Meeting of the RV “Akademik Kurchatov” former crew members

A traditional meeting of former crew members of  research vessel "Akademik Kurchatov", the flagship of the expeditionary fleet of the USSR Academy of Sciences, took place at the World Ocean Museum.  It was arranged  by the Kaliningrad Territorial Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia at the end of April.

Such meetings are a good tradition for those people who worked on board this vessel  since the 60s of the last century. By the way, many of them got in on the ground floor of establishment a trade union organization at the research vessel. During their meetings, stewards, seamen and engineers, chief officers and captains recall their voyages up. These are always vivid stories, because among the “Kurchatov” traditions there were pelmeni rush jobs, celebrations of the equator crossing, and volleyball battles on the helipad. And on the last evening before entering the home port, they always played the movie “The Italian Job.”

Throughout its operations, RV “Akademik Kurchatov” was involved in numerous expeditions under the programs of various international organizations. In 1991 the vessel took part in the world program “Scientists of the World to the Far North” for the last time. In total, the RV "Akademik Kurchatov" made 53 voyages, carried out scientific work at 6,327 oceanographic stations, examined 23 islands of the World Ocean, and called at the ports of 108 foreign countries 274 times. 

The “Kurchatov fracture zone” in the Atlantic Ocean, “Kurchatov seamount ” in the Indian Ocean and another “Kurchatov fracture zone” in the Pacific Ocean are named after Academic Kurchatov. 

“In the year ahead we will make every effort to ensure that the next meeting takes place - it will mark preparations for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of RV "Akademik Kurchatov”, the Chair of the KTO SUR Lyudmila Izmalkova noted. “We hope next time even more seafarers will gather together.” The Kaliningrad Territorial Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia expresses gratitude to the management of the museum for the opportunity to hold such events.