The Nuclear Icebreaker Fleet and Its Role in the Economic Development of the Northern Sea Route

This scientific article studies the development of nuclear icebreakers, the history of their commissioning and service; the growth of nuclear icebreaker capacity is investigated. The Soviet and Russian stages of their history have been compared. A diagram of this development was constructed. Key tactical and technical data of nuclear icebreakers are compared; their proportionality and similarity are proved. The prospects of the nuclear icebreaker fleet development are investigated. The growth of cargo turnover along the Northern Sea Route in 1933–2022 is analyzed and systematized. The development of nuclear icebreakers is compared with the growth of cargo turnover along the Northern Sea Route, their interdependence is proved; the diagram of this interdependence is constructed. The reasons for the influence of both the development of the human economy and political events in and around Russia on the changes in the grouping of nuclear icebreakers are revealed. It is identified that the volumes of transportations along the Northern Sea Route in the 21st century are many times higher than in the Soviet era, largely due to the growth of the quality and quantity of the nuclear icebreaker fleet. The reasons for the reduction of the nuclear icebreaker fleet at the beginning of the 21st century under the influence of the general temporary reduction of cargo flows along the Northern Sea Route are shown. Maximum small and optimal sizes of nuclear icebreakers grouping for effective operation of the Northern Sea Route are specified.