60 years ago: ‘Lenin’ nuclear-powered icebreaker launched in Leningrad

The “Lenin” atomic icebreaker was the first nuclear-powered ship. It was designed and built to serve on the Northern Sea route (between Russia’s Far East and the European part of Russia), and expeditions in the Arctic. The Lenin icebreaker was 134-meters long and 27 wide. It also had a landing pad for helicopters.

The icebreaker was launched on Dec. 5, 1957, and set off on its first voyage on Sept. 15, 1959. In 1989, the ship was decommissioned and permanently anchored in Murmansk. For over 30 years of service, the ship sailed 654,400 nautical miles and led 3,741 vessels through the ice. The icebreaker is now a museum.

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