Murmansk, Russia – On 13 August 2025, Rosatom’s sixth international Arctic expedition, the Icebreaker of Knowledge, departed from Murmansk on a landmark journey through the High North. Organised by the Atomic Energy Information Centres network with the support of Rosatom, the voyage honours two major anniversaries: the 80th year of Russia’s nuclear industry and the 500th year since the opening of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).

The nuclear-powered vessel will travel from Murmansk via the North Pole to Franz Josef Land before returning to Murmansk on 22 August, coinciding with the State Flag Day of the Russian Federation. Expedition organisers expect to reach the Pole on 17 August.

Science, Education, and the Arctic Experience

Far more than a polar sightseeing trip, the Icebreaker of Knowledge is a scientific and educational programme that brings together Russian and international experts in atomic energy, space technologies, and environmental science. Participants will tour the nuclear icebreaker’s operational facilities, witness the Arctic’s unique landscapes, and even walk the world’s shortest “round-the-world” route at the Pole—where all Earth’s meridians converge. For the first time, Russian-built rovers will be tested in the severe polar environment.

This year’s participants include 66 schoolchildren from 21 countries—among them Brazil, Bolivia, Egypt, Indonesia, China, and South Africa. For many, it will be their first visit to the northernmost point on Earth. South African student Nell Isabella Eileen described the trip as “dream worthy” and beyond anything she could have imagined. “I know I am going to see and learn things I never would have dreamed of or known before,” she said.

A Gathering of Experts

Alongside the young explorers are scientists, engineers, cosmonauts, educators, and science communicators. Notable figures include Topan Setiadipura, Head of the Reactor Technologies Research Center at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency; Suang Trung Le, Director of the Nuclear Physics Center at Vietnam’s Institute of Atomic Energy; and Andrey Babkin, Deputy Commander of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Team.

In a send-off address, Grigory Gurov, head of the Youth Affairs Federal Agency, likened the experience of visiting the North Pole to going into space. “Joining Rosatom’s international Arctic expedition on a nuclear icebreaker is a truly unique opportunity,” he said, noting the record competition for places: over 1,400 applicants per slot, with more than 63,000 Russian and 4,000 foreign candidates vying to join.

Yakov Antonov, Director General of Atomflot, stressed the voyage’s symbolic value in Russia’s long Arctic tradition. “Russia is the only country in the world that has a nuclear icebreaker fleet,” he said. “I am sure that on the Icebreaker of Knowledge voyage, schoolchildren will be inspired by the vastness of the Arctic and will become new discoverers, creators of breakthrough technologies.”

Promoting Science and Nurturing Talent

The Icebreaker of Knowledge is part of a broader Rosatom initiative to promote STEM education, nuclear technology awareness, and youth career development. Participants are selected through multi-stage national and international competitions, including the “Main Recess” challenge, the Sirius educational programme, and the Russian intellectual game championship Knowledge. Game.

In its six seasons, the project has introduced more than 400 talented students to Arctic exploration. The 2024 expedition was the first to welcome an international cohort, with participants from 15 countries. This year’s edition expands that to 21 nations, including record numbers from Kyrgyzstan, India, and Bangladesh.

The Northern Sea Route at 500

The NSR, the Arctic shipping corridor connecting Europe to the Asia-Pacific, has been central to Russia’s maritime heritage since 1525, when diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov proposed its use for trade with China. In 2025, Russia marks five centuries of exploration and development of this strategic route, which today serves as a vital transport artery for the country’s economy and Arctic communities.

Rosatom’s Atomflot operates the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers—currently eight vessels—ensuring year-round navigation along the NSR.

Russia’s Nuclear Industry at 80

The expedition also coincides with the 80th anniversary of Russia’s nuclear sector. The Soviet Union pioneered peaceful nuclear energy, launching the world’s first nuclear power plant in Obninsk in 1954 and commissioning the first nuclear icebreaker, Lenin, in 1960. Today, Rosatom’s reach extends far beyond power generation to include nuclear medicine, advanced materials, and Arctic logistics.

The corporation is marking the anniversary year with the theme pride, inspiration, and dream. A series of celebratory events will culminate in the World Atomic Week forum in Moscow this autumn.

As the Icebreaker of Knowledge cuts its way through the Arctic ice, it carries with it not only the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers, but also the weight of centuries of Russian polar heritage—and the ambitions of a nuclear industry looking firmly to the future. 

**Gillian Schutte is an award-winning South African filmmaker, journalist, author, poet, and critical race theorist. She writes from an anti-imperialist perspective on African sovereignty and global geopolitics—particularly Russia’s role in the multipolar world—and has reported extensively on mining injustices, decolonial struggles, regime change politics, and media capture.

Source link