1st Soviet Antarctic Expedition

The First Soviet Antarctic Expedition was led by Mikhail Somov; his scientific deputy was V. G. Kort [ru].

Man [ru]), RV Lena (captain A. I. Vetrov) and the refrigerator ship No.

Ob and Lena were icebreakers 130m long and displacing 12,600 tons.

The principal task of the expedition was to organise the main base, Mirny, and perform limited scientific observations.

Other tasks were reconnaissance of sites for the inland bases Vostok and Sovetskaya; and oceanography of the Indian Ocean.

Four identical 40c stamps depicting a map of Antarctica with red flags indicating the bases. Below this are two penguins, a ship and an iceberg.
Stamps commemorating the 1956 Soviet Antarctic bases