Euromaidan Press’ Corrie Nieto sits down with record-breaking mountaineer Antonina Samoilova, who during her third ascension to Mount Everest fulfilled a fallen soldier’s lifelong dream: to stand on top of the world.
During her third ascent of Mount Everest, Ukrainian mountaineer Antonina Samoilova fulfilled a fallen soldier’s lifelong dream. At the summit, she held up a photograph of Alex Granik, who died defending Mariupol at 28, fulfilling his dream of standing on top of the world.
“I didn’t know him personally,” Samoilova explains. “When I was at base camp, I got a message from my friend who’s helping our army from Ukraine. He asked if I could take Alex’s photo to the summit – it was his dream.”
In a message he sent to his friend, Alex wrote:
“I have a dream of all my life. Everest. I thought about it: it must be friggin’ great to be as high as you can be. But now I understand that my Everest is here.”
After sharing the summit photo, Granik’s mother reached out on Instagram. When she saw the photo in the media, she thanked Samoilova, saying it brought her as much joy as possible, given her loss.
Samoilova’s journey to becoming one of Ukraine’s leading mountaineers began unexpectedly in 2018 with Mount Kilimanjaro. “Like the usual person in the city, I didn’t know what altitude does to your body,” she recalls. “I thought Kilimanjaro is in Africa, so it should be warm. Instead, it was -15°C on the summit. I hated it because it was so hard.”
That initial struggle transformed into passion through persistence. By late 2021, she was embarking on her most extraordinary expedition yet – to Antarctica. Flying by Boeing from Chile to a landing strip on ice, she ventured into what she calls “a very unusual place… zero life inside the continent.” There, she summited Mount Vinson, the continent’s highest peak, celebrating New Year’s in complete isolation. The experience proved transformative – while still in Antarctica, she booked two more major expeditions.
The human body faces severe challenges above 2,400 m – shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, and potentially life-threatening conditions like cerebral and pulmonary edema. These risks multiply in Everest’s “death zone” above 8,000 m, where even supplemental oxygen provides limited protection. Climbers typically spend 40 days at base camp, gradually acclimatizing through increasingly higher ascents before attempting the summit. During this time, they battle extreme cold, high winds, and the psychological challenges of isolation.
Each of Samoilova’s three Everest ascents challenged her differently. Her first, in May 2022, made her the only Ukrainian to summit that season. As the sole representative of her war-torn nation at base camp, she became a symbol of resilience. Fellow climbers from around the world sought her out, requesting Ukrainian flags to carry to the summit in solidarity.
During her second attempt, she aimed for an even more ambitious goal – climbing without supplemental oxygen, a feat achieved by less than 4% of Everest summiteers. While this attempt didn’t succeed, she still reached the summit using minimal oxygen, demonstrating her growing expertise in high-altitude mountaineering.
Her most recent achievement in May 2024 set a national record – summiting both Mount Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours. This remarkable traverse between the world’s highest and fourth-highest peaks requires exceptional endurance, technical skill, and precise timing. Climbers must navigate the treacherous Lhotse face, a 1,125 m wall of ice with slopes as steep as 80 degrees, while their bodies deteriorate in the death zone. The traverse demands careful coordination with support teams and Sherpas, who manage oxygen supplies and emergency equipment across both peaks.
The full-scale Russian invasion found her atop Mount Orizaba in Mexico. Her father and brother joined territorial defense forces in the war’s first week. Unknown to her, her father served on the frontline from January 2023 – a fact kept secret for six months to spare her worry. This personal connection to the military strengthened her resolve to use mountaineering as a platform for bringing attention to Ukraine’s struggle.
Mountains have changed her approach to wartime stress. Before mountaineering, she worried constantly. Now she accepts that some things are beyond control. In 2022, when she reached Everest’s summit, the global climbing community rallied around her. Two years later, she notes a shift in attention. “Some people even ask if the war is over,” she says, which drives her mission to keep Ukraine’s struggle in the world’s consciousness.
Having conquered four of the world’s fourteen 8,000 m peaks, Samoilova continues pushing boundaries while maintaining strong ties to Ukraine. She plans to organize an ascent of Hoverla, Ukraine’s highest peak, as a fundraising project for the military. Unlike the Himalayan giants she typically climbs, Hoverla presents a different challenge – creating an inclusive event that can unite Ukrainians and raise funds for the armed forces. Her goal is to bring together both experienced climbers and newcomers, using her expertise to guide others while supporting her country’s defense efforts.
Her 2023 drone footage of the Ukrainian flag at Everest’s summit – a first in mountaineering history – demonstrated how she combines athletic achievement with advocacy for her nation. Each expedition requires months of preparation, significant financial investment, and careful timing to hit the brief weather windows suitable for summit attempts. Yet Samoilova sees these challenges as minimal compared to those faced by her compatriots defending Ukraine.
Despite her worldwide travels, with belongings scattered between Croatia, Nepal, Vilnius, and Ukraine, she remains resolute: Ukraine is her home, and she has no plans to leave. As she eyes future expeditions among the world’s highest peaks, her ultimate goal remains unchanged – using her achievements to keep the world’s attention focused on Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty.
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