Christo Pimpirev ( bg, Христо Пимпирев) is a Bulgarian scientist (geologist) and

polar Polar may refer to: Geography Polar may refer to: * Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates * Polar climate, the c ...

explorer.

Academic career

He was born on

Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth day ...

, 13 February 1953 in Sofia, Bulgaria. After graduating from Sofia University with a master's degree in geology in 1978 and getting his PhD in 1986, he became an associate professor till 2004 and a full-time professor in 2005 in Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. In 2017, he defended his dissertation on "Stratigraphy and Geological Evolution of Livingston Island during the Cretaceous Period" and acquired the degree of

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

. Prof. Pimpirev is a doyen of the Bulgarian Antarctic Program, He took part in the first Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition during the 1987/88 austral summer, and has been the leader of the annual Bulgarian scientific campaigns in Antarctica from 1993 until now. He became the founding father of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and its director since 1993 up to now. He is also a director of the National Center for Polar Research from 2007 up to now. The discovery of the Upper Tithonian ammonite in 2003, in the vicinity of the Bulgarian Antarctic base, revealed itself to be one of Pimpirev’s most satisfying scientific career achievements. Indeed, the breakthrough that occurred there changed the established knowledge of the evolution of the Gondwana continent. He has participated in research expeditions to Mount Ama Dablam, Nepal Himalayas in Speleological expedition in China Karst Plateau in a project for gold searching in Vietnam, in Colombian Andes research, in Canadian-Bulgarian expedition to

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

, Canadian Arctic. Christo Pimpirev is teaching Historical Geology and Palaeogeography, he has been a lecturer in the United States, Portugal, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Argentina, Canada, South Korea and many others countries. He is an author of 7 books, 7 popular science films and more than 250 scientific publications in leading Bulgarian and foreign magazines. He is the first official representative of Bulgaria who visited South Pole - on January 8, 2013. Prof. Pimpirev steps on the southernmost point of the planet as member of an international expedition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the conquest of the South Pole from Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott. Pimpirev-Beach

Pimpirev Glacier Pimpirev Glacier ( bg, Пимпирев ледник, Pimpirev lednik, ) on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is situated south of the glacial divide between the Drake Passage and Bransfield Strait, southeast of Tund ...

and

Pimpirev Beach Pimpirev Beach ( bg, Пимпирев бряг, Pimpirev bryag, ) is the portion of the northwest coast of South Bay, Livingston Island, Antarctica bounded to the southwest by Ereby Point and to the northeast by the north corner of the bay marke ...

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...

are named for Christo Pimpirev.

Membership in international organizations

* Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research since 1994. * Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs since 1994, EXCOM member in the period 2006-2009. * Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings since 1995. * Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria in the European Polar Board (EPB)European Polar Board (EPB)
/ref> since 2001, EXCOM member in the period 2009-2012. Christo Pimpirev working in Antarctic

Awards

* Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius (1st Class) * Highest Mongolian state order "Polar Star" - for merits in the creation of Mongolian Antarctic Institute and laying the foundations of Mongolian research in Antarctica * Jubilee Medal of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (1st Class) * "Golden Book" for contribution to the development of the Bulgarian Science and Culture * First winner of the Honorary badge for contribution to Bulgarian national ideals established by VMRO * Honorary Citizen of Lyaskovets town * Memorial plaque of the Committee for Environmental Protection in the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) - for his active role in the environmental protection of Antarctica Prof

Books

* Kamenov B. c. Pimpirev 1993. Touching the Antarctic St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., Balabanski, D. 1998. Ice magic, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., Davidov, N. 2003. Antarctica: The Extreme South. St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., 2010. History of the Earth, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia, second edition * Pimpirev, Ch., 2013. Antarctic Diaries, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., 2014. Los diarios de la Antartida, St. Kliment Ochridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., Chipev, N., 2015. Bulgarian Antarctic Research, St. Kliment Ochridski University Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., 2017. Antarctica - cold south, Avliga Press, Sofia * Pimpirev, Ch., 2019. History of the Earth, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, Sofia, third edition ChristoPimpirev

Popular science films

* "Expedition to Antarctica" - National Television, Atlas Program (1988) - author * "Bulgaria in Antarctica" - National Television, Atlas Program (1994) - author * "Southern Summer" - National Television, Atlas Program (1995) - author * "Bulgaria on two oceans" - National TV, Atlas program (1996) - scriptwriter * "Under the Sign of the Southern Cross" - National Television (2006) - writer * "Antarctica 2012" - Films Author (2012) – consultant * “90 degrees South” (2014) – Bulgarian National Television - author * "Antarctica - Ice Love" (2015) - BTV - author * "One Antarctic summer" (2018) - Bulgarian Antarctic Institute - producer

Feature films

* „Letters from Antarctica”(2019) – Lenta Films. Director: Stanislav Donchev; Writers: Georgi Ivanov, Nevena Kertova; Stars: Diana Dimitrova, Irmena Chichikova, Ivan Stamenov, Christo Pimpirev; Consultant: Christo Pimpirev. A single mother, wanting to protect her eight-year-old son from pain, lies to him that his dad is away with the Antarctic expedition. But postponing the confession about the father's death, causes damage to her and her son. Some of the film's pictures were indeed taken on the Icy continent during a Bulgarian expedition to Livingston Island. Christo Pimpirev himself plays the role of leader of the Bulgarian polar expedition. With the footage filmed in Antarctica, the film sets a precedent in the making of feature films in the world.

Notes

External links

Hristo Pimpirev: It is great honor for me to be the first to take Bulgarian flag to South Pole, FOCUS News Agency, December 29, 2012

Antarctica to Host Permanent Settlements in 50 Years, www.novinite.com, July 31, 2012

New Year’s Eve in Antarctica, Tania Harizanova, Radio Bulgaria, December 27, 2012

Bulgaria is respected nation in Antarctica and has excellent relations with other Antarctic nations, FOCUS News Agency, October 03, 2011

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20160304201716/http://paper.standartnews.com/archive/2004/01/27/english/interview/s3972_2.htm Dreams Are Sweetest in Antarctica, Standart Newspaper, January 27, 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pimpirev, Christo 1953 births Living people Bulgarian geologists Explorers of Antarctica Scientists from Sofia Bulgarian explorers