If you happen to be in Murmansk, you should find a couple of hours and visit the famous icebreaker "Lenin" moored in the waters of the Kola Bay.
This icebreaker is not just the first ship in the world with a nuclear engine, first of all, it is the embodiment of the history of our country, its achievements and victories.
Knowing where the Lenin icebreaker in Murmansk is located, the schedule and cost of the visit, it is easy to plan a visit, and after this article it becomes clear what to look for during the tour.
Icebreaker Creation
Active study and the beginning of the development of the North required the creation of reliable equipment capable of working in arctic conditions.
The decision to build an ice drift was made in 1953 and was secretly called Project-92. Design development involved TsKB-15, also called "Iceberg". V.I. Neganov was appointed the chief designer, academician A.P. Aleksandrov, who was involved in the development of atomic energy, became the supervisor of studies.
To build an unprecedented design, I had to create a lot of new things: look for a suitable type of alloy for the ship's hull, build nuclear power plants, invent and mount remote control for all systems and devices.
The icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk became the world's first surface ship with a nuclear reactor as an engine. The ship had 4 turbogenerators, 3 electric motors, 2 additional power plants, a helipad.
The ship was built at the Leningrad shipyard unusually quickly. During the construction, the shipyard was visited by honored guests - US Vice President R. Nixon and British Prime Minister G. Macmillan, who wanted to see the “Russian miracle” with their own eyes.
It took a little more than a year, then the Lenin icebreaker was launched on December 5, 1957. The tests of the nuclear reactor continued for a couple of years, in 1960 the icebreaker went on its first route.
About the icebreaker
Today the icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk is a memory of a great history. But those who sailed on it, probably, it seems that it was not so long ago.
After creating a new model of icebreaker, the crew could work calmly and comfortably in difficult conditions, escorting ordinary ships along the Northern Sea Route. Serving the Siberian ports, the Lenin nuclear-powered icebreaker contributed to the development of the entire region.
With the use of the Lenin nuclear-powered icebreaker, navigation on the Northern Sea Route became possible not during the three summer months, but almost the entire year - 11 months!
After Lenin, the designers created a whole series of Arctic icebreakers, and this allowed them to work in the North all year round.
Ship inside
For the comfort of the crew, the interior of the icebreaker was distinguished by unprecedented luxury and amenities at that time.
The foyer is decorated with a smart elegant staircase, on the sides of which earlier portraits of the leaders of the USSR, artistically executed in the art of embossing, hung. The icebreaker corridors are made wide and spacious. The ship had a cinema hall and a sauna, a darkroom and a library, a smoking room and a music room. In the recreation room, satellite television signals were received, and there was also a film projector.
For the suddenly ill, a first-aid post equipped with an operating room, an X-ray room, a laboratory, and a dental office worked.
Even the cabins for 1-2 people were unusually luxurious, trimmed with Caucasian walnut and Karelian birch wood.
Crashes
Over the entire period of the icebreaker’s difficult work in the Arctic, only two accidents occurred.
In 1965, the working part of the nuclear reactor was damaged, some of the fuel had to be reloaded into an airtight container, which was subsequently flooded.
In 1967, due to mechanical damage, the nuclear reactor leaked, so the question arose of the complete replacement of the installation. However, not a single member of the crew of the icebreaker "Lenin" (Murmansk) was injured during operation, and the engine of the ship did not do the slightest harm - even NATO ships that took radiation samples tracked this.
Interesting Facts
Some information about the icebreaker.
- A ship passed in ice more than 550 thousand nautical miles, and in total a ship passed more than 650 thousand nautical miles, that is, three round-the-world voyages were made!
- During his work, he escorted over 3, 700 vessels through the Arctic ice.
- An icebreaker is capable of breaking ice 2.5 m thick.
- The ship could be sailing indefinitely, since its engine - the nuclear reactor - did not require a fuel supply.
- He became the first ship in the world to be continuously in the Arctic waters for more than a year.
- There were only 3 captains on the icebreaker - P. A. Ponomarev, B. M. Sokolov, A. N. Barinov.
- He became the first surface ship to pass through the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago.
- From the side of Lenin in 1961, the North Pole-10 research drifting station was first landed on the sea ice.
The current state of the icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk
The vessel worked in the waters of the Arctic Ocean for more than 30 years. In 1990, it was decommissioned. The sailors immediately sounded the alarm: the ship could be disposed of, after that nothing would have remained of the glorious past. But not only furniture was perfectly preserved on it, but all the mechanisms were in working condition.
It was decided to make the museum from the icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk, now it is one of the symbols of the northern port city. The number of visitors is growing from year to year, and recently the exposition was even expanded, opening an information center where tourists can watch a fascinating film about the use of peaceful atom.
Excursion tour
The scheduled excursion on the icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk is the same for all visitors. During an hour's walk along the world's first nuclear-powered ship, you can see the following:
- captain’s bridge;
- radio room and the workplace of the navigator;
- repair control post, from where the reactor is visible;
- power station managing the nuclear installation;
- engine room;
- captain's cabin;
- wardroom, smoking and music salon, dining room;
- medical unit.
It is interesting to go to the former icebreaker club, now presenting an exposition with memorable gifts that numerous guests made to the crew of the vessel. After all, Yuri Gagarin and Fidel Castro have been here.
How to get there
Any passer-by will tell you how to find the Lenin icebreaker in Murmansk.
Getting to the destination is easy - you need to get to the building of the Marine Station, located in Portovoy proezd, 25, the famous sightseeing object is moored to the left of it near the pontoon pier. However, just near the seaport, only bus No. 19 makes a stop, which does not go through the center of Murmansk. Therefore, the best way out would be a trip on numerous buses or minibuses to the Sudomontny Zavod stop, from where there will be a bit to go to the icebreaker over the railway bridge.
How does the museum work?
To get on an excursion and visit the icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk, the work schedule should be found in advance and plan your visit. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from noon. Monday and Tuesday are weekends.
On weekends and holidays, tour groups are formed on time and depart every hour - at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. On weekdays, excursions should be recorded by phone listed on the museum website.
