Mammoths On Ice: The Magnificent Beauty of Russian Nuclear-Powered Icebreakers

In 1957, the U.S.S.R. launched NS Lenin, both the world’s first nuclear-powered icebreaker and first nuclear-powered civilian ship. It seemed a logical move: Nuclear-powered vessels would be more powerful and less fuel-dependent than their Diesel counterparts, thus offering both strategic and commercial advantages. They’re a perfect microcosm of Soviet-era technological development: massive, expensive, uninhibited, mildly crazy and prone to breaking down.

It’s a testament to the hard logicality of the Russians that their fleet is the only one on Earth. Even in the depths of the Cold War, it’s a project that the U.S. thought twice about and ultimately decided wasn’t worthwhile.

NS Lenin, 1957

The Lenin is Russia’s first nuclear icebreaker. She had a pair of nuclear accidents, one in 1965 and another in 1967, that led to her early reactor design being decommissioned and replaced with a newer design. That new reactor powered her all the way until 1989 when she was taken out of service. The Lenin is now a museum piece, outfitted with all the soviet era comforts of wood paneled stairs, minimalist clocks, steel medical contraptions and something called an anteroom decorated with maps and ships carved out of brass. All at the brilliantly named Atomflot nuclear icebreaker base.

NS Arktika, 1975

The Arktika represented a new class of nuclear icebreaker, and in 1977 was the first ship to ever smash its way to the North Pole. It was taken out of service in 2008, but until then was manned by a crew of 150. It’s powerplants produed a total of 75,000 horsepower.

NS Sibir, 1977

The Sibir was the second Arktika-class icebreaker. It didn’t have as illustrious a service life as its predecessor, and was defueled and decomissioned in 1992. This undated photo shows it’s been more or less neglected ever since.

NS Rossiya, 1985

Arktika-class icebreakers are double hulled. The outer hull is nearly five centimeters thick in ice breaking areas and 2.5 centimeters thick elsewhere. Interestingly, a water ballast system fits in between the hulls to help add weight (and extra ice-crushing ability) to locations on demand. The maximum ice thickness that Arktika-class ships can break is 2.8 meters, or over nine feet.

Sevmorput, 1988

Sevmorput isn’t an icebreaker exactly. Instead, it’s a giant cargo ship with icebreaking capabilities. It happens to be one of just four nuclear-powered cargo ships ever built, and the only one left that still runs on nuclear power. The other ones have all been shut down or converted to Diesel, which suggests nuclear cargo ships might not be the greatest choice.

NS Taymyr, 1989

The Taymyr introduced a new eponymous class of icebreakers specifically designed for river duties. The Taymyr class has a shallower draft (it can move in shallower water), is smaller and less powerful than the Arktika class. In the spring of this year the Taymyr sprung a leak of 6,000 liters of coolant fluid from its reactor.

NS Vaygach, 1990

The Vaygach is the other Taymyr-class river icebreaker. The two are essential for creating shipping lanes for Russia’s northernmost ports. You can also see the cool Russian nuclear logo clearly emblazoned on the side of the ship. While nuclear icebreakers can be a useful tool, sending a nuclear-powered smashing machine to other countries can make people nervous. In early 2011, the Vaygach was sent to the Gulf of FInland to free 58 vessels trapped by ice — a move that was warily observed by the Finnish government.

NS Yamal, 1993

The Yamal is the fifth Arktika-class ship, following the launch of NS Sovjetskij Sojuz in 1990. It’s also arguably the most famous of the class thanks to its extremely kick-ass jaw artwork on its bow. In 2009, the Yamal collided with a tanker ship, which received a 9.5 meter crack in its deck. The Yamal was unscathed.

NS 50 Let Pobedy, 2007

The 50 Let Pobedy is the youngest ship in the nuclear icebreaker fleet, although construction started on her in 1989. It’s original name was Ural, but changed to Fiftieth Anniversary of Victory to celebrate an expected commission date of 1995, fifty years after Victory Day marked the end of World War II. Unfortunately, money had run out in 1994, and construction didn’t restart until 2003. She is the largest and most advanced of the Arktika-class. She is the last of the line: Russia has announced plans to develop and built a new class of nuclear icebreakers by 2015.