| Mirny Station | |
| Native Name: | Мирный |
| Native Name Lang: | ru |
| Settlement Type: | Antarctic station |
| Flag Size: | 110px |
| Mapsize: | 350px |
| Pushpin Map: | Antarctica |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 270 |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Mirny Station in Antarctica |
| Coordinates: | -66.5531°N 93.0097°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Location in Antarctica |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australian Antarctic Territory |
| Subdivision Type3: | Administered by |
| Subdivision Name3: | Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute |
| Established Title: | Operational |
| Extinct Title: | Evacuated |
| Named For: | Mirny |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Elevation M: | 35 |
| Population As Of: | 2017 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Summer |
| Population Blank1: | 50 |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Winter |
| Population Blank2: | 25 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Type |
| Blank Info Sec1: | All-year round |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Period |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Annual |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Status |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | Operational |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Activities |
| Code1 Name: | UN/LOCODE |
| Code1 Info: | AQ MIR |
The Mirny Station (Russian: Мирный, literally Peaceful) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) first Antarctic science station[2] located in Queen Mary Land, Antarctica, on the Antarctic coast of the Davis Sea.
The station is managed by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and was named after the support vessel Mirny captained by Mikhail Lazarev during the First Russian Antarctic Expedition, led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on Vostok.
Mirny Station was damaged by a fire on Sunday 21 June 2020.[3]
The station was opened on February 13, 1956, by the 1st Soviet Antarctic Expedition. It was originally used as main base for the Vostok Station located from the coast, this function is now served by Progress Station.[4] In summer, it hosts up to 50 people in 30 buildings,[1] in winter about 40-50 scientists and technicians. The average temperature at the location is -11C, and on more than 200 days per year the wind is stronger than, with occasional cyclones.
Main areas of research are glaciology, seismology, meteorology, observation of polar lights, cosmic radiation, and marine biology.
Some south of the station stands a metal stele with an inscribed plaque. It was erected on a sledge on the land transport route between coastal Mirny and inland Vostok Station. It commemorates Anatoly Shcheglov, a driver-mechanic who died while performing his duties. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 8) following a proposal by Russia to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Other similarly designated historic sites in the vicinity of Mirny are Ivan Khmara's Stone (HSM 7) and the Buromskiy Island Cemetery (HSM 9), both on Buromskiy Island north of the station.[5]
Mirny Station has an ice cap climate, since all months are below 0C. Although, it is heavily influenced by the glacial nature of Antarctica's interior, it retains a strong maritime influence, resulting in high annual snowfall. Summers however, are sunny and dry, reflecting a mediterranean precipitation pattern, in spite of its poleward latitude and cold temperatures. Summer sees highs approaching 2C on average, whereas winters are stable just below -15C means for several months. Due to its coastal location and the fact that summer temperatures sometimes rise above freezing, limited plant and animal life flourishes during summer (December, January, February).