The 200th Anniversary of Antarctica Discovery by Russian Seafarers
The 200th Anniversary of Antarctica Discovery by Russian Seafarers
28 October 1820 went down in history as the day of discovery of the sixth continent – Antarctica. The honour of the discovery belongs to Russian circumnavigation expedition under command of Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev.
Antarctica is the Earth’s most mysterious continent. More than 14 mln square kilometers that has not been fully researched. Portuguese and Dutch expeditions had been trying to find the Icy Continent since XV century. English navigator James Cook came the closest to it, but his expedition couldn’t get through ice southerly than 71 degrees 10 minutes south latitude. “The risk one runs in exploring a coast in these unknown and Icy Seas, is so very great, that I can be bold to say, that no man will ever venture farther than I have done and that the lands which may lie to the South will never be explored”, wrote Cook after the voyage of 1772 – 1775.
However a Russian expedition to the southern continent was fit out half a century later under the Emperor’s Alexander I special protection. Sloops “Vostok” (“East”) and “Mirny” (“Peaceful”) under command of Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev after a long and careful preparation sailed off from Kronstadt at the beginning of June 1819 and after a half-year voyage were at the icy shore. On 28 January 1820 the Russian seafarers reached the 69th degree 25 minutes line south latitude and for the first time in history came to Antarctica ice shelves. “We saw solid ice stretching from the east westwards through the south, with our route leading straight to that ice field all covered with knolls”, noted Faddey Bellingshausen.
The participants of Bellingshausen-Lazarev expedition spent 751 days in navigation, sailed more than 92 thousand kilometers. They discovered 29 islands and 1 coral reef. The research materials gathered by the expedition formed the first view of Antarctica.
Russian delegation headed by Minister of natural resources and environment of Russia Dmitry Kobylkin participated in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Antarctica discovery at the Russian Antarctic station “Bellingshausen” on King George Island (Vaterloo). Celebration agenda includes meeting of representatives of Antarctic Treaty participant countries, a solemn rally, honouring of polar explorers and polar expeditions veterans as well as series of working meetings. Raising of jubilee flag on the day of the 200th anniversary starts the Year of Antarctica in Russia. Besides a Victory Banner will be handed over to the station personnel commemorating polar explorers – Heroes of the Soviet Union in the year of the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory.
In the end of 2019 a round-the-world expedition of 3 Russian sailing vessels “Kruzenshtern”, “Pallada” and “Sedov” kicked off to celebrate the landmark dates. About 40 moorings in seaports of North and South America, Africa, Europe and Oceania are planned along their routes with “open board” mode – everyone can visit Russian vessels.
In January this year a monument to Faddey Bellingshausen provided as a gift by the International Bering-Bellingshausen Institute was unveiled at the Russian antarctic station.
It should be noted that the 65th Jubilee Russian Antarctic expedition is currently underway. In Antarctica there operate Russian year-round stations “Mirny”, “Vostok”, “Novolazarevskaya”, Bellingshausen” and “Progress” as well as several seasonal stations.
