"No one in the world has ever towed a nuclear reactor," said the organiser, Mikhail Ivanov. "But we want not only to set a world record. Our goal is to draw attention to the fact that our country is the world leader in nuclear energy, we really have something to be proud of! At the same time, we strive to motivate our boys and girls to play more sports and lead a healthy lifestyle."
The reactor pressure vessel was pulled 3.55 metres by the team of powerlifters: Yuri Kuzmin, Yegor Sorokaletov, Evgeny Osipov and Alexey Islentyev. At a grand total of 452 tons, the vessel and its trolley weighed the equivalent of 75 elephants.
The Volgodonsk factory produces heavy equipment sets for nuclear power plants in Russia and abroad, but this pressure vessel is used by Atomenergomash for training purposes and is not destined for a customer, the company noted.
Day of the Nuclear Worker
In Russia, 28 September is celebrated as Nuclear Industry Worker's Day. The sector's more conventional achievements were celebrated in a message from President Vladimir Putin, who told nuclear workers: "I am confident that you will continue to achieve your goals, to preserve and creatively build upon the legacy of your predecessors, to boost the industry's human resources, research and production potential in every way, and to take an active part in international cooperation by implementing cost-effective and eco-friendly projects."
