Afanasy Nikitin (icebreaker)

Afanasy Nikitin (Афанасий Никитин) was a Soviet and later Ukrainian icebreaker in service from 1962 until 1995. It was one of twelve Project 97A icebreakers built by Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad in 1961–1971.

Description


In the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union began developing a new diesel-electric icebreaker design based on the 1942-built steam-powered icebreaker Eisbär to meet the needs of both civilian and naval operators. Built in various configurations until the early 1980s, the Project 97 icebreakers and their derivatives became the largest and longest-running class of icebreakers and icebreaking vessels built in the world. Of the 32 ships built in total, the unarmed civilian variant Project 97A was the most numerous with twelve icebreakers built in 1961–1971.

Project 97A icebreakers were 67.7 m long overall and had a beam of 18 m. Fully laden, the vessels drew 5.35 m of water and had a displacement of 2935 t. Their three 1800 hp 10-cylinder 13D100 two-stroke opposed-piston diesel engines were coupled to generators that powered electric propulsion motors driving two propellers in the stern and a third one in the bow. Project 97A icebreakers were capable of breaking 70 to 75 cm thick snow-covered ice at very slow but continuous speed.

History
The second of twelve Project 97A icebreakers was laid down at Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad on 1 November 1961, launched on 31 May 1962, and delivered to the Black Sea Shipping Company on 1 November 1962. Initially named simply Ledokol-2 (Ледокол-6), Russian for "icebreaker", it was renamed Afanasy Nikitin in 1966 after the 15th century Russian traveler and merchant. The icebreaker was stationed in Odesa and operated in the Black Sea.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Afanasy Nikitin passed over to the successor state, Ukraine. The ownership of the vessel was transferred to Blascospetsflot in 1994.

Afanasy Nikitin was taken out of service in May 1995 and sold for scrapping in India shortly afterwards.