The Mirny station got its name after the legendary sloop of the Russian South Polar Expedition in early 1819-1821 whose crew members saw the icy shores of a previously unknown continent for the first time. The first Russian permanent base in Antarctica is located on the southern coast of the Davis Sea on Queen Mary Land, at a 35-metre altitude above the sea level.
During its 67 years of existence, the station has been conducting regular observations of variability of natural environment and climate, coastal waters and sea ice, the intensity of cosmic rays, seismic fluctuations of the lithosphere, environmental parameters and biodiversity.
For a long time, the station was the headquarters of the Antarctic expedition, which managed all operational Russian stations. The station was preparing and carrying out the inland sledge-caterpillar traverses for the Vostok station logistics. In January-February 1962, the first intercontinental flight of the Soviet transport aircraft from Moscow to Antarctica was performed to the Mirny station. “Since its foundation up to the present, a lot of various research work on meteorology, glaciology, seismology, coastal oceanology, total ozone and trace gases has been undertaken at the Mirny station all year round. The station receives satellite information on the sea ice state. The equipment of the BIS-A space system, which is required for the GLONASS system operation to support space activities of our country, is also under installation. An important task in the coming years should be construction of a new wintering complex at the Mirny station. At the moment, a temporary service and residential complex is being equipped, which will be used for the period of construction to accommodate the seasonal Russian Antarctic expedition. But in a few years we expect to start a large-scale transformation of the station,” said Alexander
