“Taymyr”

“Taymyr” – a Russian icebreaker built in 1909 in St. Petersburg at Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant along with “Vaygach” icebreaker, for hydrographic works in the Arctic seas. The building of the ship was inspected by F.A. Matisen, who was later appointed its captain by an Imperial Edict. The length of the ship was 54 m, the width 11 m, the draft 3.46 m, the deadweight 1,280 t, and the capacity of the steam engines 1,200 h/p. The operating range at cruising speed (7–8 knots) is 11,000 miles. The body of the icebreaker was egg-shaped, which allowed it to withstand heavy ice pressure. The floor was double-decked, and the ice lining strengthened. The speed in open water was 10.5 knots. The first big voyage of “T.” in 1910 was transferred from the Baltic Sea to Vladivostok along the southern route. From 1910 “T.” and “Vaygach” served as a basis for the expedition in the Arctic Ocean, which described anew almost all the coasts of Russia and made a number of geographical discoveries. In 1932 under...