Project 97 icebreakers and their derivatives are a diverse series of diesel-electric

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 ...

s and other icebreaking vessels built in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. In total, 32 vessels were built in various configurations for both civilian and naval service in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, and several remain in service in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Background and construction

In the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union began developing a new diesel-electric icebreaker design that could meet the needs of both civilian and naval operators. At the time, the merchant marine relied largely on ageing steam-powered icebreakers, many of which had been built during the

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

era and would reach the end of their operational life in the coming years. In addition, the

Soviet Border Troops The Soviet Border Troops (russian: Пограничные войска СССР, Pogranichnyye voyska SSSR) were the border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to the Soviet state security agency: first to the ''Cheka''/State Political Di ...

possessed just one ice-capable vessel for patrolling the country's northern border, Project 52 ''Purga'', which had been

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

already in 1938 but did not enter service until 1957. Technical development of the new icebreakers was entrusted to

Leningrad 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 ...

-based Central Design Bureau No. 15, today known as

Central Design Bureau "Iceberg" Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and part of the state-owned

United Shipbuilding Corporation , romanized_name = , former_name = , type = State owned enterprise , traded_as = , industry = Shipbuilding, Defense industry , genre = , fate = , predecessor = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct ...

, which based the hull lines on the Swedish-built steam-powered icebreaker ''Eisbär'' which Germany had handed over to the Soviet Union as

war reparations War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. History Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history. R ...

in 1946. Discussions during technical meetings sometimes became heated as

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Architecture, Occupations ...

s tried to include both civilian and naval requirements into the design. One of the sources of disagreement was the bow propeller which was considered essential for icebreaking operations in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

and other non-Arctic waters but susceptible to damage in heavier Arctic ice conditions. Once the final design had been developed, the construction of the Project 97 icebreakers and their derivatives was awarded to the Leningrad-based

Admiralty Shipyard The JSC Admiralty Shipyards (russian: link=no, Адмиралтейские верфи) (''formerly Soviet Shipyard No. 194'') is one of the oldest and largest shipyards in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg. The shipyard's building ways can ac ...

. The construction of the first series, which consisted of largely similar triple-screw icebreakers, proceeded at a rapid rate: the hulls were assembled side by side on the

slipway A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...

and launched at a technical readiness of 60 to 80 %. In 1960–1971, the shipyard delivered up to three vessels annually, often in different configurations, while simultaneously implementing various technical improvements devised during the operation of the first vessels of the series. The second series with twin-screw eight Project 97P patrol vessels and one Project 97N

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

was built in 1973–1981. With a total of 32 vessels built in various configurations over more than two decades, Project 97 is the largest and longest-running class of icebreakers and icebreaking vessels built in the world. With the exception of

nuclear-powered icebreaker A nuclear-powered icebreaker is an icebreaker with an Nuclear marine propulsion, onboard nuclear power plant that produces power for the vessel's propulsion system. , Russia is the only country that builds and operates nuclear-powered icebreakers ...

s, they were also the only domestically-built post-war icebreaking vessels in the Soviet Union and later Russia until the construction of

Project 21900 icebreaker Project 21900 icebreakers and their derivative designs are a series of Russian diesel-electric icebreakers built in the 2000s. They are also sometimes referred to using the type size series designation LK-16.The type size series designation "LK ...

s in the late 2000s.

General characteristics

All Project 97 variants had a

length overall __NOTOC__ Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, an ...

between and a maximum beam from . Fully laden, the vessels drew between of water corresponding to a full load displacement ranging from with the later patrol and research vessel variants being somewhat larger than the early icebreakers. The hull form, derived from an older Swedish-built icebreaker, featured a round midship with pronounced

tumblehome Tumblehome is a term describing a hull which grows narrower above the waterline than its beam. The opposite of tumblehome is flare. A small amount of tumblehome is normal in many naval architecture designs in order to allow any small projection ...

and practically no flat bottom or sides. While the curved hull lines resulted in low resistance and high maneuverability in ice, the vessels were very uncomfortable in open water due to excessive rolling. Both twin- and triple-screw Project 97 variants shared the same diesel-electric power plant with three

direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...

(DC) main

diesel generator A diesel generator (DG) (also known as a diesel Genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of engine generator. A diesel compression- ...

s. The 10-cylinder 13D100

two-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being comple ...

opposed-piston An opposed-piston engine is a piston engine in which each cylinder has a piston at both ends, and no cylinder head. Petrol and diesel opposed-piston engines have been used mostly in large-scale applications such as ships, military tanks, and f ...

main

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

s were in fact reverse-engineered

Fairbanks Morse 38 8-1/8 diesel engine The Fairbanks-Morse 38 8-1/8 is a diesel engine of the two-stroke, opposed-piston type. It was developed in the 1930s, and is similar in arrangement to a contemporary series of German Bombers aircraft diesels. The engine was used extensively in US ...

s manufactured by the

Malyshev Factory The Malyshev Factory ( uk , Завод імені В.О. Малишева, translit=Zavod imeni V.O. Malysheva; abbreviated ), formerly the Kharkov Locomotive Factory (, ), is a state-owned manufacturer of heavy equipment in Kharkiv, Ukraine. It ...

in the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

. The engines were coupled to double-armature DC generators (2 × 625 ) that provided power to electric propulsion motors driving two fixed pitch propellers in the stern and, on variants with a third propeller, a electric motor driving a propeller in the bow. During initial icebreaking trials, triple-screw Project 97 variants were able to break thick level ice with a snow layer on top at very slow but continuous speed. However, the later twin-screw variants were expected to have slightly lower icebreaking capability.

Icebreakers

Project 97

Three Project 97 icebreakers were built for the Soviet Navy: ''

Dobrynya Nikitich Dobrynya Nikitich (russian: Добрыня Никитич) is one of the most popular bogatyrs (epic knights) from Russian folklore. Albeit fictional, this character is based on a real warlord Dobrynya, who led the armies of Svyatoslav the Grea ...

'' for the

Northern Fleet Severnyy flot , image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem , start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...

, '' Purga'' for the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

, and '' Vyuga'' for the Pacific Fleet. While initially armed with 57 mm and 25 mm deck guns, the vessels were later disarmed. }) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 760 , align="center" , 20 December 1959 , align="center" , 10 May 1960 , align="center" , 31 December 1960 , align="center" , 1960–1998 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , '' Purga'' ( rus, Пурга) , align="center" ,

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

for "

blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...

" , align="center" , 761 , align="center" , 31 May 1960 , align="center" , 10 December 1960 , align="center" , 23 October 1961 , align="center" , 1961–2012 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , '' Vyuga'' ( rus, Вьюга) , align="center" , Russian for "

" , align="center" , 763 , align="center" , 5 May 1961 , align="center" , 20 January 1962 , align="center" , 16 July 1962 , align="center" , 1962–1991 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -

Project 97А

The series of unarmed icebreakers built for the

Ministry of the Maritime Fleet The Ministry of the Maritime Fleet (Minmorflot; russian: Министерство морского флота СССР) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union. The Merchant Maritime Fleet of the USSR is abbreviated Morflot (). All Soviet ...

of the Soviet Union, Project 97A, is the most numerous variant of the Project 97 family with twelve vessels built between 1961 and 1971. While initially named simply ''Ledokol'' ( rus, Ледокол, icebreaker) followed by a running number, in 1966 they were given individual names to honor famous

n and Soviet polar explorers. , three Project 97A icebreakers remain in service with Rosmorport's North-Western Basin Branch in the

: '' Ivan Kruzenstern'', '' Yuriy Lisyanskiy'', and ''

Semyon Dezhnev Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnyov ( rus, Семён Ива́нович Дежнёв, p=sʲɪˈmʲɵn ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ dʲɪˈʐnʲɵf; sometimes spelled Dezhnyov; c. 1605 – 1673) was a Russian explorer of Siberia and the first European to sail through t ...

''. }; 1966–1989)''Ledokol-1'' ( rus, Ледокол-1; 1961–1966) , align="center" ,

Vasili Pronchishchev Vasili Vasilyevich Pronchishchev (russian: Василий Васильевич Прончищев) (1702–) was a Russian explorer. In 1718, Vasili Pronchishchev graduated from Moscow School of Mathematics and Navigation and was promoted to nava ...

, align="center" , 6500765 , align="center" , 762 , align="center" , 13 December 1960 , align="center" , 28 April 1961 , align="center" , 30 December 1961 , align="center" , 1961–1989 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Afanasy Nikitin Afanasy Nikitin (russian: Афана́сий Ники́тин; died 1472) was a Russian merchant from Tver and one of the first Europeans (after Niccolò de' Conti) to travel to and document his visit to India. He described his trip in a narrat ...

'' ( rus, Афанасий Никитин; 1966–1995)''Ledokol-2'' ( rus, Ледокол-2; 1962–1966) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 6500791 , align="center" , 764 , align="center" , 1 November 1961 , align="center" , 31 May 1962 , align="center" , 1 November 1962 , align="center" , 1962–1995 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Khariton Laptev Khariton Prokofievich Laptev (russian: Харитон Прокофьевич Лаптев) (1700–1763) was a Russian naval officer and Arctic explorer. Khariton Laptev was born in a gentry family in the village of Pokarevo near Velikiye Luki (in ...

'' ( rus, Харитон Лаптев; 1966–1996)''Ledokol-3'' ( rus, Ледокол-3; 1962–1966) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 6500806 , align="center" , 765 , align="center" , 10 February 1962 , align="center" , 11 August 1962 , align="center" , 25 December 1962 , align="center" , 1962–1996 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''Poyar'' ( rus, Пояр; 1988)'' Vasiliy Poyarkov'' ( rus, Василий Поярков; 1966–1988)''Ledokol-4'' ( rus, Ледокол-4; 1963–1966) , align="center" ,

Vassili Poyarkov Vassili Danilovich Poyarkov (Василий Данилович Поярков in Russian, ? - after 1668) was the first Russian explorer of the Amur region. The Russian expansion into Siberia began with the conquest of the Khanate of Sibir in 158 ...

, align="center" , 6500777 , align="center" , 766 , align="center" , 13 August 1962 , align="center" , 16 March 1963 , align="center" , 26 July 1963 , align="center" , 1963–1988 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Yerofey Khabarov Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov or Svyatitsky (russian: Ерофе́й Па́влович Хаба́ров (Святи́тский), ; the first name is often spelled Ярофей (Yarofey) in contemporary accounts; 1603 – after 1671), was a Russia ...

'' ( rus, Ерофей Хабаров; 1966–1993)''Ledokol-5'' ( rus, Ледокол-5; 1963–1966) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 6500789 , align="center" , 767 , align="center" , 5 April 1963 , align="center" , 24 August 1963 , align="center" , 7 December 1963 , align="center" , 1963–1993 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , '' Ivan Kruzenstern'' ( rus, Иван Крузенштерн; 1966–present)''Ledokol-6'' ( rus, Ледокол-6; 1964–1966) , align="center" ,

Adam Johann von Krusenstern Adam Johann von Krusenstern (also Krusenstjerna in Swedish; russian: Ива́н Фёдорович Крузенште́рн, tr. ; 10 October 177012 August 1846) was a Russian admiral and explorer, who led the first Russian circumnavigation o ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 768 , align="center" , 20 January 1964 , align="center" , 29 April 1964 , align="center" , 27 October 1964 , align="center" , 1964–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , Ivan Kruzenstern in Kronstadt Saint Petersburg 21 February 2018

Ivan Kruzenstern in Kronstadt Saint Petersburg 21 February 2018

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''Vlad'' (1988)''

Vladimir Rusanov Vladimir Alexandrovich Rusanov (russian: Влади́мир Алекса́ндрович Руса́нов; – ca. 1913) was a Russian geologist and Arctic explorer. Early life Rusanov was born in a merchant's family in Oryol, Russia. His early ...

'' ( rus, Владимир Русанов; 1966–1988)''Ledokol-7'' ( rus, Ледокол-7; 1964–1966) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 6508171 , align="center" , 769 , align="center" , 30 March 1964 , align="center" , 25 July 1964 , align="center" , 28 December 1964 , align="center" , 1964–1988 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Semyon Chelyuskin Semyon Ivanovich Chelyuskin (; c. 1700 – 1764) was a Russian polar explorer and naval officer. Chelyuskin graduated from the Navigation School in Moscow. He first became a deputy navigator while serving in the Baltic Fleet (1726) and later pr ...

'' ( rus, Семён Челюскин; 1966–1988)''Ledokol-8'' ( rus, Ледокол-8; 1965–1966) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 6514522 , align="center" , 770 , align="center" , 12 December 1964 , align="center" , 28 February 1965 , align="center" , 11 August 1965 , align="center" , 1965–1988 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , '' Yuriy Lisyanskiy'' ( rus, Юрий Лисянский; 1966–present)''Ledokol-9'' ( rus, Ледокол-9; 1965–1966) , align="center" ,

Yuri Lysianskyi Yuri Fedorovych Lysianskyi (also spelled as Urey Lisiansky and Lisianski and Lysyansky) ( uk, Юрій Федорович Лисянський, ; russian: Ю́рий Фёдорович Лися́нский, , 1(13) April 1773 – 6 March 1837) wa ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 772 , align="center" , 30 June 1965 , align="center" , 31 August 1965 , align="center" , 30 December 1965 , align="center" , 1965–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , Eisbrecher YURI LISYANSKY (russ

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Fyodor Litke Fyodor, Fedor (russian: Фёдор) or Feodor is the Russian form of the name "Theodore" meaning “God’s Gift”. Fedora () is the feminine form. Fyodor and Fedor are two English transliterations of the same Russian name. It may refer to: Giv ...

'' ( rus, Фёдор Литке) , align="center" ,

Friedrich von Lütke Friedrich may refer to: Names * Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' * Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other * Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Year ...

, align="center" , 7020085 , align="center" , 780 , align="center" , 12 January 1970 , align="center" , 29 July 1970 , align="center" , 14 December 1970 , align="center" , 1970–2013 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Ivan Moskvitin Ivan Yuryevich Moskvitin (russian: Иван Юрьевич Москвитин) (? - after 1647) was a Russian explorer, presumably a native of Moscow, who led a Russian reconnaissance party to the Sea of Okhotsk, becoming the first Russian to reac ...

'' ( rus, Иван Москвитин) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 7117383 , align="center" , 781 , align="center" , 2 November 1970 , align="center" , 25 March 1971 , align="center" , 1 September 1971 , align="center" , 1971–1997 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , ''

'' ( rus, Семён Дежнёв) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , , align="center" , 782 , align="center" , 30 March 1971 , align="center" , 31 August 1971 , align="center" , 28 December 1971 , align="center" , 1971–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , , align="center" , , -

Project 97K

Two unarmed Project 97A icebreakers built for the Soviet Navy, ''

Ilya Muromets Ilya Muromets (russian: Илья Муромец), or Ilya of Murom, sometimes Ilya Murometz, is one of the ''bogatyrs'' (epic knights) in Bylinas of Kievan Rus. He is often featured alongside fellow bogatyrs Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Pop ...

'' for the Pacific Fleet and '' Buran'' for the Baltic Fleet, are sometimes considered as a separate subclass, Project 97K. , ''Buran'' remains in service with the Baltic Fleet. }) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 771 , align="center" , 10 March 1965 , align="center" , 30 June 1965 , align="center" , 28 December 1965 , align="center" , 1965–1993 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , Ledokol-Il'yaMuromets(DN-SC-91-01134)

, align="center" , , - , align="left" , '' Buran'' ( rus, Буран) , align="center" , Russian for "blizzard" , align="center" , 773 , align="center" , 21 January 1966 , align="center" , 16 May 1966 , align="center" , 24 October 1966 , align="center" , 1966–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , Buran icebraker

, align="center" , , -

Project 97E

Project 97E was an unarmed icebreaker variant built for

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. The vessel, , was operated by the state-owned shipping company Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei Rostock (BBB) until the

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

in 1990 and Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Stralsund until its decommissioning in 2005. In 2005, the decommissioned ''Stephan Jantzen'' was sold by the German state in an online auction to Beta Mar Limited, a shipping company registered in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, for 430,000 euro and renamed ''Stephan''. However, the buyer forfeited the 40,000 euro downpayment and never collected the vessel. In the following years, the vessel changed owners, flags and names several times without ever leaving Rostock while plans to convert the old icebreaker into a luxury yacht were first presented and then abandoned. Finally the vessel, confiscated due to outstanding debts from berth and security fees, was acquired by the City of Rostock in 2018 and returned to the care of the non-profit organization which had looked after it until 2012. After extensive clean-up and renovations, the vessel was opened to the public as a

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

Patrol vessels

Project 97AP

Project 97AP ( rus, 97АП) was an armed patrol icebreaker variant built for the Soviet Navy. Built with increased autonomy time and operating range, they were intended to patrol the western and eastern ends of the

Northern Sea Route The Northern Sea Route (NSR) (russian: Се́верный морско́й путь, ''Severnyy morskoy put'', shortened to Севморпуть, ''Sevmorput'') is a shipping route officially defined by Russian legislation as lying east of Nov ...

. The armament was later dismantled. ''

Peresvet Peresvet (russian: Пересве́т) is a town in Sergiyevo-Posadsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Kunya River (Dubna's tributary) northeast of Moscow and north of Sergiyev Posad, the administrative center of the district. ...

'', which was previously assigned to the

Northern Fleet Severnyy flot , image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem , start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...

, was decommissioned in 2011 and later scrapped. ''

Sadko Sadko (russian: Садко) is the principal character in a Russian medieval epic '' bylina''. He was an adventurer, merchant, and '' gusli'' musician from Novgorod. Textual notes "Sadko" is a version of the tale translated by Arthur Ransome ...

'', assigned to the Pacific Fleet, was expended as target during the Umka-2022 military drills in September 2022. }) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 777 , align="center" , 20 June 1967 , align="center" , 28 June 1968 , align="center" , 6 November 1968 , align="center" , 1968–2022 , align="center" , Sunk as target , align="center" , PSKR-Sadko(DN-SC-92-01837)

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

'' ( rus, Пересвет) , align="center" ,

Alexander Peresvet Alexander Peresvet – also spelled Peresviet (Russian language, Russian: Александр Пересвет, d. 8 September 1380) – was a Russian Orthodox monk who fought in a single combat with the Tatar champion Temir-murza (known in most R ...

, align="center" , 778 , align="center" , 10 July 1968 , align="center" , 29 January 1969 , align="center" , 28 July 1970 , align="center" , 1970–2011 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -

Project 97P

Project 97P ( rus, 97П) was developed as a response to the renewed interest of the Soviet Navy and Border Troops on icebreaking patrol vessels after

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

and

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...

icebreakers began appearing more frequently near the country's northern maritime borders. New icebreaking patrol vessels were needed because existing Soviet naval vessels could not operate in ice-covered waters and large icebreakers, in addition to being unarmed and operated by civilians, could not be distracted from their primary mission of escorting merchant ships. Project 97 was selected as the design basis following positive operational experience and the difficulties associated with developing a new design. The Project 97P design, developed by Central Design Bureau "Iceberg", was slightly longer than the preceding icebreakers, lacked the damage-prone bow propeller, and featured a bigger deckhouse built of aluminum-magnesium alloy to reduce weight. A helideck capable of receiving a

Kamov JSC Kamov (russian: Камов) is a Russian rotorcraft manufacturing company based in Lyubertsy, Russia. The Kamov Design Bureau ( design office prefix Ka) has more recently specialised in compact helicopters with coaxial rotors, suitable for n ...

Ka-25 The Kamov Ka-25 (NATO reporting name "Hormone") is a naval helicopter, developed for the Soviet Navy in the USSR from 1958. Design and development In the late 1950s there was an urgent demand for anti-submarine helicopters for deployment on ne ...

Ka-27 The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name 'Helix') is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 a ...

helicopter was fitted over the aft deck. The armament consisted of a twin 76 mm AK-726 deck gun and two 30 mm

AK-630 The AK-630 is a Soviet and Russian fully automatic naval, rotary cannon, close-in weapon system. The "630" designation refers to the weapon's six gun barrels and their 30 mm caliber. The system is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and dir ...

close-in weapon system A close-in weapon system (CIWS ) is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of ...

s. , four Project 97P patrol ships remain in service: ''

Ivan Susanin Ivan Susanin ( rus, Иван Сусанин, p=ɪˈvan sʊˈsanʲɪn; died 1613) was a Russian national hero and martyr of the early-17th-century Time of Troubles. According to the popular legend, Polish troops seeking to kill Tsar Mikhail hire ...

'' with the Pacific Fleet and '' Ruslan'' with the

Northern Fleet Severnyy flot , image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem , start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...

, both with their armaments removed, and ''

Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it ...

'' and ''

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...

'' with the Border Service. }) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , , align="center" , 02650 , align="center" , 31 July 1972 , align="center" , 28 February 1973 , align="center" , 30 December 1973 , align="center" , 1973–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , PSKR-IvanSusanin(DN-SN-85-07195)

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , '' Aysberg'' ( rus, Айсберг) , align="center" , Russian for "

iceberg An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...

" , align="center" , , align="center" , 02651 , align="center" , 17 October 1973 , align="center" , 27 April 1974 , align="center" , 25 December 1974 , align="center" , 1974–2006 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , '' Ruslan'' ( rus, Руслан) , align="center" , Ruslan , align="center" , , align="center" , 02652 , align="center" , 26 December 1973 , align="center" , 28 May 1974 , align="center" , 26 September 1975 , align="center" , 1975–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Anadyr Anadyr may refer to: *Anadyr (town), a town and the administrative center of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr District *Anadyr Estuary *Anadyr (river), a river in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr Highlands *Anadyr Lowlands *Operati ...

'' ( rus, Анадырь; 1992–2019)''Imeni XXV syezda KPSS'' ( rus, Имени XXV съезда КПСС; 1976–1992)''Dnepr'' ( rus, Днепр; 1976) , align="center" ,

25th Congress of the CPSU

Dnepr River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 02653 , align="center" , 16 July 1975 , align="center" , 14 February 1976 , align="center" , 30 September 1976 , align="center" , 1976–2019 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , PSKR-ImeniXXVsezdaKPSS(DN-SN-86-01480)

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , '' Dunay'' ( rus, Дунай) , align="center" ,

Danube River The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 02654 , align="center" , 24 December 1976 , align="center" , 5 August 1977 , align="center" , 31 December 1977 , align="center" , 1977–2017 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , ''

'' ( rus, Нева) , align="center" ,

Neva River The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it i ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 02655 , align="center" , 23 November 1977 , align="center" , 28 July 1978 , align="center" , 27 December 1978 , align="center" , 1978–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , , align="center" , , - , align="left" , ''

'' ( rus, Волга) , align="center" ,

Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...

, align="center" , 8640246 , align="center" , 02656 , align="center" , 27 February 1979 , align="center" , 19 April 1980 , align="center" , 26 December 1980 , align="center" , 1980–present , align="center" , In service , align="center" , PSKR-Volga(DN-SN-91-00620)

, align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...

'' ( rus, Мурманск; 1996–2013)''Irtysh'' ( rus, Иртыш; 1992–1996)''Imeni XXVI syezda KPSS'' ( rus, Имени XXVI съезда КПСС; 1981–1992) , align="center" ,

Irtysh River The Irtysh ( otk, 𐰼𐱅𐰾:𐰇𐰏𐰕𐰏, Ertis ügüzüg, mn, Эрчис мөрөн, ''Erchis mörön'', "erchleh", "twirl"; russian: Иртыш; kk, Ертіс, Ertis, ; Chinese: 额尔齐斯河, pinyin: ''É'ěrqísī hé'', Xiao'erj ...

26th Congress of the CPSU The 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (''26th Congress of the CPSU'', rus, XXVI съезд КПСС) opened on February 23, 1981, with a five-hour address by the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the chairman ( ...

, align="center" , , align="center" , 02657 , align="center" , 22 April 1980 , align="center" , 3 July 1981 , align="center" , 25 December 1981 , align="center" , 1981–2013 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -

Other variants

Project 97D

Project 97D ( rus, 97Д) was a

hydrographic survey vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

variant built for the Ministry of the Maritime Fleet of the Soviet Union to survey the

. While otherwise nearly identical to baseline Project 97 icebreakers, these two vessels were fitted with additional scientific facilities,

echosounder Echo sounding or depth sounding is the use of sonar for ranging, normally to determine the depth of water (bathymetry). It involves transmitting acoustic waves into water and recording the time interval between emission and return of a pulse; ...

s to conduct

hydrographic survey Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/offshore oil drilling and related activities. Strong emphasis is placed ...

, and accommodation for an additional 14 personnel. However, they were also used for icebreaking operations from time to time. }; 1975–1997)''Mendeleev'' ( rus, Менделеев; 1971–1975)''Pyotr Pakhtusov'' ( rus, Пётр Пахтусов; 1966–1971)''Ledokol-10'' ( rus, Ледокол-10; 1966) , align="center" , Pyotr Pakhtusov

Dmitri Mendeleev Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (sometimes transliterated as Mendeleyev or Mendeleef) ( ; russian: links=no, Дмитрий Иванович Менделеев, tr. , ; 8 February Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._27_January.html" ;"title="O ...

, align="center" , 6614358 , align="center" , 774 , align="center" , 21 May 1966 , align="center" , 8 August 1966 , align="center" , 30 December 1966 , align="center" , 1966–1998 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -style="background:#FFFFFF;" , align="left" , ''

Georgiy Sedov Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov (russian: Гео́ргий Я́ковлевич Седо́в; – ) was a Russian Arctic explorer. Born in the village of Krivaya Kosa of Taganrog district (now Novoazovskyi Raion, Donetsk Oblast) in a fisherman's fam ...

'' ( rus, Георгий Седов) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 7117137 , align="center" , 776 , align="center" , 3 January 1966 , align="center" , 15 June 1967 , align="center" , 30 December 1967 , align="center" , 1967–1992 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , , align="center" , , -

Project 97B

Project 97B ( rus, 97Б) was a hydrographic survey vessel variant built for the Hydrographic Office of the Soviet Navy. Unlike the preceding Project 97D built for civilian service, Project 97B was a more radical departure from the original Project 97 icebreaker design with increased length and displacement to increase range and endurance, as well as an enlarged deckhouse to accommodate more personnel on board. Project 97B was also the first Project 97 variant and the only vessel from the first series built without the bow propeller. , '' Vladimir Kavrayskiy'' remains in service with the Northern Fleet as the stationary

barracks ship A barracks ship or barracks barge or berthing barge, or in civilian use accommodation vessel or accommodation ship, is a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sai ...

''PKZ-86'' in Murmansk. }; 2012–present)'' Vladimir Kavrayskiy'' ( rus, Владимир Каврайский; 1965–2012) , align="center" , Vladimir V. Kavrayskiy , align="center" , 779 , align="center" , 25 February 1969 , align="center" , 31 October 1969 , align="center" , 31 December 1969 , align="center" , 1969–present , align="center" , Used as barracks ship , align="center" , Starboard beam view of research ship and icebreaker Vladimir Kavraysky underway April 1992 DN-SN-92-07068

Starboard beam view of research ship and icebreaker Vladimir Kavraysky underway April 1992 DN-SN-92-07068

, align="center" , , -

Project 97N

Project 97N ( rus, 97Н), the final variant developed based on the Project 97 icebreaker design, was a

commissioned by the State Committee for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Control of the Soviet Union to conduct scientific research in the poorly-studied transition zone between open water and the polar ice pack. In addition to adding extensive scientific facilities and additional accommodation space, the hull lines were given more pronounced sheer and

flare A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...

to reduce the likelihood of waves breaking over the bow. The problematic rolling behavior was also addressed by increasing the rolling period from 7 to 9–10 seconds with design modifications and introducing a passive roll-reduction tank. The only Project 97N ship, ''

Otto Schmidt Otto Yulyevich Shmidt, be, Ота Юльевіч Шміт, Ota Juljevič Šmit (born Otto Friedrich Julius Schmidt; – 7 September 1956), better known as Otto Schmidt, was a Soviet scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesm ...

'', entered service in 1979. In 1991, shortly after completing its 40th scientific voyage, the vessel was laid up in Murmansk due to lack of funding. Five years later, ''Otto Schmidt'' was sold to a private company and sailed to

Alang Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard. Demographics As of the 2001 Indian census, Alan ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, for scrapping. }) , align="center" ,

, align="center" , 7828671 , align="center" , 02783 , align="center" , 27 December 1977 , align="center" , 27 December 1978 , align="center" , 31 August 1979 , align="center" , 1979–1991 , align="center" , Broken up , align="center" , 1980 CPA 5134

, align="center" , , -

References

{{reflist Icebreakers of the Soviet Union Icebreakers of Russia Ships built at Admiralty Shipyard Auxiliary icebreaker classes