Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker

The 1980-built MS Kapitan Dranitsyn ("ледокол "Капитан Драницын") is an icebreaking vessel owned by the Russian Federation and operated by Murmansk Shipping Company (MSCO).

The vessel (IMO number 7824405, Helsinki Shipyard/hull number 413) is currently Russia-flagged (MMSI 273138300) and homeported in Murmansk.

One of Russia’s icebreaker cruise ships, Kapitan Dranitsyn is a diesel-electric research vessel (RV), ice class RMRS LL3. She was built for the USSR and entered service in December 1980. The ship is named after polar explorer and Soviet Arctic fleet captain Herman Vasilyevich Dranitsyn.

Since October 1995, the icebreaker has been used as a research ship by AARI (the “Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute” / “Арктический и антарктический научно-исследовательский институт”, abbreviated as “ААНИИ”). AARI, based in Saint Petersburg, is the oldest and largest research institute in the Russian Federation dedicated to comprehensive studies of the polar regions.

The vessel’s primary role is escorting cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route. She has also operated tourist cruises to Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Chukotka, the Bering Strait, and the North Pole. Kapitan Dranitsyn has conducted research voyages in the Bering Sea, the Barents Sea, and the Arctic Ocean.

In 1996, the ship completed the first around-the-world “icebreaker cruise.” In the same year, Dranitsyn participated in the rescue of the German cruise ship Hanseatic (now Heritage Adventurer) (from the HAPAG-LLOYD fleet) with 135 passengers aboard.

In 2000, Dranitsyn undertook an Arctic circumnavigation on the route Hammerfest – Keflavik – Stromfiord – Canadian Arctic (Alaska, Chukotka, Murmansk).

In 2002, 2003, and 2004, the ship conducted research expeditions to the Laptev Sea to deploy and recover moorings for the NABOS project (Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System).

In 2002, Dranitsyn took part in filming an advertisement for the Ford Motor Company in the Spitsbergen Archipelago.

Kapitan Dranitsyn vessel details

Kapitan Dranitsyn was built for operations in the Baltic Sea and on the Northern Sea Route. In recent years, the icebreaker has been modified for cruise service, with 49 outside passenger cabins accommodating up to 102 guests. Public spaces include bars, spacious lounges, a heated swimming pool, sauna, gym, library, and a small hospital.

The “Kapitan Sorokin” class of linear diesel-electric icebreakers also includes Kapitan Khlebnikov, Kapitan Nikolaev, and Kapitan Sorokin.

The vessel has 1 dining room, a sauna, 1 swimming pool (indoor, heated), 1 elevator, and 1 helipad (Helideck).

• Max draft: 8.5 m (28 ft)
• Displacement tonnage: 14,917 tons
• Deadweight (DWT): 4,515 tons
• Powerplant: Wartsila-Sulzer (6 × diesel engines type 9ZL40/48), each with 3.04 MW output (18.24 MW combined)
• Propulsion: diesel-electric, with three shafts (5.4 MW each; 16.2 MW combined)

Note: In the event of poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel’s current location will be impossible. You can see CruiseMapper’s list of all icebreakers and icebreaking research ships in the “itinerary” section of our Icebreakers hub. All states and their fleets are listed there.