Icebreaker museum moors in downtown Murmansk
The historical nuclear icebreaker “Lenin” was today towed from the Atomflot base to the sea terminal in downtown Murmansk. There, the icebreaker – the world’s first nuclear-powered vessel of its kind – will serve as museum, hotel, conference centre and sport complex.
Vyacheslav Ruksha, head of Atomflot – the base for the Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers – says the vessel poses no radiation hazard. He adds that talks are now being held with the Kaliningrad Maritime Museum about how to organize the museum, Ekho Moscow
reports.
That musem will have exhibits from the Russian Arctic and display the development of Russian icebreaker transport in Russian Arctic waters.
However, the retired icebreaker will house more than only a museum. According to Marina Kovtun from the Murmansk regional government, the vessel will house also a high-standard hotel, a sport complex, a conference hall and a restaurant, Newsru.com reports.
The “Lenin” was the first ever nuclear-fuelled civil vessel. Construction of the 19 ton deadweight and 134 meter long vessel was started in 1956 and the ship served in the Russian Arctic until 1989.
