Greenpeace icebreaker docks in Varna and opens its doors to visitors

The legendary icebreaker Arctic Sunrise has docked in Varna and on August 7 and 8 will open its deck to visitors, who will be able to meet the crew and learn more about Greenpeace's campaigns. The ship's visit to Bulgaria is being held under the motto "A Living Black Sea Without Oil and Gas". Meetings are planned, as well as a photographic exhibition with the most impressive footage from the work of Greenpeace - Bulgaria for the 15 years in which the organization has existed in the country. The documentary film "SEA ME – A Life in Silence", dedicated to the underwater world of the Black Sea and the threats facing it, will be also screened.

"From the deck of the Arctic Sunrise we have seen many of the most beautiful and vulnerable places on the planet. The Black Sea is one of them. It is an honour for us that the Arctic Sunrise is once again arriving in Bulgarian waters. I hope our visit will motivate more people to make efforts to protect this ecosystem," said Pep Barbal Badia, captain of the Arctic Sunrise, on the occasion of the ship's arrival.

In Varna, Greenpeace Bulgaria will also present the Gas-Free Cities Initiative, which encourages municipalities to invest in energy efficiency and local renewables instead of new gas infrastructure. The initiative is part of a broader vision for fossil fuel-free energy and is inspired by examples of European cities that are gradually replacing gas dependence with clean and sustainable energy solutions.

For more than three decades, the Arctic Sunrise has served as a floating base for scientific expeditions, observing environmental problems, and taking part in peaceful actions in defence of nature. The last time the icebreaker was in Varna was in 2013.

Here is what Desislava Mikova from the Greenpeace-Bulgaria team told us:

"The ship is used both to register and document pollution and destructive industrial practices, as well as for scientific research related to climate change, biodiversity and the state of the oceans. Its mission is to remind how important it is to preserve and protect the Black Sea and, above all, to draw attention to the many risks to which the Black Sea is exposed, the most recent of which are the projects for the extraction of fossil gas, specifically in the waters of Romania and Bulgaria. When we say that we can do without fossil gas and should abandon this dependence, we also want to raise a serious discussion about alternatives to fossil fuels. Bulgaria as a whole has a very low consumption of fossil gas compared to other European countries, i.e. it is in a rather favourable position to overcome this dependence. Regardless of how it is supplied and how it is extracted, this resource is exhaustible and always ends, and once this happens, the dependence remains, unlike renewable sources, which do not end, like wind, solar, and geothermal energy, which are permanent."

The Arctic Sunrise icebreaker will be available for visits on August 7 from 4 to 8 p.m., as well as on August 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The film "SEA ME – A Life in Silence" will be presented on August 7 at 9 p.m.