Arctic Expo Centre – Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker Lenin – ICE (KO344)
Funded by Kolarctic ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

The specific objectives are: - To develop information and science communications services through exhibition and educational programmes to schools and local citizens about arctic research and technology - To increase tourism activities and attractiveness of the regions; - To enhance cross-border exchange of expertise and mobility of experts The main specific objective / activity of the project is to plan and implement a science and historical exhibition on Icebreaker Lenin in Murmansk, and to create shared exhibit elements among the partners. The exhibition will focus, on one hand, on the history of technological development related to icebreakers, and, on the other hand, on changes arising in the regions impacting on environment and societies.

Main activities

- Exhibition planning The lead partner (Arctic Centre) wrote the exhibition script with a review process incorporating both Polaria and Rosatomflot. The exhibition script was the starting point for the exhibition planning process. The next phase of the exhibition planning was to write the content manuscript. This was also done by the lead partner with a review process incorporating the Russian and Norwegian partners. This phase contained a literature search and also different consultations with researchers, research institution representatives and people that was working or had been working onboard Icebreaker Lenin. - Exhibition construction The physical elements were installed on icebreaker Lenin during spring 2015 and the finalized user interfaces were installed into the elements. A common element of all three participating exhibition centres were installed in the exhibitions of Polaria and Arctic Centre. - Educational programmes During the project, 5 different educational programmes (educational pathways) have been created. These are created in English it is each of the partner's responsibility to translated these into their respective language. The educational pathways are related to snow flakes, polar bears, the Arctic Ocean ,and the Arctic.

Achievements

The outcome of the project is a modern science centre focusing on icebreaking and the Arctic Ocean. The exhibition is special as it is designed and built onboard the world first nuclear icebreaker Lenin. In a global perspective, this is a unique science centre that has very few equivalents in the world. During the project duration, 5 different educational programmes (educational pathways) have been created. The educational pathways are related to snow flakes, polar bears, the Arctic Ocean ,and the Arctic. One of the achievements was a post project strategy. A cooperative strategy has been written based on consultation with key experts in networking, tourism marketing, project development, event management and science centre pedagogy. The exhibition onboard icebreaker Lenin has also an important outcome through increasing the attractiveness of Murmansk and Icebreaker Lenin as tourism destinations.