Post #2189

Today marks the 205th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica! 🥳 On January 28, 1820, the ships of the First Russian Antarctic Expedition, under the command of Faddei Bellingshausen aboard «Vostok» and Mikhail Lazarev aboard «Mirny», became the first in history to approach the shores of Antarctica. They were just a few miles from the Princess Martha Coast. As Mikhail Lazarev described: «On January 16 (Old Style), we reached latitude 69°23' S, where we encountered massive ice of extraordinary height…» This day is rightfully considered the discovery of Antarctica by our compatriots. Today, as in many years past, Russian polar explorers continue to conduct cutting-edge scientific research on the coldest continent on Earth. Photos: Andrey Mirakin, Dmitry Rezvov, AARI