Midwinter 2026: Greetings from the eternal ice
21 June is a special day for participants in Antarctic expeditions from all over the world: it is Midwinter, the traditional celebration of the longest night and the shortest day of the year in Antarctica. At the Ukrainian Akademik Vernadsky research station, daylight lasts for less than three and a half hours at this time of year. From now on, however, the days will grow longer again, and the Antarctic spring is slowly drawing nearer.
Midwinter is marked by a special tradition: research stations exchange greetings and postcards. The polar researchers at Vernadsky received messages from numerous international stations, including those in the UK, the USA, Australia, Japan and India, as well as from French-Italian research teams. The legendary Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole also sent its best wishes. There, the polar day and polar night each last six months, with temperatures that can drop below minus 60 degrees Celsius in winter.
The greetings also included a card from the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, as well as a message from the crew of the British research icebreaker ‘Sir David Attenborough’, a sister ship to the Ukrainian ‘Noosphere’.
For their part, the Ukrainian scientists at the Akademik Vernadsky Station sent warm wishes to their colleagues: “May the return of the sun bring good news, renewed strength and confidence for the future.”
The National Antarctic Research Centre of Ukraine (NANTS) warmly congratulates all participants in the Antarctic expeditions on the Midwinter Festival. Conducting research under the extreme conditions of the polar night requires endurance, courage and great dedication. Thanks to this work, we are gaining important insights into the climate, the environment and our planet’s fragile ecosystems.
It is particularly noteworthy that, despite numerous challenges, Ukrainian and international scientists have been carrying out research at the Akademik Vernadsky Station without interruption for more than 30 years. For this, they deserve great respect and gratitude.
We wish all polar researchers good health, strength, confidence and a safe return home following the successful completion of their important scientific mission.
Rosamaria Kubny, PolarJournal
