On this day, those whose work is connected with the Arctic and Antarctic celebrate their professional holiday.
This professional holiday was established in 2013 in honor of the courage of Arctic and Antarctic researchers. Work in the Far North requires exceptional resilience, high professionalism and a readiness to operate in extreme conditions. It is one of the most difficult and responsible professions on the planet.
Interesting facts:
- Russia built the world’s first ice-resistant self-propelled platform «Северный полюс». Unlike earlier stations on ice floes, this vessel freezes into the ice and can autonomously drift with it for up to two years.
- Yakutia has recorded the largest annual temperature range on the planet: from −67,6 °C (absolute minimum in Verkhoyansk) to +38 °C, giving a temperature amplitude of more than 100 degrees.
- The world’s longest railway bridge beyond the Arctic Circle is located on Yamal — a large peninsula in the north of Western Siberia, which is washed by the Kara Sea. It is the bridge over the Yuribey River with a length of 3,9 км on the «Обская — Бованенково» line.
- The duration of polar day and night at the Earth’s poles differs. At the North Pole the polar night lasts approximately 174 days, while at the South Pole it is 182 days. The polar day at the North Pole lasts about 190 days, whereas at the South Pole it is 184 days.
- In the Far North the critical threat to life is considered not polar bears and extreme cold, but fire. Due to extremely low air humidity and strong winds, flames spread instantly. Extinguishing fires is complicated by the absence of liquid water and the enormous remoteness from firefighting services. A fire can destroy a station in minutes, leaving polar personnel without shelter and communication, which is why fire safety rules in the Arctic and Antarctic are given top priority.
- In April 2026 scientists recorded the final breakup of A23a — the largest and oldest iceberg on the planet, which originally calved from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica back in 1986. The leviathan with an area of more than 4000 кв. км entered the warm waters of the South Atlantic, broke into small fragments and lost 99% of its original area, ending a forty-year history of drifting.
We sincerely congratulate polar personnel on their professional holiday! We wish you robust health, success, and decent and safe working conditions.
