The NS 50 Let Pobedy Icebreaker

The NS 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) was completed in the beginning of 2007, after the 60th Anniversary of Victory Day. The icebreaker sailed into the Gulf of Finland for two weeks of sea trials on February 1, 2007.

Upon completing the sea trials, the icebreaker returned to St-Petersburg Baltic shipyard and started preparations for her maiden voyage to Murmansk. The new ship showed superior characteristics for an icebreaker, such as exceptional maneuverability and a top speed of 21.4 knots.

The ship arrived at its homeport Murmansk on April 11, 2007.

The icebreaker is an upgrade of the Arktika-class, the most powerful icebreakers ever built. The 524 foot long and 66 foot wide vessel, with a displacement of 25840 metric tons, is designed to break through ice up to nine feet thick. It carries a 140-man crew.

50 Years Since Victory is also an experimental project; for the first time in history of the Russian icebreakers it used a spoon-shaped bow. As predicted by the ship's designers, such a shape increases the efficiency of the ship's efforts in breaking the ice. The icebreaker is equipped with an all-new digital automated control system. The biological shielding complex was heavily modernized and re-certified by the State Commission. A new ecological compartment was created.

The ship has an athletic/exercise facility, a swimming pool, a library, a restaurant, a massage facility, and a music salon at the crew's disposal.

Today the ship takes regular cruises, hosting up to 128 passengers. A group of eclipse chasers has occupied the vessel to observe the solar eclipse of August 1, 2008. They departed from Murmansk on July 21, 2008 and reached the North Pole on July 25, 2008, which sets a speed record for the ship (the trip lasted 4 days instead of 7).