27.02.2008 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP

A group of members of crews of big nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet visited Leningrad NPP on Feb 22

While introducing his men to the specialists of the Training Center of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant the head of the delegation, deputy commander for personnel training, captain Grigory Goncharuk said: «You may speak with us in your own language – we will understand you.»

After telling the guests about the ways to quickly prevent chain reaction and showing them how to control chain reaction at the simulator of the 1st and 2nd units, the shift manager of the reactor department Dmitry Kalyazhenkov said:

— We understand each other because nuclear submarines have different reactor circuits but similar technologies. Everything is much simpler: one man controls everything: the reactor, the turbine and the steam generator. We have four workplaces at the control panel: the senior engineer for reactor operation, the senior engineering for turbine operation, the shift manager of the unit and the shift manager of the plant. We have more equipment and, consequently, more hands and eyes.

Instructor Sergey Zholobov and the head of the Operating Personnel Training Department Sergey Mitroganov answered the questions of the submariners.

The submariners were surprised and amazed to see that the simulator was an absolute copy of control panel. The specialists of the Information Department of Leningrad NPP Marina Zdor told the guests about the plant. In the machine compartment they couldn’t help exclaiming «Wow!» at the fight to the huge turbines.

Goncharuk said that it was the first of the three groups supposed to visit the plant this month.

— I would like to thank your plant for such informative and interesting excursions. They help different people to understand how a nuclear power plant works and to live at ease. When you know the situation, when you know how it all works, you regard nuclear technologies quite differently.

— It appears that military and civil nuclear workers have common professional language. What is the difference?

— For example, your reactor operators have higher education, big record of work and big experience. On submarines everything is different: our operators first graduate from a special department of the Naval Academy and then take training courses under specific project and after passing exams within a year start operating a reactor. Yes, our reactors are smaller than yours and have different parameters and modes but our control is also different: it depends on one person only.

— Why have you decided to become a submariner?

— Its my destiny. I was born in Sosnovy Bor. I liked military service and entered the Naval Academy as operator of submarine reactors. Then I underwent retraining and now I am deputy commander.

— What should we do to attract young people into the nuclear industry?

— We should have an effective information policy. Our youths have very little information about nuclear industry. They have better knowledge in some other spheres. Perhaps, they know more than we do but their thirst for knowledge is not as big as ours was when we where at their age. Your authorities and plant should cooperate in this direction. You should work with school-leavers. If you do, they will come to you. Formerly, we had very strong ideology and information policy. Today, it is very hard for young people to find their place in life. 

— Is it prestigious to be nuclear worker today?

— Each person who does something and enjoys his work is worthy of his job. It is good that you have additional have additional social guarantees for your employees: if a company is strong and wants to develop, it cares for its people and then its jobs become prestigious and interesting.