Arktika class icebreaker
Encyclopedia
The Arktika class is a Russia
n (former Soviet
) class of nuclear powered icebreaker
s. They are owned by the federal government, but were operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCO) until 2008, when they were transferred to the fully government-owned operator Atomflot. Of the ten civilian nuclear powered vessels built by Russia (and the Soviet Union
), six have been of this type. They are used for clearing shipping lanes north of Siberia
as well as for scientific and recreational expeditions to the Arctic
.
was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole
on August 17, 1977.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n (former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) class of nuclear powered icebreaker
Nuclear powered icebreaker
A nuclear powered icebreaker is a purpose-built ship for use in waters continuously covered with ice. Icebreakers are ships capable of cruising on ice-covered water by breaking through the ice with their strong, heavy, steel bows...
s. They are owned by the federal government, but were operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCO) until 2008, when they were transferred to the fully government-owned operator Atomflot. Of the ten civilian nuclear powered vessels built by Russia (and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
), six have been of this type. They are used for clearing shipping lanes north of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
as well as for scientific and recreational expeditions to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
.
Vessels
| Ship Name | Launched | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| NS Arktika Arktika (icebreaker) NS Arktika is a nuclear powered icebreaker of the Soviet Arktika class. In service since 1975, she was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, on August 17, 1977.... |
1975 | taken out of service, reactor removed in 2008 |
| NS Sibir | 1977 | taken out of service in the 1992 due to a problem in the vessel’s steam generation system |
| NS Rossiya | 1985 | |
| NS Sovjetskij Sojuz | 1990 | |
| NS Yamal Yamal (icebreaker) The NS Yamal is a Russian Arktika class nuclear powered icebreaker operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company. It is named after the Yamal Peninsula in Northwest Siberia; the name means End of the Land in Nenets.... |
1992 | |
| NS 50 Let Pobedy | 2007 | Built as NS Ural, completed in 2007. |
Ship Notes
The NS ArktikaArktika (icebreaker)
NS Arktika is a nuclear powered icebreaker of the Soviet Arktika class. In service since 1975, she was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, on August 17, 1977....
was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
on August 17, 1977.