Perhaps not in the history of the former Soviet Unionepisode more romantic and dramatic than the development of the Far North. The need for this was first-class: in those parts lies a huge amount of minerals, in which the industry of the young state was in dire need. In addition, data on the study of those places are very needed by scientists, as they allowed to consider the stages of development of the entire planet.
It was then that the world-famousSoviet navigable fleet. One of its most significant representatives was the icebreaker Arktika, the history of which is the subject of this article. This ship is so unique that you can safely devote a whole book to it! If you read the article, you will surely agree with us on this.
Brief technical description
The vessel is extremely tall and durable.sides, four decks and two cargo platforms at once. To accommodate the management and commanders used five-deck superstructure. The huge ship is set in motion by three screws at once (each with four blades). In the central part of the icebreaker is a steam turbine, the steam for which is produced using an atomic reactor. For the manufacture of the latter, all the theoretical and practical developments that the atomic industry of the Union had managed to accumulate by that time were used.
A feature of the whole structure is the body ofhigh quality alloy steel. Just think: all the huge construction is made of so expensive and incredibly durable material! In those places that in practice are subjected to the greatest pressure of ice, protection is provided, the so-called ice belt, which is a reinforcement of the structure by building up the layer of the main ship hull.
Other ship systems
An important feature of the vessel is extremelytime-perfect automation, thanks to which a nuclear reactor could function for a long time in a completely autonomous mode, without requiring constant and labor-intensive watches. Sensors were also installed in the rowing electric motors, in the compartments of power plants, as well as in the main switchboards. Control of the central power plant was carried out from the command center, which was the wheelhouse.
It is located at the very top of the deck.add-ins, as this provision provides the most efficient overview. The width of the wheelhouse is about five meters; in length it stretched to all 30 meters. The front and side walls of the wheelhouse are almost completely covered with wide observation windows. Oddly enough, but the list of equipment located in it is quite modest.
So, in the room are three perfectlyidentical control panels, on which there are handles to control the direction of movement of the ship, as well as indicators showing the status of the position of all the propellers and steering. There are buttons for giving a warning sound signal, a device for activating a ballast tank emptying mechanism. The picture is completed by the navigator table, the steering wheel, the table of the hydrologists and the stands with sonars.
History of creation
Сам ледокол «Арктика», являющийся головным ship project 10520, was laid in 1971 on the stocks of the Baltic Shipyard. For the first time in the history of the Soviet fleet, the future crew of 150 people not only participated in the construction of the vessel, but could also give advice on its design. This practice allowed the sailors to master a completely new technique in record time. The crew was headed by captain Yu. S. Kuchiev.
It was an incredibly experienced captain whosailed on different types of icebreakers for more than three decades. Already at the end of December 1972 the ship was launched, which is a completely record period for the construction of this kind.
Defense use case
The government of the USSR almost immediatelyThe decision was made that the icebreaker "Arktika" should have the technical capabilities to be used as a powerful coast guard cruiser. To achieve this, it was necessary to install a set of large-caliber artillery armament, instruments for making active jamming, as well as additional military-type radar equipment. The “maximum program” also included testing under conditions close to combat.
After that, all military equipmentsupposed to be removed and mothballed. On the ship, it was planned to leave part of the most necessary and required in wartime weapons, mothballing it in a special way (while preserving the possibility of its speedy unpacking and bringing into a firing position).
Basically, if you look at the qualitymodel of the icebreaker "Arctic", then you can see in its contours the outlines of a warship. For the USSR, such militarization was not something new, because the country remembered the experience of the 40s always.
How was the speed of ship construction achieved?
It was planned to take on board all the necessarymilitary experts, as well as a separate team, which was responsible for small arms and artillery weapons. The crew immediately grew to 700 people, while in the normal manner on board it was provided no more than 150 seats.
Designers and customer representatives had toA lot of work to accommodate all the required staff, while not offending anyone. I had to stay for four days in Leningrad for this. During this time, the water level slept well below the ordinary level, despite the fact that for a successful withdrawal of the ship it was necessary to exceed it by 30-40 centimeters!
The conclusion of the vessel on the sea trials
Problems were avoided if only becauseI did not have to wait for anyone: the entire crew was in constant combat readiness, living right on board. They entered the maritime schedule, the ship was able to safely withdraw into the sea. In the middle of December 1974, a short and laconic radiogram was received in Moscow and Leningrad: "The work has been completed." Afterwards, they joked that Kuchiyev surpassed Caesar himself: so briefly report on the successful completion of the sea trials of the hardest ship!
Были внесены сотни предложений по улучшениям running and mooring qualities of the icebreaker, and most of them were completely completed by the designers "without delay". In April 1975, the first serious access to the sea took place. This indicated that the icebreaker "Arktika", whose photos are in the article, fully meets all the requirements that were laid at the design stage and sketches.
Already on April 25, 1975, when the ship wason the roadstead in the port of Tallinn, the national flag of the USSR was hoisted on it. Finally, the act of transferring property to the fleet was officially signed, after which the first Arctic-class icebreaker headed straight for Murmansk, where the port of registry was located. It was a triumph for the entire scientific and defense industry of a huge country.
Besides the thousands of people who are directlyparticipated in the construction of the vessel, more than 350 (!) research, defense, oceanographic and hydrological institutes, design bureaus, research institutes throughout the country were involved in its design and experiments.
Posting on the Northern Sea Route
It was the “Arctic” that participated in the rescue of the icebreaker."Leningrad" together with the transport ship "Chelyuskin". The lucky captain called this event the high point of the new ship, since it was only for these four cases that it could be built.
Just two years of such active work convincinglyproved that a completely unique flagship, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika, became part of the Soviet fleet. His model in those years was considered the most desirable prey of any Soviet boy. And for good reason, you need to say! Not only the outstanding reliability of the nuclear and other facilities was demonstrated, but also the excellent seaworthiness of the ship. However, the indefatigable captain Kuchiev knew that his “ward” was capable of more, and therefore demanded the preparation of a far northern campaign. Soon his urgent requests were heard. The team began to prepare for long-haul flight.
April 1977 experimental flight to Yamal
In 1976, the ship left the port of Murmansk,passing along the ice reinforced ship "Pavel Ponomarev". The transport transported on its board almost four thousand tons of various food and household goods. Not far from Cape Harasavey, the team without any difficulty was able to unload all supplies on fast ice, after which they were taken to shore. Both vessels lay on the reverse course, in the ice-free port of Murmansk.
Опыт показал, что Кучиев совершенно прав в своих the highest ratings of the ship’s propulsion, and therefore an even more distant and much more difficult march was immediately planned for 1977. Now it was supposed to make several flights to Yamal at once. This time the crew included not only the first icebreaker in the Arctic, but also a ship of a similar class “Murmansk”, as well as three transport cargo ships.
"Miracles on the turns"
In early 1977, the caravan safely set sailfrom Murmansk, after which four days later approached Harasavey. A week later, the court went to the opposite course. In the Barents Sea, one of the transport workers was sent under his own power to Murmansk, where on arrival he immediately got up to boot. Meanwhile, the company of icebreakers took another slave ship, and then again conducted its former course. After only two days, the process was repeated again.
Followers
And now we will give a complete list of all vessels built under the project 10520:
- "Arctic".
- "Siberia".
- "Russia".
- "Soviet Union".
- Yamal.
- "50 Years of Victory".
It should be noted that the last icebreaker "Arctic"(the new ship “50 Years of Victory”) was commissioned only in 2007, although it was launched back in 1993. The reason is simple - the leadership of the new country had a constant shortage of money.
Since the 2000s, an excursion to the Arctic on an icebreakerIt became accessible to everyone who wished (there would be money). Due to this, the required amounts for final completion were finally collected, and the ship-based long-term construction was introduced into the fleet of the Russian Federation.
New time
By 1999, the "old man" worked for 25 years,having conducted more than three thousand ships across the Northern route, in the holds of which more than one million tons of valuable cargo was transported. But the path of the veteran was not completed, he waited for a completely new record. From May to May, from 1999 to 2000, the ship conducted 110 vessels in the Arctic Ocean. Of the 50 thousand nautical miles exactly 32 thousand the ship passed without a single failure. Not bad for a 25-year-old dinosaur who has worked his whole life in unrealistically difficult conditions!
How was supposed to be used by that timeicebreaker "Arctic"? A museum or attraction for rich tourists, with which the sailors strongly disagreed! In fairness it should be noted that the first ship of the project 10520 in 2008 still became a museum, but its historical identity has been fully preserved. On those ships of the project, which to this day remain in service, you can make a tour on the icebreaker in the Arctic. Impressions of tourists who have been there, it is simply impossible to convey in words. Delight indescribable!
Extend the life
The flagship of this project allowed hundreds ofthousands of experiments, the most sophisticated navigation and radar equipment complexes of the USSR and the Russian Federation were tested, nuclear scientists collected indescribable valuable data on the operation of atomic power plants under extremely harsh conditions. The value that the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" has (the photos are presented in the article) is difficult to overestimate.
