Nuclear icebreaker Soviet Union disposed of. Icebreaker Soviet Union. What did the icebreaker do

The icebreaker "Soviet Union" is a nuclear-powered icebreaker of project 10521 Arktika, built in 1989. It is designed for the most Arctic conditions with ice thickness up to 3 meters, and can also be converted for military needs in the shortest possible time.

The vast territory of our country, stretching "from the southern mountains to the northern seas", as was sung in a popular song of the Soviet era, makes it necessary to have a fleet that is able to move freely through the waters of these most severe seas and the Arctic Ocean. Powerful nuclear-powered icebreakers are the only type of ships capable of breaking through thick ice in the Arctic waters. Therefore, in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia, much attention was paid and continues to be paid to the creation of ships of this class. As a result, our country is the only owner in the world of a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers.

In order to ensure dominance in the water space of this region, to fulfill national economic tasks, in the early seventies of the last century, a project was conceived and began to be implemented to create ten nuclear-powered ships of the Arktika class, named after the first ship in the series. After the "Arktika", "Siberia" and "Russia", on the last day of October 1986, the icebreaker "Soviet Union" was launched from the shipyard of the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. In its creation, however, as in the production of other vessels of the class, a large number of enterprises were involved, including: OKBM im. Afrikantov from Gorky, Mayak Production Association in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, the Iceberg Central Design Bureau in Leningrad, etc.

The "Soviet Union" began to function in 1989 with a planned working resource of 25 years. Vessel registration - Murmansk port.

Description

All Arktika-class icebreakers have four decks and two platforms. To combat ice jams, the Soviet Union has a double hull made of alloy steel, which is particularly durable. The vessel has the ability to move through the water area, both in the forward direction and in reverse mode, using three fixed-pitch propellers with four blades each.

The main node of the icebreaker are two OK-900A nuclear reactors that produce energy for the "Soviet Union". The working elements of a steam turbine plant are water and steam, which make the turbine rotor rotate. It consists of two steam generators. The power of each of them is 37,500 liters. With. The power supply system is backed up by a backup complex consisting of a 1,000 kW diesel generator and two emergency ones - 200 kW each.

A modern nuclear-powered icebreaker, which is the "Soviet Union", is a large floating house, which you can navigate without leaving the deck. Despite being equipped with high-tech equipment, there is still space on the ship to accommodate a wardroom, a dining room, a bar, a medical department, a sauna, a swimming pool, a cinema hall, etc.

Specifications

Here are some figures on the characteristics of the atomic icebreaker "Soviet Union", regarding its dimensions and functional parameters.

• Length - 147.9 m.
• Width - 29.9 m.
• Height on board - 17.2 m.
• Displacement - 21 120 tons.
• The highest speed in free water is 20.8 knots (approximately 38.5 km / h).
• Power - 75,000 liters. With
• Draft depth 11 m.
• The crew of the ship consists of 100 people.
• Autonomous navigation of the icebreaker - seven months.

Icebreaker Features

The features of the project "Soviet Union" was its possible conversion in a short time into a ship for military service. Some of this equipment is in a mothballed state on the ship, the rest is onshore. This provides for the use of the MP-123 shipborne artillery fire control system, consisting of a radar station that helps to detect and track targets, as well as a TV and an ECU (electronic control units). As a weapon, it is possible to use an artillery mount of the AK type (automatic ship).

When creating, much attention was paid to the security system of the "Soviet Union". A system of measures was developed that controlled and notified in time about any deviations in the operation of the nuclear filling.

• Loop control in the first coolant.
• System for detecting microscopic leaks in the coolant of a nuclear plant.
• Observation of the state of the metal of the shell of a nuclear reactor.

It must be said that over the years of operation of the Arktika-class icebreakers, not a single failure in the operation of this most complex device has been recorded. The reliability of the vessels remains at the highest level.

Exploitation

His activities were extremely varied. We list the main points of its operation.

• Arctic tourism (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998).
• Installation of equipment for meteorological observations in 1991. Combining tourist activities with research practice, the crew installed 5 automatic stations and 1 meteorological buoy from the USA on drifting ice floes.
• In 2002, the practice of connecting the power plant of the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker to the power grid of buildings on the coastline of Murmansk was tested. The experiment was a complete success, but was found to be too costly.
• In 2004, an expedition was organized to the underwater Lomonosov Ridge near the North Pole to carry out a unique drilling experiment. In addition to our nuclear-powered ship, two icebreakers from Sweden and Norway took part in it. A well 428 meters deep was drilled in the body of the ridge. The installation was located on the Norwegian ship Vidar Viking. "Soviet Union" and the Swedish "Oden" by their constant maneuvering freed the site for the experiment from ice jams.
• In order to increase the service life in 2007-2008, new modern equipment was supplied by the native Baltic Shipyard. A year before, the "Soviet Union" ceased to be operated.

Currently, the icebreaker is working on re-equipment of the vessel. Their completion is scheduled for 2017.

The future of the fourth nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class is vague. The leadership of Rosatomflot, the current owner of the ship, wants to send it to the department of the Russian Ministry of Defense for use as the head command post of the Northern Fleet. The military department, in turn, hesitates, not considering this proposal expedient. Of course, the financial side of the issue also plays an important role. The maintenance of a nuclear ship costs a lot of money.

If the re-profiling of the "Soviet Union" does not take place, then the icebreaker will return to its usual work activity. The term of his new labor resource is 20 years.

The Russian nuclear icebreaker "Soviet Union" is being scrapped. This was reported by RIA Novosti Vyacheslav Ruksha, General Director of the enterprise of the state corporation Rosatom FSUE Atomflot (Rosatomflot).

Nuclear icebreaker "Soviet Union" in the port of Murmansk. Photo: RIA Novosti / Sergey Subbotin

“The icebreaker “Soviet Union”, unfortunately, is being disposed of. An official order was signed,” Ruksha said.

What is the reason?

Ruksha explained that the reason for this decision was the sanctions of Western countries against Russia. “Due to the effect of Western sanctions on the joint project of Rosneft and the American ExxonMobil for the extraction of hydrocarbons on the shelf of the Kara Sea, the icebreaker was “out of work,” said the head of Rosatomflot.

He also said that the issue of using the icebreaker by the Arctic group of the RF Armed Forces was being studied. But for this purpose, it turned out to be redundant in terms of power and there is no economic feasibility in its use, Ruksha explained.

What did the icebreaker do?

Since 2010, the "Soviet Union" has not been operated. It was withdrawn from the fleet due to a decrease in the volume of work in the Arctic.

However, in 2014, the leadership of Rosatom decided to restore the nuclear-powered ship by 2018 and use it in new offshore projects. It was assumed that he would be able to move in ice at a speed of 12-14 knots (22-26 km / h). After extending the resource of the reactor plant, the Sovetsky Soyuz could serve another 20 years.

What are the characteristics of an icebreaker?

The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class Sovetsky Soyuz was commissioned in 1989. The peculiarity of the icebreaker is that it was designed in such a way that it could be retrofitted into a battle cruiser in a short time.

"Soviet Union" was used for Arctic tourism and for scientific purposes. In 2004, he was one of three icebreakers that participated in research on the impact of global warming in the Arctic.

Icebreaker « Soviet Union is a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class, built at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. Launched on October 31, 1986, commissioned in 1989. Included in and used by the Murmansk Shipping Company.

The icebreaker is designed in such a way that it can be retrofitted into a warship in a short time. Some of this equipment is in a mothballed state on board, and some is in coastal warehouses. In particular, a fire control radar of the MP-123 detachable artillery mount was installed on the tank in front of the felling.

In 1991, 1992, 1997 and 1998 "Soviet Union" served for Arctic tourism. During the transpolar cruise from July 27 to August 16, 1991, 5 automatic meteorological ice stations (No. 20, 21, 23, 18, 26) and one American meteorological buoy No. I.D. 7058 were installed on board drifting ice. Installation methods - carrying stations from the icebreaker to the selected ice floe or delivery of stations to the drifting ice floe by the icebreaker's helicopter.

During a transpolar cruise in 1992, under the command of the captain of the nuclear-powered ship "Soviet Union" A. G. Gorshkovsky, at the parking lot at the North Pole on August 23, 1992, the Andreevsky flag and the flag of the city of St. Petersburg were raised on the flagpole of the vessel in honor of Russian sailors and shipbuilders " Baltic Plant" in the city of St. Petersburg. The raising of the flags was carried out by the passenger assistant to the captain N. N. Rumyantsev

In March 2002, during the icebreaker's mooring at the berth in Murmansk, for the first time in practice, its power plant was used to supply onshore facilities. At the same time, the power of the installation reached 50 megawatts. The experiment was successful, but was considered unprofitable.

In 2004, he was one of three icebreakers participating in research on the impact of global warming in the Arctic.

The service life of the icebreaker is set at 25 years. In 2007-2008, the Baltic Shipyard supplied equipment for the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker, which makes it possible to extend the life of the vessel.

Currently, the icebreaker is planned for restoration, but only after a specific customer is identified or until transit along the Northern Sea Route is increased and new work areas appear. As Vyacheslav Ruksha, Director General of Rosatomflot, stated in August 2014, “we are extending the service life of the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker and will restore it by 2017.”

Main technical characteristics

• The greatest length is 147.9 m.
• The greatest width is 29.9 m.
• Board height 17.2 m.
• Displacement 21,120 tons.
• Type of main plant: nuclear turboelectric, two reactors up to 55 megawatts.
• Maximum speed in clear water 20.8 knots.

Links

• . Fish Resources (01.11.2006). Retrieved July 10, 2010. .
• . Polar Mail Today. Retrieved July 10, 2010. .
• Ridge Alpha.(July 27, 2007). Retrieved July 10, 2010. .
• Vladimir BLINOV.. Murmansk Bulletin (23.08.2008). Retrieved July 10, 2010. .

Notes

Napoleon enters Moscow after a brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt about victory, since the battlefield remains with the French. The Russians retreat and give up the capital. Moscow, filled with provisions, weapons, shells and untold riches, is in the hands of Napoleon. The Russian army, twice as weak as the French, does not make a single attempt to attack for a month. Napoleon's position is the most brilliant. In order to fall on the remnants of the Russian army with double strength and exterminate it, in order to negotiate a favorable peace or, in case of refusal, to make a threatening movement on Petersburg, in order even, in case of failure, to return to Smolensk or Vilna , or stay in Moscow - in order, in a word, to keep the brilliant position in which the French army was at that time, it would seem that no special genius is needed. To do this, it was necessary to do the simplest and easiest thing: to prevent the troops from plundering, to prepare winter clothes, which would be enough in Moscow for the entire army, and to correctly collect provisions for the entire army that were in Moscow for more than six months (according to French historians). Napoleon, the most brilliant of geniuses and having the power to direct the army, historians say, did nothing of the sort.
Not only did he not do any of this, but, on the contrary, he used his power to choose from all the paths of activity presented to him that which was most stupid and pernicious of all. Of all that Napoleon could do: spend the winter in Moscow, go to St. Petersburg, go to Nizhny Novgorod, go back, north or south, the way that Kutuzov went later - well, whatever you think up is more stupid and more pernicious than what he did Napoleon, that is, to remain in Moscow until October, leaving the troops to rob the city, then, hesitating whether to leave or not to leave the garrison, leave Moscow, approach Kutuzov, do not start a battle, go to the right, reach Maly Yaroslavets, again without experiencing the chance to break through , to go not along the road along which Kutuzov went, but to go back to Mozhaisk and along the devastated Smolensk road - nothing could be more stupid than this, more detrimental to the army, as the consequences showed. Let the most skillful strategists come up with, imagining that Napoleon's goal was to destroy his army, come up with another series of actions that would, with the same certainty and independence from everything that the Russian troops undertake, would completely destroy the whole French army, like what Napoleon did.
The brilliant Napoleon did it. But to say that Napoleon destroyed his army because he wanted it, or because he was very stupid, would be just as unfair as to say that Napoleon brought his troops to Moscow because he wanted it, and because that he was very smart and brilliant.
In both cases, his personal activity, which had no more power than the personal activity of each soldier, only coincided with the laws according to which the phenomenon took place.
Quite falsely (only because the consequences did not justify the activities of Napoleon) historians present to us the strength of Napoleon weakened in Moscow. He, just as before, as after, in the 13th year, used all his skill and strength to do the best for himself and his army. Napoleon's activity during this time is no less amazing than in Egypt, in Italy, in Austria and in Prussia. We do not know correctly about the extent to which the genius of Napoleon was real in Egypt, where forty centuries looked at his greatness, because all these great feats are described to us only by the French. We cannot correctly judge his genius in Austria and Prussia, since information about his activities there must be drawn from French and German sources; and the incomprehensible surrender of corps without battles and fortresses without siege should incline the Germans to recognize genius as the only explanation for the war that was waged in Germany. But there is no reason for us to recognize his genius in order to hide our shame, thank God. We have paid to have the right to simply and directly look at the matter, and we will not cede this right.
His activity in Moscow is as amazing and ingenious as elsewhere. Orders after orders and plans after plans come from him from the moment he enters Moscow until he leaves it. The absence of residents and deputations, and the fire of Moscow itself, do not bother him. He does not lose sight of either the good of his army, or the actions of the enemy, or the good of the peoples of Russia, or the administration of the valleys of Paris, or diplomatic considerations about the forthcoming conditions of peace.

In military terms, immediately upon entering Moscow, Napoleon strictly orders General Sebastiani to follow the movements of the Russian army, sends corps along different roads, and orders Murat to find Kutuzov. Then he diligently orders the strengthening of the Kremlin; then he makes an ingenious plan for a future campaign across the entire map of Russia. In terms of diplomacy, Napoleon calls to himself the robbed and ragged captain Yakovlev, who does not know how to get out of Moscow, sets out to him in detail all his policy and his generosity and, writing a letter to Emperor Alexander, in which he considers it his duty to inform his friend and brother that Rostopchin badly ordered in Moscow, he sends Yakovlev to Petersburg. Having set out in the same detail his views and generosity before Tutolmin, he sends this old man to St. Petersburg for negotiations.

Next year, another nuclear-powered icebreaker will be put into operation on the Northern Sea Route. Thus, in total, six ships of this class will operate in the Arctic. Stanislav Golovinsky, head of the FSUE Atomflot representative office, told reporters about this, speaking at a round table dedicated to the topic "The Arctic transport system as a fundamental factor in the development of the region."

“Given the growing cargo traffic in the Arctic, in 2012 we are commissioning a nuclear-powered icebreaker that was laid up,” he said. “This will be the sixth vessel of this class to enter the Northern Sea Route.”.

The icebreaker being returned to work is called "Soviet Union", and under this name he will walk in the Arctic, said Golovinsky. “Yes, we are not renaming it,” he stressed.

The first Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of a new design will be built in 2017 Golovinsky said.

The construction of a series of three such vessels will begin in 2012., said the representative of Atomflot. “The budget has been adopted, money has been allocated for this,” he said, recalling that “this pleasure is not cheap - the cost of construction is 32 billion rubles.” However, this step is necessary in view of the plans for the economic development of the Arctic.

The main task of the new icebreakers is to promote the development of the Yamal Peninsula, escorting ships that take out natural resources mined there, Golovinsky explained. At the same time, ships will be able to lay fairways in the ice both at sea and on rivers. This is achieved due to the fact that they will change their draft due to the ballast of water in special tanks. The width of the ship's hull is such that "a tanker with a displacement of 70,000 tons can follow it almost freely," the specialist noted. The most advanced world technologies will be introduced on this icebreaker, Golovinsky stressed.

The nuclear icebreaker fleet solves state tasks, the specialist said. The main ones are emergency rescue operations if necessary, participation in the work to determine the boundaries of the shelf, that is, in fact, the determination of the boundaries of the Russian economic zone. In addition, Golovinsky noted, “together with Roshydromet, we are monitoring the weather, as well as importing and picking up the North Pole expeditions, and fulfilling the tasks of the Ministry of Defense to ensure the activities of the Navy in the northern seas.”

However, at the same time, the representative of Atomflot emphasized, the icebreaker fleet is performing more and more work on a commercial basis. “We strive to ensure that the nuclear icebreaker fleet earns its own living. But not by increasing tariffs, but on the contrary, by reducing them - due to a corresponding increase in demand," Golovinsky said, noting that "we managed to double our commercial revenue in three years."

The Soviet Union broke the ice with nuclear icebreakers and knew no equal. There were no ships of this type anywhere in the world - the USSR had absolute dominance in the ice. 7 Soviet nuclear icebreakers.

"Siberia"

This ship became a direct continuation of the Arktika-type nuclear installations. At the time of commissioning (1977), Siberia had the largest width (29.9 m) and length (147.9 m). The vessel operated a satellite communication system responsible for fax, telephone and navigation. Also present: a sauna, a swimming pool, a training room, a relaxation salon, a library and a huge dining room.
The nuclear-powered icebreaker "Siberia" went down in history as the first vessel to carry out year-round navigation in the direction of Murmansk-Dudinka. He also became the second unit that reached the top of the planet, entering the North Pole.

"Lenin"

This icebreaker, launched on December 5, 1957, became the first ship in the world to be equipped with a nuclear power plant. Its most important differences are a high level of autonomy and power. Already during its first use, the vessel demonstrated excellent performance, which made it possible to significantly increase the navigation period.
During the first six years of operation, the nuclear-powered icebreaker covered more than 82,000 nautical miles, navigating over 400 vessels. Later, "Lenin" will be the first of all ships to be north of Severnaya Zemlya.

"Arctic"

This nuclear-powered icebreaker (launched in 1975) was considered the largest of all existing at that time: its width was 30 meters, length - 148 meters, and the height of the side - more than 17 meters. The unit was equipped with a medical unit, where there was an operating room and a dental unit. All conditions were created on the ship, allowing the flight crew and the helicopter to be based.
"Arktika" was able to break through the ice, the thickness of which was five meters, and also move at a speed of 18 knots. The unusual color of the vessel (bright red) was also considered a clear difference, which personified a new nautical era. And the icebreaker was famous for being the first ship that managed to reach the North Pole.

"Russia"

This unsinkable icebreaker, launched in 1985), was the first of a series of Arctic nuclear installations with a capacity of 55.1 MW (75,000 horsepower). The crew has at its disposal: the Internet, the Nature salon with an aquarium and living vegetation, a chess room, a cinema hall, as well as everything else that was present on the Sibir icebreaker.
The main purpose of the installation: cooling of nuclear reactors and use in the conditions of the Arctic Ocean. Since the ship was forced to constantly be in cold water, it could not cross the tropics to find itself in the southern hemisphere.

For the first time, this vessel made a cruise voyage to the North Pole, specially organized for foreign tourists. And in the 20th century, a nuclear icebreaker was used to study the continental shelf at the North Pole.

The design feature of the Sovetsky Soyuz icebreaker, commissioned in 1990, is that it can be retrofitted into a battle cruiser at any time. Initially, the ship was used for Arctic tourism. Making a transpolar cruise, it was possible to install meteorological ice stations operating in automatic mode, as well as an American meteorological buoy. Later, the icebreaker, which was stationed near Murmansk, was used to supply electricity to facilities located near the coast. The vessel also found use in the course of research in the Arctic on the effects of global warming.

"Yamal"

The nuclear icebreaker Yamal was laid down in 1986 in the USSR, and launched after the death of the Soviet Union in 1993. Yamal became the twelfth ship to reach the North Pole. In total, he has 46 flights in this direction, including the one that was specially initiated to meet the third millennium. Several emergencies occurred on the ship, including: a fire, the death of a tourist, and a collision with the Indiga tanker. The icebreaker was not injured during the last emergency, but a deep crack formed in the tanker. It was Yamal that helped transport the damaged ship for repairs.
Six years ago, the ice drift completed a rather important mission: it evacuated archaeologists from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, who reported their own disaster.

"50 Years of Victory"

This icebreaker is considered the most modern and largest of all existing ones. In 1989, it was laid down under the name "Ural", but since there was not enough funding, for a long time (until 2003) it stood unfinished. Only since 2007 the ship could be operated. During the first tests, the nuclear-powered icebreaker demonstrated reliability, maneuverability, and a top speed of 21.4 knots.
At the disposal of the passengers of the ship: a music room, a library, a swimming pool, a sauna, a gym, a restaurant, as well as satellite TV.
The main task assigned to the icebreaker is escorting caravans in the Arctic seas. But the ship was also intended for Arctic cruises.