During my trip to Murmansk, like everyone else, I visited the nuclear icebreaker Lenin. Therefore, I will describe this vehicle in my multi-photo manner :-)))


Icebreaker Lenin is a three-screw ship. Architecturally, it is a smooth-deck vessel with moderate sheer, four continuous decks, an extended superstructure and two masts. At the aft part of the boat deck there is a landing pad and a helicopter hangar. There is no chimney.

The unusually large size of the mainmast is due to its use for ventilation of a steam generator plant.

The use of nuclear energy determined the features of the internal arrangement of the ship's power, residential and service spaces. The icebreaker's hull is divided into twelve compartments by main transverse watertight bulkheads.

Two longitudinal bulkheads running from the second bottom to the upper deck form compartments along the sides, which house mainly ballast, fuel and other tanks; above the lower deck there are various storerooms, service rooms and crew cabins.

The design of the icebreaker Lenin's hull differs significantly from other Russian-built icebreakers. Bottom, sides, inner decks, platforms and upper deck at the ends they are built according to a transverse system, and the upper deck in the middle part is built according to a longitudinal system.

The spacing size is 800 mm. Intermediate frames are installed along the entire length of the vessel from the second bottom to the living deck. The set of bow and stern ends is fan-shaped; the frames in these areas are located normal to the skin.

The outer skin in the area of ​​the ice belt and the adjacent belts above and below it are made of high-strength steel. The thickness of the ice belt is 36 mm in the middle part, 52 mm in the bow and 44 mm in the stern end.

The stem and stern stem of the icebreaker are cast-welded. The total weight of the stem is 30 tons, and the sternpost is 86 tons. The icebreaker's rudder is welded and has a 40 mm thick sheet steel casing. The rudder area is 18.5 m2. The stock is forged from alloy steel with a diameter of 550 mm.

The icebreaker's crew is accommodated in single and double cabins. For residential, cultural and medical premises on the icebreaker, water heating with air conditioning is used.

The engine room and auxiliary rooms have steam heating. There is a powerful automatic refrigeration unit and a large number of food pantries.

The cargo equipment on the icebreaker is: in the bow - two cargo booms with electric winches with a lifting capacity of 1.5 t,

in the middle part there is a crane with a lifting capacity of 12 t for servicing the nuclear installation compartment;

in the stern there are two cranes with a lifting capacity of 3 t.

The icebreaker is equipped with three main anchors (one of them is a spare one) with swivel legs weighing 6 tons each, a stop anchor weighing 2 tons and four ice anchors (two 150 kg and two 100 kg). The main anchors are retracted into the fairleads flush with the casing. Cast anchor chains of 67 mm caliber have a length of 325 m.

There is a cutout in the stern for towing ships closely, which is equipped with fenders and fenders lined with rubber. An automatic double-drum towing winch with a traction force of 40 tf on the main drum and 25 tf on the auxiliary drum is installed at the aft end.

The electro-hydraulic steering machine shifts the rudder from side to side in 30 seconds at a vessel speed of 18 knots and one of the two installed pumps is running. The icebreaker's unsinkability is ensured by the simultaneous flooding of two main watertight compartments.

The icebreaker has two lifeboats for 58 people each, two motor lifeboats for 40 people each, two six-oar yawls, a crew boat and a towing boat. The lowering and ascent of lifeboats and boats is carried out using rolling-type davits.

The icebreaker's power plant operates according to the following scheme. The heat generated in the reactor is used to produce superheated steam in steam generators. The steam is sent to the main turbo generators, from which electricity is supplied to the propulsion motors.

The propeller motors' anchors are connected to the propeller shafts. The steam generators are powered by feed pumps operating in parallel, so that in the event of an emergency stop of one of the pumps, the others automatically increase their productivity to required level. They control the entire power plant of the icebreaker from one station.

Biological protection of a nuclear installation guarantees the protection of the icebreaker crew from the effects of radioactive radiation, which is controlled by a special dosimetric system. The control panel of this system is located in the radiation control post.

The main turbogenerators are located in two compartments: bow and stern. Each compartment has two active-reactive type turbines with a power of 11,000 hp each. Each turbine is connected through a gearbox to two double-armature DC generators with a continuous power of 11,500 hp. at rated voltage 600 V.

Turbogenerator units power three double-anchor DC propulsion motors: the middle one and two onboard ones. The middle engine receives 50% of the power generated by the turbogenerators, and the onboard engines receive 25% each. The power of the middle electric motor is 19,600 hp, and the onboard motors are 9,800 hp each. Propeller shafts icebreakers are made of alloy steel. The diameter of the middle shaft is 740 mm, length 9.2 m, weight 26.8 tons; side shaft diameter 712 mm, length 18.4 m, weight 45 tons.

The propellers are four-bladed, with removable blades. The weight of the middle propeller is 27.8 tons, the side propeller - 22.5 tons.

The icebreaker has bow and stern power plants. Three turbogenerators are installed in the bow, two turbogenerators and one backup diesel generator with a capacity of 1000 kW each are installed in the stern. Each turbogenerator consists of an active-type condensing steam turbine and an alternating current generator. In addition, the ship is equipped with two emergency diesel generators.

The nuclear-powered ship project was developed at TsKB-15 (now Iceberg) in 1953-1955 (project No. 92) after the decision to build a nuclear icebreaker was made on November 20, 1953 by the USSR Council of Ministers. The chief designer was V.I. Neganov. The nuclear installation was designed under the leadership of I. I. Afrikantov. Hull steel grades AK-27 and AK-28 (almost “stainless steel”) were specially developed at the Prometheus Institute for icebreakers.

The ship was laid down in 1956 at the shipyard named after. A.Marti in Leningrad. The chief builder is V.I. Chervyakov.

Launched on December 5, 1957. On September 12, 1959, already from the shipyard of the Admiralty Plant, he set off for sea trials under the command of P. A. Ponomarev

December 3, 1959 handed over to the Ministry navy. Since 1960 as part of the Murmansk Shipping Company.

It had good ice penetration. In the first 6 years of operation alone, the icebreaker completed more than 82 thousand nautical miles and independently conducted more than 400 ships.

The icebreaker "Lenin" operated for 30 years and in 1989 was decommissioned and placed in permanent berth in Murmansk.

Now let's move inside. Entrance is free, and at the entrance a group of local sailor students has already formed.

The nuclear-powered icebreaker stands at the pontoon pier of the Murmansk seaport.

"Clavdia Elanskaya" is moored nearby

It carries out local transportation.

The nuclear icebreaker "Russia" is visible in the distance, if I'm not mistaken.

These yachts are moored on the other side.

Monuments on the opposite shore of the bay.

Time 12 o'clock: forward...

We move from the gangway to the board.

In the following parts we will see what is inside it and take a closer look at the wheelhouse.

Atomic - ships, built specifically for use in waters covered with ice all year round. They break ice with a specially adapted bow, and in some cases, with their stern.

Nuclear icebreakers much more powerful than diesel ones. They were designed in Russia to ensure navigation in the cold waters of the Arctic. One of the main advantages of the nuclear one is the absence of the need for frequent refueling, which can arise when sailing in ice, when this is not possible, or such refueling is very difficult. All nuclear ones have electrical transmission to the propellers. In winter, ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean varies from 1.2 to 2 m, and in some places reaches 2.5 m. Nuclear icebreakers capable of traveling in waters covered with such ice at a speed of 20 km/h (11 knots), and in ice-free waters - up to 45 km/h (up to 25 knots).

Since 1989, atomic ones have been used for tourist trips to the North Pole. , which lasts three weeks, costs $25,000. For the first time atomic " Russia"was used for these purposes in 1989. Since 1991, nuclear power has been used for this purpose. Soviet Union"and since 1993 - nuclear " Yamal" It has a special section for tourists. Built in 2007 " 50 years of Victory"There is also the same section.

This icebreaker is used for cruise trips to Greenland

All ten nuclear powered ships in the world (although one of them is not actually an icebreaker, but with an icebreaker nose) were built in the USSR. These ships were built at the Admiralty Shipyards and the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Two icebreakers - river " Vaygach" And " Taimyr" - were built at the new Helsinki shipyards in Finland and then transported to Leningrad for the installation of nuclear reactors.

icebreaker "50 Years of Victory"

Today the largest in the world icebreaker ship is " 50 years of Victory"built at the Baltic Shipyard. The vessel is equipped with a new generation digital automatic control system. The complex of biological protection means for the nuclear power plant has been modernized. An ecological compartment has been created, equipped with the latest equipment for the collection and disposal of all waste products. vessel. Vessel belongs Russian Federation FSUE " Atomflot».

Icebreaker technical data« 50 years of Victory»:

Length - 160 m;

Width - 30 m;

Draft - 11 m;

Displacement - 25,000 tons;

Power plant - 2 nuclear reactors with a power of 75,000 hp;

Cruising speed - 21.4 knots;

Maximum fuel reserve is about 4 years;

Crew - 140 people;

Passengers - 128 people;

Arktika-class icebreakers

Icebreakers class " Arctic" - the basis of the Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet: 6 out of 10 nuclear icebreakers belong to the Arctic class. Since these icebreakers took thirty years to build, there are some differences between them. As a rule, new icebreakers are faster, more powerful and require smaller crews to operate.

Technical data of the Arktika-class icebreaker:

Length - 150 m;

Width - 30 m;

Draft - 11.08 m;

Height - 55;

Maximum speed: 25 knots;

Crew - 150 people (including 50 officers and engineers);

Passengers: 100 people;

Marine propulsion system: two reactors - 900 with a capacity of 171 MW;

Icebreakers this class has a double hull; the thickness of the outer casing in places where ice breaks is 48 mm, in other places - 25 mm. Between the hulls there are water ballast tanks, which serve to change the trim in difficult ice conditions. Some ships coated with a special polymer to reduce friction. Icebreakers This class can break ice by moving both forward and backward. These are designed to operate in cold arctic waters, which complicates the operation of a nuclear plant in warm seas. This is partly why crossing the tropics to work off the coast of Antarctica is not among their tasks. Typically, to ensure ship Only one of the ship's two reactors is sufficiently energetic, but both are used during voyage (at less than 50% power).

As a rule, on the class " Arctic" there are all the necessary amenities for the crew and passengers: swimming pool, sauna, cinema, gym, bar, restaurant, library and volleyball court. For everyone nuclear powered ships class " Arctic“There is a helipad for two helicopters that can be attached to them for complex flights or tourist cruises.

The largest and most powerful icebreaker in the world June 16th, 2016

Now let's start with the story...

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

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


The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" was intended for escorting ships in the Arctic Ocean to carry out various types icebreaking operations. The length of the vessel was 148 meters, width - 30 meters, side height - about 17 meters. The power of the nuclear steam generating plant exceeded 55 megawatts. Thanks to its technical characteristics, the nuclear-powered icebreaker could break through ice 5 meters thick, and clean water reach speeds of up to 18 knots.

The icebreaker Arktika's first voyage to the North Pole took place in 1977. It was a large-scale experimental project in which scientists had to not only achieve geographical point North Pole, but also to conduct a series of studies and observations, as well as test the capabilities of the “Arctic” and the stability of the vessel in 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 archipelago New Earth. In the Laptev Sea, the icebreaker turned north.

And so on August 17, 1977, at 4 o’clock in the morning Moscow time, the nuclear icebreaker, having overcome the thick ice cover of the Central Polar Basin, for the first time in the world reached the geographical point of the North Pole in active navigation. In 7 days 8 hours, the nuclear-powered ship covered 2,528 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 raising the State Flag of the USSR on a ten-meter steel mast installed on the ice. During the 15 hours that the nuclear-powered icebreaker spent on the top of the Earth, scientists carried out a complex of research and observations. Before leaving the pole, the sailors lowered into the waters of the Arctic Ocean a commemorative metal plate with the image of 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 is propelled by three four-blade fixed-pitch propellers. The nuclear steam production plant is located in a special compartment in the middle part of the icebreaker. The icebreaker's hull is made of high-strength alloy steel. In places exposed to the greatest 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. To conduct ice reconnaissance, a helicopter is based on the icebreaker. Monitoring and management of the technical means of the power plant are carried out automatically, without constant watch in engine rooms, rooms of propulsion electric motors, power plants and at switchboards.

Operation control and control of the power plant are carried out from the central control station; additional control of the propulsion electric motors is located in the wheelhouse and aft station. The pilothouse is the ship's control center. On the nuclear-powered ship it is located on the top floor of the superstructure, from where a greater view opens. The pilothouse is stretched across the vessel - 25 meters from side to side, its width is about 5 meters. Large rectangular portholes are located almost entirely on the front and side walls. Inside the cabin there is only the most necessary things. 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 icebreaker’s three propellers and the position of the rudder, direction indicators and other sensors, as well as buttons for filling and draining ballast tanks and a huge typhon button for sounding. Near the left side control panel there is a chart table, near the central one there is a steering wheel, and at the starboard side control panel there is a hydrological table; All-round radar stands are installed near the navigation and hydrological tables.


At the beginning of June 1975, the nuclear-powered ship sailed along the Northern sea ​​route to the east the diesel-electric icebreaker "Admiral Makarov". In October 1976, the icebreaker Ermak with the dry cargo ship Kapitan Myshevsky, as well as the icebreaker Leningrad with the transport Chelyuskin, were rescued from ice captivity. The captain of the Arctic called those days the “finest hour” of the new nuclear-powered ship.

Arktika was decommissioned in 2008.

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

According to information announced by representatives of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rosatomflot to the press, the total cost of dismantling the Arktika a/l is estimated at 1.3-2 billion rubles, with funds allocated under the federal target program. Recently, there was a broad campaign to convince management of the refusal to dismantle and the possibility of modernizing this icebreaker.

Now let’s come closer to the topic of our post.


In November 2013, at the same Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, the laying ceremony of the lead nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220 took place. In honor of its predecessor, the nuclear-powered icebreaker was named “Arktika”. The universal double-draft 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 be the largest and most powerful (60 MW) nuclear 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 Baltic Shipyard launched the lead nuclear icebreaker “Arktika” of Project 22220,” the company said in a statement, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

Thus, the designers passed one of the most important stages in the construction of the ship. "Arktika" will become the lead ship of Project 22220 and will give rise to a group of nuclear icebreakers necessary for the development of the Arctic and strengthening Russia's presence in this region.

First, the rector of the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral baptized the nuclear icebreaker. Then 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, and shipbuilders. There is a feeling of pride in our country, the people who created such a ship,” Matvienko said. She recalled that Russia is the only country that has its own nuclear icebreaker fleet, which will allow it to actively implement projects in the Arctic.

“We are reaching a qualitatively new level of development of this rich region,” she emphasized.

“Seven feet under your keel, great “Arktika”!” - added the speaker of the Federation Council.

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

“If you like, this is our response to the challenges and threats of our time,” Bulavin said.

General Director of the Rosatom state corporation 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, the Arctic opens up “fundamentally new opportunities both in 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 vessels transporting hydrocarbons from the fields of the Yamal and Gydan Peninsulas, the Kara Sea shelf to the markets of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The double-draft design allows the vessel to be used both in Arctic waters and at the mouths of polar rivers.

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

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 concluded between BZS and the state corporation Rosatom in May 2014, the cost of the contract was 84.4 billion rubles.

sources

The first icebreaker, dating back to the 18th century, was a small steamship that carried out icebreaking operations in Philadelphia Harbor. More than a 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 today 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 nuclear and diesel powerful ships that are designed to perform icebreaking operations, but where and when was the most large icebreaker in the world, some are still unknown. About this and we'll talk 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 icebreaker "Sevmorput" is an icebreaking transport vessel that used nuclear power. power plant. The lighter carrier was put into use in December 1988.

After the flag was raised and work began, the total distance 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 were transported. The need to recharge the nuclear reactor was only required once.

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

"Arctic"

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

The Project 22220 icebreaker Arktika could pass through ice 2.9 thick. Thanks to the modern automatic control system equipped with the new vessel, it was possible to reduce the crew size 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, the dimensions and height of the ice through which it will pass.

"50 years of Victory"

The main difference between the 159.6-meter long nuclear icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” is its deep landing and impressive power. Construction of the ship was carried out from 1989 to 2007. Since its launch and start of use, the ship “50 Let Pobedy” has been sent on expeditions to the North Pole more than 100 times.

"Taimyr"

The 151.8-meter-long nuclear icebreaker at river mouths is capable of breaking up ice 1.77 meters thick, thus clearing the way for other ships. The main features of the Taimyr icebreaker include a reduced landing position and the ability to carry out icebreaking operations in areas with extremely low temperatures.

"Vaigach"

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

The icebreaker "Vaigach" escorts ships loaded with metal from Norilsk, and with timber and ore from Igarka. Thanks to the nuclear turboelectric installation, Vaygach 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"

Construction of the 150-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1986, and it was launched 3 years later. Initially, the ship was called “October Revolution”, and in 1992 it was renamed “Yamal”.

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

"Healy"

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

Polar Sea

Construction of the 122-meter-long icebreaker was completed in 1976; the ship is still in working order, although it was not in service between 2007 and 2012. Diesel engines and gas turbine units together produce a power of 78 thousand horsepower. In terms of power characteristics, it is practically in no way inferior to the icebreaker Arktika. The speed of the icebreaker “Polar Sea” in ice 2 meters thick is 3 knots.

"Louis S. St. Laurent"

Construction of the Canadian icebreaker, 120 meters long, was completed in 1969. In 1993, the vessel was completely modernized. "Louis S. St-Laurent" is the first ship in the world to reach the North Pole (the expedition ended in 1994).

"Polarstern"

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

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