Hidden beauty in the shadow of the sun
The polar night has the station firmly in its grip. For several weeks now, no rays of sunlight have been able to warm the station, and apart from a few hours of twilight around midday, it remains dark.
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The ice crystals on the outside of the windows no longer thaw, and from a distance the station looks like a spaceship – landed in a distant galaxy on a hostile planet, far from any civilisation.
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And the inhabitants are us. A colourful bunch of people who may differ greatly in their areas of expertise, but who all have the adventure gene and a spark of craziness in them.
An intrinsically motivated group in which all inhibitions have long since fallen away and the individual members know each other far too well.
Here, at the end of all things, even time seems to have frozen and, like a frozen, good-natured giant, the station snores and gurgles quietly to itself, protecting us from the extreme weather conditions and offering us comfort that makes us praise the engineering craft.
Occasionally, beautiful auroras bathe the scenery in a dancing, shimmering world, leaving us spellbound in the freezing cold, gazing up at the sky in silent amazement.
Being here feels surreal again, just like at the beginning of our mission. Storms regularly sweep over the station with grotesque force, causing the whole station to sway with the resonance of the storm and gently lull us to sleep. The temperatures are sometimes so low that our nose hairs freeze outside within seconds. Every last bit of skin is carefully protected from the wind and cold when we’re outside for long periods of time – after all, you don’t want to be nursing a frostbite to health.
The conversations became fewer and it seems to me – a little quieter too. We all need more sleep and everything is a bit more strenuous, the senses are dulled – the body automatically switches to a different mode.
But we hold our ground, do our jobs to the best of our knowledge and belief and with the utmost care.
We master each day, hold on to traditions and joint activities, keep fit and alert and support each other. Because we all know that soon, soon, the sun will cross the horizon again and bathe the station in its golden light once more.
Being allowed to be here is a privilege. A privilege that sometimes involves hard work under the most difficult weather conditions. And yet none of us would want to give up this extraordinary experience; the attraction to this part of the world, characterised by its brute beauty and the challenges it presents, is far too strong.
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T.S, 30.06.2025
