The complex was built using advanced energy-saving technologies and is able to provide autonomous work of personnel for a year and a half...
While the United States shakes the air on other continents, throwing millions of dollars into the shelling of the Syrian desert and senseless maneuvers near the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Federation continues to develop mineral-rich hard-to-reach places on its territory and work to ensure their security. So, for example, in the Arctic, on Alexandra Island, a new military base "Trefoil" was deployed, which became the largest man-made structure at 80 degrees north latitude.
The commissioning of the Trilistnik base, the construction of which was announced more than a year ago, overexcited the British edition of The Times, which was quick to declare that "Russia has built the largest structure in the Arctic - a military base to seize the oil-rich polar region." On the one hand, I would like to remind the stupid heirs of the British Empire that Alexandra Island is located on the territory Russian Federation, which became the successor of the USSR, paid off all debts and is free to dispose of this territory at its discretion. On the other hand, such a publication in one of the most famous publications is the best recognition of Russia's achievements, not only in the development of the Arctic, but also in the use of the latest technologies.
The Trilistnik complex was built using advanced energy-saving technologies and is able to provide autonomous work for personnel for a year and a half.
The total area of the complex is 14 thousand square meters. On its territory there are living quarters, a cinema, a billiard room, a greenhouse and a chapel. The complex is a reliable shelter from the harsh external environment for the staff, whose number is about 150 people. The complex is made in the form of a clover leaf and allows personnel to move through it without going outside, which is very important in the Arctic, where temperatures can drop to minus 50 degrees.
President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, during his recent visit to the island, Vladimir Putin noted the special importance of the Arctic region for all of Russia. “In this region, the main reserves of a number of the most important minerals are concentrated, which are decisive for the development of the Russian economy. The cost of minerals in the region is estimated at $30 trillion.”
With climate change opening up new opportunities for mining in northern latitudes, the United States has expressed concern about Moscow's "decisive action" in the Arctic. Pentagon chief James Mattis, at a recent hearing in the US Congress, called the Arctic a key strategic area and opined that "Russia is taking aggressive steps to increase its presence there." A strange statement, against the backdrop of how the United States is increasing its military presence anywhere in the world, guided only by its own interests.
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin dotted all the “and” in conversations about a possible confrontation in the Arctic: “We are not going to fight or compete here with the United States.” At the same time, he emphasized that Russian armed forces and intelligence agencies must protect national interest in the region.
In the northernmost point of Russia, on the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, a unique military facility "Arctic Shamrock" is being built. No one has ever built military installations of this magnitude so close to North Pole. Only Russian people are capable of this!
© The post contains personal pictures and photographs of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Arctic Shamrock is currently the only capital construction facility in the world being built at 80 degrees north latitude.
Alexandra Land is an island with an area of 1130 square kilometers, which is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. During World War II, a German weather station and a submarine base were located on the island.
The relevance of Alexandra Land as a military base has increased significantly after the creation in December 2014 of the Joint Strategic Command "North", designed to comprehensively ensure the security of the Russian Arctic region. The three main tasks of this security are the defense of the shelf of the Arctic seas, the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage.
The administrative and residential complex "Arctic Shamrock" is a five-story shamrock, painted in the colors of the Russian tricolor, between the rays of which there are three ellipsoids - an administrative block, a block Catering, as well as a cultural and leisure center combined with a medical service unit.
"Arctic Shamrock" is the second complex of a closed cycle, built in the interests of Northern Fleet in the high latitude regions of the Arctic. The first to be built at the 75th degree of northern latitude was the Northern Clover AJC on Kotelny Island of the Novosibirsk Islands archipelago.
In the center of the trefoil there is an atrium - a multi-light space, illuminated through the glazing in the roof and stained-glass windows located in the side walls. Above the central support of the atrium there is an observation deck, protected by translucent structures, which allows visual observation of the main objects of military infrastructure.
In fact, this is a complex for life and work, equal in autonomy to space station. The autonomy of the complex will ensure comfortable living and performance official duties group of 150 people for a year and a half.
The total area of the complex is more than 14 thousand square meters.
The residential block in the "Arctic Trefoil" consists of modules for one, two and three people.
Dining room
More than 800 people work at the construction site. The construction of the Arctic Shamrock is carried out using innovative and energy-efficient technologies that minimize energy consumption.
The work is carried out by the legendary enterprise - Spetsstroy of Russia.
The complex is designed in such a way that such facilities as a power unit, a boiler house, power plants, treatment facilities, warehouses and storage facilities are connected by heated passages, which means that military personnel will not need to go out in the cold, which here reaches minus 52 degrees.
Roads have been paved on the island, a coastal pumping station has been built and is functioning, which makes it possible to receive fuel from tankers and supply it to the fuel and lubricants warehouse.
Now there is even a chapel on the island, where they will take care of the fortress of the spiritual bonds of soldiers and officers.
The Arctic is in the zone of strategic interests of our country, therefore, in April, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu personally inspected Russia's northernmost military base.
This is one of the five garrisons that are now being built in the northern latitudes. The complex on Franz Josef Land is Russia's northernmost outpost in the Arctic. Similar towns are planned to be built along the entire northern border of Russia.
In the northernmost point of Russia, on the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, a unique military facility "Arctic Shamrock" is being built. No one has ever built military installations of this magnitude so close to the North Pole. Only Russian people are capable of this!-)
© The post contains personal pictures and photographs of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Arctic Shamrock is currently the only capital construction facility in the world being built at 80 degrees north latitude.
Alexandra Land is an island with an area of 1130 square kilometers, which is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. During World War II, a German weather station and a submarine base were located on the island.
The relevance of Alexandra Land as a military base has increased significantly after the creation in December 2014 of the Joint Strategic Command "North", designed to comprehensively ensure the security of the Russian Arctic region. The three main tasks of this security are the defense of the shelf of the Arctic seas, the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage.
The administrative and residential complex "Arctic Shamrock" is a five-story shamrock, painted in the colors of the Russian tricolor, between the rays of which there are three ellipsoids - an administrative block, a public catering block, as well as a cultural and leisure center combined with a medical service block.
The Arctic Shamrock is the second complex of a closed cycle being built in the interests of the Northern Fleet in the high-latitude regions of the Arctic. The first to be built at the 75th degree of northern latitude was the Northern Clover AJC on Kotelny Island of the Novosibirsk Islands archipelago.
In the center of the trefoil there is an atrium - a multi-light space, illuminated through the glazing in the roof and stained-glass windows located in the side walls. Above the central support of the atrium there is an observation deck, protected by translucent structures, which allows visual observation of the main objects of military infrastructure.
In fact, this is a complex for life and work, equal in autonomy to a space station. The autonomy of the complex will ensure comfortable living and performance of official duties by a group of 150 people for a year and a half.
The total area of the complex is more than 14 thousand square meters.
The residential block in the "Arctic Trefoil" consists of modules for one, two and three people.
Dining room
More than 800 people work at the construction site. The construction of the Arctic Shamrock is carried out using innovative and energy-efficient technologies that minimize energy consumption.
The work is carried out by the legendary enterprise - Spetsstroy of Russia.
The complex is designed in such a way that such facilities as a power unit, a boiler house, power plants, treatment facilities, warehouses and storage facilities are connected by heated passages, which means that military personnel will not need to go out in the cold, which here reaches minus 52 degrees.
Roads have been paved on the island, a coastal pumping station has been built and is functioning, which makes it possible to receive fuel from tankers and supply it to the fuel and lubricants warehouse.
ALL PHOTOS
A section dedicated to the Arctic Shamrock military base, built on Alexandra Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic, has appeared on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Resource visitors are offered virtual tour on the base to get acquainted with its structure and the life of the military living on it.
"The military infrastructure of the Arctic base consists of numerous structures special purpose, as well as control points, garages for military and special equipment, an autonomous power unit, specialized warehouses and storage facilities. The "Arctic Shamrock" is completely autonomous, and the optimal location of the residential and service premises of the military base ensures comfortable accommodation for up to 150 military personnel for a year and a half," the military department said in a press release.
The 3D tour of the base "visually demonstrates how the rooms for the military personnel, the officers' canteen, the gym and the cinema and concert halls, the atrium, the library, the greenhouse, and the medical unit are equipped and equipped."
"With the help of the Internet application, visitors to the website of the Ministry of Defense will be able to interactively evaluate the convenient and ergonomic modular layout of the base, which allows the Russian military to perform service and combat tasks in the most difficult climatic conditions of the Arctic," the Ministry of Defense emphasizes.
Also, for the convenience of users, the application contains a photo gallery of objects of the residential complex "Arctic Shamrock" with the possibility of downloading in high resolution.
The military reports that the administrative-residential complex (AZhK) "Arctic Shamrock" is the only capital construction facility in the world erected at 80 degrees north latitude. Its area is more than 14 thousand square meters. m. The facility was built using innovative and energy efficient technologies. For the first time, AZhK used the principle of creating a technical floor, where equipment is located that comfortably serves all communications, including in cold weather.
Recall that in early August 2016, the UN Commission began considering Russia's application to expand the boundaries of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. The total area of the territory claimed by Russia is 1 million 191 thousand square meters. km. Following the presentation of the application to the UN in February 2016, it was reported that, as a rule, the commission makes its decision within two to four years.
Meanwhile, Canada and Denmark claim part of the territories in the Russian application. In addition, on various parts of the bottom of the Northern Arctic Ocean Norway and the US also claim.
The interest of states in the northern seas is dictated by the fact that their bowels contain 83 billion tons of standard fuel. Of these, about 80% are in the Barents and Kara Seas.
In addition, the West suspects that Russia is going, as soon as possible, to take advantage of the likely future climate changes that will turn the Arctic ice into an important sea route that provides the country with economic and tactical advantages.
If agreements on the shelf cannot be reached, the Arctic may become a likely place for future wars, the press believes. At the same time, it was noted that the Kremlin is much better prepared for open conflict or familiar competition, since Moscow not only owns more than 40 icebreakers, but also conducts the largest cold war military development of the Arctic.
Russia has more Arctic bases than any other country
As Newsweek magazine wrote, Russia has more Arctic bases than any other country and is building new ones, including 13 new airfields and 10 air defense radar stations in the Arctic, the article says. The United States is in a losing position - Washington does not have such resources, it has only two old icebreakers that are not able to compete with the Arctic technology of the Russian Federation.
At the end of last year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the continuation of the strengthening of the group of Russian troops in the Arctic. He also noted that the Russian Federation was forced to increase the number of fighter aircraft sorties by 61% in order to prevent violations of the country's airspace in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic.
Against the background of the representatives Western countries concerns about the strengthening of the military presence of the Russian Federation in the Arctic, the Russian authorities insist on the exclusively peaceful nature of activities in the region and the desire to cooperate with other countries. Thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier urged not to make the Arctic a place "for the geopolitical games of military blocs."
In March of this year, President Putin visited the island of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, where he got acquainted with the results of the work to eliminate environmental damage in the Arctic zone, which he announced back in 2011. After that, he reiterated that Russia proceeds from the fact that there is no potential for conflicts in the Arctic.
Last Monday, the Russian Ministry of Defense posted on its official website a virtual tour of the newest military base, the Arctic Shamrock. This object has previously become a topic of news, naturally attracting the attention of the public, but only now everyone has been able to get acquainted with its main features, as well as see the unique structures from the inside.
The base "Arctic Shamrock", which got its name in connection with the original shape of the main building, is located on the island of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. This is the second such facility deployed in last years at such high latitudes. Earlier, the base "Northern Clover", located on about. Boiler house of the Novosibirsk Islands archipelago.
According to some reports, the possibility of building a base on Alexandra Land became a topic of discussion in the middle of the last decade. A few years later, a final decision was made and preliminary work began. The construction of the first facilities was started only a few years ago. To date, most of the facilities of the new base have been built and put into operation. The main achievement of the builders was the construction of a housing and administrative complex - the largest and most important object of the base.
In addition to the housing and administrative complex on about. Alexandra Land is now home to many other buildings and structures for various purposes. In addition, in the course of construction work and preparation for it, a large number of roads and equipped with several positions for the placement of certain weapons, equipment, etc.
An important feature of the construction, which had a corresponding effect on its complexity and duration, was the inability to use building materials mined near construction sites. All the necessary resources had to be delivered from the mainland. In addition, all structures and buildings received a pile foundation, the use of which is due to the presence of permafrost. Thus, all objects of the base, including a large housing and administrative complex, actually hang above the ground.
Considering the peculiarities of the local climate, the architects minimized the need to leave the buildings. All the main buildings of the base are connected to each other by a large number of covered insulated passages. Thanks to this, personnel can get to almost anywhere in the base without leaving open spaces. In most cases, the fighter's path will lie through the housing and administrative complex, located in the center of the base and being its main element. However, all structures have their own exits.
For obvious reasons, the housing and administrative complex of the base aroused the greatest interest of the public and specialists. It is the largest building on Franz Josef Land, and also attracts attention with its unusual shape. It should also be noted that this building has become the northernmost capital building in the world. Finally, it is because of this object that the entire base got its name.
All the main premises and facilities of the base are located in a common building of unusual architecture with a total area of 14,000 sq.m. The housing and administrative complex is a capital building on metal piles, consisting of several basic elements. The main one is the central structure of the original form in terms of shape, built in the form of a three-beam star. It is because of this feature of the complex that the base received the name "Arctic Shamrock". There are three other buildings in the sectors between the "beams" of the central building. To obtain the required strength characteristics and to solve some other problems, they are made in the form of spherical domes or truncated ellipsoids. The central and side buildings are interconnected by transitions. All buildings of the complex are painted in the colors of the Russian flag.
During the construction of the complex, the most modern materials, allowing to keep heat as efficiently as possible and almost completely eliminate energy losses. This allows you to economically consume the fuel necessary to maintain the required conditions. For greater convenience of infrastructure maintenance, the complex has a separate technical floor. It houses all the main elements of energy and other infrastructure. This arrangement of communications greatly simplifies their maintenance and repair.
The central building of the housing and administrative complex, in addition to its unusual shape, has some other interesting features. So, in order to avoid the accumulation of large masses of snow, a roof of a special design is used. Each of the "beams" of the body has a gable roof. The ridges of three similar roofs converge in the center of the building, forming its highest point. In the central part of the roof, a large glazed area is provided, which provides illumination of the atrium during daylight hours. The body is divided into four blocks, designated by letters from "A" to "G". The first three letters of the alphabet are used to denote "beams", the letter "G" denotes the central block.
Due to the large angles of inclination of the roof, block "G" has five floors, while other elements of the building have a lower height and, as a result, reduced usable volumes. All available space on the floors is divided into a large number of rooms of different sizes and for various purposes. Most of the available volumes are given over to residential premises. In addition, the housing and administrative complex has a billiard room, a table tennis room and a greenhouse. In the central part of the building there is an observation deck from which you can observe the entire territory of the base.
Block G has an atrium in its central part. At this point, all the corridors of the side blocks converge, leading to the side platforms. The central vertical support of the atrium serves as a flagpole. At the side walls of the atrium on the first floor, as the virtual tour shows, there are information stands.
From the side wall that unites blocks "A" and "B" a short covered gallery departs, connecting the central building with the administrative block. Like other side elements of the building, this block has the shape of a truncated ellipsoid and is placed on piles. Along the perimeter of the curved wall there are several rows of windows. All available volumes are allocated for various premises for various purposes, etc. On several floors of the administrative block there are command offices, training classes and other necessary premises.
Opposite blocks "B" and "C" the architects placed another round building given over to a medical service block, a cultural and leisure center and property warehouses. The medical block of the base includes a separate doctor's office, a treatment room, a ward for patients and a dental office. In the same building there is a gym with a variety of sports equipment and an assembly hall that can serve as a cinema. The remaining premises of the block are given over to warehouses for clothing items.
The third round building is located between blocks "B" and "A" and is completely devoted to the tasks of feeding personnel. It has a kitchen, dining rooms for military personnel, including a separate quarters for officers, as well as a food depot. The size of the warehouses allows you to place a significant amount of supplies on them, sufficient for the autonomous operation of the entire base for a long time.
With the help of covered passages and galleries, a significant number of other structures for various purposes are connected to the housing and administrative complex. The base has garages and workshops for equipment, warehouses for various purposes, an autonomous power unit with a power plant and a boiler house, a water treatment plant, sewerage, etc. To receive fuel and lubricants, a coastal pumping station was built on the island, with the help of which fuel can be pumped directly from tankers to the appropriate warehouses. In addition, a wooden Orthodox chapel was built on the basis of the Arctic Shamrock.
The infrastructure of the base provides a full-fledged service for the garrison of 150 people. Using only its own stocks of food, fuel and clothing items available in the warehouses, the base can work normally and solve the assigned tasks within 18 months. The only practically unlimited resource of the base is water. It is proposed to extract it by melting snow with subsequent cleaning. The specifics of the local climate will not leave the base without water.
The main task of the garrison of the Arctic Shamrock base is to carry out air defense. Back in 2014, the first air defense unit was deployed on the island of Alexandra Land. During the first few months, soldiers and officers had to be accommodated in temporary residential buildings and keep equipment in prefabricated garages. To date, permanent structures suitable for long-term operation have been built, which has had a positive effect both on the complexity of service in the special conditions of the Arctic and on its results.
The construction of a new base on Franz Josef Land with a full-fledged infrastructure is the most important stage in the development of the Arctic grouping of the Russian armed forces. Having put into operation a number of new facilities, the military department received a number of important opportunities that could positively affect various aspects of the defense of the country's northern borders.
First of all, the appearance of the Arctic Shamrock base with air defense means led to the strengthening of the grouping of troops in the northern direction. The Arctic is of great interest both for Russia and for many foreign countries, which is why the Russian military needs to take appropriate measures and prepare to protect the interests of the country. The presence of air defense formations in the northern directions makes it possible to protect navigation in the region, and in addition, to a certain extent, it complicates the work of the naval forces of a potential enemy in a threatened period or in the event of a real conflict.
In addition to protecting the Northern Sea Route from a military point of view, the new base can participate in ensuring navigation in the region. The permanent presence of the garrison on Franz Josef Land makes it possible to carry out meteorological studies, study the movement of ice and other factors that directly affect navigation. By collecting and transmitting data, the military will help maritime transportation and secure transport ships.
The construction of a new base shows the fundamental possibility of deploying such facilities even in remote areas with difficult conditions. As a result, with the further use of such opportunities on Franz Josef Land and other archipelagos of the Arctic Ocean, new military facilities can be built. The base "Arctic Shamrock" is responsible for the implementation of air defense, but it is possible to deploy objects of a different purpose, with the help of which the army will protect the northern borders from various threats.
In just a few years Russian ministry defense was able to build two new military bases in the Arctic. To date, both garrisons have begun full-fledged service and are solving the tasks assigned to them. The military and political leadership of the country has long declared the Arctic a zone of special attention, including in the context of the further development of the armed forces. In this regard, in the foreseeable future, new objects similar to the "Arctic Shamrock" or "Northern Clover" may appear on certain islands of the northern seas. During the construction of the two newest bases, the most modern ideas and materials were used. The construction of the next similar facilities, obviously, will be carried out taking into account further progress. Thus, even more interesting objects of the armed forces may appear in the Arctic in the future.
According to the websites:
http://mil.ru/
http://rg.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://tvzvezda.ru/
Virtual tour of the base:
http://mil.ru/files/files/arctic/Arctic.html
