Monster machines: Icebreaker "Yamal" - an atomic "knife", passing through the ice, as if through butter. The world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker was launched What is the most powerful icebreaker in the world

The first icebreaker, which appeared back in the 18th century, was a small steamer that carried out icebreaking operations in the harbor of Philadelphia. More than one century has passed since its appearance, and during this time there have been global changes in the design: first, the wheel was replaced by a turbine, then by a nuclear reactor, and now ships of impressive size are engaged in chopping ice in the Arctic. Today, Russia and America can be proud of their large fleet, consisting of powerful nuclear and diesel ships that are designed to perform icebreaking operations, but where and when the largest icebreaker in the world was built is still unknown to some. This will be discussed in our article.

The construction of a nuclear-powered lighter-container carrier was carried out at the large shipbuilding enterprise "Zaliv" in the period from 1982 to 1988. The nuclear-powered ship "Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel that used a nuclear power plant. The lighter carrier was commissioned in December 1988.

After hoisting the flag and starting work, the total path of the lighter carrier was 302,000 miles. Over the entire period of operation of the icebreaker, over 1.5 million tons of various cargo was transported. The need to recharge a nuclear reactor was required only once.

The main purpose of the ship, the height of a multi-storey building and a length of 260.1 m, is to transport cargo to remote areas of the North, but it is also capable of moving in ice 1 meter thick. And after that, who will say that the ship "Sevmorput" does not deserve to bear the title of icebreaker?

"Arctic"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker was named after its legendary predecessor, which was launched in 1972 and worked for more than 30 years. The vessel, 173.3 meters long, can operate in bays and estuaries, as well as break ocean ice. The nuclear icebreaker Arktika was launched without a superstructure section in June 2016. According to the technology, a superstructure weighing about 2,400 tons should be installed after the ship has been launched.

Icebreaker "Arktika" project 22220 could pass through the ice thickness of 2.9. Thanks to the modern automatic control system, which was equipped with a new ship, it was possible to reduce the number of crew by half.

The icebreaker is planned to be put into operation in 2018-2019, and after this happens, it will break all records in terms of the power of power plants, in terms of dimensions and height of the ice through which it happens to pass.

"50 Years of Victory"

The main difference between the nuclear icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" 159.6 meters long is a deep landing and impressive power. The construction of the ship was carried out in the period from 1989 to 2007. From the moment of launching and starting to use the ship "50 Years of Victory" went on expeditions to the North Pole more than 100 times.

"Taimyr"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker, 151.8 meters long, is able to break ice 1.77 meters thick at the mouths of rivers, thus clearing the way for other vessels. The main features of the Taimyr icebreaker include a reduced landing and the ability to carry out icebreaking operations in areas with extremely low temperatures.

"Vaigach"

The nuclear-powered icebreaker with a shallow landing is the second ship in the series of project 10580, which was built in Finland by order of the USSR. The main purpose of the icebreaker with a length of 151.8 meters is to serve ships heading along the Northern Sea Corridor to the mouths of rivers located in Siberia. The ship is named after the hydrographic ship of the early 20th century, performing icebreaking operations.

The Vaigach icebreaker escorts ships loaded with metal from Norilsk, and timber and ore from Igarka. Thanks to the atomic turboelectric plant, the Vaigach can pass through ice up to two meters thick. In ice 1.77 meters thick, the ship moves at a speed of 2 knots. Icebreaking operations are carried out at temperatures down to -50 degrees.

"Yamal"

The construction of an icebreaker 150 meters long was completed in 1986, and it was launched into the water 3 years later. Initially, the ship was called the October Revolution, and in 1992 it was renamed the Yamal.

In 2000, the Yamal went to the North Pole to meet the third millennium. In total, 46 expeditions to the North Pole were made on the icebreaker. The Yamal became the seventh ship to reach the North Pole. One of the advantages of the Yamal icebreaker is the ability to move forward and backward.

"Healily"

On the icebreaker 128 meters long, which is the largest in America, the Americans for the first time independently managed to reach the North Pole. This event took place in 2015. The research vessel is equipped with the latest measuring and laboratory equipment.

polar sea

The construction of the 122-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1976, the ship is still in working condition, although it was not in operation between 2007 and 2012. Diesel engines and gas turbines together produce 78,000 horsepower. In terms of power characteristics, it is practically in no way inferior to the Arktika icebreaker. The speed of the icebreaker "Polar Sea" in ice 2 meters thick is 3 knots.

Louis S St Laurent

The construction of a Canadian icebreaker 120 meters long was completed in 1969. In 1993, a complete modernization of the vessel was carried out. The Louis S. St-Laurent is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole (the expedition ended in 1994).

Polarstern

The German ship, 118 meters long, designed for scientific and research work, can operate at temperatures down to -50 degrees. In ice up to 1.5 meters thick, the Polarstern icebreaker moves at a speed of 5 knots. The ship mainly follows the directions of the Arctic and Antarctic in order to study these areas.

In 2017, a new icebreaker "Polarstern-II" is expected to appear, which will be assigned to watch duty in the Arctic.

Original taken from masterok in The largest icebreaker in the world

A nuclear-powered icebreaker is a nuclear-powered vessel built specifically for use in ice-covered waters throughout the year. Thanks to the nuclear installation, they are much more powerful than diesel ones and it is easier for them to conquer frozen bodies of water. Unlike other ships, icebreakers have a clear advantage - they do not need to refuel, which is especially important in ice, where there is no way to get fuel.

It is also unusual that of the 10 nuclear icebreakers existing in the world, all were built and then launched on the territory of the USSR and Russia. Their indispensability was shown by an operation that took place in 1983. About 50 vessels, including several diesel-powered icebreakers, were trapped in the ice in the eastern Arctic. And only with the help of the nuclear-powered ship "Arktika" they were able to free themselves from captivity, delivering the cargo to nearby villages.

The largest icebreaker in the world is the 50 Years of Victory. It was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad in 1989, and four years later it was launched. True, the construction was not completed, but was frozen due to financial troubles. It was only in 2003 that it was decided to resume it, and in February 2007, "50 Years of Victory" began to be tested in the Gulf of Finland, which lasted a couple of weeks. Then he independently went to the home port - the city of Murmansk. Let's take a closer look at the history of the icebreaker:
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50 Years of Victory is the eighth nuclear-powered icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and is currently the largest in the world. The icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Arktika type. “50 Years of Victory” is an experimental project in many respects. The vessel uses a spoon-shaped bow, which was first used in the development of the Canadian experimental icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness during trial operation. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of means of biological protection of the nuclear power plant has been modernized and re-examined in accordance with the requirements of Gostekhnadzor. An environmental compartment has also been created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the vessel.
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During the period from 1974 to 1989, a series of second-generation nuclear-powered icebreakers (project 10520 and a modernized project 10521) were built in the Soviet Union. The lead ship of this series - the atomic icebreaker Arktika of project 10520 - was laid down on July 3, 1971, and launched on December 26, 1972, and commissioned on April 25, 1975.


October 4, 1989 in Leningrad, on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, an icebreaker of project 10521 was laid down, under the original name "Ural".


And although in the USSR nuclear-powered ships were completely handed over in three to four years, it took the Ural four years only to launch them, due to the then situation in the country's leadership and in the country as a whole.



It was expected that the ship would enter service in the mid-1990s, but due to lack of funding, the construction of the icebreaker was suspended and the huge vessel remained at the pier, only 72% ready.


The Baltic Shipyard was forced to mothball the icebreaker at its own expense in order to preserve the possibility of its completion in the future.


Even the renaming of the icebreaker did not help to resume funding.

On August 4, 1995, on the eve of the visit of the then President of Russia to St. Petersburg and to the enterprise, too, the nuclear-powered ship was renamed "50 Years of Victory".


For many years of useless downtime at the berth of the Baltic Shipyard, several times it was proposed to cut and dispose of the ship, but it literally miraculously avoided this.


A part of its units had its own warranty resource, although the ship did not make a single flight.


In the late 1990s, when partial financing of construction began, work on the icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy was resumed.

On October 31, 2002, government decree No. 1528-r was issued, according to which the completion of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was planned to be completed in 2003-2005. 2.5 billion rubles were allocated from the state budget to complete the work.


Until 2003, the construction of the icebreaker was financed on a general basis within the framework of the federal targeted investment program, and since 2003 - in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 31, 2002 No. 1528-r.


In February 2003, the construction of the icebreaker entered the active phase, after:


  • Baltiysky Zavod entered the structure of the shipbuilding assets of the United Industrial Corporation (OPK);


  • a contract was signed between Baltiysky Zavod OJSC and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Directorate of the State Customer of Maritime Transport Development Programs" for the completion of the vessel;

public funds were allocated.

According to the contract, the financing of the completion of the construction of the nuclear-powered ship in 2003-2005 was to be carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The quality of construction work on the icebreaker was to be controlled by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.



On August 13, 2004, at a meeting in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, it was decided to increase funding for the construction of the icebreaker in the amount of 742.3 million rubles, of which 164 million were planned to be included in the 2005 budget and 578.3 million rubles in the 2006 budget. The need for additional funding was caused by new requirements to ensure nuclear safety in accordance with the requirements of Gosatomnadzor and the performance of work related to the long construction period of the ship. In particular, funds were needed for the design and manufacture of the latest multi-channel reactor safety systems, as well as for re-examination and revision of equipment and mechanisms.


On September 7, 2004, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was towed to the dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant. After that, the specialists of the Baltic Shipyard for the first time in the history of domestic shipbuilding carried out docking work on an icebreaker under construction. Previously, docking of nuclear-powered ships was carried out only after several years of work and only at shipbuilding enterprises located in the Murmansk region.


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Taking into account the fact that underwater systems and devices were installed on the icebreaker in the early 1990s, during the completion of the vessel, it was necessary to check their performance. The most time-consuming operation was the revision of the stern gear, which is the support of the propeller shaft and is designed to prevent the penetration of outboard water into the icebreaker's hull. For its examination, experts dismantled the propeller and propeller shaft. The work at the dock lasted 2 months. For the successful implementation of these works, the plant independently designed and manufactured special equipment. The correct operation of the stern gear was a necessary condition for the start of mooring tests on the icebreaker.


The ship also examined: the right propeller shaft line, bottom-side fittings, systems of pipelines and protectors of bottom fittings, electrical navigation devices, anode units and cathodic protection comparison electrodes. In addition, the specialists of the enterprise carried out washing of the outer skin of the underwater part of the icebreaker, bottom boxes and nozzles of the bottom-side fittings in the dock. Dock work was supervised by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.


At the end of October 2004, after completion of the dock work, the icebreaker was returned to the Baltic Shipyard.


The ship's hull, superstructure and aft mast were fully formed, installation of the main mechanical and electrical equipment was completed.


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On November 31, 2004, a fire broke out on board the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" moored at the quay wall of the Baltic Shipyard. It started at 08:45 on one of the upper decks where the welders worked. The flames quickly spread across the deck, littered with building materials. A huge smoke screen formed over the icebreaker.

The firefighters who arrived on alarm, first of all, began to evacuate the workers, some of whom managed to swallow carbon monoxide. A total of 52 people were rescued from the burning vessel by firefighters. Only after finishing with the evacuation, they began to search for sources of ignition. According to preliminary data, he was on the third and fourth decks, where the builders stored combustible building materials. The total fire area was, according to various estimates, from 50 to 100 square meters. m. Nevertheless, the extinguishing was carried out according to the third number of complexity (out of five possible) - about 22 fire brigades (112 firefighters) were pulled to the icebreaker. According to firefighters, this was due both to the need for mass evacuation of workers and the fact that ship fires are considered one of the most difficult: strong smoke, complex layout of ship spaces and an abundance of open holds always make it difficult to extinguish them.


At eleven o'clock in the afternoon, firefighters announced that the spread of fire was localized. However, the extinguishing continued until the evening - at 18:00, the icebreaker was still spilling the premises.


The firefighters believed that the cause of the fire was likely the negligence of workers or a short circuit. The version of arson was not even considered in the foreground: according to the participants in the firefighting, the Baltic Shipyard has a very strict access control and it is practically impossible for outsiders to enter the icebreaker.


The threat of radiation contamination was out of the question, since the installation mounted on the icebreaker had not yet been refueled with nuclear fuel.


According to the press service of the Baltic Shipyard, the consequences of the fire will not affect the timing of the delivery of the ship to the customer. But it is much more likely that the icebreaker will not be built on time for financial reasons. Such fears were expressed back in October 2004 at a meeting of the Maritime Council under the government of St. Petersburg by the head of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport. According to him, in 2005 the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation agreed to finance only 10% of the cost of the work.


As a result of the meeting held on September 18, 2005 in Vladivostok on the socio-economic development of the Far East, the head of the Ministry of Transport announced that the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear icebreaker would be completed by the end of 2006.


During the completion of the icebreaker, specialists from the Baltic Shipyard carried out an operation to load nuclear fuel, thanks to which nuclear-powered ships have an almost unlimited cruising range without refueling.


On October 28, 2006, the State Commission signed an act on the readiness of the Baltic Shipyard for the physical launch of the nuclear reactors of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". Reactor installations were developed by FSUE OKBM.


In November 2006, the physical start-up of nuclear reactors took place and they were brought to the energy level of power, after which integrated mooring tests were started.


In 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007, work on the icebreaker was financed at the expense of working capital of OJSC Baltiysky Zavod and loans from commercial banks.


On January 17, 2007, the Baltic Shipyard completed comprehensive mooring trials on the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.


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January 31, 2007, the St. Petersburg JSC "Baltiysky Zavod", part of the "United Industrial Corporation", began state sea trials of the nuclear icebreaker "50 Years of Victory".


From the water area of ​​the Neva, where maneuvering possibilities are limited for such large ships, the ship was taken out with the help of tugboats. In the seaport of St. Petersburg, the icebreaker was loaded with supplies of fuel, fresh and feed water, after which it entered the Baltic Sea for the first time under its own power.


In open water, the icebreaker was tested for speed and maneuverability. They also checked the serviceability of the navigation and communication systems, the desalination plant, steering, anti-icing and anchoring devices and other equipment that could not be tested offshore.


The tests were carried out under the supervision of the state commission. It included representatives of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport, Gostekhnadzor, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company, RRC Kurchatov Institute, Federal State Unitary Enterprise OKBM, OJSC Central Design Bureau Iceberg and others. organizations.


On February 17, 2007, state sea trials were successfully completed. The icebreaker showed high maneuverability and reliability. The State Commission confirmed the strict compliance of the quality of the ship's systems and mechanisms with domestic standards and international norms.


On March 23, 2007, JSC "Baltiysky Zavod" handed over to the customer the world's largest icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". After the official ceremony of signing the act of acceptance and transfer, the state flag of the Russian Federation was hoisted on the ship in a solemn atmosphere.

With the signing of the acceptance certificate, the ship became part of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia, at the same time becoming state property. The Federal Property Management Agency, in turn, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, transferred the new nuclear-powered ship to the trust management of OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company.


On April 2, 2007, the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" left the shipyards in St. Petersburg and entered the Baltic Sea, heading for its permanent home port - Murmansk.


On April 11, 2007, "50 Years of Victory" successfully completed the passage from St. Petersburg, entered the Kola Bay and set up a roadstead in the area of ​​​​its home port. The solemn ceremony of the meeting took place on the same day on the territory of FSUE Atomflot in Murmansk.


Representatives of the executive and legislative authorities of the city of Murmansk and the Murmansk region, federal executive authorities, veterans and employees of the nuclear fleet of the Murmansk Shipping Company gathered to meet the crew and the world's largest icebreaker.


The captain of the icebreaker reported to the General Director of the Murmansk Shipping Company on the successful completion of the passage and the readiness of the crew to carry out responsible state tasks along the Northern Sea Route and in the Russian Arctic.


The fact that the construction of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was nevertheless completed, and it arrived at its home port, indicates that the country has finally realized the role and importance of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic for the realization of its strategic interests, and is starting to restoration of infrastructure.


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The launch of the first working voyage to the Northern Sea Route was scheduled for the end of April 2007.

It is expected that the escort of transport cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route is the first stage of operation of the 50 Years of Victory nuclear-powered icebreaker. At the second stage, the work of the icebreaker will probably be associated with the extraction of hydrocarbon raw materials on the Arctic shelf, the nuclear-powered ship will be engaged in servicing production platforms and escorting transport ships with hydrocarbons in the ice.


In addition, 50 Years of Victory replaced the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker, the first icebreaker of this class built. The authorized life of its nuclear power plant ended in 2008. The Arktika icebreaker has worked out 175,000 hours, which is the maximum allowed service life, and in this regard, the commissioning of the new nuclear-powered ship was very timely.


At the end of June 2007, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was in the Barents Sea near Cape Nadezhda of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where it was supposed to take two transport ships for escort and guide them through the ice to the Yenisei Bay. In fact, this was the first ice test for a newcomer to the Arctic tracks. Its crew had to check the operation of the nuclear power plant, equipment and mechanisms under sailing conditions in difficult natural conditions. Only after passing this exam could the nuclear-powered ship go to permanent work in the Arctic waters.


On July 03, 2007, the 50 Years of Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker successfully completed its first escort of ships heading to the port of Dudinka. Accompanied by the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker, the ships covered the ice from Cape Zhelaniya on Novaya Zemlya to the Yenisei Bay. Swimming proceeded normally.


On June 25, 2008, "50 Years of Victory" set off on its first voyage to the North Pole. There were about 100 tourists on board who wished to take part in a two-week excursion tour.


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In March 2008, FSUE "Atomflot" became part of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom", on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On measures to establish the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" (No. 369 dated March 20, 2008).


On August 27, 2008, an act was signed in Murmansk on the completion of measures to transfer the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" and other ships with a nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear technology service ships from the trust management of OJSC "Murmansk Shipping Company" to the economic management of FSUE "Atomflot" ". It was on this day that the contract for the trust management of the nuclear icebreaker fleet, which was concluded by the government of the Russian Federation with the joint-stock company Murmansk Shipping Company and has been in force since 1998, expired. At this stage, it was considered expedient to transfer federal property to the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, which performs state functions for the development of the nuclear industry in the Russian Federation.


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The icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system and a modern set of means for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of the nuclear power plant. The nuclear-powered ship is equipped with the Antiterror protection system, equipped with an environmental compartment with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of waste produced during the operation of the ship.


The length of the vessel is 159 meters, width - 30 meters, total displacement - 25 thousand tons, speed - 18 knots. The maximum ice thickness that the icebreaker can overcome is 2.8 meters. It is equipped with two nuclear power plants. The ship's crew includes 138 people.



PERFORMANCE DATA


Type of: nuclear icebreaker

State: Russia

Home port: Murmansk

Class: KM(*) LL1 A

IMO number: 9152959

Callsign: UGYU

Shipyard-manufacturer: JSC "Baltiysky Zavod"

Length: 159.6 m

Width: 30 m

Height: 17.2 m (board height)

Average draft: 11 m

Power point: 2 nuclear reactors

Screws: 3 fixed pitch propellers with 4 removable blades

Displacement: 25 thousand tons

Power: 75,000 liters With.

Maximum speed in clear water: 21 knots

Speed ​​in solid fast ice 2.7 meters thick: 2 knots

Estimated maximum ice thickness: 2.8 m

Swimming autonomy: 7.5 months (by provision)

Crew: 138 people. After a series of cuts, reduced to 106 people

Flag: RF

Mailing address: 183038, Murmansk 580, a/l "50 Years of Victory"


Shipowner: FSUE "Atomflot" of the State Corporation "Rosatom"


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This nuclear-powered icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of the Arktika-class icebreaker, which includes 6 out of 10 ships built. The thickness of the ice that the floating craft can overcome is 2.8 m. It has many differences from its predecessor, for example, it was decided to use a spoon-shaped “nose” here, which showed itself remarkably well on tests of the prototype of the Canadian icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak. In addition, a modernized complex of biological protection means for a nuclear power plant, a digital automatic control system of the latest generation, a special environmental compartment, which is equipped with equipment designed to collect and dispose of all waste products of the floating craft, have been installed here.


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Meanwhile, "50 Years of Victory" is not always engaged in rescuing other ships from captivity. In fact, it is also focused on Arctic cruising. So, you can personally go to the North Pole by paying a certain amount for a ticket. Since there are no passenger cabins as such, tourists are accommodated in the cabins of the ship. But on board there is its own restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym.



In the near future, the importance of such icebreakers will only increase. Indeed, in the future, more active development of natural resources that are under the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is planned.


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Navigation on separate sections of the Northern Sea Route lasts only two to four months. The rest of the time the water is covered with ice, the thickness of which sometimes reaches 3 meters. In order not to waste extra fuel and not risk the crew and the ship once again, helicopters or reconnaissance planes are sent from the icebreakers to find an easier way through the polynyas.


Icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they can be clearly seen in white ice.


The world's largest icebreaker can autonomously cruise in the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking up ice up to 3 meters thick with its bow, shaped like a spoon.


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Nuclear icebreakers are built only in Russia. Only our country has such an extended contact with the Arctic Ocean. The famous Northern Sea Route, 5600 km long, runs along the northern shores of our country. It starts at the Kara Gate and ends in Providence Bay. For example, if you move from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, by this sea route, then the distance will be 14,280 km. And if you choose the path through the Suez Canal, then the distance will be more than 23 thousand km.


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Let's take a look at the insides of the Icebreaker.

The first icebreaker appeared back in the 18th century, it was a small steamer breaking ice in the harbor of Philadelphia. A lot of time has passed since then, the wheel was replaced by a turbine, then by a nuclear reactor, and now the Arctic ice is being broken. In our TOP - 10 largest icebreakers in the world.

1 "Sevmorput", length 260 meters

Strictly speaking, this is an icebreaking transport vessel, the height of a multi-storey building. But "Sevmorput" is able to pass the ice 1 meter thick, and who's to say that he did not deserve the title of icebreaker?

2 "Arctic", length 173 meters


Arktika is a nuclear-powered icebreaker launched in 2016, the first in a series of newest nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Russian Federation. The icebreaker can break and move through ice up to 2.9 meters thick.

3 "50 Years of Victory", length 159.6 meters


The nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class (sea, in contrast to the Taimyr class, river), is distinguished by a deep landing and impressive power. "50 Years of Victory" is a typical long-term construction, the construction of which took place from 1989 to 2007. Despite the long start, by now the ship has more than 100 trips to the North Pole.

4 "Taimyr", length 151.8 meters


Taimyr is a nuclear-powered icebreaker that breaks ice up to 1.77 meters thick at river mouths so ships can enter. Features - reduced landing and the ability to work in extremely low temperatures.

5 "Vaigach", length 151.8 meters


The brother of "Taimyr", built according to the same project with him, but a little younger. The nuclear equipment on the ship was installed in 1990.

6 "Yamal", length 150 meters


Yamal is the same famous icebreaker that celebrated the beginning of the third millennium at the North Pole. In total, the number of flights to the North Pole is close to 50.

7 "Healy", length 128 meters


Healy is the largest icebreaker in the United States, on which Americans first independently reached the North Pole in 2015. This ship is literally crammed with the latest measuring and laboratory instruments, as its main function is research.

8 "Polar Sea", length 122 meters


Another US icebreaker, an "old man" in the fleet, built in 1977. The home port is Seattle, but it looks like this icebreaker will be scrapped soon, and our Top Ten Largest Icebreakers will have to be rewritten.

9 "Louis S. St-Laurent", length 120 meters


The Canadian "Louis S. St-Laurent" was built even earlier - in 1969, but in 1993 it underwent a complete modernization. This is the largest icebreaker in Canada, which in 1994 became the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole from the coast of North America.

10 "Polarstern", length 118 meters


This German research vessel was built in 1982. Old age made its creators think about a replacement, and in 2017 the Polarstern-II is expected to take over the watch of the Arctic patrol.

A nuclear-powered icebreaker is a nuclear-powered vessel built specifically for use in ice-covered waters throughout the year. Thanks to the nuclear installation, they are much more powerful than diesel ones and it is easier for them to conquer frozen bodies of water. Unlike other ships, icebreakers have a clear advantage - they do not need to refuel, which is especially important in ice, where there is no way to get fuel.

It is also unusual that of the 10 nuclear icebreakers existing in the world, all were built and then launched on the territory of the USSR and Russia. Their indispensability was shown by an operation that took place in 1983. About 50 vessels, including several diesel-powered icebreakers, were trapped in the ice in the eastern Arctic. And only with the help of the nuclear-powered ship "Arktika" they were able to free themselves from captivity, delivering the cargo to nearby villages.

The largest icebreaker in the world is the 50 Years of Victory. It was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad in 1989, and four years later it was launched. True, the construction was not completed, but was frozen due to financial troubles. It was only in 2003 that it was decided to resume it, and in February 2007, "50 Years of Victory" began to be tested in the Gulf of Finland, which lasted a couple of weeks. Then he independently went to the home port - the city of Murmansk.

Let's take a closer look at the history of the icebreaker:

"50 Years of Victory" is the eighth nuclear-powered icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard and today is the largest in the world. The icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Arktika type. "50 Years of Victory" is a largely experimental project. The vessel uses a spoon-shaped bow, which was first used in the development of the Canadian experimental icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak in 1979 and convincingly proved its effectiveness during trial operation. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of means of biological protection of the nuclear power plant has been modernized and re-examined in accordance with the requirements of Gostekhnadzor. An environmental compartment has also been created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products of the vessel.

During the period from 1974 to 1989, a series of second-generation nuclear-powered icebreakers (project 10520 and a modernized project 10521) were built in the Soviet Union. The lead ship of this series, the Project 10520 nuclear icebreaker Arktika, was laid down on July 3, 1971, launched on December 26, 1972, and commissioned on April 25, 1975.

October 4, 1989 in Leningrad, on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, an icebreaker of project 10521 was laid down, under the original name "Ural".

And although in the USSR nuclear-powered ships were completely handed over in three to four years, it took the Ural four years only to launch them, due to the then situation in the country's leadership and in the country as a whole.

It was expected that the ship would enter service in the mid-1990s, but due to lack of funding, the construction of the icebreaker was suspended and the huge vessel remained at the pier, only 72% ready.

The Baltic Shipyard was forced to mothball the icebreaker at its own expense in order to preserve the possibility of its completion in the future.

Even the renaming of the icebreaker did not help to resume funding.

On August 4, 1995, on the eve of the visit of the then President of Russia to St. Petersburg and to the enterprise, too, the nuclear-powered ship was renamed "50 Years of Victory".

For many years of useless downtime at the berth of the Baltic Shipyard, several times it was proposed to cut and dispose of the ship, but it literally miraculously avoided this.

A part of its units had its own warranty resource, although the ship did not make a single flight.

In the late 1990s, when partial financing of construction began, work on the icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy was resumed.

On October 31, 2002, government decree No. 1528-r was issued, according to which the completion of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was planned to be completed in 2003-2005. 2.5 billion rubles were allocated from the state budget to complete the work.

Until 2003, the construction of the icebreaker was financed on a general basis within the framework of the federal targeted investment program, and since 2003 - in accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated October 31, 2002 No. 1528-r.

In February 2003, the construction of the icebreaker entered the active phase, after:

  • Baltiysky Zavod entered the structure of the shipbuilding assets of the United Industrial Corporation (OPK);
  • a contract was signed between Baltiysky Zavod OJSC and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Directorate of the State Customer of Maritime Transport Development Programs" for the completion of the vessel;
  • public funds were allocated.

According to the contract, the financing of the completion of the construction of the nuclear-powered ship in 2003-2005 was to be carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The quality of construction work on the icebreaker was to be controlled by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.

On August 13, 2004, at a meeting in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, it was decided to increase funding for the construction of the icebreaker in the amount of 742.3 million rubles, of which 164 million were planned to be included in the 2005 budget and 578.3 million rubles in the 2006 budget. The need for additional funding was caused by new requirements to ensure nuclear safety in accordance with the requirements of Gosatomnadzor and the performance of work related to the long construction period of the ship. In particular, funds were needed for the design and manufacture of the latest multi-channel reactor safety systems, as well as for re-examination and revision of equipment and mechanisms.

On September 7, 2004, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was towed to the dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant. After that, the specialists of the Baltic Shipyard for the first time in the history of domestic shipbuilding carried out docking work on an icebreaker under construction. Previously, docking of nuclear-powered ships was carried out only after several years of work and only at shipbuilding enterprises located in the Murmansk region.

Taking into account the fact that underwater systems and devices were installed on the icebreaker in the early 1990s, during the completion of the vessel, it was necessary to check their performance. The most time-consuming operation was the revision of the stern gear, which is the support of the propeller shaft and is designed to prevent the penetration of outboard water into the icebreaker's hull. For its examination, experts dismantled the propeller and propeller shaft. The work at the dock lasted 2 months. For the successful implementation of these works, the plant independently designed and manufactured special equipment. The correct operation of the stern gear was a necessary condition for the start of mooring tests on the icebreaker.

The ship also examined: the right propeller shaft line, bottom-side fittings, systems of pipelines and protectors of bottom fittings, electrical navigation devices, anode units and cathodic protection comparison electrodes. In addition, the specialists of the enterprise carried out washing of the outer skin of the underwater part of the icebreaker, bottom boxes and nozzles of the bottom-side fittings in the dock. Dock work was supervised by representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and the Murmansk Shipping Company.

At the end of October 2004, after completion of the dock work, the icebreaker was returned to the Baltic Shipyard.

The ship's hull, superstructure and aft mast were fully formed, installation of the main mechanical and electrical equipment was completed.

On November 31, 2004, a fire broke out on board the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" moored at the quay wall of the Baltic Shipyard. It started at 08:45 on one of the upper decks where the welders worked. The flames quickly spread across the deck, littered with building materials. A huge smoke screen formed over the icebreaker.

The firefighters who arrived on alarm, first of all, began to evacuate the workers, some of whom managed to swallow carbon monoxide. A total of 52 people were rescued from the burning vessel by firefighters. Only after finishing with the evacuation, they began to search for sources of ignition. According to preliminary data, he was on the third and fourth decks, where the builders stored combustible building materials. The total fire area was, according to various estimates, from 50 to 100 square meters. m. Nevertheless, the extinguishing was carried out according to the third number of complexity (out of five possible) - about 22 fire brigades (112 firefighters) were pulled to the icebreaker. According to firefighters, this was due both to the need for mass evacuation of workers and the fact that ship fires are considered one of the most difficult: strong smoke, complex layout of ship spaces and an abundance of open holds always make it difficult to extinguish them.

At eleven o'clock in the afternoon, firefighters announced that the spread of fire was localized. However, the extinguishing continued until the evening - at 18:00, the icebreaker was still spilling the premises.

The firefighters believed that the cause of the fire was likely the negligence of workers or a short circuit. The version of arson was not even considered in the foreground: according to the participants in the firefighting, the Baltic Shipyard has a very strict access control and it is practically impossible for outsiders to enter the icebreaker.

The threat of radiation contamination was out of the question, since the installation mounted on the icebreaker had not yet been refueled with nuclear fuel.

According to the press service of the Baltic Shipyard, the consequences of the fire will not affect the timing of the delivery of the ship to the customer. But it is much more likely that the icebreaker will not be built on time for financial reasons. Such fears were expressed back in October 2004 at a meeting of the Maritime Council under the government of St. Petersburg by the head of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport. According to him, in 2005 the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation agreed to finance only 10% of the cost of the work.

As a result of the meeting held on September 18, 2005 in Vladivostok on the socio-economic development of the Far East, the head of the Ministry of Transport announced that the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear icebreaker would be completed by the end of 2006.

During the completion of the icebreaker, specialists from the Baltic Shipyard carried out an operation to load nuclear fuel, thanks to which nuclear-powered ships have an almost unlimited cruising range without refueling.

On October 28, 2006, the State Commission signed an act on the readiness of the Baltic Shipyard for the physical launch of the nuclear reactors of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". Reactor installations were developed by FSUE OKBM.

In November 2006, the physical start-up of nuclear reactors took place and they were brought to the energy level of power, after which integrated mooring tests were started.

In 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007, work on the icebreaker was financed at the expense of working capital of OAO Baltiysky Zavod and loans from commercial banks.

On January 17, 2007, the Baltic Shipyard completed comprehensive mooring trials on the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy.

8

January 31, 2007, the St. Petersburg JSC "Baltiysky Zavod", part of the "United Industrial Corporation", began state sea trials of the nuclear icebreaker "50 Years of Victory".

From the water area of ​​the Neva, where maneuvering possibilities are limited for such large ships, the ship was taken out with the help of tugboats. In the seaport of St. Petersburg, the icebreaker was loaded with supplies of fuel, fresh and feed water, after which it entered the Baltic Sea for the first time under its own power.

In open water, the icebreaker was tested for speed and maneuverability. They also checked the serviceability of the navigation and communication systems, the desalination plant, steering, anti-icing and anchoring devices and other equipment that could not be tested offshore.

The tests were carried out under the supervision of the state commission. It included representatives of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport, Gostekhnadzor, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company, RRC Kurchatov Institute, Federal State Unitary Enterprise OKBM, OJSC Central Design Bureau Iceberg and others. organizations.

On February 17, 2007, state sea trials were successfully completed. The icebreaker showed high maneuverability and reliability. The State Commission confirmed the strict compliance of the quality of the ship's systems and mechanisms with domestic standards and international norms.

On March 23, 2007, JSC "Baltiysky Zavod" handed over to the customer the world's largest icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy". After the official ceremony of signing the act of acceptance and transfer, the state flag of the Russian Federation was hoisted on the ship in a solemn atmosphere.

With the signing of the acceptance certificate, the ship became part of the nuclear icebreaker fleet of Russia, at the same time becoming state property. The Federal Property Management Agency, in turn, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, transferred the new nuclear-powered ship to the trust management of OJSC Murmansk Shipping Company.

On April 2, 2007, the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" left the shipyards in St. Petersburg and entered the Baltic Sea, heading for its permanent home port - Murmansk.

On April 11, 2007, "50 Years of Victory" successfully completed the passage from St. Petersburg, entered the Kola Bay and set up a roadstead in the area of ​​​​its home port. The solemn ceremony of the meeting took place on the same day on the territory of FSUE Atomflot in Murmansk.

Representatives of the executive and legislative authorities of the city of Murmansk and the Murmansk region, federal executive authorities, veterans and employees of the nuclear fleet of the Murmansk Shipping Company gathered to meet the crew and the world's largest icebreaker.

The captain of the icebreaker reported to the General Director of the Murmansk Shipping Company on the successful completion of the passage and the readiness of the crew to carry out responsible state tasks along the Northern Sea Route and in the Russian Arctic.

The fact that the construction of the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" was nevertheless completed, and it arrived at its home port, indicates that the country has finally realized the role and importance of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic for the realization of its strategic interests, and is starting to restoration of infrastructure.

The launch of the first working voyage to the Northern Sea Route was scheduled for the end of April 2007.

Piloting cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route is the first stage of operation of the nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Years of Victory". At the second stage, the work of the icebreaker will probably be associated with the extraction of hydrocarbon raw materials on the Arctic shelf, the nuclear-powered ship will be engaged in servicing production platforms and escorting transport ships with hydrocarbons in the ice.

In addition, "50 Years of Victory" replaced the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" - the first icebreaker of this class built. The authorized life of its nuclear power plant ended in 2008. The Arktika icebreaker has worked out 175,000 hours - this is the maximum allowed service life, and in this regard, the commissioning of a new nuclear-powered ship was very timely.

At the end of June 2007, the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" was in the Barents Sea near Cape Nadezhda of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where it was supposed to take two transport ships for escort and guide them through the ice to the Yenisei Bay. In fact, this was the first ice test for a newcomer to the Arctic tracks. Its crew had to check the operation of the nuclear power plant, equipment and mechanisms under sailing conditions in difficult natural conditions. Only after passing this exam could the nuclear-powered ship go to permanent work in the Arctic waters.

On July 03, 2007, the 50 Years of Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker successfully completed its first escort of ships heading to the port of Dudinka. Accompanied by the world's largest nuclear-powered icebreaker, the ships covered the ice from Cape Zhelaniya on Novaya Zemlya to the Yenisei Bay. Swimming proceeded normally.

On June 25, 2008, "50 Years of Victory" set off on its first voyage to the North Pole. There were about 100 tourists on board who wished to take part in a two-week excursion tour.

In March 2008, FSUE "Atomflot" became part of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom", on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On measures to establish the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" (No. 369 dated March 20, 2008).

On August 27, 2008, an act was signed in Murmansk on the completion of measures to transfer the icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" and other ships with a nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear technology service ships from the trust management of OJSC "Murmansk Shipping Company" to the economic management of FSUE "Atomflot" ". It was on this day that the contract for the trust management of the nuclear icebreaker fleet, which was concluded by the government of the Russian Federation with the joint-stock company Murmansk Shipping Company and has been in force since 1998, expired. At this stage, it was considered expedient to transfer federal property to the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, which performs state functions for the development of the nuclear industry in the Russian Federation.

The icebreaker "50 years of Victory" is a modernized project of the second series of nuclear-powered icebreakers of the "Arktika" type. The icebreaker is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system and a modern set of means for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of the nuclear power plant. The nuclear-powered ship is equipped with the Antiterror protection system, equipped with an environmental compartment with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of waste produced during the operation of the vessel.

The length of the vessel is 159 meters, width - 30 meters, total displacement - 25 thousand tons, speed - 18 knots. The maximum ice thickness that the icebreaker can overcome is 2.8 meters. It is equipped with two nuclear power plants. The ship's crew includes 138 people.

PERFORMANCE DATA

Type of: nuclear icebreaker

State: Russia

Home port: Murmansk

Class: KM(*) LL1 A

IMO number: 9152959

Callsign: UGYU

Shipyard-manufacturer: JSC "Baltiysky Zavod"

Length: 159.6 m

Width: 30 m

Height: 17.2 m (board height)

Average draft: 11 m

Power point: 2 nuclear reactors

Screws: 3 fixed pitch propellers with 4 removable blades

Displacement: 25 thousand tons

Power: 75,000 liters With.

Maximum speed in clear water: 21 knots

Speed ​​in solid fast ice 2.7 meters thick: 2 knots

Estimated maximum ice thickness: 2.8 m

Swimming autonomy: 7.5 months (by provision)

Crew: 138 people. After a series of cuts, reduced to 106 people

Flag: RF

Mailing address: 183038, Murmansk 580, a/l "50 Years of Victory"

Email (at sea): [email protected]

Shipowner: FSUE "Atomflot" of the State Corporation "Rosatom"

This nuclear-powered icebreaker is a modernized project of the second series of the Arktika-class icebreaker, which includes 6 out of 10 ships built. The thickness of the ice that the floating craft can overcome is 2.8 m. It has many differences from its predecessor, for example, it was decided to use a spoon-shaped “nose” here, which showed itself remarkably well on tests of the prototype of the Canadian icebreaker Kenmar Kigoriyak. In addition, a modernized complex of biological protection means for a nuclear power plant, a digital automatic control system of the latest generation, a special environmental compartment, which is equipped with equipment designed to collect and dispose of all waste products of the floating craft, have been installed here.

Meanwhile, "50 Years of Victory" is not always engaged in rescuing other ships from captivity. In fact, it is also focused on Arctic cruising. So, you can personally go to the North Pole by paying a certain amount for a ticket. Since there are no passenger cabins as such, tourists are accommodated in the cabins of the ship. But on board there is its own restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym.

In the near future, the importance of such icebreakers will only increase. Indeed, in the future, more active development of natural resources that are under the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is planned.

Navigation on certain sections of the Northern Sea Route lasts only two to four months. The rest of the time the water is covered with ice, the thickness of which sometimes reaches 3 meters. In order not to waste extra fuel and not risk the crew and the ship once again, helicopters or reconnaissance planes are sent from the icebreakers to find an easier way through the polynyas.

Icebreakers are specially painted dark red so that they can be clearly seen in white ice.

The world's largest icebreaker can autonomously cruise in the Arctic Ocean for a year, breaking up ice up to 3 meters thick with its bow, shaped like a spoon.

Nuclear icebreakers are built only in Russia. Only our country has such an extended contact with the Arctic Ocean. The famous Northern Sea Route, 5600 km long, runs along the northern shores of our country. It starts at the Kara Gate and ends in Providence Bay. For example, if you move from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, by this sea route, then the distance will be 14,280 km. And if you choose the path through the Suez Canal, then the distance will be more than 23 thousand km.

Let's take a look at the insides of the Icebreaker:

But Russia is ready to imagine something that the world has not yet seen: scientists and designers have planned a 170-meter icebreaker with two 60-megawatt nuclear reactors. It will be 14 meters longer and 3.5 meters wider than the largest operational Russian icebreaker and will be the largest universal nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world.

Here we are talking about metals for the construction of icebreakers:

and here are some photos of the case (taken here)

According to Nuclear.Ru, the disposal of five Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers will require about 10 billion rubles. This was announced by Anatoly Zakharchev, head of the project office "Comprehensive dismantling of nuclear submarines" of the State Corporation "Rosatom", speaking on October 9 at the 27th plenary meeting of the IAEA Contact Expert Group. He explained that today the disposal of one nuclear icebreaker is estimated at 2 billion rubles, and in total it is planned to dispose of five icebreakers.

At the same time, the dismantlement of two icebreakers, Sibir and Arktika, is included in the draft Federal Target Program Ensuring Nuclear and Radiation Safety for the Period 2016-2020 and until 2025, which is currently being formed. This program also includes work on the disposal of the Lotta and Lepse floating technical bases and a number of other works.

An outdated sign from around 2013.

Clickable

White silhouette - construction is planned

Yellow silhouette - construction in progress

Red frame - the icebreaker was at the North Pole

B - the icebreaker is designed to operate in the Baltic Sea

N - atomic

Now let's start with the story...

The nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika went down in history as the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. The nuclear-powered ship "Arktika" (from 1982 to 1986 was called "Leonid Brezhnev") is the lead ship of the project 10520 series. The laying of the vessel took place on July 3, 1971 at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. More than 400 associations and enterprises, research and design organizations, including the Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering named after V.I. I. I. Afrikantova and the Research Institute of Atomic Energy. Kurchatov.

The icebreaker was launched in December 1972, and in April 1975 the ship was put into operation.

The Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker was designed to pilot vessels in the Arctic Ocean with the performance of various types of icebreaking operations. The length of the ship was 148 meters, width - 30 meters, side height - about 17 meters. The power of the nuclear steam generating plant exceeded 55 megawatts. Due to its technical performance, the nuclear-powered ship could break through ice 5 meters thick, and in clear water reach speeds of up to 18 knots.

The first trip of the icebreaker Arktika to the North Pole took place in 1977. It was a large-scale experimental project, in which scientists had to not only reach the geographic point of the North Pole, but also conduct a series of studies and observations, as well as test the capabilities of the Arktika and the stability of the vessel in a constant collision with ice. More than 200 people took part in the expedition.

On August 9, 1977, the nuclear-powered ship left the port of Murmansk, heading for the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. In the Laptev Sea, the icebreaker turned north.

And on August 17, 1977, at 4 am Moscow time, the nuclear-powered icebreaker, having overcome the thick ice cover of the Central Polar Basin, for the first time in the world reached the geographic point of the North Pole in active navigation. For 7 days and 8 hours, the nuclear-powered ship covered 2528 miles. The age-old dream of sailors and polar explorers of many generations has come true. The crew and members of the expedition celebrated this event with a solemn ceremony of hoisting the State Flag of the USSR on a ten-meter steel mast mounted on the ice. During the 15 hours that the nuclear-powered ship spent on top of the Earth, scientists completed a set of studies and observations. Before leaving the Pole, the sailors lowered into the waters of the Arctic Ocean a commemorative metal plate with the State Emblem of the USSR and the inscription “USSR. 60 years of October, a / l "Arktika", latitude 90 ° -N, 1977.

This icebreaker has high sides, four decks and two platforms, a forecastle and a five-tier superstructure, and three four-blade fixed-pitch propellers are used as propulsors. The nuclear steam generating plant is located in a special compartment in the middle part of the icebreaker. The hull of the icebreaker is made of high-strength alloyed steel. In places subject to the greatest impact of ice loads, the hull is reinforced with an ice belt. The icebreaker has trim and roll systems. Towing operations are provided by a stern electric towing winch. A helicopter is based on the icebreaker for conducting ice reconnaissance. The control and management of the technical means of the power plant are carried out automatically, without constant watch in the engine rooms, rooms for propulsion electric motors, power plants and switchboards.

Control over the operation and control of the power plant is carried out from the central control post, additional control of the propeller motors is brought to the wheelhouse and aft post. The wheelhouse is the ship's control center. On a nuclear-powered ship, it is located on the top floor of the superstructure, from where a greater view opens. The wheelhouse is stretched across the vessel - from side to side by 25 meters, its width is about 5 meters. Large rectangular portholes are located almost entirely on the front and side walls. Inside the cabin, only the most necessary. Near the sides and in the middle there are three identical consoles, on which there are control knobs for the movement of the vessel, indicators for the operation of the three propellers of the icebreaker and the position of the rudder, heading indicators and other sensors, as well as buttons for filling and draining ballast tanks and a huge typhon button for sound signal. Near the control panel of the left side there is a navigation table, near the central one - a steering wheel, at the starboard side panel - a hydrological table; near the navigational and hydrological tables, pedestals of all-round radars were installed.


In early June 1975, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Admiral Makarov navigated the Northern Sea Route to the east. In October 1976, the icebreaker "Ermak" with the dry cargo ship "Kapitan Myshevsky", as well as the icebreaker "Leningrad" with the transport "Chelyuskin" pulled out of the ice captivity. The captain of the Arktika called those days the "finest hour" of the new nuclear-powered ship.

Arktika was decommissioned in 2008.

On July 31, 2012, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika, the first ship to reach the North Pole, was excluded from the Register of Ships.

According to the information voiced by representatives of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Rosatomflot" to the press, the total cost of dismantling the a/l "Arktika" is estimated at 1.3-2 billion rubles, with the allocation of funds under the federal target program. Recently, there was a wide campaign to convince the management of refusing to be scrapped and the possibility of modernizing this icebreaker.

And now we come closer to the topic of our post.


In November 2013, at the same Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, the ceremony of laying the lead nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 took place. In honor of its predecessor, the nuclear-powered icebreaker was named Arktika. The universal two-draught nuclear icebreaker LK-60Ya will become the largest and most powerful in the world.

According to the project, the length of the vessel will be more than 173 meters, width - 34 meters, draft at the design waterline - 10.5 meters, displacement - 33.54 thousand tons. It will become the largest and most powerful (60 MW) nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world. The nuclear-powered ship will be equipped with a two-reactor power plant with the main source of steam from the RITM-200 reactor plant with a capacity of 175 MW.


On June 16, the lead nuclear icebreaker Arktika of project 22220 was launched at the Baltic Shipyard," the company said in a statement quoted by RIA Novosti.

Thus, the designers passed one of the most important stages in the construction of the ship. The Arktika will become the lead ship of Project 22220 and will give rise to a group of nuclear-powered icebreakers needed to explore the Arctic and strengthen Russia's presence in the region.

First, the rector of the Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky Naval Cathedral conducted the baptism of the atomic icebreaker. Then the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, following the traditions of shipbuilders, broke a bottle of champagne on the hull of the nuclear-powered ship.

“It is difficult to overestimate what has been done by our scientists, designers, shipbuilders. There is a feeling of pride in our country, the people who created such a ship,” said Matvienko. She recalled that Russia is the only country that has its own nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which will allow active implementation of projects in the Arctic.

"We are entering a qualitatively new level of development of this richest region," she stressed.

"Seven feet under the keel to you, the great "Arktika"!" - added the speaker of the Federation Council.

In turn, Vladimir Bulavin, presidential envoy for the Northwestern Federal District, noted that Russia is building new ships, despite the difficult economic situation.

"If you like, this is our answer to the challenges and threats of our time," Bulavin said.

Director General of the state corporation "Rosatom" Sergei Kiriyenko, in turn, called the launch of the new icebreaker a great victory for both the designers and the staff of the Baltic Shipyard. According to Kiriyenko, Arktika opens up "fundamentally new opportunities both in the field of ensuring the defense capability of our country and in solving economic problems."

Project 22220 vessels will be able to conduct convoys of ships in arctic conditions, breaking through ice up to three meters thick. The new ships will provide escort for ships carrying hydrocarbons from the fields of the Yamal and Gydan Peninsulas, the Kara Sea shelf to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The dual draft design allows the vessel to be used both in arctic waters and in the mouths of polar rivers.

Under a contract with FSUE "Atomflot", the Baltic Shipyard will build three nuclear-powered icebreakers of project 22220. On May 26 last year, the first serial icebreaker of this project, Siberia, was laid down. This autumn, it is planned to begin construction of the second Ural icebreaker.

The contract for the construction of the lead nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 between FSUE Atomflot and BZS was signed in August 2012. Its cost is 37 billion rubles. The contract for the construction of two serial nuclear icebreakers of project 22220 was signed between BZS and the state corporation Rosatom in May 2014, the contract value was 84.4 billion rubles.

sources

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