In service from 1975 to 2008, she was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, a feat achieved on August 17, 1977, during an expedition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution.

At the strongest point, the cast steel prow is 50 centimetres (20 in)) thick and bow-shaped to aid in icebreaking, the curve applying greater dynamic force to fracture the ice than a straight bow would.

[citation needed] Arktika also has an air bubbling system (ABS) which delivers 24 m3/s of steam from jets 9 metres (30 ft) below the surface to further aid in the breakup of ice.

[3] Mil Mi-2 "Hoplite", dubbed ptichka (Russian for "little bird"), or Kamov Ka-27 "Helix" helicopters are used for scouting expeditions to find safe routes through the ice floes.

[7][page needed] Another explanation is that the original name change had been due to an administrative mixup, and the name Leonid Brezhnev had never been supposed to apply to Arktika at all, but had been intended for a different ship.

[8] The life extension was accomplished by means of replacing critical equipment to allow the safe and continued operation of the nuclear plant.

On May 17, 2000, a conference of Russian engineers, scientists, and government officials took place on board Arktika after her first service extension.