Ukrposhta has issued a new postage stamp to mark the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky, which was transferred to Ukraine by the United Kingdom exactly 30 years ago on February 6, 1996, under the name Faraday, and was later renamed.
“Today we are launching the first corporate stamp after rebranding, so we are taking the new stamp to the station to make everything modern. Thank you to everyone who worked on this issue. I want to wish the expedition all the best,” said Ihor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta, during the special cancellation.
It is noted that for the first time in the history of the station, the 31st Ukrainian Antarctic expedition, which will last from 2026 to 2027, will be led by meteorologist Anzhelika Hanchuk, who was a member of the 27th Ukrainian expedition in 2022-2023 and was involved in meteorological, oceanographic, and other research at the station.
“My task this year, as with other base commanders, will be to ensure that our station functions and all tasks are completed,” said Anzhelika Hanchuk, head of the upcoming 31st Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition.
On the eve of the expedition, Yevhen Dykyi, director of the National Antarctic Scientific Center, noted that since 2018, there has been a real gender breakthrough in the Ukrainian Antarctic program.
From an unspoken ban on women participating in expeditions for almost 20 years to the first female base commander. In total, 13 female polar explorers have worked in annual expeditions since 2018, and 11 in seasonal expeditions.
Ukrposhta added that the stamp has a circulation of 630,000 copies, and the nominal value on the postage stamp is indicated by the letter “U,” which is equivalent to 24 hryvnia. The stamp has an unusual shape—it is round, and the margins of the sheet feature a photo of the station and the Ukrainian ship Noosfera.
