According to the National Antarctic Scientific Center (NASC, Ukraine), Valerii Semeniuk remained on duty until his final moments, serving as the physician on a 24-hour shift.
The 25th scientific expedition is currently working at the Ukrainian polar station Akademik Vernadsky, and during all these years women had spent the winter there only a few times. In 1997-1998, four women scientists spent the winter as part of the second Antarctic expedition, but later this right was granted exclusively to men. It took more than 20 years for gender policy to change and the long-standing taboo to be finally broken…
The Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station celebrates an important anniversary - 25 years since the day when the owner country changed. On February 6, 1996, the Union Jack was lowered at this Antarctic station and the Ukrainian flag was raised for the first time.
