Have you ever imagined what the North or South Pole looks like? How would it feel like to stand at the edge of the world?
Every year, a team of fearless adventurers embarks on a journey unlike any other, the one that lasts a full year in Antarctica. Along the way, they transform from individuals into a real team, even a family.
Anyone can join them and set foot in Antarctica. But if you are not ready to commit to a year-long expedition, UkraineWorld encourages you to read about it instead. Let's dive into the story of this unique and picturesque adventure, seen through the eyes of someone who has been part of the Ukrainian Antarctic crew not once or twice but eight times - first as a researcher and later as the chief commander of theUkrainian Antarctic expedition.
Let's start from the very beginning.
Few nations have their Antarctic research station, and Ukraine is among them. After the USSR collapsed, Russia claimed all Soviet Antarctic stations, denying Ukraine even one. In 1996, the UK gifted the Faraday Station to Ukraine, marking the birth of theAkademik Vernadsky Station.
Today, the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine collaborates with top institutions worldwide to study and preserve the icy continent. Each year, a new Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition embarks on a year-long journey
to the station, continuing vital scientific research.
Yurii Otruba is a seasoned polar explorer whose journey began with a dream - to go, see, and prove himself. Today, he is an experienced member of multiple Antarctic expeditions and the leader of the 29th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition.
Yurii first learned about Antarctica by chance when a university teacher mentioned that a former student had already gone there to work. The idea took hold, and after graduating as a computer science and astronomy teacher, he joined the National Antarctic Scientific Center, where he was eventually offered a spot on an expedition. Preparation included medical exams, training, and briefings before a long flight and a challenging ocean journey to an extreme location on Earth.
Drake Passage: first test for polar explorers
It is the shortest maritime route between South America and Antarctica, yet it is also one of the most turbulent places on Earth.
Located at the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans junction, this narrow passage ensures that bad weather is almost always present.
"The Drake Passage is dangerous because strong winds create massive waves, and as you approach Antarctica, icebergs appear, making navigation even more difficult."
Crossing the Drake Passage takes three to four days, and everything depends on the weather. For those prone to seasickness, it is a true endurance test.
Modern technology, however, has helped minimise risks.
"Now, captains have access to advanced weather forecasts, allowing them to avoid storms, wait out rough conditions, or change course. No one sails directly into a nine-force storm anymore."
There were no forecasts or understanding of how storms moved in the past, so there wasn't a way to avoid them. That's why the Drake Passage was always a challenge.
First impressions
Seeing the continent for the first time felt like stepping into another world. The crew experienced a mix of euphoria and shock.
"I remember that moment: the ship departs, and you stay behind. And then the thought hits you - what am I doing here? Why did I come? But eventually, you settle into the rhythm."
The handover period was much shorter then - just over three days. At that time, the newcomers had to unload the ship, receive supplies for an entire year, learn the intricacies of the station, and understand how everything functioned. Unlike today, when you can call and ask, every piece of information had to be remembered or carefully written down because that knowledge had to last for the whole year.
Newcomers learn shortly that the weather can change instantly - one moment, it's calm, and the next, hurricane-force winds shake the entire station.
The monotony of daily tasks sets in - responsibilities that cannot be ignored or postponed. Life here is not just about the thrill of discovery - it's about adaptation, endurance, and finding meaning in the smallest moments.
The daily reality of Antarctic work
Isolation, endless winter nights, and the rhythm of life make psychological endurance one of the greatest challenges at the station. In such extreme conditions, even small irritations can escalate, making team compatibility just as crucial as professional skills. Every member is carefully selected not only for their expertise but also for their ability to work and live together.
Yurii went through this process himself. The first month tested him, as it did everyone, but then came the realisation - this was his place.
Scientific research is at the heart of life here. He works as a geophysicist. Yurii began with ozone layer studies before moving into geomagnetic monitoring, seismology, and georadar profiling.
Antarctica doesn't forgive chaos. The station follows a strict routine - without it, everything would fall apart. It operates like a well-oiled machine, where daily life depends on each person doing their part.
"Here, you're not just a scientist or an engineer - you're also a cook, a plumber, an electrician. If needed, you cover for a teammate, prepare meals, clean floors, or unload supplies that must last for a year."
Beyond routine maintenance, safety is a priority. If someone leaves the station - to collect water samples or conduct magnetic readings - they must log their departure on the board. This simple rule has saved lives more than once, especially when the weather turns unexpectedly.
Because in Antarctica, predictability is survival - and adaptation is the only way forward.
The nature wonder of Antarctica
Akademik Vernadsky Station is located not on the Antarctic mainland, but on an archipelago of islands nearby, in a truly picturesque region. Its unique location creates a rare microclimate. On one side, cold air is blocked by the mountains; on the other, warmer air flows in from the ocean. This creates sudden and dramatic weather changes.
Forecasts are often unreliable, and conditions can shift within minutes. Strong winds dominate the area for most of the year. During Yurii's expedition, the team even recorded a meteorological wind-speed record - one of the highest ever registered at the station.
"Even in the most routine days, you still have moments that remind you - this is a place like no other. Waking in the middle of the night to find an iceberg that was distant yesterday now looming just outside the station. Feeling the wind shift within seconds, transforming a peaceful silence into a roaring storm. Watching seals rest on the ice or penguins waddle past the station, completely ignoring human presence. Then comes the long Antarctic winter - months of darkness stretching endlessly. And finally, the moment of awe - after half a year without sunlight, the first golden rays rise above the horizon."
Antarctica is not just an endless frozen desert and an unforgiving ocean - it is a world teeming with life, adapted to the harshest conditions on Earth.
"When I first arrived in 2009, it was a real 'wow' moment. I had never seen anything like it before - snow-covered mountains, towering icebergs, and an incredible abundance of wildlife."
But Antarctica's wildlife is changing. Over the past few years, scientists have observed species shifting their habitats.
"Until 2007, there were no sub-Antarctic penguins here. The vegetation was different, the conditions were different. However, due to climate change, they have started moving further south. Their population is growing, new nesting sites are appearing, and the food supply here allows them to thrive."
The research also includes monitoring whales, among others.
"We conduct whale photography as part of an international program. It's one of the ways we track their population and health."
Commander in times of COVID
Over time, Yurii progressed from a regular expedition member to the team commander. His first wintering in this role came in 2020 - during the pandemic.
"No one knew if we would even be able to fly. We had already left Ukraine but got stuck in Turkey. We had to return, wait, and figure out logistics. Eventually, we made it to the station, but it was one of the most difficult journeys."
It turned out to be one of the most challenging expeditions - strict quarantine restrictions, delays, and constant tension made every step unpredictable.
In 2020, the Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition was unique in one more way - after years of absence, it was the second year when women were once again part of the team, returning to the icy continent where they had long been excluded.
A war that reaches even the end of the world
Antarctica had always been a place where the world's noise couldn't reach.
A land of ice and silence, where the only battles were against the wind and isolation. But on February 24, 2022, that changed.
That morning, the Ukrainian team at the Akademik Vernadsky station woke up in a different reality. They were thousands of kilometres away, but the war had found them. Even now, mornings still begin not with the usual routines but with a desperate habit - checking the news, checking messages, and making sure loved ones back home were still alive.
"Before, Antarctica was an escape. Now, it's not. Now, we live in two realities at once."
For many,the decision to leave Ukraine for the expedition in 2022 was the hardest they had ever made. Some had families in Kyiv, Kharkiv, or cities under constant attacks. Others had already sent their loved ones abroad, unsure if they would ever see them again. Spending a year in Antarctica - cut off from home, unable to help - felt unbearable.
Initially, the 27th expeditionwas scheduled to depart on February 28, but the team was left questioning whether they would even make it to the station. But on March 3, they left Kyiv by bus, crossed into Poland, and flew to Chile.
"There are mornings when I am afraid to check my phone. You open the news, and your heart stops---has something happened? Are they safe? And then, when you finally get a message - just two words: 'I'm okay'- you can breathe again. But, it's just until the next morning."
International support
Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth untouched by borders and political conflicts - or at least, it used to be. The Ukrainian team wasn't alone in their grief. Their international colleagues sent personal messages of solidarity, some even learning Ukrainian phrases to write "Slava Ukraini" in their letters.
Noosfera
There was something different about the team's journey in 2022, not just because of the full-scale war.
For the first time in history, Ukrainian polar researchers travelled to Antarctica on a Ukrainian ice class vessel Noosfera. Before, they had always relied on foreign vessels. Now, amidst the chaos of war, they had a ship of their own. It felt symbolic, like a statement to the world: Ukraine would continue its scientific missions, no matter the circumstances.
"Our expedition in 2022 was historic - not only because of the war but because it was the first time Ukrainian polar researchers travelled to Antarctica on our own ship. Now, we had control over our own logistics. It changed everything.
Once the war started, nothing was certain. Our priority was to complete all necessary paperwork and set sail before it was too late. And we managed to do it - just in time (it left in the end of January 2022 from Odesa port). If Noosphere had stayed in Ukraine any longer, it might have never left."
Today, Noosfera does more than serve Ukraine.It operates in the Antarctic region, supporting missions for Poland, Spain, and even the United States. It's a working vessel, constantly moving between Chile and Antarctica during the summer months. And when winter comes, it undergoes maintenance in Cape Town, preparing for the next season.
The Call of Antarctica
Antarctica either lets you go forever or holds you in its icy embrace for a lifetime. Those who have wintered there fall into two categories:those who leave and never return and those who can no longer imagine life without it.
"Some people try it once and never go back. And then there are those who can't stay away. It's like mountaineering - some climb once and say, 'Never again,' while others can't stop."
Yurii belongs to the latter. One winter turned into two, then three, then more. Each time, he thought it was his last. But then, he would find himself packing for another year at icy continent.
Antarctica is not just a destination.
It is a test, a transformation, an addiction. Those who dream of joining an expedition must be ready - not just physically and professionally, but mentally. Survival here is not just about enduring the cold; it's about living in complete isolation, about finding harmony in a team that becomes your family for an entire year.
The selection process is rigorous. Skills matter, but so does resilience.Can you withstand the darkness? The monotony? The storms that shake both the station and your mind? Some apply more than once, facing rejection but refusing to give up.
"We have people who weren't selected the first time. Or the second. But on the third try, they made it. The key is not to give up.
Still, despite all the hardships, there is something about this place that never lets go. The first time you see an iceberg appear overnight, the moment a whale surfaces next to your boat, or that first sunrise after months of darkness - these are the moments that make it all worth it."
Some will leave and never look back. But others---those who hear the silent whisper of Antarctica - will always return.
All photos are courtesy of the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine.
This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It’s content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.
