St. Kliment Ohridski Base

Bulgaria in Antarctica

Bulgarian Antarctic Institute

National Centre of Polar Research

St. Kliment Ohridski Base

St. Ivan Rilski Chapel

Camp Academia

Tangra 2004/05

Bulgarian toponyms in Antarctica

Antarctic Place-names Commission

Military Geographic Service

St. Kliment Ohridski Base (Bulgarian: База св. Климент Охридски, Baza Sv. Kliment Ohridski \'ba-za sve-'ti 'kli-ment 'o-hrid-ski\) is a Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.

The base, originally known as Sofia University Refuge, was named in 1993 "for St. Kliment of Ohrid (840-916), prominent Bulgarian scholar."^[1]

Location

Base area and facilities in 1996

The base is located at 62°38′29″S 60°21′53″W / 62.64139°S 60.36472°W / -62.64139; -60.36472Coordinates: 62°38′29″S 60°21′53″W / 62.64139°S 60.36472°W / -62.64139; -60.36472, which is at an elevation of 12 to 15 m on Bulgarian Beach, 130 m inland from the shore of Emona Anchorage, between Pesyakov Hill and Sinemorets Hill, overlooking the Grand Lagoon. The base area is crossed by the melt-water Rezovski Creek in the summer, providing a water supply.

History

1988 Buildings with Burdick Ridge

Following an unsuccessful landing attempt at Cape Vostok on the northwestern extremity of Alexander Island, two prefabricated huts were assembled on Livingston Island between 26 and 29 April 1988 by a four-member Bulgarian party supported logistically by the Soviet Research Ship Mikhail Somov. The facilities were later refurbished and inaugurated as a permanent base on 11 December 1993.

An expansion programme at St. Kliment Ohridski including the construction of a new multi-purpose building was carried out between 1996 and 1998 and subsequently. The St. Ivan Rilski Chapel built in 2003 is the first Eastern Orthodox edifice in Antarctica and the southernmost Eastern Orthodox building of worship in the world. A post office of the Bulgarian Posts has been in operation at St. Kliment Ohridski since 1994/1995.

Main building with Friesland Ridge

The base is visited regularly by representatives of the institutions responsible for Bulgaria's activities in Antarctica, including President Georgi Parvanov of Bulgaria during January 2005.

Use

Main building with Emona Anchorage

Personnel and cargo from supply ships are offloaded by Zodiac boats at the southwestern extremity of the beach, 300 m away from the main base facilities. A designated helipad site is located on the northern side of the Grand Lagoon.

St. Kliment Ohridski enjoys the exceptional advantage of several convenient overland routes leading from Bulgarian Beach to a variety of internal and coastal areas of Livingston Island including the Balkan Snowfield, Burdick Ridge and Pliska Ridge, Tangra Mountains and the glaciers Perunika, Huntress, Huron and Kaliakra, and Saedinenie Snowfield. The Spanish base Juan Carlos I is situated 2.7 km to the south-southwest, and is reached either by sea or by a 5.5 km route, while the central location of Camp Academia site is 11 km due east in the Tangra Mountains.

St. Ivan Rilski Chapel

The base is used by scientists from Bulgaria and other nations for research in the field of geology, biology, glaciology, topography and geographic information. St. Kliment Ohridski is visited by cruise ships from Hannah Point, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Antarctica situated but 12 km to the west.

See also

• St. Ivan Rilski Chapel
• Bulgarian Antarctic Institute
• Camp Academia
• Livingston Island
• South Shetland Islands
• Antarctica
• Antarctic Place-names Commission
• Tangra 2004/05 Expedition

Maps

• Isla Livingston: Península Hurd. Mapa topográfico de escala 1:25 000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1991.
• L.L. Ivanov. St. Kliment Ohridski Base, Livingston Island. Scale 1:1000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 1996. (The first Bulgarian Antarctic topographic map, in Bulgarian)
• L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton Strait, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution). Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
• L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4

Notes

1. ^ St. Kliment Ohridski Base. SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer.

External links

• Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Antarctic Institute
• (Spanish) Spanish Antarctic Base Juan Carlos I
• COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
• COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map

This article includes information from the Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria which is used with permission.