In 2024, Antonina Samoilova, a native of Cherkasy, set a Ukrainian mountaineering record by summiting both Everest and Lhotse within a single day. She also became the first Ukrainian woman to complete the Five Highest Peaks of the World challenge.
For Samoilova, every expedition is more than a personal achievement. She sees each ascent as an opportunity to tell the world about Ukraine and reinforce its image as a nation of resilient, courageous, determined, and talented people.
With that mission in mind, she traveled to the Pakistani Himalayas in the summer of 2026 to attempt Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters), one of the world's most dangerous mountains. Nicknamed the "Killer Mountain," it earned its fearsome reputation after claiming the lives of 31 climbers before its first successful ascent in 1953. Even today, roughly one in five climbers who attempt the peak never return.
Steep, near-vertical slopes, hundreds of meters of unprotected exposure, and the constant threat of avalanches and rockfalls marked Samoilova's route to the summit. It was there that she staged a performance honoring Ukrainian mountaineers who were killed while defending their country.
The climber spoke to Ukrinform about the expedition.
