The 71st season of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) became a record in terms of the number of participants from the Polar Team of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. This is explained by the increased scope, nature, and level of the planned work. Nine people remained at Progress Station, while two headed to Vostok.
Although the main tasks this year are associated with the Antarctic coastline, the importance of continuing research deep in the interior of the continent is beyond doubt.
From Progress Station, the mining engineers set out on the morning of 29 December in “Burlak” all-terrain vehicles. The team had to cover a route of 1450 km, which is traditionally planned to take 2-3 days. They took with them 160 liters of drinking water, two large first-aid kits, satellite phones for scheduled communication sessions, navigators with the track of the “Progress–Vostok” route, food for five days, a full repair kit, and a large number of personal belongings. Most of this cargo was placed on the roofs of the vehicles, making them resemble pack animals.
Anatoly Ozhigin, Research Engineer of the "Antarctica" Scientific Geological Party:
«I was eager to set out on the journey, to ascend the ice dome and see the ‘real’ Antarctica with its boundless snowy deserts. On the first day, the route gained elevation fairly quickly, and by evening, the altimeter was already showing an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. There was a blizzard, and at times it seemed as though the vehicle ahead was simply floating in the air. We repeatedly lost the route, and the lead vehicle had to keep ‘scouting’ left and right in search of the track and marker poles.
The main event of the second day was the meeting with the sledge-caterpillar train that was returning to Progress. This red caravan, resembling a giant mechanical caterpillar, was visible from several kilometers away. Our meeting took place approximately halfway, which is one of the safety measures. The departure was planned in such a way that for the entire route, such a sledge-caterpillar train would be within a few days' travel from us, and in case of a serious breakdown, it would come to our aid.
I celebrated my birthday during the traverse. At one of the stops on the second day, my comrades called me over to help with refueling. The reason, of course, was different. On behalf of everyone, my colleague Danil Serbin congratulated me and presented the now traditional book Territory, with wishes and signatures from all members of the traverse, as well as colleagues and friends who had remained at Progress Station and on the Stornes Peninsula. These were probably the most unusual birthday celebrations of my life.
On the third day, it became clear that the team would not reach Vostok by the New Year, even though both the weather and the route had improved significantly and the average speed had approached 30 km/h. The researchers welcomed the New Year on the road—first according to Vladivostok time, then Izhevsk time, followed by Progress Station time. Finally, 190 km from Vostok, they marked the New Year according to Moscow time. They gathered in one of the vehicles, celebrated the occasion with a small festive dinner, took a group photo, and almost immediately continued on their journey.
Anatoly Ozhigin, Research Engineer of the "Antarctica" Scientific Geological Party:
«We seemed to be racing across a vast frozen sea. It was difficult to distinguish day from night, the altimeter readings exceeded 3,000 meters, and the outside temperature dropped below −35 °C. Inside the Burlak vehicle it was warm, and for many kilometers around there was not a single living soul, not the slightest hint of life. It was like being on the surface of another planet. In this setting, sitting in the passenger seat and looking toward the horizon, I thought about the fact that at that very moment, beneath us lay kilometers of ancient ice. And beneath it is an entire continent concealed—mountain systems, plains, rivers, and lakes. Soon our vehicles would be speeding over the largest subglacial lake in Antarctica—Lake Vostok».
On 1 January 2026 at 9:00 a.m., the vehicles arrived at Vostok Station. First and foremost, the polar researchers set out to inspect the site of their scientific work: they examined drilling rig 5G, cleared the entrance to drilling rig 3G of snow, and then unloaded the scientific equipment and personal belongings.
Danil Serbin, Deputy Head of the Antarctic Drilling Project:
«During the 70th Russian Antarctic Expedition, we spent one month at the old Vostok Station and one month in the new wintering complex. In the current season, we were accommodated immediately in the new wintering complex ‘Vostok.’ The station's logistics have completely changed, and the power supply has been altered. We encountered serious difficulties: only 10 kW of electricity has been allocated for the entire Boris Borisovich Kudryashov drilling complex. This includes the drilling, glaciological, and geophysical laboratories, which require twice the allocated power for heating alone. Inside the facilities, the temperature does not rise above minus 10 degrees Celsius, which greatly complicates the preparation and execution of work, especially when using electronic equipment. Under these conditions, conducting experimental work at the drilling complex is extremely challenging.
However, already back at the University, the idea emerged that we needed our own comfortable facilities near the new wintering complex ‘Vostok’ for conducting experimental work, assembling, repairing, and storing test benches, tools, and scientific equipment. The Head of the Station, Vitaly Zarovchatsky, allocated an empty 20-foot sea container, which we are now equipping as an experimental laboratory. We have insulated it, divided it with a partition into cold and warm sections, supplied electricity, installed lighting and heating, and are setting up ventilation. Our task is to create suitable conditions for conducting scientific research not only during this season, but also in the future».
What work is currently underway at the polar station?
Vostok has always been distinguished by a strong research component, and with the commissioning of the new wintering complex, the development of its scientific potential has gained new momentum and entered a new stage. Many world-class scientific discoveries have already been made here, and even more lie ahead.
In 2012, researchers from the Mining University were the first to penetrate subglacial Lake Vostok, located beneath an ice shield 3,769 meters thick, and to obtain unique samples of relic water. Since then, they have demonstrated the cyclical nature of Earth’s climate change and, based on the collected data, have traced four glacial and interglacial periods. Research has never ceased. Each year, Mining University scientists test new specialized technologies and further refine those already in use.
Thus, last year, unique drilling operations were carried out here using an environmentally safe drilling fluid—polymethylsiloxane (PMS-3). In the future, this will make it possible to achieve an environmentally clean penetration into the lake.
At present, experimental studies are being conducted on the processes occurring during thermal drilling of glaciers and the drilling of the snow–firn layer with air flushing.
During the preparatory phase of the expedition, at the Laboratory of Drilling Technologies and Equipment under the conditions of Vostok Station at the Mining University, researchers developed a video logging module for the visual inspection of "dry" wells. The device is compact, easily suspended on a thin cable, and lowered into an ice well. An autonomous heating unit is installed inside the module to maintain the operating temperature of the camera. The video logging module was tested in Well 5G at a depth of 42 meters (below this level, drilling fluid is present) at a temperature of minus 57 degrees Celsius. During the tests, images of the casing string were obtained and analyzed.
Danil Serbin, Deputy Head of the "Antarctica" Scientific Geological Party:
«Last season, during the drilling of a shallow well VK-25 with a depth of 50 meters, an accident occurred—the drilling tool became stuck at the bottom of the well. In the current season, we are carrying out operations to eliminate the consequences of this accident. First, we cleared the site of snow, deconserved and connected the small drilling rig, and then conducted video logging in well VK-25 down to the accident site, reaching a depth of 46.2 meters (the upper part of the string). Over the course of the year, the well has remained stable, and the wellbore geometry has not changed, which is a positive result. At present, assembly is underway of a system that includes a heat-carrier heating unit and a heated flexible pipe 50 meters in length. This work requires great care and precision, and such experience is unprecedented in drilling practice».
Anatoly Ozhigin, research engineer of the Antarctica Scientific Geological Party:
«To date, an experimental test bench for studying the process of core drilling with air flushing of the bottom hole has been assembled, and commissioning and adjustment operations are underway. During preparation for the expedition, the test bench was fully assembled and tested in the laboratories of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University. With the participation of staff from the Arctic Research Center, specialized software was developed and tested; however, how the installation will perform under real field conditions will become clear in the coming days».
It should be noted that the "Strategy for the Development of the Activities of the Russian Federation in Antarctica until 2030," approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, provides for the construction of a new drilling complex intended for drilling the first clean-access well into subglacial Lake Vostok.
