Rosatom’s “Icebreaker of Knowledge” left for the North Pole

Maxim Dreval, Director General of Znanie Russian Society, is invited as the special guest of the fifth expedition made with the support of Rosatom


Rosatom’s Fifth Scientific and Educational Expedition “Icebreaker of Knowledge” left from Murmansk on August 13. This is the first international expedition under the project. It is organized by the network of Nuclear Energy Information Centers with the support of Rosatom and Znanie Russian Society. The expedition is timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the nuclear icebreaker fleet.

“Rosatom is delighted to welcome the participants of the Icebreaker of Knowledge expedition. Our team is especially honored that the expedition acquired international status in the year of the 65th anniversary of the nuclear icebreaker fleet. Fifteen participants of the World Youth Festival, children from the countries where we are actively deploying nuclear technologies, and the best Russian schoolchildren will become the true team. The Arctic unites talented and goal-oriented people! I wish you good luck!” said Leonid Irlitsa, Director General of Atomflot, at the ceremonial start of the Rosatom Arctic expedition “Icebreaker of Knowledge.”

“The crew is ready for the voyage along the route from Murmansk to the North Pole and back to Murmansk. Ahead, you have the most exciting journey of your life. We will show you the Arctic as we, sailors of the nuclear icebreaker fleet, see it. The icebreaker will cover one thousand two hundred miles on the voyage to the North Pole. We aim to reach the top of the planet on August 17,” said Ruslan Sasov, Сaptain of the nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy, and gave the command to start the voyage.

Maxim Dreval, Director General of Znanie Russian Society, is invited as the special guest of the expedition. “It is hard to convey emotions looking at this technological miracle, the height of engineering achievement. I feel proud of my country and this pride gets more intense when I realize that this miracle has been created by our people. Today we are not just going on an expedition, but for the first time ever we will bring the light of knowledge from the northernmost point of the planet. I am glad that the Znanie Russian Society has the opportunity to become part of this unique Rosatom project. Our partners, just like us, are focused on creating new opportunities for the development of young people, and this is what makes us united. I am sure that all participants of the expedition will have unforgettable impressions!” he said.

On the voyage, the participants will be presented with the structure and operation of the icebreaker. They will also see the unique nature of the Arctic, and get an opportunity to send postcards to their relatives from the northernmost post office on Franz Josef Land. For the first time on the expedition, Rosatom and Znanie Society will hold the northernmost lecture course including lectures of scientists, teachers and science bloggers to schoolchildren. Among the speakers of the northernmost lecture course, there are Artem Oganov, Russian crystallographer-theorist, mineralogist, chemist, teacher, professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Stanislav Drobyshevsky, paleoanthropologist and popularizer of scientific knowledge; Andrey Akatov, senior lecturer of the Department of Engineering Radioecology and Radiochemical Technology of St. Petersburg State Institute of Technology; and others.

In addition, for the first time, they will make a documentary series about the life of an international team of schoolchildren participating in the voyage on the nuclear-powered vessel in harsh Arctic conditions. The expedition is expected to last until August 22.

Photo: © Rosatom