Ironically, the ship was not completed in time for the fiftieth anniversary of Victory Day in 1995 due to a lack of funds. She was finally completed in the beginning of 2007, after the 60th Anniversary. Preparations for her maiden voyage to Murmansk started in the third week of February 2007.
Nuclear-powered icebreakers have been used for tourist purposes since 1989. 50 Let Pobedy was chartered for tourism purposes for the first time in 2008 by Quark Expeditions when a group of eclipse chasers used it to observe the eclipse of August 1, 2008. They departed from Murmansk on July 21, 2008 and reached the North Pole on July 25, 2008, which sets a speed record for the ship. On July 30, 2013 the icebreaker reached the North Pole for the 100th time!
The ship has an athletic exercise facility, a swimming pool, a library, a restaurant, a massage facility, and a music salon.
