Polar research ship to dock at Rio Grand Port on Sunday

Next Sunday (25), the Port of Rio Grande will welcome the Bulgarian polar research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (Saints Cyril and Methodius). Measuring 67 meters in length, the vessel features double cabins with a capacity to accommodate 60 individuals, essentially 40 scientists and 20 crew members.

The docking, scheduled for 8 a.m., will be attended by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Brazil, Bojidara Sartchadjieva, who will be in Rio Grande as part of the celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Bulgaria. The ship is returning from Antarctica, where the country maintains a research base.

Owned by a consortium comprising the Bulgarian Navy, the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, and St. Kliment Ohridski University based in the capital Sofia, the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii was christened and commissioned into the Bulgarian Navy fleet on July 27, 2021.

Its inaugural Antarctic mission took place on December 27, 2022, departing from the Varna Marine Station to embark on the 31st Bulgarian expedition to the icy continent. During this voyage, it transported construction materials and equipment necessary for building a laboratory at the country’s research station on Livingston Island.

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