Bellingshausen Station

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Location of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands.

Bellingshausen is one of Antarctica's most polluted places. Old vehicles, rusting barrels and other refuse litter the shoreline

Muddy scene around the base. On the hilltop an orthodox church was built in 2004

Bellingshausen Station is a Russian (formerly Soviet) Antarctic station at Collins Harbour, on King George Island of the South Shetland Islands. It was one of the first research stations founded by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1968. It is also the location of Trinity Church, the only permanently staffed Eastern Orthodox church in Antarctica.

The station is connected by unimproved roads to the nearby stations: Chilean Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, Chinese Great Wall Station, and Uruguayan Artigas Base.^[1]

The Antarctic Peninsula and its nearby islands are considered to have the mildest living conditions in Antarctica. The average temperature around the station in the coldest month (August) is -6.8°С (19.76°F), and +1.1°С (34°F) in February, the warmest. Russian polar residents have nicknamed the Bellingshausen Station "kurort" (Russian: курорт), which is a German loan word meaning "resort".

It is antipodal to a location in Russian Siberia.

The station made an apperance during an episode of Syfy's Destination Truth when Josh Gates and his team visited th station when they were investigating nearby Deception Island for paranormal activity. They interviewed the scientists and were given a tour of the base.

Gallery

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  Scene at Bellingshausen

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  Rusting drums lie all around the base

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  Note the tracked vehicles

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  Open air storage of materials, with the Eduardo Frei base (Chile) in the background

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  Beachfront with stored materials. Behind the ferry is again Eduardo Frei (Chile)

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  Trinity Church at Bellingshausen

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  Interior of Trinity Church

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	Antarctica portal
	Soviet Union portal
	Russia portal

References

External links

• United States Antarctic Inspection Team 2006: Report of Inspections under Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty and Article 14 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection. March 21, 2007 (Includes detailed description of this and some nearby stations)
• Official website Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
• AARI Bellingshausen Station
• COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
• COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
• Bellingshausen Station Photos

Coordinates: 62°12′S 58°58′W / 62.2°S 58.967°W / -62.2; -58.967