Ivan Kruzenstern (icebreaker)

Ivan Kruzenstern (Иван Крузенштерн) is a Russian icebreaker. It is one of twelve Project 97A icebreakers built by Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad, Soviet Union, 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 sixth of twelve Project 97A icebreakers was laid down at Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad on 20 January 1964, launched on 29 April 1964, and delivered to the Baltic Sea Shipping Company on 27 October 1964. Initially named simply Ledokol-6 (Ледокол-6), Russian for "icebreaker", it was renamed Ivan Kruzenstern in 1966 after the Imperial Russian Navy admiral and explorer Adam Johann von Krusenstern (1770–1846). The icebreaker was stationed in Leningrad.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ivan Kruzenstern passed over to the successor state, Russia. The icebreaker was owned by Port of Saint Petersburg in 1995–2005 before joining Rosmorport's fleet. The original main engines were replaced with 1500 kW 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 6L26 units in 1997.

On 26 September 2007, Ivan Kruzenstern's wheelhouse was damaged by fire while the icebreaker was undergoing refit at Kronstadt Marine Plant, causing 19 million rubles worth of damage.

, Ivan Kruzenstern is one of the two Project 97A icebreakers still in service.