Mirny Station
title: "Mirny Station" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1956-establishments-in-antarctica", "outposts-of-antarctica", "russia-and-the-antarctic", "soviet-union-and-the-antarctic", "outposts-of-queen-mary-land"] topic_path: "geography/russia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirny_Station" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Mirny Station |
| native_name | Мирный |
| native_name_lang | ru |
| settlement_type | Antarctic station |
| image_skyline | Сопка Радио 2007 - panoramio.jpg |
| imagesize | 270px |
| image_caption | Mirny Station in 2007 |
| flag_size | 110px |
| mapsize | 350px |
| pushpin_map | Antarctica |
| pushpin_relief | 1 |
| pushpin_mapsize | 270 |
| pushpin_map_alt | Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Russia |
| subdivision_type1 | Location in Antarctica |
| subdivision_name1 | Australian Antarctic Territory |
| subdivision_type3 | Administered by |
| subdivision_name3 | Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute |
| established_title | Operational |
| established_date | |
| extinct_title | Evacuated |
| named_for | Mirny |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_urban_footnotes | |
| area_rural_footnotes | |
| area_metro_footnotes | |
| area_magnitude | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_m | 35 |
| population_as_of | 2017 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_blank1_title | Summer |
| population_blank1 | 50 |
| population_blank2_title | Winter |
| population_blank2 | 25 |
| blank_name_sec1 | Type |
| blank_info_sec1 | All-year round |
| blank1_name_sec1 | Period |
| blank1_info_sec1 | Annual |
| blank2_name_sec1 | Status |
| blank2_info_sec1 | Operational |
| blank_name_sec2 | Activities |
| blank_info_sec2 | |
| code1_name | UN/LOCODE |
| code1_info | AQ MIR |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Mirny Station | native_name = Мирный | native_name_lang = ru | settlement_type = Antarctic station
| image_skyline = Сопка Радио 2007 - panoramio.jpg | imagesize = 270px | image_caption = Mirny Station in 2007 | image_flag = | flag_size = 110px | flag_border = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = | mapsize = 350px | map_alt = | map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Antarctica | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_mapsize = 270 | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica
| coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Russia | subdivision_type1 = Location in Antarctica | subdivision_name1 = Australian Antarctic Territory | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = Administered by | subdivision_name3 = Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
| established_title = Operational | established_date = | extinct_title = Evacuated | extinct_date =
| named_for = Mirny | founder = | seat_type = | seat = | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = | leader_name = | unit_pref = Metric tags -- | area_footnotes = | area_urban_footnotes = | area_rural_footnotes = | area_metro_footnotes = | area_magnitude = | area_note = | area_water_percent = | area_rank = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank2_title = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_urban_km2 = | area_rural_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank2_km2 = | area_total_ha = | area_land_ha = | area_water_ha = | area_urban_ha = | area_rural_ha = | area_metro_ha = | area_blank1_ha = | area_blank2_ha = | length_km = | width_km = | dimensions_footnotes = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 35 | population_as_of = 2017 | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_blank1_title = Summer | population_blank1 = 50 | population_blank2_title = Winter | population_blank2 = 25 | population_density_km2 = | population_note = | population_demonym = | timezone1 = | utc_offset1 = | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST =
| blank_name_sec1 = Type | blank_info_sec1 = All-year round | blank1_name_sec1 = Period | blank1_info_sec1 = Annual | blank2_name_sec1 = Status | blank2_info_sec1 = Operational | blank_name_sec2 = Activities | blank_info_sec2 =
| postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = | code1_name = UN/LOCODE | code1_info = AQ MIR | website = | footnotes =
The Mirny Station (, ) is a Russian Antarctic science station. It is located in Queen Mary Land, Antarctica, on the Antarctic coast of the Davis Sea.
The station is managed by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and was named after the support vessel Mirny captained by Mikhail Lazarev during the First Russian Antarctic Expedition, led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on Vostok.
Mirny Station was damaged by a fire on Sunday 21 June 2020.
Purpose and facilities
The station was opened on February 13, 1956, by the 1st Soviet Antarctic Expedition. It was originally used as main base for the Vostok Station located 1400 km from the coast, this function is now served by Progress Station. In summer, it hosts up to 50 people in 30 buildings, in winter about 40-50 scientists and technicians. The average temperature at the location is -11 C, and on more than 200 days per year the wind is stronger than 15 m/s, with occasional cyclones.
Main areas of research are glaciology, seismology, meteorology, observation of polar lights, cosmic radiation, and marine biology.
Historic monuments
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Stamp_of_USSR_1956.jpg" caption="Mirny base on a 1956 stamp"] ::
Some 2 km south of the station stands a metal stele with an inscribed plaque. It was erected on a sledge on the land transport route between coastal Mirny and inland Vostok Station. It commemorates Anatoly Shcheglov, a driver-mechanic who died while performing his duties. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 8) following a proposal by Russia to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Other similarly designated historic sites in the vicinity of Mirny are Ivan Khmara's Stone (HSM 7) and the Buromskiy Island Cemetery (HSM 9), both on Buromskiy Island 2.7 km north of the station.
Climate
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Clima_Base_Mirny_1956_2014.gif" caption="Climate graph of 1956-2012 air average temperatures at Mirny Sta."] ::
Mirny Station has an ice cap climate, since all months are below 0 C. Although, it is heavily influenced by the glacial nature of Antarctica's interior, it retains a strong maritime influence, resulting in high annual snowfall. Summers however, are sunny and dry, reflecting a mediterranean precipitation pattern, in spite of its poleward latitude and cold temperatures. Summer sees highs approaching 2 C on average, whereas winters are stable just below -15 C means for several months. Due to its coastal location and the fact that summer temperatures sometimes rise above freezing, limited plant and animal life flourishes during summer (December, January, February).
|location = Mirny Station |collapsed = yes |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan high C = 1.1 |Feb high C = -1.8 |Mar high C = -6.9 |Apr high C = -10.8 |May high C = -12.3 |Jun high C = -12.2 |Jul high C = -13.3 |Aug high C = -13.8 |Sep high C = -13.2 |Oct high C = -9.8 |Nov high C = -3.7 |Dec high C = 0.4 |year high C = |Jan mean C = -1.8 |Feb mean C = -5.3 |Mar mean C = -10.2 |Apr mean C = -13.9 |May mean C = -15.5 |Jun mean C = -15.4 |Jul mean C = -16.6 |Aug mean C = -17.0 |Sep mean C = -16.4 |Oct mean C = -13.4 |Nov mean C = -7.2 |Dec mean C = -2.6 |year mean C = |Jan low C = -4.6 |Feb low C = -8.4 |Mar low C = -13.0 |Apr low C = -16.7 |May low C = -18.5 |Jun low C = -18.3 |Jul low C = −19.6 |Aug low C = -20.2 |Sep low C = -19.3 |Oct low C = -16.6 |Nov low C = -10.3 |Dec low C = -5.5 |year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 14.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 17.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 31.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 43.5 |May precipitation mm = 57.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 70.3 |Jul precipitation mm = 71.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 62.1 |Sep precipitation mm = 57.9 |Oct precipitation mm = 43.5 |Nov precipitation mm = 34.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 23.7 |year precipitation mm = |Jan humidity = 72.5 |Feb humidity = 70.5 |Mar humidity = 71.6 |Apr humidity = 73.9 |May humidity = 74.7 |Jun humidity = 76.0 |Jul humidity = 75.1 |Aug humidity = 74.2 |Sep humidity = 72.8 |Oct humidity = 70.1 |Nov humidity = 70.4 |Dec humidity = 72.4 |year humidity = |Jan sun = 278.7 |Feb sun = 214.4 |Mar sun = 153.2 |Apr sun = 95.4 |May sun = 32.3 |Jun sun = 1.7 |Jul sun = 11.1 |Aug sun = 66.9 |Sep sun = 125.8 |Oct sun = 234.6 |Nov sun = 290.7 |Dec sun = 354.2 |year sun = |source 1 = Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute |date=January 2015
References
References
- (August 2017). "Antarctic Station Catalogue". [[Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs]].
- "ANTARCTICA: Mirny Station".
- (2020-06-22). "Fire guts Russia's Antarctic research station, no one hurt". [[Associated Press]].
- "Geographical review - Mirny Observatory".
- (2012). "List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM (2012)". Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.
- "Mirny observatory (89592)". Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute.
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