On August 24, 1956, construction began at Factory No. 194, which today bears the name "Admiralty Docks," on the world's first nuclear icebreaker, named "Lenin".
This icebreaker ushered in a new era in Arctic exploration and the development of the Northern Sea Route.
The press office of the Admiralty Shipyards Corporation reported that the Lenin became a symbol of engineering thought and the boldness of Soviet scientists and engineers, and proved that nuclear energy could serve the interests of the nation by helping it break through hard ice and ensuring navigation in hard-to-reach areas.
A year and a half later, on December 5, 1957, the nuclear-powered icebreaker was launched. Around 500 Soviet institutions and research institutes participated in the project. Two special types of steel – AK 27 and AK 28 – were used in the construction of the new icebreaker's hull. All engineering technologies were tested beforehand on a wooden model of the future icebreaker.
The icebreaker had a displacement of 16,000 tons and a length of 134 meters. Its operational lifespan exceeded one year, and its crew size varied between 210 and 236 personnel during different periods of service. The Lenin was capable of breaking through ice up to 170 centimeters thick. Over its 30 years of service in the Arctic, it covered 654,400 nautical miles and passed through the waters of 3,741 vessels.
In 1989, the nuclear-powered icebreaker "Lenin" was decommissioned from the Soviet civilian fleet. This legendary vessel now rests off the naval station in the center of Murmansk, and houses branches of the Polar Aerospace Center of the Russian company "Atomflot".
