In Murmansk near the Museum building is a monument to one of the first icebreakers of the Northern Fleet, serving in its composition over 64 years. "Ermak", named after a Russian Explorer of Siberia, was the first Arctic icebreaker class. It owes its creation to the Russian naval commander and oceanographer Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov. He was the first to put forward the idea of the construction of the icebreaker, which would be able to overcome the Arctic ice.

In 1897 the government provided funds for the construction of a ship of the new sample. Makarov, the head of the special Commission, led the development of technical specifications for the construction of the ship. The jury was composed of renowned scientists and engineers. In 1897 it was decided that the construction of the ship will be engaged in English shipbuilding company "Armstrong, Fitword and K°". A month before the expiry of the period prescribed in the contract, "Ermak" was ready for testing, and upon successful validation, was put into operation. On the shores icebreaker met the locals, the accumulated crowd at the pier. A military orchestra played. In honor of the event was organized a solemn reception at a high level.

At that time it was a unique ship breaking ice up to two meters. By those standards, he was gigantic. Its length reached about 96 meters width more than 20 meters, a displacement equal 7875 tons. In 1899 "Ermak" went on its first voyage under the leadership of Makarova. Initially, the icebreaker went under the commercial banner, as was a part of the Navy.

"Ermak" was able to swim across the sea ice to 81° 26' North latitude. He sailed around Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya and the Franz-Joseph. It was some kind of record. Next icebreaker for thirty years he served in the Baltic sea. It was mastered using the Northern sea route, the convoys have successfully passed in the ice of the Northern seas. Icebreaker moved farther to the North and broke another record, conquering North latitude 83° 05'. He participated in the rescue of many ships and expeditions. In the Navy participated in many military operations during the Russian-Japanese, World war I and the great Patriotic wars. In 1949, during 50 years of peaceful and military service "Ermak" has received the award – the order of Lenin.

During the long years of work in the North "Ermak" dilapidated. In the early sixties he was recognized as unfit for duty, and the question was raised about the fate of a veteran ice elemental. Residents of Murmansk advocated that "Ermak" has become a Museum of the history of the conquest of the Arctic. The youth of the city initiated a campaign to collect scrap metal, the weight of which would replace the weight of the ship, which was taken off. However, despite attempts to preserve for history the first Arctic icebreaker, to save him failed. In 1963 he was charged and sent to scrap. In its place in 1974 came another icebreaker of the same name.

However, the memory of the first Arctic icebreaker "Ermak" was immortalized for posterity. November 3, 1965 at the wall of the building of the regional Museum of the city of Murmansk was the memorial in memory of the legendary icebreaker "Ermak". The monument is an ensemble of monumental mosaic paintings and an anchor of the icebreaker "Ermak" at the foot on the pedestal. Project mosaic was created by the architect N.P. Of fast objects ' processing. Work on his project complied with mosaist With.. Nikolaev and artist And.D. Dyachenko in the workshops of the USSR Academy of arts in Leningrad. Then experts in Murmansk mounted canvas and mounted it on the wall of the Museum. The mosaic was made from pieces of smalt. The mural depicts the icebreaker "Ermak", paving the way in the icy expanses of the Arctic. Down on a granite pedestal installed a three-ton anchor with an almost five-meter circuit, which indeed was removed from this vessel, as well as a memorial plaque in bronze.

Until 1997, the monument was guarded by the state. After the collapse of the USSR, the new government excluded it from the list of protected objects.