Nuclear-powered ships of the USSR. Soviet nuclear icebreakers (8 photos). On you, Shoigu, which is not good for us

Russian nuclear icebreaker Soviet Union" will not be restored and must be disposed of, although previously it was planned to extend its life and use it in projects for the development of the Arctic or use it in the interests of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

In March 2002, while the icebreaker was moored at the berth in Murmansk, for the first time in practice, its power plant was used to supply electricity to coastal facilities. The power of the installation reached 50 MW. The experiment was successful, but was found unprofitable. The reduction in the volume of work in the Arctic at one time led to the fact that the "Soviet Union" was left without loading, was taken out of service and stood at the berth. In 2014, Rosatom management decided to restore the nuclear-powered vessel by 2018 in order to support new Russian Arctic projects. It was assumed that after extending the life of the reactor plant, the Sovetsky Soyuz could serve for another 20 years.

Earlier it was reported that Rosatom proposed to the Ministry of Defense to create a floating command post on the icebreaker Sovetsky Soyuz for the Arctic group of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but since the icebreaker is excessive in power, its use for the needs of the Armed Forces was considered economically infeasible, RIA Novosti reports.

Photos used: © RIA Novosti / Sergey Subbotin

Marafonec. From the comments:

Per se.
Quote: japs
The very name of the ship fills them with horror and utter fear.
Perhaps so. It’s somehow hard to believe that the reason is “lack of work” due to sanctions, and, even more so, “the icebreaker is too powerful” for the needs of our Navy, due to “economic inexpediency”... Well, the bad guys are burning ! This is despite the fact that the age of a ship is far from critical, especially considering the thick icebreaker hull, and especially considering the time frame for the construction of new ships, of which only patrol boats can be considered “rapid-firing”. What prevents the gentlemen from using the feature of the Arktika project, which allows them to quickly convert the icebreaker into a cruiser? Who is the conductor of such a symphony of stupidity... The finished T-95 tank (object 195), which passed State tests, was cut down in 2010, since the tank, as they said, was too expensive and complex for conscripts. Further, of course, in order to save money, they “invent” platforms that have long existed in the army in order to utilize all Soviet reserves of tanks and fill the army with new mastodon behemoths such as the T-15, Kurganets, Boomerang (if not with piece assembly, then very far from the production rate in Soviet times). According to Vladimir Putin, 64 billion rubles are being spent on the Armata platform project, on R&D and R&D, almost five years after 2010, in order to roll out crude “platforms” for the Victory Parade that have not passed tests, have not been accepted for service, spending more millions for show, instead of purchasing real equipment for the army. The axiom always applies that only reliable, time-tested and industrially mastered technology, technologically advanced, and relatively cheap becomes a platform. The bourgeoisie designate as a “platform” a tank that costs about 400 million, and which, especially in terms of complexity, is not for conscripts. On the basis of such a “goldfish” they want to carry out total rearmament, with the total destruction of tank reserves of the Soviet period. This is despite the fact that the same self-propelled gun "Coalition" is perfectly installed on the T-90 base, just like many other equipment can do without the platform from the T-14. The T-14 itself is deprived of the main thing for which the Soviet Union began making object 195 - a 152 mm gun, and with a 125 mm gun the tank does not have significant advantages over the modernized T-90. They steal billions, spend a hell of a lot of money on PR projects, but converting the icebreaker "Soviet Soyuz" into a warship, just modernizing it, the toad strangled... This is strong. Probably, it’s true that the name “Soviet Union” scares like the devil’s incense, and one is afraid to change the name in front of the people.

3officer
Too powerful... so you need to cut it into needles, belay, and the logic is ironclad. The year 89 of construction is not the age limit for a vessel, especially such a unique one. But who declared it unprofitable?? probably just another “effective” manager. So that it doesn’t turn out like it happened before - the rooster will peck and again the rent will be over the hill, because they effectively disposed of theirs or sold them. Some kind of extravagant move a la the nineties am

3officer Yesterday, 16:45
...The installation could be done by Rosatom specialists within their capabilities (at least no more difficult than building a nuclear power plant in Turkey for free) and working on the building is also not out of the realm of science fiction.
cariperpaint Today, 02:35
everything is more complicated. By and large, this is a nuclear reactor around which an icebreaker was built. who worked in difficult ice conditions. moved back and forth. vibrations and so on. all this destroys him very badly, so to speak. You can extend its life by 20-30 years, but the price is almost the same as building a new one. If they had found a case for him, they would have extended it, but you see for yourself. It’s a pity of course, but everyone says that this is the only way out. He's not the first to do this. Last year they also wanted to cut Siberia for metal. deadlines have passed.

Quote: cariperpaint - you can extend its life by 20-30 years, but the price is almost the same as building a new one.

Let them build it. They will put a similar project next to the wall, and only then they will talk about recycling and the like. So far, half-tugs, half-icebreakers have been built that can sail in broken ice, but not as a full-fledged replacement. Following the example of work on the Tu-160, it naturally turned out that “sawing” is much easier than collecting lost production bit by bit. And this whole epic with the scrapping of the icebreaker fleet generally resembles, at a minimum, the lobbying of the comrades of the “separation-recyclers” - not to build. There is a strong dissonance between the declared new wave of Arctic development and the simultaneous disposal of icebreakers.

MoJloT Yesterday, 16:24
Sell, mothball, refurbish, open a museum... NO SAW (Mother Russia)
PS And when you need it, then what?
Masya Masya
Mustachioed Georgian Quote: AS IT IS
That's where he belongs. Rest in peace...

the mattresses were not given a word.
"Sovetsky Soyuz" is a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker of the "Arktika" class. It was put into operation in 1989. The peculiarity of this nuclear-powered ship is that it was designed so that a short time it could be retrofitted into a battle cruiser.
An extra cruiser in the Arctic would not hurt US...

Bert
Quote: seti
The icebreaker is fairly recently built. It's a pity that this is so. Apparently the costs of repairs and modernization are so high that it is much easier to build a new one from scratch. Apparently it will be replaced by icebreakers of the LK-60Ya type (project 22220).

No, it suffered the same fate as the Mir station. We don't need either the Arctic or space. It is China that is completing the construction of 2 icebreakers of this class. China needs them to navigate our northern sea route. The white dragon also forgot the second one. And we are already the most powerful. And once upon a time there were our polar stations at the North Pole and there was nothing to do. There was a lot to study there. And there was enough money for everything.

In this area, the USSR had no competitors, since the Union had complete dominance in the ice. We pierced the frozen ice with the most powerful nuclear icebreakers that only we had. On October 22, 1977, the icebreaker Sibir set off on its maiden voyage. Today we want to show you 7 nuclear icebreakers of the USSR!

The nuclear-powered icebreaker “Siberia” went down in history as the first ship to carry out year-round navigation in the direction of Murmansk-Dudinka. He also became the second unit to reach the top of the planet, entering the North Pole.

During the first six years of use, the nuclear-powered icebreaker covered more than 82,000 nautical miles, carrying over 400 ships. Later, "Lenin" will be the first of all ships to be north of Severnaya Zemlya.

"Arktika" was capable of breaking through ice, the thickness of which was five meters, and also moving at a speed of 18 knots. The unusual coloring of the vessel (bright red), which personified a new maritime era, was also considered a clear difference. And the icebreaker was famous for the fact that it was the first ship that managed to reach the North Pole.

The main purpose of the installation: cooling of nuclear reactors and use in 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 ship carried out 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.

Six years ago, the ice drift carried out a rather important mission: it evacuated archaeologists from the archipelago New Earth who reported their own distress.

The ship's passengers have at their disposal: a music room, a library, a swimming pool, a sauna, a gym, a restaurant, and 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.

1. "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 ship had a satellite communications system responsible for fax, telephone communications 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 ship to carry out year-round navigation in the direction of Murmansk-Dudinka. He also became the second unit to reach the top of the planet, entering the North Pole.

2. "LENIN"

This icebreaker, launched on December 5, 1957, became the world's first ship 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, thanks to which it was possible to significantly increase the navigation period.

During the first six years of use, the nuclear-powered icebreaker covered more than 82,000 nautical miles, carrying over 400 ships. Later, "Lenin" will be the first of all ships to be north of Severnaya Zemlya.

3. "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 side height - more than 17 meters. The unit was equipped with a medical unit, which included an operating room and a dental unit. All conditions were created on the ship to allow the flight crew and helicopter to be based.

"Arktika" was capable of breaking through ice, the thickness of which was five meters, and also moving at a speed of 18 knots. The unusual coloring of the vessel (bright red), which personified a new maritime era, was also considered a clear difference. And the icebreaker was famous for the fact that it was the first ship that managed to reach the North Pole.

4. "RUSSIA"

This unsinkable icebreaker, launched in 1985, became the first of a series of Arctic nuclear plants, the power of which reaches 55.1 MW (75 thousand horsepower). The crew has at their disposal: the Nature salon with an aquarium and living vegetation, a chess room, a cinema room, 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 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 ship carried out 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.

5. "SOVIET UNION"

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. While making a transpolar cruise, it was possible to install meteorological ice stations operating in automatic mode, as well as an American meteorological buoy from its board. Later, the icebreaker, stationed near Murmansk, was used to supply electricity to facilities located near the coast. The vessel was also used during research in the Arctic on the effects of global warming.

6. "YAMAL"

The nuclear icebreaker Yamal was laid down in 1986 in the USSR, and it was launched after the death of the Soviet Union - in 1993. The Yamal became the twelfth ship to reach the North Pole. In total, he has 46 flights in this direction, including 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 damaged during the latest 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 carried out a rather important mission: it evacuated archaeologists from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, who reported their own disaster.

7. “50 YEARS OF VICTORY”

This icebreaker is considered the most modern and largest of all existing ones. In 1989, it was laid out 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 used. During the first tests, the nuclear icebreaker demonstrated reliability, maneuverability, and a top speed of 21.4 knots.

The ship's passengers have at their disposal: a music room, a library, a swimming pool, a sauna, a gym, a restaurant, and 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.

The Soviet Union broke the ice with nuclear icebreakers and had 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 ship had a satellite communications system responsible for fax, telephone communications 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 ship to carry out year-round navigation in the direction of Murmansk-Dudinka. He also became the second unit to reach the top of the planet, entering the North Pole.

"Lenin"

This icebreaker, launched on December 5, 1957, became the world's first ship 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, thanks to which it was possible to significantly increase the navigation period.
During the first six years of use, the nuclear-powered icebreaker covered more than 82,000 nautical miles, carrying over 400 ships. 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 side height - more than 17 meters. The unit was equipped with a medical unit, which included an operating room and a dental unit. All conditions were created on the ship to allow the flight crew and helicopter to be based.
"Arktika" was capable of breaking through ice, the thickness of which was five meters, and also moving at a speed of 18 knots. The unusual coloring of the vessel (bright red), which personified a new maritime era, was also considered a clear difference. And the icebreaker was famous for the fact that it was the first ship that managed to reach the North Pole.

"Russia"

This unsinkable icebreaker, launched in 1985), became the first of a series of Arctic nuclear installations, the power of which reaches 55.1 MW (75 thousand horsepower). The crew has at their disposal: the Internet, the Nature salon with an aquarium and living vegetation, a chess room, a cinema room, 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 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 ship carried out 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. While making a transpolar cruise, it was possible to install meteorological ice stations operating in automatic mode, as well as an American meteorological buoy from its board. Later, the icebreaker, stationed near Murmansk, was used to supply electricity to facilities located near the coast. The vessel was also used during research in the Arctic on the effects of global warming.

"Yamal"

The nuclear icebreaker Yamal was laid down in 1986 in the USSR, and it was 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 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 damaged during the latest 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 carried out 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 out 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 used. During the first tests, the nuclear icebreaker demonstrated reliability, maneuverability, and a top speed of 21.4 knots.
The ship's passengers have at their disposal: a music room, a library, a swimming pool, a sauna, a gym, a restaurant, and 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.

Icebreaker "Sovetsky Soyuz" is a nuclear-powered icebreaker of Project 10521 Arktika, built in 1989. Designed for the most Arctic conditions with ice thickness up to 3 meters, as well as in the most short time can be converted for military needs.

The vast territory of our country, stretching “from the southern mountains to the northern seas,” as it was sung in a popular song from Soviet times, makes it necessary to have a fleet that is able to move unhindered through the waters of these harshest seas and the Arctic Ocean. The only type of ships capable of crossing thick ice in the Arctic waters are powerful nuclear icebreakers. Therefore, in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia, great attention was 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 icebreakers.

To ensure dominance in the water space of this area and 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 Arctic class, named after the first ship in the series. After “Arctic”, “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, it was involved a large number of enterprises, including: OKBM im. Afrikantova from Gorky, PA "Mayak" of the city of Ozersk Chelyabinsk region, Leningrad Central Design Bureau “Iceberg”, etc.

"Soviet Union" began operating in 1989 with a planned working life of 25 years. The vessel's registration is Murmansk port.

Description

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

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

A modern nuclear icebreaker, such as the Sovetsky Soyuz, is a large floating house, which can be navigated without going on deck. Despite being equipped with high-tech equipment, there is still space on the ship to accommodate a wardroom, dining room, bar, medical department, sauna, swimming pool, cinema hall, etc.

Specifications

Let us present some figures for the characteristics of the nuclear icebreaker “Soviet Union” regarding its dimensions and functional parameters.

• Length – 147.9 m.
• Width – 29.9 m.
• Side height – 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 l. With
• The draft depth is 11 m.
• The ship's crew consists of 100 people.
• The icebreaker's autonomous voyage is seven months.

Features of the Icebreaker

The peculiarity of the “Soviet Union” project was its possible repurposing in a short time into a ship for military service. Some such equipment is in a mothballed state on the ship, the rest is in onshore storage facilities. This provides for the use of the ship's artillery fire control system MR-123, consisting of a radar that helps detect and track targets, as well as a television and ECU (electronic control units). It is possible to use an AK-type artillery mount (automatic shipborne) as a weapon.

During its creation, much attention was paid to the security system of the “Soviet Union”. A system of measures was developed that monitored and promptly notified of any deviations in the operation of the nuclear filling.

• Control of the circuit in the first coolant.
• System for detecting microscopic leaks in the coolant of a nuclear facility.
• Monitoring the state of the metal shell of a nuclear reactor.

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

Exploitation

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

• Arctic tourism (1991, 1992, 1997,1998).
• Installation of equipment for meteorological observations in 1991. Combined tourism activities with scientific 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 to power plant icebreaker "Soviet Soyuz" power grid of buildings on the Murmansk coastline. The experiment was a complete success, but was considered too expensive.
• In 2004, an expedition was organized to the underwater Lomonosov Ridge near the North Pole to carry out a unique experiment in drilling operations. 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 vessel Vidar Viking. “Soviet Union” and Swedish “Oden”, with their constant maneuvering, cleared the site for the experiment from ice jams.
• To increase the service life, in 2007-2008, the native Baltic plant supplied new modern equipment. The year before, the Soviet Union ceased to be used.

Currently, work is underway on the icebreaker to re-equip the vessel. Their completion is scheduled for 2017.

The future of the fourth nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class is unclear. The management of Rosatomflot, the current owner of the vessel, wants to send it to 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, not the least role is played by financial side question. Maintaining a nuclear-powered ship costs considerable sums.

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

home » Investments » Nuclear-powered ships of the USSR. Soviet nuclear icebreakers (8 photos). On you, Shoigu, which is not good for us