Participation of Poltava people in the conquest of Antarctic Continent
It is well known to everyone, that the first soviet station «Mirnyi» was opened in Antarctic Continent more than fifty years ago. But not many know that there was 19-years-old Ivan Khmara, native of Vyshnyaky, Khorol district, Poltava region, among the participants of the expedition.
1954 this countryman of us was called for the army. He had to serve beyond the Arctic Circle. Ivan Khmara was enrolled for Antarctic Expedition there, for an assembling construction detachment.
In 1956 our countryman landed in Antarctic Continent with the other members of the expedition. Ivan had a long standing in driving a tractor, he was the best technician among all the members of the expedition when having only nineteen years.
Although Soviet polar explorers had a conquest of the Arctic behind them, landing in Antarctic Continent appeared to be hard. A terrible frost limited their motions; a sun radiation burnt the skin, and brilliance of the snow blinded the eyes. In a few days after landing a tragedy happened: the ice cracked underneath one of their caterpillar tractors, and it slowly began to fall through. The driver had time to leave the vehicle. Understanding that each unit of the machinery is worth of gold, Ivan Khmara jumped into the booth and attempted to rescue the tractor. He sharply pressed the starter, but it was already too late: the tractor disappeared in the breach, taking away with itself the brave polar explorer witnessed by the everyman. That was the first loss of the Soviet expedition. There was the monument set in the place of the disaster commemorating the boy, and that cape was called after Ivan Khmara.
