modern icebreakers

these pictures are of the most modern icebreakers operating in the world today. they are all Russian and they are all nuclear powered. much larger and more powerful than anything that has gone before these ships are equipped with many comforts for the crew such as swimming pools and bars. the Russians pioneered the use of nuclear power in icebreakers just as they pioneered the first metal hulled steam powered icebreakers in the early part of the 20th century. first picture is of the Arktika Class vessel 50 Years of Victory. she is the largest and most powerful icebreaker in existence at this time. a little over 450ft long and displacing over 20,000tons she puts out 75,000shp with three screws. just like the old icebreakers which were diesel electric these modern vessels are nuclear electric. the reactors produce steam which powers generators to run the electric motors which actually propel the ship through the water. next is a picture of the same ship from the stern. they are about to land a helicopter aboard. next is a picture of a Taimyr class ship in the ice. these are about the same size as the Arktika class but are shallow draft vessels for use in rivers and coastal ice fields. these ships put out 52,000shp. the fourth picture is of a ship of this class from aft. the final picture shows the icebreaker leading a commercial vessel through the ice. i enjoyed my service aboard the USN icebreaker Atka. the Atka was about half the size of these mighty Russian ships. needless to say we had no swimming pools or bars aboard the Atka. for a party half the crew would get put off on an island in the Arctic somewhere. each man got a case of beer and some steaks. we'd build a big fire to cook the steaks and stay warm and drink the beer. next day we stayed aboard with hangovers and the other half of the crew got to go ashore for their turn. once while doing this we came across a group of Esquimaux at one of their summer camps. they too liked Budweiser so we all had a party. the Esquimaux brought whatever it was they drank which was in mason jars and looked kinda like milky water. it was alcholic however and everyone wound up gloriously drunk. the Arctic could be fun sometimes.