Russian Diesel Icebreaker Fleet and Its Place in the Economic Development of the North

The article studies the development of Soviet and Russian marine civilian diesel icebreakers. The history of their commissioning is analyzed and the main points of their service in the North are investigated. The Soviet and Russian stages of their construction and operation, which were approximately equal in duration, were compared. The author’s diagram of this development is made. The absolute dominance of Finnish shipbuilding in the process of construction of diesel marine civil domestic icebreakers has been revealed. The reasons of transition to icebreaker building in Russia, the main problems in this direction of development are found. The values of diesel civilian icebreaker fleet necessary for effective operation of navigation in the North are determined. The existing prospects and needs for the development of diesel civil icebreaking fleet in Russia are formulated. The key tactical and technical data of sea diesel icebreakers are compared. The author’s diagram shows the outstripping growth of ice-carrying capacity with simultaneous decrease of specific power of diesel icebreakers. A brief analysis of the main events in the history of each particular icebreaker is carried out, and a set of 10 main directions of application of diesel civil icebreakers of Russia in the North is summarized. A kind of rating of these directions has been compiled, among which some very rare ones have appeared.