Sovetskiy Soyuz

The Sovetskiy Soyuz was a nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Arktika class, built in the Soviet Union. In August 1991, it carried an expedition organized by Quark Expeditions to the North Pole. The expedition traversed the historic Northeast Passage—a milestone in the early history of polar travel.

The 1991 North Pole Voyage

As a nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Sovetskiy Soyuz guided the expedition through the Arctic pack ice. The Arctic cruising region provides the geographic setting for this historic voyage. Its name means “Soviet Union” and refers to the country in which the ship was built.

Construction and Service

The Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad built the ship. The Sovetskiy Soyuz is uniquely identified by its IMO number 8838582. The ship was 148 meters long. Its service life, from 1989 to 2014, ended with its decommissioning.