Record #00454Transport archive
World's First Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker
The Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker Lenin entered service in 1959 as the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker. It initially operated with three reactors, later replaced by a two-reactor propulsion system, for Arctic icebreaking.
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Achievement date
1959
1959
- Achiever
- NS Lenin
- Location
- —
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteDesigned for Arctic routes, Lenin used nuclear propulsion to reduce conventional refuelling needs and extend its endurance.
IAEA technical literature describes its original three-reactor propulsion system, later replaced with a two-reactor arrangement.
Record history
1 Milestones- First achievementNS LeninFirst achievement
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
An IAEA technical report dates commissioning to 1959, and the agency's archive identifies Lenin as the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker. Launch and commissioning are distinct events; the exact commissioning place is not inferred.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-08
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-08
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