President Iotova Handed the National Flag to Bulgaria's 35th Antarctic Expedition

President Iliana Iotova on October 20 handed the national flag to the members of Bulgaria’s 35th Antarctic expedition.

The head of the expedition, Professor Hristo Pimpirev, received the flag at an official ceremony in the Coat of Arms Hall. This year, the aim is to carry out 18 scientific projects, with researchers from around the world working alongside Bulgarian scientists. One of the objectives is to investigate shipwrecks off Antarctica. For the first time, a senior cleric from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bishop Kliment, will visit the White Continent. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian research vessel Sts Cyril and Methodius is due to depart on 4 November.

Professor Hristo Pimpirev, Head of the Expedition: “This is a study of its kind, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. We will not be looking for gold in the shipwrecks, but rather for the key to uncovering the history of the discovery of Antarctica and of the first explorers who reached the continent as early as the late 17th and early 18th centuries. We will study the direction of ocean currents in the area around our island and the Antarctic Peninsula. This will help show how rapidly sea levels are rising, which is also an issue affecting all of humanity.”

Photos: Desislava Kulelieva