The first national atomic submarine K-3 was laid. Anniversary of the national atomic submarine shipbuilding

September 24, 1955 at the factory number 402 in Molotovsk (Northern Machine Building Enterprise, town of Severodvinsk) was held the ceremony of laying the first Soviet nuclear submarine K-3 ("Leninsky Komsomol").

For the first time the issue on the development of nuclear power plants for submarines was considered at the meeting of the First Main Directorate (PGU) under the USSR Council of Ministers 24 March 1947. It was due to reports in press about the possibility of using atomic energy at American submarines.

Academician I. Kurchatov, Corresponding Member of USSR Academy of Sciences, and Professor N. Dollezhal wrote a memorandum to the government about the need for creation of atomic submarines, supported by practical calculations. Their proposal was supported by the Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Malyshev. September 9, 1952 Stalin signed a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On the design and construction of the object № 627" (code of the first nuclear submarine).

A. Aleksandrov was appointed the scientific leader of the works for developing the nuclear submarine, V. Peregudov was appointed the chief designer and the Director of Scientific and Research Institute 8 N. Dollezhal was appointed the chief designer of the nuclear power plant-.

The first Soviet nuclear submarine, named "Leninsky Komsomol", was built in the short term - six years and four months. For the creation of the first nuclear submarine a number of scientists and engineers, led by Alexander Alexandrov, in 1959 was awarded with the Lenin Prize. That same year, the entire crew was awarded with state awards, and the first commander of the submarine - L. Osipenko was granted the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

July 17, 1962 for the first time in the history of the Soviet Navy nuclear submarine K-3 made a long march under the ice of the Arctic Ocean, during which it twice passed the point of the North Pole, and the crew of the ship hoisted the national flag USSR not far from the pole in the ice of the Central Arctic. During this campaign the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was granted to the head of the expedition Rear Admiral A. Petelin, the commander of the submarine L. Zhil'tsov and mechanical engineer R. Timofeyev. The entire staff of the ship has been awarded orders and medals.

The submarine K-3 was repeatedly involved in complex long ocean cruises, having made many thousands of miles.

In September 1967 in the Norwegian Sea on the submarine which was returning from combat duty, there was a fire, which killed 39 people. It was the first major accident at the Soviet nuclear submarine navy.

Creating "Leninsky Komsomol" submarine was the first (and most difficult) step in the development of nuclear submarine navy in our country. Its successful completion had enabled to proceed to the mass construction of submarines of the first and subsequent generations. Many solutions, found during its development, were very successful and applied for subsequent generations of nuclear submarines.

"Leninsky Komsomol" had been in service of the Northern Navy for almost 30 years. In total K-3 had carried out 14 long trips, including the first navigation under ice in the Kara and Greenland Seas in 1958.

Currently, the "Leninsky Komsomol" submarine is on the stocks in the shed Shipyard Nerpa in Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk region) with unloaded area of irradiated nuclear fuel. According to the decree of the Russian government the first Soviet submarine K-3 Project 627 "Leninsky Komsomol" must be converted into a museum.

Lit.: Ленинский Комсомол [Электронный ресурс] // Штурм Глубины. 2002-2013. URL: http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nts/627/k3/k3.htm; Первую советскую атомную подлодку «Ленинский комсомол» превратят в музей. 9 июля 2010. [Электронный ресурс] // Взгляд. 2005-2013. URL: http://www.vz.ru/news/2010/7/9/417215.html; Триумф и трагедия «Ленинского комсомола» [Электронный ресурс] // Флот. 1998-2013. URL: http://flot.com/history/events/lenkom.htm.