Icebreaker Sibiryakov
Encyclopedia
The icebreaker
Sibiryakov (Russian Александр Сибиряков ) was a Soviet
ship which was active in the Russia
n Arctic during the 1930s. She was built in 1909 in Glasgow
and was originally the Newfoundland
sealing steamer Bellaventure. After being purchased by Russia in 1916, she was renamed the Sibiryakov. Her Russian name was chosen in honour of Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Sibiryakov
, an Imperial Russian gold mine proprietor. Sibiryakov financed explorations to Siberia, such as Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld
's, and also took part in some expeditions of his own.
in a single navigation without wintering. This historic voyage, which had been Mikhail Lomonosov
's dream, was organized by the All-Union Arctic Institute (presently known as the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
).
Sibiryakov sailed on June 28, 1932 from the Krasny (previously Sobornoy) docks in Arkhangelsk
, crossed the Kara Sea
and chose a northern, unexplored way around Severnaya Zemlya
to the Laptev Sea
. In September, after calling at Tiksi
and the mouth of the Kolyma
, the propeller shaft broke and the icebreaker drifted for 11 days. However, the Sibiryakov crossed the Chukchi Sea
using improvised sails and arrived in the Bering Strait
in October. Sibiryakov reached the Japanese port of Yokohama
after 65 days, having covered more than 2,500 mi (4,000 km) in the Arctic seas. This was regarded as a heroic feat of Soviet polar seamen and Chief of Expedition Otto Schmidt
and Captain Vladimir Voronin
were received with many honors at their return to Russia.
under the command of Captain A. Kacharava. On August 25, 1942 she was sunk after an unequal fight with Kriegsmarine
heavy cruiser
Admiral Scheer
off the northwestern shores of Russky Island
in the Nordenskiöld Archipelago
during Operation Wunderland
. Sibiryakov was armed only with several 76-mm and 45-mm guns and was no match for the pocket battleship with 280-mm main guns. However radio transmission from Sibiryakov before and during 1-hour battle alerted east and west bound Russian convoys, allowing them to avoid the area. Most members of Sibiryakov crew and civilians died in battle or went down with the ship. 22, including severely wounded Captain Kacharava, were captured by the Germans. Only one sailor, stoker Pavel Vavilov, managed to reach Beluha island and was picked up by a Russian ship 34 or 35 days later. In total only 15 crew members survived the war.
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
Sibiryakov (Russian Александр Сибиряков ) was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
ship which was active in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Arctic during the 1930s. She was built in 1909 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and was originally the Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
sealing steamer Bellaventure. After being purchased by Russia in 1916, she was renamed the Sibiryakov. Her Russian name was chosen in honour of Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Sibiryakov
Alexander Sibiryakov
Alexander Mikhaylovich Sibiryakov was a Russian gold mine owner and explorer of Siberia....
, an Imperial Russian gold mine proprietor. Sibiryakov financed explorations to Siberia, such as Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld
Freiherr Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld , also known as A. E. Nordenskioeld was a Finnish baron, geologist, mineralogist and arctic explorer of Finnish-Swedish origin. He was a member of the prominent Finland-Swedish Nordenskiöld family of scientists...
's, and also took part in some expeditions of his own.
Service before war
Sibiryakov made the first successful crossing of the Northern Sea RouteNorthern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
in a single navigation without wintering. This historic voyage, which had been Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
's dream, was organized by the All-Union Arctic Institute (presently known as the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, or AARI is the oldest and largest Russian research institute in the field of comprehensive studies of Arctic and Antarctica...
).
Sibiryakov sailed on June 28, 1932 from the Krasny (previously Sobornoy) docks in Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
, crossed the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
and chose a northern, unexplored way around Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Russian high Arctic at around . It is located off mainland Siberia's Taymyr Peninsula across the Vilkitsky Strait...
to the Laptev Sea
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, the Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands. Its northern boundary passes from the Arctic Cape to a point with co-ordinates of 79°N and 139°E, and ends at the Anisiy...
. In September, after calling at Tiksi
Tiksi
Tiksi is an urban locality and the administrative center of Bulunsky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, situated on the Arctic Ocean coast. Population: It is one of the principal ports for accessing the Laptev Sea...
and the mouth of the Kolyma
Kolyma
The Kolyma region is located in the far north-eastern area of Russia in what is commonly known as Siberia but is actually part of the Russian Far East. It is bounded by the East Siberian Sea and the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Sea of Okhotsk to the south...
, the propeller shaft broke and the icebreaker drifted for 11 days. However, the Sibiryakov crossed the Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea. The Bering Strait forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea and the Pacific...
using improvised sails and arrived in the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
in October. Sibiryakov reached the Japanese port of Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
after 65 days, having covered more than 2,500 mi (4,000 km) in the Arctic seas. This was regarded as a heroic feat of Soviet polar seamen and Chief of Expedition Otto Schmidt
Otto Schmidt
Otto Yulyevich Schmidt was a Soviet scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, academician, Hero of the USSR , and member of the Communist Party.-Biography:He was born in Mogilev, Russian Empire...
and Captain Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Voronin (Captain)
Vladimir Ivanovich Voronin was a Soviet Navy captain, born in Sumsky Posad, in the present Republic of Karelia, Russia. In 1932 he commanded the expedition of the Soviet icebreaker Alexander Sibiryakov which made the first successful crossing of the Northern Sea Route in a single navigation...
were received with many honors at their return to Russia.
Service during war and sinking
Sibiryakov continued in service until World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
under the command of Captain A. Kacharava. On August 25, 1942 she was sunk after an unequal fight with Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Admiral Scheer
German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, German commander in the Battle of Jutland. She was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in June...
off the northwestern shores of Russky Island
Russky Island (Kara Sea)
Russky Island , also spelt Russkyy and Russkiy, meaning "Russian Island", is an island in the Kara Sea. It is located in the Litke Islands subgroup of the Nordenskiöld Archipelago. With and area of 309 km², Russky is the biggest island in the whole archipelago...
in the Nordenskiöld Archipelago
Nordenskiöld Archipelago
The Nordenskiöld Archipelago or Nordenskjold Archipelago is a very large and complex cluster of islands in the eastern region of the Kara Sea. Its eastern limit lies west of the Taymyr Peninsula....
during Operation Wunderland
Operation Wunderland
Operation Wunderland was a large-scale operation undertaken in summer 1942 by the Kriegsmarine during World War II in the waters of the Northern Sea Route close to the Arctic Ocean...
. Sibiryakov was armed only with several 76-mm and 45-mm guns and was no match for the pocket battleship with 280-mm main guns. However radio transmission from Sibiryakov before and during 1-hour battle alerted east and west bound Russian convoys, allowing them to avoid the area. Most members of Sibiryakov crew and civilians died in battle or went down with the ship. 22, including severely wounded Captain Kacharava, were captured by the Germans. Only one sailor, stoker Pavel Vavilov, managed to reach Beluha island and was picked up by a Russian ship 34 or 35 days later. In total only 15 crew members survived the war.