Balgarianovinite.com A pilot study of Antarctica’s maritime heritage will be part of the next expedition of the Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), Commander Radko Muevski said on Tuesday.
Muevski spoke during the vessel’s visit to Nessebar, marking five years since RSV 421 joined the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and completed four successful expeditions to Antarctica.
The project will study underwater cultural heritage around the South Shetland Islands through the Bulgarian Underwater Heritage Institute.
Muevski said the new area of research was part of the broader scientific programme the vessel will support during its next Antarctic expedition. Plans also include expanding a joint project with the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment in Oldenburg to study sea currents in Bransfield Strait.
The project will use new equipment, including a catamaran fitted with an acoustic Doppler current profiler capable of measuring water movement and characteristics at depth. Additional instruments will collect data on the marine environment.
Research under the Bulgarian Antarctic programme will also continue during the next expedition, including water sampling at various depths and work on projects by Bulgarian scientists.
The vessel will continue work on international scientific programmes. Muevski said it will support Romanian and Greek programmes, which have actively expanded their research in Antarctica during the past two expeditions. Water samples will again be collected at various depths, and logistical support will be provided to scientists working on these projects.
Further tasks include another attempt to install a seismic station in the South Shetland Islands and surveys of various bodies of water in the region.
Preparations for the expedition are already under way. After returning from its Black Sea voyage, RSV 421 will enter a crew rest period, followed by repairs and technical preparations.
“The crew is the most important part of maintaining the vessel. These are the people who ensure the ship is in good condition, its equipment remains operational and everything functions properly,” Muevski said.
New crew members are also being selected and trained alongside technical preparations, as the demands of Antarctic expeditions require periodic crew rotation.
During the summer, RSV 421 also carries out other tasks. It provides practical training for cadets from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy and conducts research for Bulgarian institutions, including the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). It also monitors seawater along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and supports the Bulgarian Navy, including by deploying hydrographic equipment.
The vessel is due to be loaded with the necessary equipment, provisions and materials in October and is scheduled to depart on its next Antarctic expedition in early November.
Providing logistical support to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base St. Kliment Ohridski remains a core task, including transporting fuel, food supplies, equipment and materials needed by scientists during the season. RSV 421 will also continue supporting international Antarctic cooperation by exchanging and transporting supplies for partner programmes, including those of Spain, Turkiye, Ecuador and Colombia, Muevski 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 to Study Antarctica’s Underwater Heritage, Commander Muevski Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-28 19:50:00 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
