The head of the 17th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition Alexey Gaidashov, on behalf of the entire team, congratulated all scientists, researchers and workers in the country’s scientific sphere on the Day of Belarusian Science.
"The team of the 17th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition congratulates the glorious scientific community of the Republic of Belarus on their professional holiday - the Day of Belarusian Science!
Science is one of the foundations of Belarusian nationhood and is a priority of state policy and the President personally.
More than 25 thousand people from more than 400 scientific organizations are engaged in scientific research and development in our country, and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is the undisputed leader in this area – the core of the generation of new knowledge!
With reliable state support and the President, a new promising area of activity in the exploration and development of the polar regions of the Earth is successfully developing in our country; Belarusian polar explorers are making a feasible contribution to the development of world and Belarusian science.
The seventeenth Antarctic season is also marked by significant events for our country and science. All planned scientific research programs, including practice-oriented ones, are being successfully implemented. New instrument complexes, industrial products, materials and methods developed in scientific and industrial organizations of our country, are being tested in the unfavorable conditions of Antarctica.
This season, two long-distance scientific expeditions to hard-to-reach mountainous regions of Antarctica were conducted, during which complex, practice-oriented scientific research was carried out. The area of scientific and practical interests of the Republic of Belarus in Antarctica was expanded by another 650 km2. A unique nature-made object of territorial significance was discovered and examined - an ice canyon, which is of undoubted scientific interest.
International and bilateral Russian-Belarusian cooperation in Antarctica continues to develop successfully:
– In December 2024, participants of the 17th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition took part in a significant international scientific project to study and map the largest glaciers in Antarctica;
- As part of the 17th Belarusian expedition, two employees of Russian Antarctic expedition are carrying out research programs;
- As part of the 70th Russian Antarctic Expedition, a Belarusian specialist takes part in conducting inland sled-caterpillar expeditions to station “Vostok”. On January 11, 2025, for the first time in the history of independent Belarus, the national flag of the Republic of Belarus was raised at the Earth's cold pole of the inland Vostok station.
Work continues on further formation and development of the infrastructure of Belarusian Research Station. On the eve of the Day of Belarusian Science, work was completed on the installation and commissioning of a new socially significant facility of Belarusian Antarctic Station – the mess hall complex.
The Republic of Belarus and Belarusian science have something to be proud of – with the use of national developments and technologies, the further progress of the "fulcrum" of our country and Belarusian science on the Sixth Continent is successfully continuing. We do it together!
Thanks to your tireless work, desire for innovation, creative search, and implementation of progressive ideas, our country has a powerful scientific and technological potential and a sustainable prospect for further development. We wish you new wonderful discoveries, global breakthroughs and bold decisions in science!
Peace, goodness and prosperity!
The strongest polar health and the same strongest will to win in achieving scientific goals!
17 BAE team:
As reported, on October 28, 2024, the 17th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition was ceremonially launched at the NAS of Belarus. 14 people departed to Antarctica under the leadership of experienced polar explorer, participant of all previous 16 expeditions Alexey Gaidashov. The expedition includes researchers from the NAS of Belarus (the Republican Center for Polar Research of the NAS of Belarus, the Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources of the NAS of Belarus, the Institute of Nature Management of the NAS of Belarus, B. Stepanov Institute of Physics of the NAS of Belarus), BSU, Belhydromet and other organizations of the country. The team includes 9 specialists who already have experience working in Antarctica, and 5 people are newcomers.
