Mikhail Osipovich Britnev (russian: Михаил Осипович Бритнев; 1822–1889) was a Russian shipowner and shipbuilder, who created the first

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

- hull

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

named ''

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

'' in 1864.№ 2932. Серия «Русские кораблестроители». 200 лет со дня рождения М.О. Бритнева (1822–1889), инженера-судостроителя, изобретателя первого в мире ледокола
rusmarka.ru Britnev was bourn to a prominent family of merchants that settled in Kronstadt in 1736. His relative Galaktion Britnev served as the city mayor from 1808 to 1815 and established a private theater in Kronstadt. His other relatives, Alexander and Gavriil, were members of the Kronstadt City Duma. Mikhail completed his education in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, and then briefly worked in business in Kronstadt and Oranienbaum. In the 1840s he moved to England to study shipbuilding, and after returning to Kronstadt founded his own shipbuilding workshops there. They were built by 1858, and by 1868 turned into a shipbuilding, foundry and mechanical plant. One of the first government orders executed by the Britnev's plant was the ''Miner''

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

, which was built in 1867. The plant then mostly worked for the Russian Naval Ministry, building

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s and overhauling steamships. From 1870 to 1879 the plant built 12 large iron barges, one of which served as far as in

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

, a steam barge, and five mine ships. During its first twenty years, the plant had completed approximately 60 steamships and barges. The number of government orders had greatly reduced in the 1880s. During those years, Britnev built two passenger steamships, ''Boi'' and ''Bui''. ''Bui'' was the most powerful and the last, 69th, ship of Britnev.

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Вестник Регистра морского судоходства России
{{DEFAULTSORT:Britnev, Mikhail Osipovich Inventors from the Russian Empire 1822 births 1889 deaths Marine engineers from the Russian Empire