25 September 2013

RAS Siberian Branch and Sakha/Yakutia Government Open the New Arctic Station on Samoylov Island

On 23 September 2013, the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) and the Government of the Republic of Sakha/Yakutia held a joint session to officially open the new Arctic research station on Samoylov Island. The opening ceremony was attended by the Vice President of Yakutia, Dmitry Glushko, the Deputy Chairman of SB RAS, Academician Mikhail Epov, the Chairman of Far-Eastern Branch RAS, Academician Valentin Sergienko, the Head of the Potsdam Research Unit of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Hubberten, and the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Novosibirsk, Neithart Hoefer-Wissing. The official delegation was welcomed by the Head of Samoylov Station, Fedor Sellyakhov, the Director of the Arctic Centre and Vice Director of the Melnikov Permafrost Institute, Dr. Mikhail Grigoriev, and the Chief Engineer of SB RAS, Vitaly Mikheev.
The Samoylov station complex was officially handed over from Spetsstroy Rossii to the SB RAS. As of today, the station has all life-support systems in operation, as well as scientific equipment and vehicles in place. Internet access (wired and Wi-Fi), satellite phone communication, radio and TV are available. 

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 During the joint session, the visiting officials signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation between the Republic of Sakha/Yakutia and the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences. The purpose of the Memorandum is to promote cooperation in scientific research for mutual benefit. Specifically, joint work will involve multi-disciplinary research in the Arctic based on Samoylov Station to develop an understanding of the present state and evolution of the environment in the Lena Delta and the nearshore zone of the Laptev Sea.