The sea near the station is covered in pack ice for much of the year, out to a distance of as much as 100 km at the end of winter.

The rise to the summit of the massive East Antarctic Ice Sheet (Dome A) begins 1.5-2.0 km from the shore.

In the 1990s, several scientific and environmental studies were undertaken in the area to fulfill the requirements of the Protocol for the Defence of Nature in the Antarctic Treaty System, but the station wasn't reopened.

In February 2006, Valeriy Lukin, the head of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE), said:There are plans to open the mothballed stations Molodyozhnaya, Leningradskaya and Russkaya in the 2007-2008 season.

This will bring great benefits because these stations are located in the Pacific section of Antarctica, which is poorly covered by scientific studies.Since 2006, it has operated on a seasonal basis.