On 13 August, Rosatom's sixth international Arctic expedition “Icebreaker of Knowledge” set sail fr om Murmansk. This expedition has been organized by the Atomic Energy Information Centres network with the support of Rosatom. It is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Russia's nuclear industry and the 500th anniversary since the beginning of the development of the Northern Sea Route.
The expedition will be made along the route from
Murmansk passing through the North Pole to Franz Josef Land and back to
Murmansk. The expedition is scheduled to reach the North Pole on August 17 and
return to Murmansk on August 22, the State Flag Day of the Russian Federation. Part
of the expedition will be a scientific and educational program with
international experts in the field of atomic and space technologies, scientists
and popularizers of science. During their
journey, the participants will learn about the structure and operation of a
nuclear icebreaker. They will also have the opportunity to see the unique natural
beauty of the Arctic region, make the fastest round-the-world journey ever when
they walk around the point wh ere all earth's meridians meet, and test russian
rovers for the first time ever in the harsh conditions of the North Pole.
This year, 66 schoolchildren from 21 countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia, China, and other countries have joined the expedition. Many of the foreign participants will be the first representatives of their countries to visit this northernmost point on Earth. Russian and foreign scientists, engineers, specialists in the nuclear and space industries, well-known bloggers and science popularizers will also take part in the expedition. The list of speakers includes Topan Setiadipura, Head of the Reactor Technologies Research Center at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia; Suang Trung Le, Director of the Nuclear Physics Center of the Nuclear Physics and Technology Institute at the Vietnam Institute of Atomic Energy; Alexander Tyunin, Director General of Rosatom Composite Technologies; Leonid Dedyukha, an unpaid advisor to the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, winner of the All-Russian contest "Teacher of the Year" in 2024, Ambassador of the Atomic Lesson project; Andrey Babkin test cosmonaut, Deputy Commander of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Team, and many others.
In his address to the participants of the ceremony for the "Icebreaker of Knowledge" Arctic expedition set off, Grigory Gurov, head of the Youth Affairs Federal Agency and an expert on the "Icebreaker of Knowledge 2025" expedition, pointed out: “Visiting the North Pole is a dream for many people, comparable to going into space. Joining Rosatom’s international Arctic expedition on a nuclear icebreaker is a truly unique opportunity. Those who have been chosen for this trip had to work hard to earn it and to prove that they are the best of the best. This year's competition set a record with more than 1,400 people applying for each place. In total, over 63,000 Russians and 4,000 citizens from other countries applied. For some, this was their first major success, showing that everything is achievable if you dream. Thanks to decisions made by the President of Russia, young people have the opportunity to realize their potential, brave ideas and dreams through the national project "Youth and Children".
Yakov Antonov, Director General of Atomflot (Rosatom’s company) spoke about the importance of the international Arctic expedition of Rosatom: "2025 marks 500 years since Russia began to develop the Northern Sea Route, a unique route from Europe to the Far East. We never cease to be proud of the feat of our pioneers, who fearlessly, step by step, overcame the difficult path to incredible discoveries. Russia is the only country in the world that has a nuclear icebreaker fleet, and I am sure that on the Icebreaker of Knowledge voyage, schoolchildren will be inspired by the vastness of the Arctic, and in the future they will become new discoverers, creators of breakthrough technologies, which we will also be proud of".
The scientific and educational project "Icebreaker
of Knowledge" has been organized
by the Atomic Energy Information Centres network with the support of Rosatom. It
aims to promote natural sciences and nuclear technology, discover and support
talented and gifted young people, develop their skills, and offer them career
guidance. The selection for the expedition was open to schoolchildren aged
14-16 from 21 different countries. In the sixth season of the "Icebreaker
of Knowledge" project, more than 67 thousand schoolchildren from around
the world competed to join the expedition. The winners have been chosen based
on multi-stage selection processes and the results of the “Main Recess”
competition, Sirius education programs, the Russian intellectual game
championship "Knowledge. Game," and the selection among participants
in the Rosatom Junior Movement.
About 4,000 schoolchildren from 20 different countries
participated in the competitive selection process. These countries included
Armenia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, and others. A record number of
applications were received from Kyrgyzstan (471 participants), India (492
participants), and Bangladesh (841 participants).
Over the six seasons of the project, more than 400 talented
schoolchildren have become participants in Rosatom's Arctic expeditions. In
2024, the Arctic expedition of Rosatom became international with participants
from 15 countries. The “Icebreaker of Knowledge 2025” project is part of the
plan of events to prepare for and celebrate the 500th anniversary of
the beginning of Russia's development of the Northern Sea Route, the
celebration of which was established this year by the decree of Russian
President Vladimir Putin (dated March 10, 2025).
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is the shortest shipping route connecting the western
part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region. This is a national transport
artery of Russia with a long history of development. The first reference to the
route along the seas of the Arctic Ocean dates back to 1525, when Russian
diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov put forward the idea of using it for maritime
communication between Russia and China. From that moment on, the Russian
history of the development of the Northern Sea Route began. In 2025, Russia
celebrates the 500th anniversary of the NSR development.
Russia is the only country in the world with a fleet of
nuclear icebreakers operated by Rosatom’s Atomflot. Today, the fleet includes
eight vessels.
In 2025, the Russian nuclear industry celebrates its 80th anniversary. The Soviet Union is the pioneer and world leader in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Russian scientists built the first world’s nuclear power plant in Obninsk in 1954. The first nuclear icebreaker Lenin was built in 1960 to help explorers of the Arctic. Today, Rosatom continues to develop advanced technologies and apply them in various industries. The corporation is building nuclear power plants that provide clean energy to hundreds of millions of people in dozens of countries worldwide. It also ensures the logistics for the Northern Sea Route, produces new materials, develops and manufactures nuclear medicine products. The main theme of this anniversary year can be expressed in three words: pride, inspiration, and dream. Atomists are proud of the feats of the industry founders and feel inspired by the achievements of the previous generations. They plan to continue exploring new frontiers and expand the boundaries of what is possible. The 80th anniversary of the industry is set to be celebrated with a series of events, the main one of which, the international forum "World Atomic Week", will take place in Moscow this autumn.
