Captains and icebreakers. Interview with the captain of the icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” D.V. Lobusov

According to scientists, approximately a fifth of the entire surface of our planet is covered with ice. And its amount is almost 35 times higher than the volume of water in all lakes and rivers. To move through the endless frozen spaces, special vessels are needed - icebreakers. They are a powerful component of the Russian fleet. The history of these ships goes back decades. And there are no more nuclear ships in any country in the world! The world's first icebreaker with a nuclear power plant was launched almost sixty years ago in the USSR. Today, the Russian fleet is armed with 7 nuclear-powered ships.

Icebreakers of the Kapitan Sorokin type are powerful and maneuverable. What tasks do such vessels perform, what is their history, design features and expected prospects for the development of the Arctic fleet? Let's find out from the article.

History of icebreakers in Russia

The first ships to navigate ice were built almost two hundred years ago in North America. They were steam powered and had many disadvantages that reduced their effectiveness. In the last century they were significantly modernized.

High-power steam ships - one of the first was the Soviet icebreaker "Sibir" - could stay on the open sea for up to three weeks, and new diesel-electric ships - twice as long, up to forty days.

Considering the importance of navigation along the Northern Route for the USSR, it was necessary to equip the fleet with the latest technology. And in 1959, the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker, called Lenin, was launched. Its appearance greatly facilitated navigation along the Northern Route.

Today the Russian fleet includes two types of icebreakers: diesel electric ships and nuclear powered ships

Where are icebreakers used? Vessel design

Icebreakers made a major contribution to the study. They are used mainly to ensure the free movement of ships following them. In addition, they are used to escort and evacuate research expeditions, as well as to deliver various cargo to hard-to-reach areas of the Arctic and Antarctic.

To successfully carry out these difficult tasks, a special ship is needed. The icebreaker has a unique design that allows it to pave the way where it is unattainable for other ships. First of all, this concerns the special shape of the nose and barrel-shaped body. Thanks to this, the ship can break through ice with its weight while moving.

The unusual shape of the stern (M-shaped) allows you to tow other vessels. The diesel-electric or nuclear power plant used makes the ship powerful and maneuverable. It also allows for greater autonomy of the vessel, since refueling among the endless expanses of ice turns out to be almost impossible.

Icebreaker "Captain Sorokin"

Soviet winter navigation achieved great success in 1977-1978. It was then that the famous icebreaker “Captain Sorokin” was launched. It, like other ships of this type, was created at the Finnish shipyard Vyartsilya. They were built for the USSR, Finland and Argentina. Then “Captain Sorokin” brought the transport vessels “Pavel Ponomarev” and “Navarin” to the port of Dudinka as an experiment. Thus, the possibility of year-round Arctic navigation was demonstrated for the first time. This was a tremendous achievement, which was achieved for the first time by the icebreakers of the USSR.

Six years ago, “Captain Sorokin” was tasked with welcoming the round-the-world sailing regatta Volvo Ocean Race, which then finished in St. Petersburg, in the Gulf of Finland. On board the ship, among others, were journalists and cameramen.

Now "Captain Sorokin" is also in operation.

Other icebreakers of this type

As mentioned earlier, the icebreaker “Captain Sorokin” is not the only vessel of this type that is part of the Russian fleet. There are four such ships in total. They were launched one after another in 1977-1981. Named after four legendary polar captains - Sorokin, Nikolaev, Dranitsyn and Khlebnikov - they remain a reliable stronghold of the icebreaker fleet.

Vessels of this type are double-deck diesel electric ships. The icebreaking bow, transom stern and equipment allow for maximum efficiency of Arctic navigation.

Mentions in art

Interestingly, the icebreaker “Captain Sorokin” became famous not only for its Arctic voyages. In 1979, it was here that the documentary film by Yuri Vizbor was filmed. The film was called “Murmansk-198” and was dedicated to the difficult work of sailors working on icebreakers.

Also about “Captain Sorokin” was mentioned in the song by Yu. Vizbor called “Polar Owl”.

Icebreakers in Russia today

The modern Russian fleet includes nuclear-powered icebreakers and diesel electric ships. According to the latest information, there are a total of 44 vessels in operation. Of these, five are atomic. In 2007, a ship called “50 Years of Victory” was completed and put into operation. It is noteworthy that this one is distinguished by a different bow shape, compared to other vessels, which allows it to break through ice more effectively. It serves mainly to accompany caravans in the cold Arctic seas. But the icebreaker is also used for passenger cruises. The ship's passengers have at their disposal a swimming pool, a sauna, a restaurant, and a library.

It is especially worth noting the powerful Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker "Arktika" (later renamed "Leonid Brezhnev"). His undoubted significance lies in the fact that he was the first to reach the North Pole.

Current nuclear-powered ships make it possible to transport about five million tons of cargo annually.

Thus, a modern Russian icebreaker is a combination of power and maneuverability, speed and reliability. Making its way through the frozen, it embodies the strength of the Russian fleet.

Icebreaker Festival

A grandiose festival was dedicated to the seventieth anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, in which the country's most powerful icebreakers took part. It became the only one of its kind and was held in the waters of the Bolshaya Neva. All guests of this maritime festival could freely visit the presented ships.

Among them was the icebreaker “Captain Sorokin” and the famous “Ivan Kruzenshtern”, tirelessly clearing the water spaces between the Northern capital and You could also admire the colossal “St. Petersburg” and “Moscow”. The strong hull and dimensions of these ships enable them to easily pass through ice up to one meter thick, as well as accompany large ships and search for sunken objects at significant depths.

Festival visitors were able to see with their own eyes the most powerful icebreakers of the Russian fleet. And at the very end of the holiday one could watch an amazing, breathtaking spectacle - a parade of ships accompanied by a live orchestra - the “sea waltz”.

Icebreakers of the future

Speaking about modern icebreakers, one cannot help but look into the future of these ships. Today, the development and construction of new ships is becoming an urgent need. At last count, the Russian fleet needs six more modern nuclear-powered ships. What will the icebreaker of the future be like?

In the next seven years, it is planned to build three powerful nuclear-powered ships of the next, already third generation. Icebreaker projects of this type promise to achieve significantly greater speed, strength and autonomy. Currently, work is in full swing on the new third-generation Arktika vessel. According to calculations, the icebreaker will be able to remain open for up to seven years.

It is expected that such a ship will be the largest on the planet, unparalleled and unique in many respects. The creation of this vessel will open a new page in the history of the icebreaker fleet. It can be assumed that a breakthrough in shipbuilding will allow us to study the Arctic in more detail and find places that have not previously been mapped.

In 1934, the Swedes built the Ymer, the world's first icebreaker with a diesel-electric power plant, and soon Soviet shipbuilders prepared a design for a vessel with a similar engine, which was to become the most powerful in the world. However, for a number of reasons, it was not possible to complete it, and diesel-electric icebreakers appeared in our fleet only on December 26, 1954, when the flag of “Captain Belousov” was raised, the first in a series of three ships of the same type.

In 1952, in Finland, at the slipway of the shipyard of the Värtsilä company (Helsinki), the icebreaker Voima was launched and put into operation the following year. It differed from its predecessors not only in its modern lines, but also in a number of design features. Thus, the formations of its bow were pointed, the side was littered, and the elongated forecastle extended to the end of the superstructure rounded at the front. The stem was inclined at 23 - 25 degrees, the stern was valanced. The diesel-electric power plant operated two pairs of bow and stern propellers. The vessel was equipped with a

90 s, and the same number of trim ones (150 m 3), which were served by pumps with a capacity of 1 thousand m 3 of water per hour each.

As on the Voyma, in the bow, in front of the superstructure, a hold with a volume of 134 m 3 was installed, and at the stern - another (82 m 3), next to which two 10-ton cargo booms were installed. In addition, a towing winch with a traction force of up to 60 tf and a 200-meter cable was installed at the stern.

The team was accommodated in comfortable 1-, 2-, and 4-berth cabins. The water heating system maintained the temperature in them at 17 degrees, even if it was 30 degrees below zero outside. Each icebreaker received 4 lifeboats that could accommodate 60 people.

"Captains" performed well in servicing the ports of Arkhangelsk, Leningrad and Riga; they confidently maneuvered on fairways and in cramped water areas, easily overcame slush, windy fields with a thickness of 600 -

high-performance pumps and automatic towing winch. Finnish shipbuilders designed Voima for work in the ports and bays of the Baltic Sea.

But at the same time, Vyartsilya was also dealing with a Soviet order - for three similar vessels intended to service shipping in the Gulf of Finland and the White Sea. Their design has been slightly changed. The lead one, "Captain Belousov", was launched on December 15, 1953, a year later it raised the State Flag of the USSR, and in 1955 and 1956. it was followed by "Captain Voronin" and "Captain Melekhov", also named after famous polar sailors.

Their all-welded hulls, made of especially strong Siemensmarten steel, were divided into 11 compartments by ten waterproof bulkheads, and it was calculated that the ship would stay afloat if any two were flooded. Longitudinal bulkheads were installed along the sides, forming 8 tanks. The thickness of the plating at the ends reached 20 - 25 mm (in the central part of the hull - 15 - 17 mm), the ice belt - 30 mm. In the stern there was an oak-trimmed cutout for towing transport vehicles “by the whiskers.”

The power plant consisted of 6 diesel engines with a power of 1625 hp each, powered by the same number of generators, which supplied voltage to 4 propulsion electric motors. The power of the power plant could be redistributed, giving, say, a third to the bow propellers and two thirds to the stern ones, or vice versa, depending on the conditions in which the ship was. The steel four-bladed bow propellers had a diameter of 3.5 m, and the same stern propellers had a diameter of 4.2 m.

In addition, each icebreaker of the Kapitan Belousov type had a main power plant equipped with four diesel generators with a total power of 200 kW, as well as an auxiliary one of 72 kW and an emergency one of 15 kW.

Like most icebreakers and,

In 1955, "Captain Belousov" was transferred to the Murmansk Shipping Company, and soon the rest joined it. vessels of this series and began to ensure navigation along the Northern Sea Route. After some time, they revealed some shortcomings. For example, they turned out to be quite complex in design and maintenance, so their operation was more expensive than the old “steam engines”. What Admiral S.O. was convinced of back in 1899 was also confirmed. Makarov during the first voyage of the Ermak to the Arctic: the bow propellers were not suitable for sailing in heavy, multi-year polar ice. And indeed, “Captain Belousov” and “Captain Voronin” damaged them while escorting ships and were forced to stay for the winter. Spare parts, tools and equipment for repairs had to be sent from Murmansk by plane, and the sailors had to work in the polar night, and even in 40-degree frost...

During 17 navigations, "Captain Belousov" covered 375 thousand miles, guided 3,200 ships through the ice, after which it was transferred to the Azov Shipping Company. On December 12, 1972, the icebreaker left Murmansk and set off on a long voyage around the European continent. During the transition, the captain received an order by radio to provide assistance to the icebreakers in the Leningrad port. In the Norwegian Sea, the ship was caught in a severe storm, several portholes were knocked out by waves, and it made no more than 3 miles per day. Only on January 6, 1973, "Captain Belousov" moored in Leningrad, repaired the damage and two weeks later continued its voyage to the south, which ended successfully - on February 5 it entered the Kerch Strait.

In 1981, the crew of "Captain Voronin" summed up their 25-year service in the Arctic. It was impressive - 360 thousand miles traveled mainly in ice, 4240 transports carried along the Northern Sea Route. "Captain Melekhov" was registered with the USSR Ministry of the Navy until 1977, then it was based in Arkhangelsk, guiding ships through the White Sea. In total, he paved the way for 7,000 transports, leaving behind over 350 thousand.

yourself in the best possible way. Finnish engineers, having analyzed the results of its operation, slightly changed the design, and already in 1958 they completed the construction of the Karhu at the Vyartsilya, and then the same type Murtaya and Sampo. They were smaller than the prototype (displacement 3200 tons), four main diesel generators were placed in one engine room, the total power of the power plant was 7500 hp. A normal supply of fuel allowed each ship to be at sea

Now shipowners from other European countries are also interested in Finnish-built icebreakers. In 1961, the Vyartsilya company began building four vessels of the same type, and if Tarmo and Varma were being prepared for their customers, then Thor and Njord were being prepared for Swedish ones. "Tarmo" was larger than "Voima" (displacement reached 5230 tons), it was distinguished by a more developed superstructure, which was topped by a pilothouse with a convenient all-round view for navigators. Di-|just power

Germany, having ordered the Värtsilä icebreaker Hansa with a displacement of 3,700 tons, intended for operation in the western part of the Baltic Sea. This time the Finns took

And finally, in 1967, the Finns built the Oden for the Swedish Navy, which differed from the Voima in size (displacement 5000 tons) and a diesel-electric power plant of 10.5 thousand liters. In addition, the Oden was planned to be multi-purpose - both an icebreaker itself and a supply vessel for warships, so the service premises, cabins and cockpits were redesigned on it and the design of the inclination tanks was changed.

So, Finnish specialists have created a very successful “American type” icebreaker (with bow and stern propellers). And although it was designed to work in the Baltic, where the ice conditions are much easier than in the Arctic, the “captains” ordered by the Soviet Union worked quite successfully on the routes of the Northern Sea Route.

"Voima" became the prototype for other diesel-electric ships built by the Finns under foreign orders. And most importantly, the results of the operation of Voyma and its descendants were successfully used to create more powerful icebreakers. We are talking about five vessels of the "Moscow" type, manufactured at Vyartsilya in 1958 - 1969, whose displacement reached 15.3 thousand tons, the power plant consisted of eight pairs of diesel engines and generators powered by three propulsion electric motors. In 1971, the larger Ermak entered service (displacement 20.2 thousand tons, power plant power 41.4 thousand tons), followed by two more vessels of the same type. However, they were already made specifically for work in the Arctic - without bow propellers. ■ Igor BOECHIN

TECHNOLOGY-YOUTH 9 5 9 5

October 17, 1890
was born
Vladimir Ivanovich VORONIN
(10/17/1890, Sumsky Posad - 10/18/1952, Dikson),
legendary captain of the icebreaker fleet.

The famous sailor, captain of the Soviet icebreaker fleet V.I. Voronin was born on October 17, 1890 in the village of Sumskoy Posad, Arkhangelsk province (now the Republic of Karelia). There were seven sailors in Vladimir Ivanovich’s large family; all his brothers served in the navy. Voronin's other relatives also included sailors. His cousin Fyodor Ivanovich even went down in world Arctic history because in 1884 he saved the Austrian expedition of J. Payer and K. Weiprecht in the Barents Sea, which discovered Franz Josef Land.

Hereditary Pomor, the most famous polar captain, participant in ice expeditions that went down in the history of Arctic exploration.
Born in Sumy Posad on the White Sea, already at the age of eight he took part in fishing with his father on Murman, was a cabin boy on merchant fishing sailboats, and went to Norway. He began sailing as a sailor in 1906, combining work with studies at a nautical school. Successively passed the exams for mate, small voyage captain, and long voyage navigator. In 1918, he miraculously survived the death of his ship, attacked and sunk by a German submarine.
After the end of the civil war, Voronin, as a ship captain, participated in the Kara expeditions of 1920-1921. Based on the experience of these voyages, having witnessed the death of some ships, he expressed a number of important practical considerations on issues of navigation in the Kara Sea.
Since 1926, he was appointed captain of the l/p "G. Sedov", which was then used for hunting. Voronin considered the hunting industry the best school for polar captains.
In 1928, Voronin at G. Sedov" took part in the expedition to rescue the crew of the airship "Italy". Their search area was near FJL. In August, Soviet sailors landed on the island for the first time. Alexandra Land. The distance covered by the ship on this voyage was equal to the length of the Northern Sea Route. Voronin considered this his first big voyage in the high latitudes of the Arctic one of the most important.
The next year "G. Sedov”, under the command of Voronin, went to the Polar Region with a government expedition led by O. Yu. Schmidt. They hoisted the flag of the USSR on the Polar Region and opened the “Tikhaya Bay” checkpoint on the island. Hooker. This trip set a record for free navigation in high latitudes: 82 ° 14" N. When summing up the expedition, the head of the expedition noted the great contribution of the captain to its successful completion.
In 1930, an expedition led by Schmidt to the G. Sedov,” led by Voronin, sailed to the northeastern regions of the Kara Sea, previously unvisited by anyone. Four islands were discovered in the Kara Sea: Vize, Isachenko, Voronina, and Dlinny. On about. Home organized the base of the expedition consisting of G. A. Ushakov, N. N. Urvantsev, S. P. Zhuravlev and V. V. Khodov, which was to make an inventory of the arch. Northern Land.

Expedition to "G. Sedov" to ZFI. 1930

In 1932, an expedition was organized led by Schmidt to the l/p “A. Sibiryakov" under the command of Voronin. This expedition, which left Arkhangelsk on July 28, managed to reach the Bering Strait on October 1, thereby completing the first through voyage through the Northeast Passage in one navigation. A propeller was broken in the Chukchi Sea. Showing persistence and resourcefulness, the sailors set sail and, using favorable winds and currents, were able to reach clean water. At the edge of the ice they were met by the trawler “Ussuriets”, which towed “A. Sibiryakov" in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The government, and perhaps Schmidt himself, did not objectively analyze the experience of this voyage, which led to unfounded ideas that the Northern Sea Route had already been mastered. A voyage of the Chelyuskin steamship, which was not suitable for navigation in ice, was planned for 1933. In addition to end-to-end navigation in one navigation, the mission of the expedition included supplying the Soviet colony and changing the composition on the island. Wrangel, where no ship could get through for 4 years. There were many women and two children on board the Chelyuskin (one child was born during the voyage in the Kara Sea - Karina Vasilyeva). Voronin, due to poor health, did not want to go on this flight, but at Schmidt’s insistence he agreed. The history of Chelyuskin's epic is known. Caught in ice captivity in the Chukchi Sea, the ship was crushed by ice and sank on February 13, 1934. Voronin was the last to go on the ice and the last to be taken out by plane from the ice camp on April 13.

After the Chelyuskin epic, Voronin commanded the icebreaker Ermak for three years. Having accumulated vast experience in ice navigation, he published a series of articles on ice navigation and encouraged other polar captains to do the same. He had the idea of ​​​​creating a book about navigation tactics in polar ice.
A serious illness forced Voronin to stop ice campaigns after 1939. The war found him in Leningrad, from where he was evacuated to Ulyanovsk. In such a difficult time for the country, the honored captain could not stay away from practical activities. He obtained a re-examination, receiving a certificate: “You can swim in the Arctic, but you can’t catch a cold.” At the beginning of 1942, Voronin began military service in Arkhangelsk: he gave lectures, trained military pilots, and in the summer, as a senior pilot, he participated in guiding warships along the Northern Sea Route. During the period 1943-1946. he commanded the icebreaker I. Stalin."
After the war, Voronin was appointed captain of the first Soviet Antarctic whaling flotilla, Slava, which marked the beginning of Soviet exploration of the Antarctic.
In 1948, he again captained the icebreaker I. Stalin", participating in Arctic navigation. The 1952 flight ended tragically for Voronin. While piloting ships in the Laptev Sea during a night watch, “On October 12, he went into the chart room, took a compass to mark a point on the map, but suddenly grabbed his heart, then his head and began to slowly sag... On the way to Dixon on October 18 at 00 hours 45 minutes in the presence of the ship's doctor Ya.A. Volovikov, Captain Voronin passed away as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage.” This is how Murmansk journalist Viktor Prostikhin described this event in his essay. Voronin devoted 50 of his 62 years to the Arctic.
The merits of Captain Voronin were noted by a number of labor and military government awards, incl. two orders of Lenin. Six objects in the Arctic and two in the Antarctic bear his name; it was assigned to the Arkhangelsk Naval School and a modern icebreaker.
He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Shuvalovsky cemetery: a stele made of black marble, under the portrait there is a silhouette of the icebreaker “I. Stalin."

An island in the eastern part of the Kara Sea. It was discovered on August 21, 1930 and given its name by the expedition to the G. Sedov."
Cape in the east of the island. Salisbury arch. ZFI. Named in the 1950s by Soviet cartographers.
Glacier on the island Hooker arch. ZFI. Named by the expedition to the l/p "G. Sedov" in 1929.
Bay into the hall. Russian Harbor on the western coast of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya. The name was given by the expedition to the G. Sedov" in 1930.
The lip in Chernaya Bay and the bay in Sakhanina Bay on the west coast of the southern island of Novaya Zemlya. Named by the Northern Hydrographic Expedition in the 1920s.

Voronin Bay

In late March, the international Arctic forum “The Arctic Territory of Dialogue” took place in Arkhangelsk. As part of the forum, there were exhibitions that showed modern Russian technologies for the development of the North. Participants demonstrated domestic breakthrough technologies in the field of responsible resource development and environmental protection.
One of the largest “full-scale” objects of the exposition was the icebreaker of the FSUE “Rosmorport” fleet “Novorossiysk”. During the Arctic Forum, a unique opportunity arose to get on an icebreaker, which I took advantage of.

On board the Novorossiysk, the captain of the icebreaker, Yaroslav Verzhbitsky, met me and told me about the icebreaker, the crew and the harsh everyday life.

- Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, tell us how you became the captain of the icebreaker "Novorossiysk"? How long did it take you to achieve this?

In 1991 he graduated from the State Maritime Academy named after Admiral S.O. Makarov in St. Petersburg. After that he worked mainly on small tankers. In 2008, I had the opportunity to become familiar with the specifics of working on an icebreaker. He became a captain in 2009 on the icebreaker "St. Petersburg" of the "Moscow" project. After that, again as a captain on the icebreaker Vladivostok, then Novorossiysk.

2. Icebreaker "Novorossiysk" at the pier of the Red Pier in Arkhangelsk.

- "Novorossiysk", like "Vladivostok", are icebreakers of the same project - 21900M. Are there any differences between them?

There are no differences from Vladivostok, they are exactly the same. The icebreaker "Murmansk" is a little different; it is the second in the series. It has an external elevator that can be used to lift people with disabilities, but Vladivostok and Novorossiysk do not have this.

3. Icebreaker navigation bridge.

- How do you prepare for work on a new icebreaker?

As I already said, before Novorossiysk I already worked on an icebreaker of this project. They are practically no different from each other. Therefore, I did not have any difficulties in mastering the ability to operate the new equipment.

4. Central control panel on the navigation bridge.

- Tell us about the main tasks of the icebreaker "Novorossiysk"

The main task is icebreaking support for the movement of ships entering and exiting the port. We can conduct it either by leading or in tow. If the situation is really difficult, then we take it in tow, because often ballast ships cannot sail on their own, despite a fairly wide channel, or in a situation of strong compression.

5. Helipad

Do Novorossiysk and the Project 21900 icebreakers have any features that can distinguish them from classic icebreakers?

Icebreakers built in recent years are steered using rotary rudder propellers or azipods. If classic icebreakers maneuver using a rudder, here the propellers themselves, mounted on the columns, rotate. This is how the icebreaker maneuvers.

6.

- How in demand is a 16 MW installation?

Well, we already have not 16 MW, but 18 MW. More powerful. 16 MW is installed on the icebreakers "Moscow" and "St. Petersburg". The installation itself is in demand! We were at the right time and in the right place. There are usually two linear icebreakers operating in the White Sea: Dikson and Kapitan Dranitsyn. This year "Captain Dranitsyn" stayed for the winter in Chukotka, we are doing his work.

7. Engine room.

-Is it difficult to work on an icebreaker?

Is it hard? Well, you see, if you like the work, it won’t be hard.

8. Navigation bridge.

- Tell us about your work schedule. Judging by your work in the White Sea, you hardly sleep?

The fact that people are here all the time does not mean that they work around the clock. There is a schedule; while working on the icebreaker during navigation, people work four hours after eight. That is, they work for four hours and rest for eight.

9. Icebreakers of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Rosmorport" "Novorossiysk" and "Captain Chadayev" during the escort of the nuclear submarine "Orel".

- Does the icebreaker have Russian equipment?

The icebreaker itself was built in Vyborg at the Vyborg Shipyard. The icebreaker has a lot of foreign equipment, but also a lot of Russian equipment. For example, there are many systems of the Russian company Transas, there is cartography, communications, and much more.

10. Control panel on the left wing of the navigation bridge.

- How many people are in the crew?

Despite the size of the icebreaker, the entire crew consists of 29 people. Thanks to modern technologies and automation, there is no need for a large number of people.

11. Central control room - central control post of the machine and boiler room.

- Can the crew leave the icebreaker in their free time?

If the icebreaker is at the berth, as it is now, then the crew members who are not on watch or at work have no obstacles to this.

12. Workshop and warehouse.

- How does the crew rest?

Our icebreaker has everything necessary for the crew to relax. Each crew member has a separate cabin equipped with a bathroom. Also in each cabin there is an outlet for the Internet; we have a ship's network.

In addition, we have a sauna with a swimming pool, a gym with exercise equipment, billiards, and TVs in almost every cabin.

13. Cabin.

- Which flight do you remember most?

Most of all I remember the voyage on the icebreaker "St. Petersburg". Several years ago he was sent to the port of Sabetta, and then I saw the Arctic for the first time.

14. Medical block.

- Tell me, have you ever found yourself in critical situations and how did you get out of them?

Thank God, there were no such hopeless situations. We are trying to prevent such situations. If such a situation arises, it means that some kind of flaw was made. You need to try to plan everything in advance.

15. Hospital.

- Were there any difficulties in the White Sea?

This year, according to the stories of those who previously worked here, the situation is much easier, because at the end of March the White Sea was almost cleared of ice.

Ice remained only in the throat of the White Sea. But there were difficulties. When we entered there, there was a difficult ice situation, there were large ice fields with hummocks. They created significant difficulties when escorting ships, despite the fact that the width of the ships being escorted was significantly smaller than the width of the icebreaker. Behind us there remained a channel about 26 meters wide, and the ships that we guided through were mostly 16-18 meters wide. Although it was easy for them to follow us, the presence of hummocks often made their progress more difficult. And this is in contrast to the situation in the Gulf of Finland, where the ice is thick, but there are not so many hummocks.

16. Cabin for passengers with disabilities.

17. Cabin bathroom for passengers with disabilities.

- I read that in the White Sea you not only conduct ships, but also undergo ice tests?

No, that's not true. We are planning ice tests in the Kara Sea in April. There at this time you can find ice of appropriate thickness and strength. To conduct ice tests correctly, we must work on one and a half meters of ice and continuously move on one meter.

Also, when we came to the White Sea, we spent three weeks testing the latest unmanned aerial vehicles built in Russia.

18. Multi-purpose unmanned helicopter Camcopter S-100 on the helipad of the icebreaker "Novorossiysk".

- Did you have any difficulties getting into the city of Arkhangelsk?

The ice was not thick, so it was not difficult to enter. Before our passage, the Northern Dvina shipping canal was widened from 20 meters to 26 in such a way as not to damage the pedestrian crossings from the mainland to the islands that people use. We were required to be very careful when moving.

19. Crew mess.

20. Galley.

During the international Arctic forum "The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue" the icebreaker is here as one of the exhibits of the exhibition. They say it was used as a hotel. Is it so?

Yes, our icebreaker was an exhibit at the international forum “The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue”. As for the hotel, this is an exaggeration. Only representatives of Rosmorport lived here, numbering 10-12 people.

21. Wardroom.

- Do you have any hobbies?

22. Swimming pool.

23. Sauna.

- How do you see the future of the Russian icebreaker fleet?

We are now at the future of the icebreaker fleet! It is worth noting that the Baltic Shipyard is building an even more powerful diesel-electric icebreaker, the Viktor Chernomyrdin.

24. Billiard room.

- Are you proud of your work?

Yes. Not only am I proud, but I also like her, and they also pay me money for her.

25. Aft gangway shaft and lowering and hoisting device with a work boat.

- How do you like to spend your vacation and how long does it last?

The vacation lasts 28 days. Also, during navigation, time off is accumulated, which can be taken and rested. I live in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, and my vacation means bringing my country house and plot into divine shape.

26. A cutout in the stern with a “crinoline” for towing ships closely.

Yaroslav Yaroslavovich, thank you for the interview and the tour of the icebreaker "Novorossiysk". Impressed with the conditions for the crew. This is not an icebreaker, but a real cruise ship for the northern seas. Good luck to you in this much needed endeavor!

November 26, 2010

Captain Alexander BARINOV: “You live on a nuclear icebreaker as if under communism”

Maxim FIRSOV

There is an industry where Russia's primacy is undeniable - this is the nuclear icebreaker fleet. Nuclear icebreakers became Russia's trump card when the geopolitical struggle for the Arctic intensified due to the discovery of oil and gas fields in the region. But the Arctic is also about a special kind of people. One of them is the legendary icebreaker captain Alexander Barinov.

— How did you end up in the Arctic? After all, in the Soviet years, guys joined civilian seafarers in order to later be assigned to foreign ships. Did you ask to go there yourself or did you do something wrong and they sent you somewhere else?

— When I graduated from the Leningrad Higher Naval Engineering School named after Admiral Makarov with a degree in naval engineering, I had a choice. Of the 160 graduates, only two were sent to nuclear icebreakers. But my friend Evgeniy Bannikov and I ourselves wrote applications for nuclear icebreakers, and indeed, no one understood us, neither our comrades, nor the company commander, nor the teachers. It is true that in those days, in the 70s, everyone was eager to join foreign ships. Naturally, it’s interesting to see the world. By the way, during our studies we went on overseas voyages several times, were in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and visited many countries.

Why were you drawn to the Arctic? Maybe this was influenced by the fact that I grew up in Snezhinsk (the closed city of Chelyabinsk-70), where people worked for the nuclear industry. I wasn’t afraid of the word “atomic” at all; it was interesting for me. I was young and single, and Evgeniy and I thought: if you don’t like it, you can always go to other ships.

But right away, during the first navigation, when we set out to sea for the first time, the Arctic simply enchanted us! Such an interesting corner of our planet, and it is interesting for its inaccessibility. The discovery of archipelagos and all other recent geographical discoveries, oddly enough, were made in the Arctic. Huge territories, large islands, comparable in territorial dimension to European states, were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. There are even islands discovered by Chelyuskin in the 30s. There were no satellites then, aviation was just beginning to develop, and therefore ships went there, and they discovered new lands. It was a completely inaccessible area! Yes, in general, and now it is like that, you can only get there by nuclear-powered ship or by plane, and see the most beautiful places.

What is New Earth? If you look at the globe, this is a continuation of the Ural Mountains: hills, centuries-old glaciers. Also, the Northern Land, the New Siberian Islands, the land of Franz Joseph so struck my 23-year-old youthful imagination that I didn’t want to go anywhere. I stayed in the Arctic and worked there until retirement age, which I have absolutely no regrets about. I regret that I didn’t visit all points of the Northern Ocean, didn’t go through all the islands, didn’t go through all the straits.

Lighter carrier "Sevmorput" and icebreaker "Sibir" at the pier

— Why did you, a Ural guy, suddenly decide to become a sailor?

— Actually, I was born in Leningrad. And when I was three years old, my parents were sent to Chelyabinsk, and then they transferred to Snezhinsk, to a closed enterprise. Yes, I grew up in the Urals, but I managed to devote my whole life to the sea. As a child, having read books by Alexander Green, I went to a ship-making club. When I was in Moscow on vacation for two weeks, I visited the Navy Museum three times. Apparently, everyone has their own: some people like the sky or something else, but I have always been attracted to sails and the ocean. Even though Moscow is called the “port of five seas,” I always say it with a grin. Moscow is not a maritime city at all, but it has a Navy Museum! Well, of course, the Ministry of the Navy is also in Moscow. I think that it was the visit to the museum that played a decisive role in choosing a profession. I remember asking my mother for 8 rubles, a lot of money at that time, for a painting of a sailboat going to sea under full sail. It still hangs in my house. The picture is drawn in pencil. She really fascinated me. Afterwards, I came and shocked all the adults, they say, after finishing the eighth grade, I will enter the naval school, study for 10 months and go to sea. But then I somehow cooled down and went to the ninth grade and graduated from school. My parents showed wisdom and somehow unobtrusively led me to the conclusion that I needed to get a higher education. I am grateful to them for this. Nowadays, not only in maritime affairs it is necessary to have an education, or even not one, but two or three. This needs to be conveyed to young people somehow so that they don’t drop out of school. After all, clever words were uttered at one time: “study, study and study!” At first it was associated with communism, but then this slogan was reformatted, and it hung in every school.

That's how I became a sailor. And after some time I learned that love for the sea is also in my genes. Mom wrote in her memoirs that her father, my grandfather, served on the Aurora. He served in 1914-1917, and was demobilized in February 1917, so he did not participate in the revolutionary events. And he served as a fireman for 3 years. Maybe my grandfather’s genes made themselves known, and I was drawn to the sea.

Captain Barinov has not shaved his beard for 25 years

- So, are you satisfied with your career?

- And what do you think? Now I am the captain of the legendary icebreaker Lenin, and before that I worked for 31 years on other icebreakers: 28 years on the icebreaker Arktika, where I became a captain, then 3 years on the icebreaker Rossiya, also a captain.

The icebreaker Lenin was decommissioned in 1989. And for 20 years he stood, awaiting his fate far from civilization. At the height of perestroika, they forgot about the icebreaker, and even with that name. It was rotting in Murmansk on the territory of VGUAPomflot (that’s what it’s been called lately, but before it was base 92). By the way, this repair base was built specifically for the Lenin icebreaker. And the number 92 was given to it because in the periodic table this is the number of uranium. When the icebreaker Lenin first came from Leningrad to Murmansk in 1960, there was one wooden pier and a barn on the shore. And now there is a powerful repair facility there, servicing ten nuclear-powered ships. A large serious base was built over these 50 years.

Testing of the icebreaker "Lenin" at the Baltic Shipyard

In 2009, they decided to make the icebreaker “Lenin” a museum and placed it on a floating pier in the city center, near the marine terminal building. From that moment on, active visits to Lenin began. Now this is one of the most visited places in the city of Murmansk: out of 400 thousand residents of the city, 32 thousand have already visited the icebreaker "Lenin". People go on excursions with great interest and learn a lot of new things. And an unexpected fact became a revelation for me: it turns out that not all Murmansk residents, even those who have lived in the city all their lives, not to mention the younger generation, know that there is a nuclear fleet in the city. And the nuclear fleet is a brand not only of Murmansk and the entire Arctic, but of our entire country in general. This is a unique fleet, the only one in the world! There are no nuclear icebreakers anywhere else in the world. Russia, having this fleet, feels like the mistress of the Arctic. After all, who is usually the owner? The one who is there all year round, and these are nuclear icebreakers and the ships that they conduct. I think that big policy in such matters should be based on this.

— Did you regret that you ended up on the Arktika after this icebreaker made its historic voyage to the North Pole - the first in the history of surface navigation?

— When the Arktika reached the Pole, I was a cadet, on board a training and production ship. We were anchored near the Weser River, we needed to call at the German port of Bremerheifer, and the Mayak radio announced that our icebreaker Arktika had reached the North Pole. But at that time, in 1977, I did not even imagine or think that I would get to the Arctic. And when I finally got there in 1978, to be honest, I was afraid. Because the entire crew seemed like heroes to us, young sailors. And indeed, all members of the expedition, more than 200 people, were awarded state awards: orders and medals. Five people, the leaders of the expedition, received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

Reference:

On March 12, 1897, at a meeting of the Academy of Sciences, Vice Admiral Sergei Makarov said: “Russia’s facade faces the Arctic Ocean and therefore no nation is more interested in icebreakers than we are. Nature has shackled us in ice, and the sooner we throw off these shackles, the sooner we will give Russian power the opportunity to unfold.”.

The icebreaker "Arktika" reached the North Pole on August 17, 1977 at 4 a.m. Moscow time. The campaign was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution. "Arktika" was commanded by the capital Yuri Kuchiev.

Souvenir “postal” stamp made by senior technician Rafik Bulatov

— And now they take tourists to the pole on icebreakers. Isn’t it a shame that the romance of heroism has left the profession?

— Well, flying into space for the first time was also unusual. And the point is not whether they give a hero or not. The fact is that over time, and people have been going to the Pole for more than 30 years, sailing experience has been gained and human knowledge has been enriched. Now it has become a regular job. And now the new nuclear-powered ship “50 Years of Victory” goes there with tourists every two weeks - exactly on schedule. The flight is given two weeks. The first voyage, if I’m not mistaken, was made in 1990 on the icebreaker Rossiya. Since then, there has been only one voyage when the icebreaker did not reach the North Pole. This was due to difficult ice conditions and poor visibility, when it was impossible to use helicopter reconnaissance. But for the icebreaker this is not so important - it would have reached it anyway. But then the tourists would not have time to return to the plane that takes them away and brings another group. Everything is clear for them minute by minute, planes are flying, buses are approaching. Therefore, a little before reaching the pole, the icebreaker turned and returned back. By the way, this is not a “crime”; in all these events, such cases are discussed and a 100 percent guarantee is not given that the icebreaker will reach the very pole. First of all, safety and scheduling.

And the idea of ​​reaching the North Pole arose, of course, before the appearance of the icebreaker Arktika. Even on the icebreaker "Lenin", Boris Makarovich Sokolov, the captain, like any captain, dreamed of reaching the North Pole. This idea arose from Stepan Osipovich Makarov, when under his leadership the first Russian Arctic icebreaker “Ermak” was being built in 1899, he even threw out the slogan: “Right to the Pole!” Then it was planned to build two such icebreakers: if one breaks down, the other will back it up. But due to the development of shipbuilding technology at that time and all our equipment, it was impossible to build an icebreaker of sufficient power to navigate freely in the ice. The icebreaker Lenin was not tasked with reaching the North Pole. “Lenin” became the embodiment of the widely publicized idea of ​​the “peaceful atom.” We clearly won the competition with the United States in shipbuilding. The first nuclear icebreaker was built, and a series of icebreakers followed. The Americans built their ship "Owl", but it did not work for long. This nuclear-powered icebreaker was practically never used as an ice vessel. It was built for commercial sailing. But it turned out that nuclear-powered ships are not profitable for commercial navigation. Swimming in ice - yes.

And when the icebreaker “Lenin” worked for several years, an idea appeared - to go to the North Pole. But the construction and operation of icebreakers was carried out under the supervision of the highest spheres. Academician Alexandrov himself oversaw the construction, and he was against the campaign against the Northern Polis. Why? The task was not to reach the North Pole, but to master the peaceful atom; it was necessary to learn how to operate an icebreaker and gain experience. Imagine what would have happened if the icebreaker went to the pole and didn’t get there or something broke along the way. This would be a complete discredit of the idea for which it was built. And only 15 years later, after a new generation nuclear-powered ship was built with a power almost twice as high as that of the Lenin icebreaker, this idea could be realized. If the Arktika had any problems, the icebreaker Lenin could somehow help. By the way, it is now no secret that when preparing the expedition to the Arctic, the option of wintering was considered. Before the advent of nuclear powered ships, convoys of ships in the Arctic often got stuck in the ice and spent the winter there for many years. What does it mean for the state when 5-10 ships spend the winter! Moreover, these are ships that are designed for navigation in the Arctic; they are moving away from cargo turnover - this is a big loss for the state. With the advent of nuclear-powered ships, wintering stopped. And we can say for sure: we can provide year-round navigation along the entire route of the Oryol route. Having such icebreakers, we are the masters in the Arctic. And we can safely declare to the whole world: guys, our part of the Arctic is our part.

By the way, what else is interesting about the experience of the icebreaker “Lenin”? It was built in a very short time of 3 years from the moment of laying to the moment of release. Even in modern times this is a very short period of time. There was a three-reactor installation on it. There has not yet been any experience in operating such ship installations. And she showed herself not to be very reliable. Within a few years, a new UK900 installation had already been designed; it is still used on most icebreakers. The old installation had been in operation for six years, and the government decided to replace the entire central compartment. A unique operation was performed! And even now it can be classified as such. The entire central compartment of the ship was cut out: everything around the perimeter of the compartment was cut out, except for the ties on which it was held. Then they laid pyrotechnic cartridges in order to destroy these connections. After the explosion, the compartment simply sank to the bottom under its own weight. Of course, this required very competent engineering and design calculations.

After this, the icebreaker was towed to the Kara Sea, now this is no longer a secret. There the compartment was blown up and sank to the bottom. An icebreaker without a compartment, with a large hole in the center of the hull, was towed to Severodvinsk, where a new two-reactor installation was installed in three years. This is an operation that has not been used anywhere else and is unlikely to be used. The new installation was installed in 1970, and 4 years after the shutdown, the icebreaker went to sea again and was completed until 1989. Then they decided to stop the icebreaker. Firstly, age was showing itself, and secondly, by that time the icebreakers “Arktika”, “Sibir”, “Russia”, “Soviet Union” were built - nuclear-powered ships much more powerful than the “Lenin”.

Reference:

The icebreaker was launched on December 5, 1957, on the day of the Soviet Constitution. “It was drizzling continuously in the morning, and sleet fell from time to time. A sharp, gusty wind was blowing from the bay. But people didn’t seem to notice the gloomy Leningrad weather,” the Smena newspaper reported. — Long before the icebreaker was launched, the areas around the slipway were filled with people. Many boarded a tanker that was being built next door.

Enthusiastic exclamations, shouts of “hurray” and applause are heard. Hats are flying into the air. When the stern of the ship noisily crashes into the Neva waters, dozens of pigeons rush into the air.

Having settled softly, the bow of the nuclear-powered icebreaker slides off the threshold of the launch tracks, and at the same moment a red flag flutters on the flagpole. The national anthem of the USSR sounds solemnly. The ships lined up at the mouth of the Neva greet their mighty brother with joyful whistles.

The anchor chains rattle, the icebreaker slows down and stops. At the command of the workshop manager I. Nikitin, tugboats take the icebreaker to the plant’s outfitting pier. Excited and joyful, exchanging impressions and congratulations, the icebreaker builders dispersed.”.

- Excuse me, but in the place where the reactor sank, is everything normal with the radiation situation?

— Not so long ago, when everything was open and everything was permitted, gentlemen from the environmental organization Bellona tried to find the burial site of the reactor, but did not find it. And not because it is classified. No, I have logbooks in my safe on the ship, where the coordinates of the sinking are indicated, this is not a secret. Well, we just couldn’t find it, maybe the bottom was bad, the soil was muddy. But the radiation situation there is normal. What is New Earth? These are hills of one and a half to two thousand meters and glaciers that gradually go down, and the reactor was simply sucked into the ground. In general, in the Kara Sea, boat reactors were flooded, but the radiation situation was normal. And even experts of this kind admitted that this is a more reliable way of burying reactor installations.

— What is it like to work on a nuclear-powered ship?

— Now they work for four months and rest for four months. And before, 15-20 years ago, we did not count these months. If we had to work for six or eight months, we worked. Sometimes there were longer voyages. Now almost “greenhouse” conditions have been created for working in the Arctic - not the same as before.

Atomokhod is a small town. They joke about us: “You live under communism.” Indeed, after long voyages you even forget what money looks like, you forget prices. Often a dear, beloved wife says: “Have you fallen from the moon?” Of course, a nuclear-powered ship cannot be called a five-star hotel. But on modern icebreakers the entire crew lives in single cabins with all amenities, with a TV. The officers eat in the wardroom, and the crew eats in the dining room, where the orderly serves food. We wear white shirts, wash in the bathhouse twice a week... But in order to go on deck, we need to wear special climate suits and warm clothes. There is already another world where you are defenseless.

Reference

In August 2005, Arktika set another record, having traveled a million miles since its commissioning, which is almost five times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

Icebreaker "Arktika"

— And your beard is a tribute to naval traditions: since you are a captain, does that mean you have a beard?

- No, this is probably youthful: the last time I shaved was in 1978 on my prom night. And now I haven’t shaved my beard for 25 years, but I’ve never grown a big one either. Many people do not shave while sailing, but when going ashore, they shave everything off. How is it here? We are also a sensitive enterprise, and in order to get into it, you need to show a pass. Try to take a photo with a beard for the pass, and then shave it off and pass - they won’t let you in. This is also one of the moments. In the Soviet years, most promising sailors, becoming a senior mate or later a captain, joined the party.

This was probably right: the party attracted the best workers into its ranks, and there was no getting around it. When I was accepted into the party, I was asked to shave my beard. Motivating the request by the fact that I am still young, and joining the party with a beard is ugly. Well, I somehow made an excuse, saying that on my passport and on my pass, in the photographs in other documents I have a beard. And you will have to change all the documents. So in the photo on the party card I also have a beard. I also remember an incident from my personal life. I met my wife while I was a cadet, and we got married after I had already been sailing for two years and already had a beard. One day, looking through my cadet album, my beloved mother-in-law immediately recognized my friend Zhenya Bannikov, but could not find me. Because she was so used to my beard that she simply didn’t perceive me without it. I have the best memories of my mother-in-law.

— Tell me, did conflicts arise over women on the ships you sailed on?

— Women now work in the navy and on ships. There is a belief that this is a disaster, a bad omen. Maybe that was once the case. But the question here is different. Naturally, long voyages, so to speak, affect the physical condition of men, especially young ones - they need relaxation. And because of women, there are fights and so on. But I don't support this topic. In such cases, I say: at sea you need to mind your own business, and when you come ashore, relax there.

— Has it ever happened that planes of a supposed enemy flew over you in the Arctic?

- There’s no escape from this! They not only fly over the state border, but also drop buoys with instruments that track submarines. We had to help our submariners, lower the boats, get the buoys. The device itself is impossible to get, it goes to the bottom, and the buoy serves as an antenna; if it is removed, the device is useless. Of course, this is almost impossible to do during a storm. They are still very active in intelligence activities. What will you do about it? Nothing. Both they and we understand this perfectly. Well, the guys flew, we photographed them, told them where to go, took out the buoy, and then waved. And our planes fly over neutral waters.

— Did you come across “enemy” ships, or were they unable to get through to where you were going?

— There was a case when the icebreaker “Yamal” came to the North Pole, and an American submarine surfaced there. Well, we talked and went to visit each other. I was not a part of this. Imagine: tourists came and saw a submarine. Our submarines also go to the North Pole. Of course, tourists are not allowed on submarines. They could have invited you to the icebreaker. And it’s quite possible to have a picnic with barbecue on the ice floe.

— Are polar bears afraid of icebreakers?

“Our sides are high—they can’t climb.” But bears climb onto small vessels with low sides, especially those with a load, which we carried out. Now ships servicing drilling rigs go to the Arctic; they have low sides, and bears can easily get in there. In this case, if a bear is on board, they announce the alarm, bolt down the doors and wait. The bear walks around the deck, gets bored and leaves on its own. In general, bears, both brown and white, are afraid of sounds. You can scare the siren, when it starts buzzing, the bear immediately runs away. You can knock on the iron, this worries him, he tries to get away from it, he is afraid of such things.

Northern Sea Route

— Have you ever been drawn to return to St. Petersburg?

— Leningrad, especially if you were born there, is impossible not to love. Such a city! After all, the most striking historical events of our state are connected precisely with St. Petersburg. From the time of Peter the Great until the Great October Revolution, it was the capital, and therefore a lot of things were invested in this city. And look, today it is less affected by new architecture than all other cities. Sometimes it happens, maybe the stars align in the sky, I end up in my homeland and walk through the places where I was born and lived and get such an exalted feeling that stays with me forever. Whether I return there or not remains to be seen. But for now I serve on Lenin.

Reference

Currently, the nuclear icebreaker fleet, subordinate to the State Corporation Rosatom (since 2008) and operated by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Atomflot, includes:

— five icebreakers with a capacity of 75,000 hp each. (“Arctic”, “Russia”, “Soviet Union”, “Yamal” and “50 Years of Victory”), the power plants of which have two reactors each;

— two icebreakers with a power of 40,000 hp each. (“Taimyr”, “Vaigach”), the power plants of which have one reactor each;

— lighter-container carrier “Sevmorput” with a power of 40,000 hp, with one reactor.