On April 25, 2017 a press-conference devoted to the IV Icebreakers Festival to be held at the end of April took place in the press-center of the news agency “Interfax North-West”.

Deputy Director for Navigation Safety of the FSUE “Rosmorport” North-Western Basin Branch Andrey Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee of  Saint-Petersburg Nana Gvichiya and other public officers took part in the press-conference.

The event participants discussed the draft program of the festival to be held on April 29-30 on the Lieutenant Shmidt quay and English quay.

Andrey Balashov spoke about the significance of the icebreaking fleet for the freezing seaports of Russia as well as about its inestimable contribution to the development of the Arctic Region. Special emphasis was made on the latest achievements in the shipbuilding industry including but not limited by the replenishment of the North-Western Basin Branch fleet with three new diesel-electric icebreakers Vladivostok, Murmansk and Novorossiysk one of which will become a festival participant for the first time. Andrey Balashov also gave a detailed information about other icebreakers of the branch that can be visited by Saint-Petersburg residents and guests for free in the nearest weekend.