On November 18, in St. Petersburg, President of Russia Vladimir Putin took part via videoconference in the keel-laying ceremony for the Project 22220 sixth serial-produced universal nuclear-powered icebreaker Stalingrad. The ceremony took place at the Baltic Shipyard JSC (St. Petersburg) on the eve of a significant date for our country: November 19, 1942, the Soviet counteroffensive began near Stalingrad, codenamed Operation Uranus, which changed history forever. The ceremony was attended by Igor Rudenya, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District; Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade (via video link); Andrey Bocharov, Governor of the Volgograd Region; Aleхey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom; Andrey Puchkov, Chief Executive Officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation JSC; Pavel Vinokurov, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War and participant in the Battle of Stalingrad; and others.
Vladimir Putin opened the solemn ceremony. The head of state addressed the audience via videoconference with a welcoming speech. “The tasks before us are, without exaggeration, historic. It is important to consistently strengthen Russia’s position in the Arctic, fully realize our country’s logistics potential, and ensure the development of a promising Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok”, he said.
The head of Rosatom noted that in the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and the Russian nuclear power industry, nuclear workers feel the connection between the times especially keenly. “The first Soviet atomic bomb deprived our enemies of the monopoly on nuclear weapons and ensured peace for decades. Today our atomic power is a tool for creation. A nuclear-powered icebreaker is a peaceful atom in the service of people and the state”, said Alexey Likhachev.
Andrei Bocharov spoke at the ceremony via videoconference, and Pavel Vinokurov presented a capsule containing soil from Mamayev Kurgan to Aleksey Likhachev. He noticed: “Let this powerful icebreaker, bearing the name of our greatest battle, pave the way through the ice as steadfastly and courageously as our soldiers marched to Victory. Steer the course! And remember – Russia is with you!”
The honorary right to place the fitting board on the first section of the sixth serial-produced universal nuclear-powered icebreaker Stalingrad was granted to Igor Rudenya, Alexey Likhachev, Pavel Vinokurov and Daniil Kononov, a participant in the Rosatom Arctic expedition Icebreaker of Knowledge (Ledokol Znanii).
