RS History

In 2023, RS celebrated its 110th anniversary. In its history, the organization has witnessed significant changes in the maritime industry: growing number of fleet units, expanding complexity of the ships’ technical parameters, increasing diversity of the ship’s types and purposes, improving technologies of production.
Only the main objective of RS activities remains unchanged — the provision of safe navigation, safety of life at sea and environmental protection.

Russian Register

The USSR Register

1924 Name change to the USSR Register

RS participates in the restoration of Russia’s fleet and the revival of shipbuilding.

1930 The First Rules for the Classification and Construction of Sea-Going Steel Ships are published

1935 International recognition

RS is recognized by the Suez Canal company, foreign shipyards begin constructing ships under RS Rules.

1941 – 1945 The Great Patriotic War

During the Great Patriotic War, RS specialists maintain the Russian fleet in good order, develop technologies for ship restoration and directly participate in repair work. After the Victory, RS is involved in recovering the USSR shipyards and fleet.

1950s Space and the Atom

Under the RS survey, a new fleet intended for spacecraft control is built.

1959 Lenin

Commissioning of the world’s first nuclear icebreaker.

1960s

RS participates in the Soviet project for developing marine transportation of liquified gas.

1966 Apsheron

Commissioning of the first Soviet self-elevating offshore drilling unit.

1969 IACS

The entry of the USSR Register into the International Association of Classification Societies.

Chairmanship:

1973-1974

1990-1992

2001-2002

2011-2012

1971 Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin

Commissioning of the largest ship for spacecraft control.

1973 Containers

RS is appointed as a technical inspection body for the construction and operation of containers.

1977 Arktika

Designed and built to the RS class, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika reaches the North Pole for the first time in the history of surface navigation.

1980s Over 15,000 units are classed by RS

The Soviet maritime fleet becomes the second largest in the world by the amount of marine self-propelled ships with a gross tonnage of 100 and above.

1984 Automation

Transition to an automated fleet registration system.

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

1992 Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

RS renamed to Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

Quality Management System

The implementation of an internal quality management system in compliance with the international standard ISO 9001.

1996 EU recognition

RS is recognized by the European Union.

1997 International associations

RS joins INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, BIMCO as an associate member.

1998 Prirazlomnaya

Construction of the first Russian ice-resistant fixed offshore platform begins under the RS survey.

2000s

RS launches a comprehensive program in the field of technical standards for marine LNG transportation and participates in all offshore oil and gas projects of the Russian Federation, inсluding the activities on the Arctic shelf.

2000 Fixed offshore platform survey

RS is appointed as the head organization for the survey of fixed offshore platforms.

2003 Subsea Pipelines Rules

Publication of the first Rules for the Classification and Construction of Subsea Pipelines.

2005 Medal “For Contribution to Development” named after K. Boklevsky

A special award was established in honor of the 90-th anniversary of the Scientific and Technical Council.

2006 Norilsky Nikel

Commissioning of the Arctic containership.

2007 50 Let Pobedy

Commissioning of the new nuclear icebreaker.

Akademik Lomonosov

Construction begins on the world’s first floating nuclear power plant.

2008 Varandey

Commissioning of the fixed offshore ice-resistant oil offloading terminal for year-round oil transfer.

Grand Aniva

The first LNG gas carrier enters the RS class.

Vasiliy Dinkov

Commissioning of the Arctic shuttle tanker.

ECO и ECO-S

RS introduces new class notation for ships complying with enhanced environmental safety standards.

2010-е

RS surveys a series of unparalleled high-tech ice class ships, actively pursues digitalization, implements regulations on innovative projects, continues to participate in the development of offshore oil and gas fields and contributes to the renewal of Russia’s fishing fleet. New class notations are introduced: WINTERIZATION (for the ships operating under low temperatures) and GFS (for the gas fueled ships).

2011 Severnoe Siyanie

RS issues classification documents for the semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit.

2012 Digitalization

RS introduces an integrated electronic document management and request control system.

GOST R accreditation

RS is accredited in the Unified national accreditation system and in the Voluntary certification system GOST R.

2013

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping – 100-th anniversary

2015 Arctic gas carriers

Construction begins of the RS-classed world’s first Arc7 Arctic LNG gas carriers.

Innovative portable tanks

RS participates in the creation of portable tanks with shells made of fibre-reinforced plastics materials.

Baltika

Commissioning of the world’s first icebreaking ship with an asymmetric hull.

2016 Arktika

RS-classed prototype nuclear icebreaker pr. 22220 is launched.

2019 New approval-in-industry scheme

New approval-in-industry scheme is introduced in accordance with global practices.

Digital Rules

RS digitalizes the process of rule publishing.

2020 Global pandemic

RS successfully copes with the pandemic, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of its structures and processes.

Maritime Operational Centre

Maritime Operational Centre is established for remote survey coordination.

Autonomous shipping

RS publishes Regulations for Classification of Maritime Autonomous and Remotely Controlled Surface Ships.

Cyber safety

RS publishes the Guidelines on Cyber Safety.

Additive technologies

RS implements requirements for additive manufacturing products to be used in shipbuilding.

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Commissioning of the largest and most powerful (25 MW) diesel-electric icebreaker.

"Green tankers"

Vladimir Monomakh – the lead ship of the Aframax tanker series operating on environmentally sound fuel is launched.

2021 Dmitri Mendeleev

Construction of the first RS-classed ice class LNG bunkering tanker is completed.

Double Acting Ship

RS publishes requirements for equipping double acting ships (DAS).

New software suite

RS presents a new software package for verifying compliance of hull structure strength calculations with the RS Rules.

2022 New realities

RS remains a major player in the global maritime industry, creating alternatives to the services of foreign classification societies by providing a wide range of certification, consultancy and engineering services in a “single window” format.

Fibre-reinforced plastics materials

Upon the RS initiative IMO allows the maritime transportation of portable tanks with shells made of fibre-reinforced plastics materials.

Membrane LNG tanks

RS publishes Rules for membrane LNG containment systems integrating RS expertise in the area of modern Arctic gas carrier classification.

Alternative energy sources

RS implements requirements for ships equipped to work on methanol and ethanol fuel, as well as for ships with wind assisted propulsion systems.

Carbon Intensity Calculator EEXI/CII

RS implements a service for calculating ship’s Carbon Intensity Indicator values.

2023 SAAM FSU

A floating LNG storage unit with a capacity of 360 000 cub. m is constructed to the RS class.

Requirements for ice class ships

RS publishes Rules for Active Means of Polar Class Ships’ Steering.

Unified manufacturer database

RS establishes a Unified database of companies with in-house manufacturing capabilities.