Balgarianovinite.com The Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) promotes Bulgaria’s polar cause and international cooperation, Captain Nikolay Danailov said Tuesday.
Danailov commanded the vessel during its first two expeditions and attended its third consecutive visit to Nessebar. The event marked five years since RSV 421 joined the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and four successful expeditions to Antarctica.
Danailov said he grew up in Nessebar, the city that inspired his love of the sea and distant horizons. He described RSV 421’s visit as a special event for residents and visitors to Nessebar Old Town. “People in Nessebar are proud of their own and want to see the progress made by those who grew up here by the sea,” Danailov said.
The vessel is now in its fifth year with the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and serves as an ambassador for Bulgaria’s polar cause, making the country’s Antarctic activities more accessible through visits to different cities. “We previously visited Burgas and Varna, so we are spreading the polar cause along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and making it accessible to guests, friends and relatives in the cities we visit,” Danailov added.
RSV 421 became both a scientific platform and an instrument of international cooperation during its first year, Danailov said. “From the outset, the vessel also served as an instrument of military diplomacy, as this was the first time a Bulgarian naval vessel entered the Atlantic Ocean and crossed the Equator,” Danailov said. During its voyages, RSV 421 visited Argentina, Chile and Brazil, where the Bulgarian crew established contacts with representatives of those countries’ navies.
“At every port, we were welcomed by naval representatives and established very warm relations with our South American colleagues,” Danailov said. These ties were particularly important because Argentina and Chile had a substantial presence and interests in Antarctica, including scientific and logistical capabilities on the continent. “Our vessel, with its specifications and capabilities, has been very well received in these countries and, naturally, in Antarctica,” Danailov added.
Preparations for the next expedition are already in an active phase. The crew is sailing in the Black Sea to practise tasks involving personnel training and procedures required to operate the vessel in difficult conditions.
Danailov said developing Bulgaria’s presence in Antarctica required a long-term vision. “Bulgaria placed itself on the world map, looked beyond the visible horizon and adopted a strategic vision that must be sustained,” Danailov said. Future planning should also include building a new research vessel to expand the country’s capabilities, he added.
“We would all welcome a new research vessel that could operate not only in Antarctica but also in the Arctic,” Danailov added.
In 2021, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy acquired RSV 421 jointly with the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. The vessel is intended to transport Bulgarian polar missions to Antarctica, support research under the National Polar Research Programme and serve in the Naval Academy’s fleet.
On December 27, 2022, RSV 421 set sail on its maiden voyage to Antarctica as part of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition. BTA opened a National Press Club aboard the vessel in 2022 and another at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base St. Kliment Ohridski on Livingston Island in February 2024. Research Vessel 421 Promotes Bulgaria’s Polar Cause and International Cooperation, Captain Danailov Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-28 20:03:04 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law