The new wintering complex “Vostok” in Antarctica will have an operating room and dentistry

Up to 15 polar explorers will be able to live at the station at the same time

Polar explorers have completed preparations for the new wintering complex “Vostok” at the station of the same name in Antarctica. It will begin to be tested this winter, which will begin at the South Pole in June.

Help “MK”. Vostok station is the only year-round inland Russian station in Antarctica. It was founded in 1957, 1460 km from the coast. The climatic conditions at Vostok station are the harshest on Earth. In winter, the temperature annually drops below -70 degrees Celsius, and in the summer months it rarely rises above -30°C. It was at Vostok station in July 1983 that the lowest air temperature on the planet was recorded – minus 89.2°C. The maximum temperature recorded at Vostok station was minus 13.6°C.

As MK was informed by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, from November 2023 to February 2024, 14 trips were organized from the Progress base station, near which ships are unloaded, to the Vostok station. In each of these trips, from 7 to 10 tractors were involved, which transported tons of cargo for the construction of the new complex. In total, they covered about 46 thousand kilometers in the endless Antarctic desert.

Help “MK”. The journey from the Progress station to the Vostok station takes about two weeks, during which the sleigh-caterpillar transport travels 1,430 km at an air temperature of about -50°C.

The new Vostok complex consists of five modules with a total area of ​​about 3 thousand square meters. The length of the station under construction is 140 meters, the maximum height is 17.5 meters. The modules are installed on 36 four-meter supports, which will allow them to remain free of snow for many years.

According to the director of the AARI, Alexander Makarov, this year the polar explorers will have to test their new housing, evaluate in practice the amount of energy consumption, functionality and reliability of engineering systems.

“The main thing for a safe and comfortable winter is a sufficient amount of energy,” says Makarov. “The station has 12 tanks for it, containing a two-year supply. The operation of the station will be ensured by six powerful diesel generators, and an almost meter-thick layer of insulation and a sealed cladding contour covering the modules will minimize heat loss and significantly reduce energy consumption.”

For the convenience of polar explorers, residential and public premises, scientific laboratories, technical blocks for a water purification and storage system, as well as a garage were built. The station has a modern medical block with an operating room, a pressure chamber, a dental and X-ray room, a wardroom with billiards and a cinema room, a gym and a sauna. The wintering complex will be able to accommodate up to 15 people during the wintering period.