RS participates in Icebreakers Fest in St. Petersburg (photo release)
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), a leading classification society, has taken part, as a member of Organizing Committee, in the world's first Icebreakers Festival. The festival is held in St. Petersburg on April 29-May 4, 2014, the RS press release said.
The event, organized by a branch World Ocean Museum Branch in St. Petersburg, “Icebreaker Krasin”, is timed and dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Russian icebreakers fleet. The Icebreakers Fest was organized in cooperation with the FSUE “Rosmorport” North-West Basin Branch with support of the Marine Council of the Government of St. Petersburg.
In 1864, a Kronstadt shipowner Michael Britnev proposed a new concept changing the hull shape of steamship “Pilot" so the ship could drive its bow onto the ice to break it under her weight. On April 1864 the upgraded vessel set out on her maiden voyage.
In honor of this event five existing icebreakers of the North-West Basin Branch of Rosmorport: "St. Petersburg", "Moskva", "Mudyug" "Ivan Krusenstern," and "Kapitan Zarubin" moored at the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment and the Promenade des Anglais. The event organizers will hold open house days on May 3, 4 on board the icebreakers for news media, the locals and guests of St. Petersburg.
Diesel-electric icebreaker "St. Petersburg" is the second vessel in the 21900-series icebreakers. The 16MW double-decker icebreaker was built in 2009 at Baltiysky Shipyard to RS class. A team of engineers who designed the vessel were awarded (including RS Chief engineer Vladimir Yevenko) by the Russian government in 2013.
Icebreakers of project 21900 are designed to assist and escort large tankers with 50-m beam in the Gulf of Finland during winter shipping season, for towing vessels in ice covered and open water, for cargo transportation, for emergency response and rescue of vessels in distress, for fire fighting, for equipment supply for oil / chemicals spills in the open sea. Today Vyborg Shipyard is building the modification of the well-proven 21900 series, icebreakers of project 21900M.