Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" in Murmansk

About museum

The nuclear icebreaker Lenin was the world's first surface ship with a nuclear power plant. The icebreaker was built in the USSR, primarily to serve the Northern Sea Route.

The ship was laid down in 1956 at the A. Marti Shipyard in Leningrad. Launched on December 5, 1957.

On September 12, 1959, it departed the Admiralty Shipyard for sea trials under the command of P. A. Ponomarev. On December 3, 1959, it was handed over to the Ministry of the Merchant Fleet. From 1960 it served with the Murmansk Shipping Company.

Thanks to the high power of its propulsion plant and long endurance, the icebreaker demonstrated excellent performance already in its first seasons. The use of a nuclear icebreaker made it possible to significantly extend the navigation period. In 1966, based on operational results, a decision was made to replace the old three-reactor nuclear steam-generating plant with a more advanced two-reactor plant. In just the first six years of operation the icebreaker covered over 82,000 nautical miles and independently escorted more than 400 vessels.

The icebreaker 'Lenin' operated for 30 years and in 1989 was decommissioned and placed in a permanent berth in Murmansk. Work is currently underway to convert it into a museum.