Home > Icebreaker “Lenin” to become hotel and museum

Icebreaker “Lenin” to become hotel and museum

by Open-Publishing - Sunday 12 April 2009

International History

2009-04-03

The world’s first nuclear powered icebreaker, the ”Lenin”, will be turned into a museum and luxury hotel in Murmansk. The rebuilding is supposed to be finished already this summer.

Plans for the rebuilding were presented at a tourist fair in Moscow recently. The icebreaker is going to be placed by the Murmansk Sea Port, practically in the center of Murmansk.

In addition to the museum and hotel, the vessel will also have a restaurant, a sport and recreation center, a conference hall and a business center, web site Portnews.ru writes. The vessel will also room an exhibition on the history of Russia’s icebreaker fleet and an observation post where visitors can have a look at the reactor compartment.

Plans for “Lenin” have been under development for several years, but lack of necessary funding has prevented them from being realized. Ten years ago a fond for support of “Lenin” was established. Several of the largest enterprises in the region have contributed to the fond, which now amounts to 130 million RUB (app. 2.9 million EUR), Murman.ru reports.

The icebreaker was built in 1956 and worked the Northern Sea Route for over 30 years.

http://www.barentsobserver.com/icebreaker-lenin-to-become-hotel-and-museum.4576563-16176.html