Actors Pyotr Fyodorov and Alexander Pal presented the film "Icebreaker" at the Third Icebreaker Festival in St. Petersburg

The Icebreaker Festival has concluded in St. Petersburg, traditionally gathering an enormous number of people on the embankments of the Greater Neva eager to get acquainted with the romance of polar adventures.

During the May holidays in St. Petersburg, the world's only Icebreaker Festival was held. The operating icebreakers «St. Petersburg», «Mudyug», «Ivan Krusenstern», «Captain Sorokin» took part, which were open for free visits. 

The festival's festive program was opened by the presentation of the new film "Icebreaker", which will be released in theaters on October 20 of this year.

The plot of the picture is based on real events of 1985, when the ship "Mikhail Somov" became trapped in Antarctic ice and spent 133 days in forced drift.

The picture was presented by director Nikolay Khomeriki and actors Pyotr Fyodorov and Alexander Pal.

They talked about the film and their impressions of getting acquainted with real icebreakers during the filming: "When I first came aboard an icebreaker, I felt I could do anything – such furious energy emanates from this huge colossus! At the same time, I realized how weak a person is before the elements and can lose to them at any moment", – shared Alexander Pal, who played the pilot Kukushkin in the picture. 

Pyotr Fyodorov played the role of the ship's commander – Captain Petrov.  "Preparing for a role is not only studying the subtleties of the profession and its nuances,  – said Pyotr. – A living person and their personality always come first. It is impossible to become a champion of Russia, learn to fly an airplane, or operate an icebreaker in a short time – but you are obliged to become a champion or hero for yourself, on your way to a certain image."

"The picture "Icebreaker" is a story not so much about the struggle with the elements, as about laying bare one's true "self", because the crew members find themselves in a confined space and do not know whether they will survive and return home, – says the film's director Nikolay Khomeriki. – And their heroism lies in remaining human even in such a situation».

The festival organizers, on behalf of the Transport Committee of St. Petersburg, awarded the director and general producer of the picture Igor Tolstunov a commemorative sign for his contribution to the popularization of Russia's icebreaker fleet.