Arktika is a retired nuclear-powered icebreaker of the Soviet (now Russian) Arktika class. In service from 1975 to 2008, she was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, a feat achieved on August 17, 1977, during an expedition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution.
The Arktika is a double-hulled icebreaker; the outer hull is 48 millimetres (1.9 in) thick, the inner 25 millimetres (0.98 in) thick, with the space in between utilized for water ballasting. At the strongest point, the cast steel prow is 50 centimetres (20 in)) thick and bow-shaped to aid in icebreaking, the curve applying greater dynamic force to fracture the ice than a straight bow would. The maximum ice thickness it can break through is approximately 2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in).