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  • The Bar at the End of the World

    • 02/16/2016
    • ADB
    • 0 Comments

    Most of us think of a dive bar as some tawdry little groggery right about the neighborhood. If one were to choose the most far-flung dive bar on earth, Vernadsky’s Bar would probably win hands down. One cannot just saunter in from down the road. There are no roads, no neighborhood, no people, really. One has to sail at length through treacherous seas to the bottom of the world to reach Vernadsky’s Bar. 

    Originally founded in 1947 by the British as an Antarctic expeditionary foothold to explore the ice continent, it served the English for almost half a century.  Newer, more modern facilities outdated the place and instead of abandoning it, the resourceful Brits decided to sell it off for literally a pittance. Vernadsky Research Base was bought by the Ukraine in 1996 for the price of one British pound.

    The coin Verdansky was purchased with still resides in the site’s most interesting location — the Vernadsky Station Lounge, the southernmost bar in the world. In the photo, the bar is not too difficult to find. 

    How did this bar come to be? Most of the buildings in Antarctica are metal or modular in nature. However, during the station’s British ownership, a shipment of wood arrived for a new pier. The industrious Brit carpenters repurposed the lumber, into a traditional English pub instead. The interior contains rustic wooden beams and aging pictures of famous Antarctica explorers above the seats.

    Like any change in ownership, the Ukrainians gave the bar a bit of a makeover reflecting the newly Russian patrons, adding Cyrillic flags and other tchotchkes. In addition to the cosmetic changes, the bar now also offers vodka, distilled on site, for the bargain price of three dollars. If this is too much, drinks are free to any woman willing to donate her underwear to be displayed in the bar. As you might imagine, no lingerie is to be found here. You need all the clothing you can get! 

    Should you crave watching wild penguins while sipping bathtub vodka, the bar at the Vernadsky Base is open to any intrepid explorers willing to make the trek to the end of the world. There are no set hours, since half the year is darkness followed by half a year of solid daylight. You come, they will open up, just for you.    

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The Bar at the End of the World

Most of us think of a dive bar as some tawdry little groggery right about the neighborhood. If one were to choose the most far-flung dive bar on earth, Vernadsky’s Bar would probably win hands down. One cannot just saunter in from down the road. There are no roads, no neighborhood, no people, really. One has to sail at length through treacherous seas to the bottom of the world to reach Vernadsky’s Bar. 

Originally founded in 1947 by the British as an Antarctic expeditionary foothold to explore the ice continent, it served the English for almost half a century.  Newer, more modern facilities outdated the place and instead of abandoning it, the resourceful Brits decided to sell it off for literally a pittance. Vernadsky Research Base was bought by the Ukraine in 1996 for the price of one British pound.

The coin Verdansky was purchased with still resides in the site’s most interesting location — the Vernadsky Station Lounge, the southernmost bar in the world. In the photo, the bar is not too difficult to find. 

How did this bar come to be? Most of the buildings in Antarctica are metal or modular in nature. However, during the station’s British ownership, a shipment of wood arrived for a new pier. The industrious Brit carpenters repurposed the lumber, into a traditional English pub instead. The interior contains rustic wooden beams and aging pictures of famous Antarctica explorers above the seats.

Like any change in ownership, the Ukrainians gave the bar a bit of a makeover reflecting the newly Russian patrons, adding Cyrillic flags and other tchotchkes. In addition to the cosmetic changes, the bar now also offers vodka, distilled on site, for the bargain price of three dollars. If this is too much, drinks are free to any woman willing to donate her underwear to be displayed in the bar. As you might imagine, no lingerie is to be found here. You need all the clothing you can get! 

Should you crave watching wild penguins while sipping bathtub vodka, the bar at the Vernadsky Base is open to any intrepid explorers willing to make the trek to the end of the world. There are no set hours, since half the year is darkness followed by half a year of solid daylight. You come, they will open up, just for you.    

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