Lenin (1957 icebreaker)

Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker

For the conventionally powered icebreaker Lenin, formerly "St. Alexander Nevsky", see Lenin (1916 icebreaker).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Lenin" 1957 icebreaker – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Lenin docked at Murmansk

History
Soviet Union
Name| Lenin (Ленин)
Namesake| Vladimir Lenin
Builder| Admiralty Shipyards, Leningrad USSR[1]
Launched| 1957[1]
Completed| 1959
In service| 1959–1989
Identification| IMO number: 5206087
Status| Preserved as a museum ship
General characteristics
Displacement| 16,000 tonnes [2]
Length| 134 m (440 ft)[1][2]
Beam| 27.6 m (91 ft)[1][2]
Draught| 10.5 m (34 ft)[1]
Depth| 16.1 m (53 ft)
Installed power|

* Three OK-150 nuclear reactors (3 × 90 MW) (until 1970)
* Two OK-900 nuclear reactors (2 × 171 MW) (since 1970)
* Four steam turbine generators

Propulsion| Nuclear-turbo-electric, three shafts[1]
Speed| 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[1]
Crew| 243
Lenin on a 1958 stamp

Lenin (Russian: Ленин) is a Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker, the first nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world. Launched in 1957, it is both the world's first nuclear-powered surface ship[2] and the first nuclear-powered civilian vessel. Lenin entered operation in 1959 and worked clearing sea routes for cargo ships along Russia's northern coast. From 1960 to 1965 the ship covered over 157,000 kilometres (85,000 nautical miles) during the Arctic navigation season, of which almost 120,000 km (65,000 nmi) was through ice.[2] Nuclear power proved to be an ideal technology for a vessel working in such a remote area as it removed the need for regular replenishment of fuel. On 10 April 1974 the vessel was awarded the Order of Lenin. It was officially decommissioned in 1989.[1] It was subsequently converted to a museum ship and is now permanently based at Murmansk.

## Propulsion

[edit]

Pier near Primorsk where Lenin underwent sea trials

When launched in 1957, Lenin was powered by three OK-150 reactors. In its late-1960s configuration, at full capacity the ship used 2.5 to 3 kg (five to six pounds) of uranium-235 per 100 days.[2]

In the configuration employed from 1970, two OK-900 reactors provided steam for four steam turbines, that were in turn connected to generators, which powered three sets of electric motors to drive the ship's three propellers.[3]

## Nuclear accidents

[edit]

In February 1965, there was a loss-of-coolant accident. After being shut down for refueling, the coolant was removed from the number two reactor before the spent fuel had been removed. As a result, some of the fuel elements melted and deformed inside the reactor. When the spent elements were being unloaded for storage and disposal, it was found that 124 fuel assemblies (about 60% of the total) were stuck in the reactor core. It was decided to remove the fuel, control grid, and control rods as a unit for disposal; they were placed in a special cask, solidified, stored for two years, and dumped in Tsivolki Bay (near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago) in 1967.[citation needed]

The second accident was a cooling system leak which occurred in 1967, shortly after refueling. Finding the leak required breaking through the concrete and metal biological shield with sledgehammers. Once the leak was found, it became apparent that the sledgehammer damage could not be repaired; subsequently, all three reactors were removed by blowing them off the ship with shaped charges above a burial site off Novaya Zemlya,[4] and replaced by two OK-900 reactors. This was completed in early 1970.[5]

A 1978 Soviet Union postage stamp featured Icebreaker Lenin

## Retirement

[edit]

Lenin was decommissioned in 1989, because its hull had worn thin from ice friction. She was laid up at Atomflot, a base for nuclear icebreakers in Murmansk, and repair and conversion into a museum ship was completed in 2005.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Paine, Lincoln P (1997). Ships of the World. Houghton-Mifflin. pp. 298. ISBN 0-395-71556-3. LCCN 97-12872.
2. ^ a b c d e f "Soviet Life". Soviet Life. 2 (149): 57. February 1969.
3. ^ Reistad, Ole; Ølgaard, Povl L (April 2006). Russian Nuclear Power Plants for Marine Applications (PDF) (Report). Nordic Nuclear Safety Research (nks.org). ISBN 87-7893-200-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
4. ^ Выгрузка атомной установки ОК – 150 с ледокола «Ленин». Retrieved 2018-09-15.
5. ^ "Nuclear icebreaker Lenin". Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet. www.bellona.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
6. ^ "Lenin (Ship)". Britannica. Retrieved 2020-05-28.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lenin (ship, 1959).

* NKS Evaluation of Russian Marine Nuclear Reactors
* Bellona Foundation Article on Icebreaker Lenin
* Barbara Jancar-Webster (July 2001). "Red Atom: Russia's Nuclear Power Program from Stalin to Today by Paul R. Josephson (review)". Russian Review. 60 (3): 452–454\. JSTOR 2679691.452-454&rft.date=2001-07&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2679691#id-name=JSTOR&rft.au=Barbara+Jancar-Webster&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Lenin+(1957+icebreaker)" class="Z3988"> Critical article on Lenin Icebreaker
* The world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker Lenin – Official video material from Rosatom with English subtitles on YouTube

68°58′28.98″N 33°3′32.21″E﻿ / ﻿68.9747167°N 33.0589472°E﻿ / 68.9747167; 33.0589472

* v
* t
* e

Polar exploration

Arctic

* Ocean
* History
* Expeditions
* Research stations

Farthest North
North Pole|

* Barentsz
* Heemskerck
* Hudson
* Marmaduke
* Carolus
* Parry
* North magnetic pole
* J. Ross
* J. C. Ross
* Abernethy
* Kane
* Hayes
* Polaris expedition
* Polaris
* C. F. Hall
* Bessels
* British Arctic Expedition
* HMS Alert
* Nares
* HMS Discovery
* Stephenson
* Markham
* Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
* Greely
* Lockwood
* Brainard
* Nansen's Fram expedition
* Fram
* Nansen
* Johansen
* Sverdrup
* Jason
* Amedeo
* Andrée's balloon expedition
* S. A. Andrée
* F. Cook
* SS Roosevelt
* Peary
* Henson
* Sedov
* Byrd
* Norge
* Amundsen
* Nobile
* Wisting
* Riiser-Larsen
* Ellsworth
* Italia
* Nautilus
* Wilkins
* ANT-25
* Chkalov
* Baydukov
* Belyakov
* Drifting ice stations
* NP-1
* Papanin
* Shirshov
* E. Fyodorov
* Krenkel
* NP-36
* NP-37
* Georgiy Sedov
* Badygin
* Wiese
* USS Nautilus
* USS Skate
* Plaisted
* Herbert
* NS Arktika
* Barneo
* Arktika 2007
* Mir submersibles
* Sagalevich
* Chilingarov

Iceland
Greenland|

* Pytheas
* Brendan
* Papar
* Vikings
* Naddodd
* Garðar
* Ingólfr
* Norse colonization of North America
* Gunnbjörn
* Snæbjörn galti
* Erik the Red
* Christian IV's expeditions
* J. Hall
* Cunningham
* Lindenov
* C. Richardson
* Danish colonization
* Egede
* Scoresby
* Jason
* Nansen
* Sverdrup
* Peary
* Rasmussen

Northwest Passage
Northern Canada|

* Cabot
* G. Corte-Real
* M. Corte-Real
* Frobisher
* Gilbert
* Davis
* Hudson
* Discovery
* Bylot
* Baffin
* Munk
* I. Fyodorov
* HMS Resolution
* J. Cook
* HMS Discovery
* Clerke
* Mackenzie
* Kotzebue
* J. Ross
* HMS Griper
* Parry
* HMS Hecla
* Lyon
* HMS Fury
* Hoppner
* Crozier
* J. C. Ross
* Coppermine expedition
* Franklin
* Back
* Dease
* Simpson
* HMS Blossom
* Beechey
* Franklin's lost expedition
* HMS Erebus
* HMS Terror
* Collinson
* Rae–Richardson expedition
* Rae
* J. Richardson
* Austin
* McClure expedition
* HMS Investigator
* McClure
* HMS Resolute
* Kellett
* Belcher
* Kennedy
* Bellot
* Isabel
* Inglefield
* 2nd Grinnell expedition
* USS Advance
* Kane
* Fox
* McClintock
* HMS Pandora
* Young
* Fram
* Sverdrup
* Gjøa
* Amundsen
* Rasmussen
* Karluk
* Stefansson
* Bartlett
* St. Roch
* H. Larsen
* Cowper

North East Passage
Russian Arctic|

* Pomors
* Koch boats
* Willoughby
* Chancellor
* Barentsz
* Heemskerck
* Mangazeya
* Hudson
* Poole
* Siberian Cossacks
* Perfilyev
* Stadukhin
* Dezhnev
* Popov
* Ivanov
* Vagin
* Permyakov
* Great Northern Expedition
* Bering
* Chirikov
* Malygin
* Ovtsyn
* Minin
* V. Pronchishchev
* M. Pronchishcheva
* Chelyuskin
* Kh. Laptev
* D. Laptev
* Chichagov
* Lyakhov
* Billings
* Sannikov
* Gedenshtrom
* Wrangel
* Matyushkin
* Anjou
* Litke
* Lavrov
* Pakhtusov
* Tsivolko
* Middendorff
* Austro-Hungarian Expedition
* Weyprecht
* Payer
* Vega Expedition
* A. E. Nordenskiöld
* Palander
* Jeannette expedition
* USS Jeannette
* De Long
* Melville
* Yermak
* Makarov
* Zarya
* Toll
* Kolomeitsev
* Matisen
* Kolchak
* Sedov
* Rusanov expedition
* Rusanov
* Kuchin
* Brusilov expedition
* Sv. Anna
* Brusilov
* Albanov
* Konrad
* Wiese
* Nagórski
* Taymyr / Vaygach
* Vilkitsky
* Maud
* Amundsen
* AARI
* Samoylovich
* Begichev
* Urvantsev
* Sadko
* Ushakov
* Glavsevmorput
* Schmidt
* Aviaarktika
* Shevelev
* A. Sibiryakov
* Voronin
* Chelyuskin
* Krassin
* Gakkel
* Nuclear-powered icebreakers
* Lenin
* Arktika-class icebreaker

Antarctic

* Continent
* History
* Expeditions

Antarctic/Southern Ocean|

* Roché
* Bouvet
* Kerguelen
* HMS Resolution
* J. Cook
* HMS Adventure
* Furneaux
* Smith
* San Telmo
* Vostok
* Bellingshausen
* Mirny
* Lazarev
* Bransfield
* Palmer
* Davis
* Weddell
* Morrell
* Astrolabe
* Dumont d'Urville
* United States Exploring Expedition
* USS Vincennes
* Wilkes
* USS Porpoise
* Ringgold
* Ross expedition
* HMS Erebus (J. C. Ross
* Abernethy)
* HMS Terror (Crozier)
* Cooper
* Challenger expedition
* HMS Challenger
* Nares
* Murray
* Jason
* C. A. Larsen

"Heroic Age"|

* Belgian Antarctic Expedition
* Belgica
* de Gerlache
* Lecointe
* Amundsen
* Cook
* Arctowski
* Racoviță
* Dobrowolski
* Southern Cross
* Southern Cross
* Borchgrevink
* Discovery
* Discovery
* Discovery Hut
* Gauss
* Gauss
* Drygalski
* Swedish Antarctic Expedition
* Antarctic
* O. Nordenskjöld
* C. A. Larsen
* Scottish Antarctic Expedition
* Bruce
* Scotia
* Orcadas Base
* Nimrod Expedition
* Nimrod
* French Antarctic Expeditions
* Pourquoi-Pas
* Charcot
* Japanese Antarctic Expedition
* Shirase
* Amundsen's South Pole expedition
* Fram
* Amundsen
* Framheim
* Polheim
* Terra Nova
* Terra Nova
* Scott
* Wilson
* E. R. Evans
* Crean
* Lashly
* Filchner
* Australasian Antarctic Expedition
* SY Aurora
* Mawson
* Far Eastern Party
* Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
* Endurance
* Shackleton
* Wild
* James Caird
* Ross Sea party
* Mackintosh
* Shackleton–Rowett Expedition
* Quest

IPY * IGY
Modern research|

* Christensen
* Byrd
* BANZARE
* BGLE
* Rymill
* New Swabia
* Ritscher
* Operation Tabarin
* Marr
* Operation Highjump
* Captain Arturo Prat Base
* British Antarctic Survey
* Operation Windmill
* Ketchum
* Ronne Expedition
* F. Ronne
* E. Ronne
* Schlossbach
* Operation Deep Freeze
* McMurdo Station
* Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
* Hillary
* V. Fuchs
* Soviet Antarctic Expeditions
* 1st
* Somov
* Klenova
* Mirny
* 2nd
* Tryoshnikov
* 3rd
* Tolstikov
* Antarctic Treaty System
* Transglobe Expedition
* Fiennes
* Burton
* Lake Vostok
* Kapitsa

Farthest South
South Pole|

* HMS Resolution
* J. Cook
* HMS Adventure
* Furneaux
* Weddell
* HMS Erebus
* J. C. Ross
* HMS Terror
* Crozier
* Southern Cross
* Borchgrevink
* Discovery
* Barne
* Nimrod
* Shackleton
* Wild
* Marshall
* Adams
* South magnetic pole
* Mawson
* David
* Mackay
* Amundsen's South Pole expedition
* Fram
* Amundsen
* Bjaaland
* Helmer
* Hassel
* Wisting
* Polheim
* Terra Nova
* Scott
* E. Evans
* Oates
* Wilson
* Bowers
* Cherry-Garrard
* Byrd
* Balchen
* McKinley
* Dufek
* Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station
* Hillary
* V. Fuchs
* Pole of Cold
* Vostok Station
* Pole of inaccessibility
* Pole of Inaccessibility research station
* Tolstikov
* Crary
* A. Fuchs
* Messner

* v
* t
* e

Nuclear-powered icebreakers

Project 10510 "Leader"|

* Rossiya*

Project 22220|

* Arktika
* Sibir
* Ural
* Yakutiya
* Chukotka*
* Leningrad*
* Stalingrad*

Taymyr class|

* Taymyr
* Vaygach

Arktika class|

* Arktika†
* Sibir†
* Rossiya†
* Sovetskiy Soyuz†
* Yamal
* 50 Let Pobedy

Other|

* Lenin†
* Sevmorput

* Under construction or on order
† No longer in service

* v
* t
* e

Nuclear-powered surface ships

United States|

| Aircraft carriers|

* Enterprise (1961)
* Nimitz
* Dwight D. Eisenhower
* Carl Vinson
* Theodore Roosevelt
* Abraham Lincoln
* George Washington
* John C. Stennis
* Harry S. Truman
* Ronald Reagan
* George H.W. Bush
* Gerald R. Ford
* John F. Kennedy
* Enterprise (2028)
* Doris Miller

|

Cruisers|

* Long Beach
* Bainbridge
* Truxtun
* California
* South Carolina
* Virginia
* Texas
* Mississippi
* Arkansas

Merchant ships|

* Savannah

Russia|

| Cruisers|

* Kirov
* Admiral Lazarev
* Admiral Nakhimov
* Pyotr Velikiy

|

C3 vessels|

* Ural (1983)

Merchant ships|

* Sevmorput

Icebreakers|

* Lenin
* Arktika (1975)
* Sibir (1977)
* Rossiya (1983)
* Yamal
* Taymyr
* Vaygach
* Sovetskiy Soyuz
* 50 Let Pobedy
* Arktika (2016)
* Sibir (2017)
* Ural
* Yakutiya
* Chukotka
* Leningrad

France|

| Aircraft carriers|

* Charles de Gaulle
* PANG

|

Germany|

| Merchant ships|

* Otto Hahn

|

Japan|

| Merchant ships|

* Mutsu

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template