Russian nuclear icebreaker to ferry children to North Pole
Dozens of schoolchildren from Russia and abroad will travel to the North Pole in August on board one of the country's nuclear icebreakers as part of an international science project, the trip organizers said on Tuesday.
The “The Icebreaker of Knowledge” project, aimed at supporting gifted children around the world, will bring 70 schoolchildren aged between 14 and 16 from countries including India, China, South Africa, Hungary, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Russia, on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage.
“No [country] in the world, except Russia, sends children to the North Pole. We selected the strongest kids interested in natural science disciplines such as chemistry, physics, math and biology,” said Tatyana Terentyeva, the jury chair and an executive at the nuclear energy giant Rosatom, which operates the “50 Let Pobedy” (50 Years of Victory) nuclear powered icebreaker.
While the previous five years have been focused on Russia, this year, the project has taken on an international dimension. Foreign participants were selected through the World Youth Festival, which was held in Russia earlier this year.
The students will be accompanied on their journey by renowned scientists, nuclear industry experts, and Arctic researchers.
The vessel will set off from the Arctic port of Murmansk on a 2,400 kilometer voyage to the top of the planet and back.
Rosatom's “50 Let Pobedy” is one of the world’s largest nuclear icebreakers and is also used for commercial tourism. Tours to the North Pole and back normally take 13 days and have a price tag of at least 2.5 million rubles ($28,000).
