctors and 70 candidates of sciences were trained.
Now the students of the famous polar explorer are heading to the coldest place on our planet. Previously, the road to Antarctica passed through New Zealand — a country that is farther from St. Petersburg than any other. The journey used to be a truly long expedition. Today, the journey goes through Cape Town and, with refueling stops, takes at least five days.
In the 70th anniversary season of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (2024-2025), 8 scientists from the Mining University are taking part. The glacioboring team will depart for Cape Town around November 25, where they will transfer to the research vessel "Akademik Fedorov."
This year’s distinguishing feature will be the start of monitoring deep-sea phenomena at the coastal Progress station. Until now, work had been conducted exclusively at Vostok. Five members of the team will remain there to conduct comprehensive geological and geophysical work to gather primary data for identifying the features of the geological structure. The result will be the creation of standard and working collections of rock samples, a structural-tectonic map, and an atlas of migmatites, as well as a three-dimensional geological-geophysical model of the region's structure based on the comprehensive interpretation of geological survey results and magneto- and electrometric geophysical work.
Three scientists will head to the Vostok station, where they will continue their research focused on improving existing and developing new technologies and techniques for ice-core drilling. This is necessary for conducting complex research on Lake Vostok using environmentally safe technologies. This is what Nikolai Vasiliev dreamed of and strived for.
