Ice breaker "Ermak"

Russia having most extended in the world border with the seas Ledovitogo of ocean, has historically been interested in development of Northern sea way. This idea long since excited minds of scientific and all progressive people of time. Admiral S.O.Makarov has named Russia a building inverted by the facade to ocean Ledovitomu, and in every possible way stood up before the Sea ministry about the fastest studying and the beginning of operation of this shortest and safe way in the military relation to Pacific ocean.

The idea of Mr. Makarov was supported hotly by great Russian scientist D.I.Mendeleyev who was the adviser of the Sea ministry.

As reliable means of research and development of Northern sea way of S.O.Makarov has suggested to use ice breakers.

The commission on development of the technical project on designing of the ice breaker which was headed by S.O.Makarov, included D.I.Mendeleyev... The international competition on the best project of the ice breaker to the greatest degree adequate to conditions of the technical project Has been declared. Such project was executed by English firm " Armstrong " to which have charged with construction of a vessel.

Release of the ice breaker to water has taken place in October, 1898, and on March, 1, 1899 "Ermak" has left in the first navigation. His labour life proceeding of 65 years, began from clearing from a vice of ice of the ships facing on the Kronstadt spot-check, in Revel (Tallinn) and in the Petersburg port. Then he rescues a battleship "General - admiral Apraksin" who was fallen up on stones about island Gogland in gulf of Finland. During these salvage operations the wireless telegraph invented by the teacher of mine classes of A.S.Popovym for the first time has been applied.

In the summer of 1900 "Ermak" makes the first Arctic flight terminated unsuccessfully in area of island Spitsbergen because of weakness of a forward part of the ice breaker. Therefore him send on a factory for completion of a new forward part. In January, 1901 completion has been finished, and in May "Ermak" again leaves in the Arctic expedition. However at northern part of New Land the ice breaker was clamped with continuous hummocky ice that has made his further navigation impossible.

From positions of today the Arctic campaigns "Ermak" those years also could not be successful as were made blindly, without knowledge of ice conditions. Even powerful modern nuclear ice breakers on all a transit use the exhaustive information on movement and a condition of the ice, airinvestigation collected on the basis of the data. In days of "Ermak" of such service simply did not exist, and it should be reflected in results of his Arctic navigation.

To admiral Makarovu have not allowed to continue experiences in Arctic regions, and the ice breaker have returned to Baltic.

With offers on the further tests of the ice breaker in Arctic regions in different instances D.I.Mendeleyev repeatedly addressed, but also to him refused. This refusal has caused huge damage to business of development of Arctic regions and working off of such design of the ice breaker which would provide to him effective safe navigation in polar waters. In particular, the outcome of war with Japan, in opinion of experts, could appear other, less bloody for Russia if to the beginning of this war Northern sea way has been mastered. Not casually D.I.Mendeleyev subsequently with bitterness spoke, that if though the tenth part of that is lost at Tsushima, has been spent for researches in Arctic regions, our squadron would come to Vladivostok! It would pass there, passing Tsushima, Northern sea way.

In 1918 the ice breaker forever has glorified itself rescue of Russian ships during the well-known ice campaign of the Baltic squadron from Helsingfors to Kronstadt. "Ermak" was the unique strong ice breaker at the Soviet authority. There will be no him is destiny of Russian squadron would develop tragically. Seamen of the ice breaker in this campaign have shown selfless heroism and selflessness. They seven day without dream and rest provided posting the ships, and that the fleet was not gone, and was kept for the Soviet authority, their merit is indisputable. For participation in an ice campaign "Ermak" has been awarded with a honourable revolutionary Red banner of VTSIK.

When in 1932 Northern sea way was open, the ice breaker after a 30-years break again has got to Arctic regions and worked there about day of its write-off on demolition.

In 1938 "Ermak" under command of captain V.I.Voronina has exempted from an ice captivity some tens courts, among them and to clamp in ice ice breakers "Malygins", "George Sedov" and "Sadko". The same year it twice for one navigation has passed Northern sea way.

Responsible tasks were carried out with the old ice breaker and within Great Domestic war.

In day of the fiftieth anniversary in 1949 the ice breaker has been awarded Lenin's with award. After that he has served in the north of 15 more years and in 1964 has been given on demolition.

Taking into account huge merits of the ice breaker within becoming the Soviet authority and in business of development of Arctic regions, remembering that such oustanding people are connected to his name, as admiral S.O.Makarov, great scientist D.I.Mendeleyev, the inventor of radio A.S.Popov, etc., considering, at last, his uniqueness as best sample of domestic and world shipbuilding of that time, it was necessary to keep "Ermak" as a ship - monument, having arranged in it a museum of a history of development of Northern sea way. Unfortunately, it is duly was not made, and already late.

In Murmansk the building of a study of local lore museum has monument to legendary ice breaker " Ermak ". His name since 1974 carries the powerful seven-deck ice breaker together with which the second decade works in Arctic regions other same ice breaker carrying the glorified name of the founder "Ermak" - admiral S.O.Makarova. In the world there is no, perhaps, a vessel in which destiny outstanding scientists took part so much: vice-admiral S.O.Makarov, chemist D.I.Mendeleyev, the inventor of radio A.S.Popov, the largest Russian and Soviet shipbuilder academician A.I.Krylov...