A postcard from Czech Nelson Expedition 2019 to Antarctica to set up the Czeco Nelson base at Nelson Islands in South Shetland Islands.
The Postcard
The postcard bears the delivery postmark of Correos Chile postoffice of Base Eduardo Frei ( 08-02-2019) - a military base in Antártica Chilena , along with the pictorial postmark showing the base
The left side of the postcard bears the cachets of the various camp bases that the Nelson Expedition visited
- Instituto Antartico Chileno, Base Profesor J Escudero
- Bellingshausen Station - Russian base
- Russian Antarctic Expedition, King George Island, Bellingshausen Station.
- Czeco Nelson base
The CzechoNelson Expedition
Dr. Pavel Kapler ( the one who has signed the postcard ) led a nine member scientists team from Masaryk University , Brno - at the start of 2019. For the first time this year, they conducted their research at two different locations: the Czech polar base on James Ross Island and also at the newly acquired base on Nelson Island.
There were two stations owned by Czechs. One was the Czech Antarctic station named after Johan Gregor Mendel, ran by the Czech Antarctic programme. The second case was a little bit peculiar - EcoNelson base on Nelson islands. It was a private station, which is rather unique, established a long time before the Czech Antarctic law was adopted. After many years of negotiations the Masaryk University as a host of the Czech National Antarctic Programme managed to take control over this site on Nelson Island. And the 2019 Expedition was sent to clean up the coast on Nelson Islands and prepare for the reconstruction of the base. The EcoNelson base has been henceforth renamed as CzecoNelson base.
The Despatch Postoffice
Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva is the most important Antarctic base of Chile - operated as a permanent village with an airstrip, cafeterias for personnel of its several agencies there, a bank, a post office and comfortable ranch-style family homes with children. It is located at Fildes Peninsula, west of King George Island, South Shetland Islands.
Situated alongside is the permanent Chilean base - Profesor Julio Escudero Station and it is only 200 metres from the Russian Bellingshausen Station.
Bellingshausen Station is a Russian Antarctic station at Collins Harbour, on King George Island of the South Shetland Islands. It was one of the first research stations founded by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1968. It is also the location of Trinity Church, the only permanently staffed Eastern Orthodox church in Antarctica.
All the research stations on the island use the Correos Chile branch office at the Chilean base - Eduardo Frei.
The Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands which lie about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula. King George islands and Nelson islands are part of this South Shetland Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military purposes.
South Shetland islands 
Several countries maintain research stations on the islands. Most of them are situated on King George Island, benefitting from the airfield of the Chilean base Eduardo Frei Montalva. There are sixteen research stations to date in different parts of the islands, with Chilean stations being the greatest in number. Human habitation of King George Island is limited to research stations belonging to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, Uruguay, and the United States. Most of these stations are permanently staffed, carrying out research into areas as diverse as biology, ecology, geology, and palaeontology.
The Fildes peninsula is the most extensively snow-free coastal area in summer on the King George island, most of which is permanently covered by ice. It is separated at its tip from Nelson Island by Fildes Strait, only 370 m wide at its narrowest. Research stations on the peninsula include Chile’s Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva and Profesor Julio Escudero Base, China’s Great Wall Station, Russia’s Bellingshausen Station and Uruguay’s Artigas Base.
Latitude: 62° 13' 57.8" S- 62.233°
Longitude: 58° 59' 56.4" W- 58.999°
Also see :
https://www.tema.ru/eng/travel/king-george-1/
https://www.radio.cz/en/section/in-focus/czech-scientists-establish-new-polar-base-on-nelson-island
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