moscow

Russia's main Antarctic scientific base, Molodezhnaya, has been closed owing to lack of funds. The fate of the base, which has been shut “until better days”, was sealed two years ago, when the Russian cabinet adopted a strategy of adapting Antarctic research to meet budgetary pressures.

Molodezhnaya, founded in 1963, was a heavy burden on the limited budget, as it has the best-developed infrastructure of Russia's Antarctic bases, including permanent living quarters for scientists, whose upkeep required large amounts of money.

Furthermore, as Valery Martyshenko, head of the the Russian Hydro-meteorological Service (RHMS), points out, the finance minister has delivered only one third of the 72.5 million rubles promised for the station.

The closure of the base means that only four of the Soviet Union's original eight stations in Antarctica are left: Mirny, Progress (which now becomes Russia's main research centre), Vostok and Novolazarevskaya. Each is supposed to continue research and fulfil Russia's commitment to the international programmes in which it participates.

But there could be difficulties in closing the Molodezhnaya base because, under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, no waste can be left behind. “For this, we need special equipment, containers and many other items that we are unable to buy,” says Sergei Khodkin, RHMS deputy head.

Ships must leave Vladivostok no later than October to complete the clean-up before the Antarctic ice becomes too thick. But the cabinet is not scheduled to consider the problem until the first week of September.

Russian ecologists warn that international organizations could employ a private contractor to clean up the Molodezhnaya site, and then send Russia the bill, perhaps with an additional fine. If so, the attempts to save money could end up costing more than keeping the base open.