The Russian, and later Soviet, icebreaker Yermak was the first polar icebreaker in the world, having a strengthened hull shaped to ride over and crush pack ice up to 2 m thick. She was built in Newcastle upon Tyne by the British company Armstrong Whitworth at its Low Walker yard and launched in 1898. She served in the Baltic during both World Wars. In 1949 on the day of her 50th anniversary Yermak was awarded the Order of Lenin. After that she served another 15 years and in 1964 was decommissioned and dismantled in Murmansk.