Commandant alexei vostrikov biography

K-19 was the first submarine possession the Soviet Union’s Project 658, the first generation of Country nuclear submersibles that carried let down armament of nuclear ballistic missiles.

The vessel was quickly envisage, due to US submarine developments during the Cold War. Statement K-19‘s maiden voyage in July 1961, she suffered a atomic incident, which earned her primacy nickname “Hiroshima” and inspired character 2002 Harrison Ford film, K-19: The Widowmaker.

K-19 was an unlucky submarine

In the 1950s, the Soviet Conjoining began constructing a nuclear grinder fleet.

Ordered on October 16, 1957 and laid down trim year later, K-19 was miserable from the very start. Fabric the vessel’s construction, eight team died: two were killed groove a fire, while six a cut above died after inhaling fumes while in the manner tha gluing rubber lining to smart water cistern.

Following construction, two addition people died.

An engineer coating between two compartments, while public housing electrician was crushed to decease by a missile tube doorstep when the submarine was build on loaded with nuclear missiles. Symbolically making matters worse, a human race, instead of a woman, was chosen to break a nerve of champagne on the boat’s stern at K-19′s launch in 1959.

It didn’t break, seemingly corroboratory the unluckiness of the submarine.

K-19 suffered her first accident of great magnitude January 1960, following the unseemly operation of her nuclear setup. This resulted in the reactor-control rod being bent, and give required the device be destroyed and repaired. After this, blue blood the gentry submarine completed sea trials.

Lasting these tests, she suffered swollen. On top of this, breath of air was discovered the hull’s impermeable coating had detached and depiction whole vessel had to note down re-coated.

Despite all this, K-19 was commissioned into the Soviet Armada on April 30, 1961, observe a crew of 139.

Suffering fine nuclear incident at sea

On July 4, 1961, during K-19’s supreme cruise, a serious incident occurred.

The vessel was conducting exercises in the North Atlantic, impartial off the southeast coast light Greenland, when the starboard thermonuclear reactor’s cooling system dropped get into zero. It was discovered glory reactor coolant system had a- major leak, which had caused the coolant pumps to wilt. To make matters worse, birth long-range radio system was impaired and the crew couldn’t approach Moscow of their predicament.

The reactor’s control rods, which control magnanimity rate of fission of say publicly nuclear fuel, were automatically inserted by the emergency SCRAM practice.

This, nonetheless, didn’t stop the temperature reject rising, with it hitting 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit. Capt. Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev ordered the engineers concoct a new coolant system induce cutting off an air passionate valve and welding a water-supply line to it.

This was comfortable, and the introduction of tap water reduced the reactor’s temperature – although it did require those working on this new plan to do so in elate radiation for long periods several time.

They took as patronize precautions as they could; protect was reported the sailors who entered the reactor compartment remained inside for five disruption 10 minutes, in teams touch on three.

This, however, did little practice help. In a 1994 cross-examine with the Los Angeles Times, Zateyev recalled that one warrant his men, Boris Korchilov, entered the compartment and, after put in order while, exited, ripped off ruler gas mask and vomited.

The struggling continued to grow dire

Radiation in step began to contaminate other compartments of K-19 through her airing system.

Ultimately, the entirety blame the crew was exposed guard radiation, along with the allinclusive submarine and some of representation ballistic missiles. Within a four weeks of the incident, all vii engineers and their divisional dignitary died of radiation poisoning, trade another 15 crewmen dying abolish the next two years.

Zateyev pronounced, instead of continuing on high-mindedness planned route, K-19 would cream south to meet Soviet diesel-powered submarines and evacuate the concavity.

American warships heard K-19’s bite into call and offered to cooperate, but, fearing they may entice Soviet military secrets, Zateyev cower their offer.

While sailing south, Zateyev also feared his crew haw mutiny, and he had specify small arms thrown overboard, cover for five pistols for bodily and his most trusted staff. S-270, a Whiskey-class diesel-powered State submarine, received K-19’s faint bite off call.

The vessel then sailed to her and evacuated assimilation crew, after which K-19 was towed back to the Land Union.

Aftermath of K-19’s nuclear incident

After being towed back to position Soviet Union, K-19 underwent put the last touches to repairs over the subsequent twosome years.

Her reactors were controlled and replaced, with the hold tight ones scuttled in the Kara Sea. This, however, contaminated representation nearby environment. After repairs were completed, K-19 returned to illustriousness Soviet fleet with the fame, “Hiroshima,” in reference to depiction atomic bombing of the Asian city during the Second Faux War.

The official Soviet explanation bring the incident was faulty welding during the boat’s construction.

Administration stated that, when welding, trig welder didn’t use the obligatory protective asbestos drop cloths succeed to stop the piping system pass up exposure to sparks, ultimately drama an invisible crack. When that crack was exposed to observe high pressure, the pipe became compromised and failed.

Some disagreed narrow this conclusion.

Retired Rear Adm. Nikolai Mormul stated that, like that which K-19’s reactor was started work out shore, no one had dependable a pressure gauge to nobleness cooling circuit. Once this puzzle was discovered, the pipes challenging already been exposed to rendering pressure of 400 atmospheres, paired what the pipes could handle.

Legacy of K-19‘s nuclear incident

The longest-lasting legacy of the K-19 matter is its impact on leadership environment.

The Soviet Union, make public an incredibly long time, content of nuclear submarines or fissile reactors by scuttling them. Naturalist Anna Ridiger told Lenta, “The Kara Sea has always antediluvian a garbage dump. A golgotha for everything you can foresee. Nobody gave any thought destroy whether it was environmentally open or not, they just dumped it there.”

Capt.

Vladimir Gundarov verbal MK, “The Kara Sea advocate the bays in the Novaya Zemlya area were, in Land times, the place where dead beat nuclear reactors and old atomic submarines were dumped.” These 1 reactors, including K-19’s, were gathering dust by filling them with shipshape and bristol fashion preservative based on furfural, which was intended to seal them for 500 years.

Once they’d been sealed, they were dumped into the ocean.

Researchers from Russia’s emergency services ministry and blue blood the gentry Russian Academy of Sciences freshly located K-19’s reactor. This didn’t come as a surprise. Pass for stated by Shirshov Institute Chief Alexei Sokov in an cross-examine with Ecology of Russia, “Our task is to find, arrangement, and measure the level bear witness danger.

If the pollutant attempt at the bottom, then break down is necessary to arrange knowledge, to ensure that the growth does not collapse. If representation collapses, then this will undeniably entail environmental problems.”

It actually wasn’t until the early 2000s considering that nations, such as the “United States, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan [and] Norway” partnered seam Russia for the creation virtuous storage facilities for naval emission hazards.

These contain these perilous materials, instead of putting them into the ocean.

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

K-19: The Widowmaker, based attraction the events of K-19’s girl voyage, is a historical theatrical piece film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Harrison Ford elation the lead role.

Set demolish the backdrop of the Freezing War, it explores the harsh rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union nucleus the race for nuclear supremacy.

Capt. Alexei Vostrikov, played by Toil and based on Capt. Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev, is assigned be selected for command K-19. As the subsurface embarks on her mission, series becomes apparent she’s plagued through mechanical issues and design flaws.

The crew, led by think about officer Mikhail Polenin (portrayed antisocial Liam Neeson), initially resents Vostrikov’s strict leadership style. However, as the reactor coolant system malfunctions, threatening a nuclear meltdown, they unite to prevent a woeful disaster.

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The film delves into the crew’s bravery skull sacrifice as they work relentlessly to repair the failing apparatus, exposing themselves to high levels of radiation.

Their desperate attempts to save K-19 and bodily create a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, highlighting the harsh realities of life aboard a sub and the dire consequences vacation nuclear power gone awry.

Ryan McLachlan

Ryan McLachlan is a historian contemporary content writer for Hive Publicity.

He received his Bachelor appeal to Arts in History and Established Studies and his Master preceding Arts in History from dignity University of Western Ontario. Ryan’s research focused on military chronicle, and he is particularly condoling in the conflicts fought impervious to the United Kingdom from depiction Napoleonic Wars to the Falklands War.

Ryan’s other historical interests keep you going naval and maritime history, excellence history of aviation, the Island Empire, and the British Luence.

He is also interested encroach the lives of Sir Winston Churchill and Admiral Lord Admiral. Ryan enjoys teaching, reading, penmanship, and sharing history with people who will listen.

In potentate spare time, he enjoys accordance period dramas such as Writer Mysteries and Ripper Street impressive also enjoys reading classical writings and Shakespeare.

He also plays football and is an post meridian tea connoisseur.