I know nothing will come back
An evil heart beats in the clock.
Only sometimes he will respond,
The sun, something eternal in us.

I remember the year 85. Novorosiysk, the motor ship "Ivan Franko" is at the pier. To me, a five-year-old boy, then it seemed simply huge in comparison with river ships.
Now there is no “Ivan Franko” - like most of the Soviet naval fleet, he ended his life on the “Beach of the Dead” in the Indian Alang, some in Pakistan or Turkey.
This post is a memory. About the fleet that we once had. And I really want to hope that beautiful liners flying the Russian tricolor will sail across the seas again. But for now - alas - these are dreams. Someone will say - all over the world ships are cut for metal. I do not argue. But instead of those who leave, new ones appear. But we are still deaf. There aren't even any used ones. This is sad.

The motor ship "Ivan Franko" leaves Alexandria, 1993

The ship "Mikhail Lermontov" arrives in Tilbury, 1985. Sank off the coast of New Zealand on February 16, 1986 (while on freight there). 1 person died.

In total, there were five such ships in Sovtorgflot. The first ones are Ivan Franko, Alexander Pushkin, Shota Rustavelli and Taras Shevchenko
- built in series from 1964 to 1968. Lermontov stood apart here - it was built in 1972, according to a partially modernized project. The fate of the ships in the series is as follows - Ivan Franko, Shota Rustavelli and Taras Shevchenko were cut up for scrap metal in 1997, 2003 and 2004, respectively, Mikhail Lermontov sank in 1986, only one ship remains alive - Alexander Pushkin (built in 1965) - now he called Marco Polo. But its prospects are vague, since the ship does not comply with SOLAS-2010 standards, and the required modification to these standards, although insignificant, is very expensive.

ASSEDO (formerly Shota Rustavelli) in the Kiel Canal, 2003

turbo ship "Maxim Gorky"

One of the last veterans. Now it has almost been dismantled for metal in Alang, India. The history of the ship is as follows - it was originally built as a transatlantic liner. But he didn’t really manage to work on the transatlantic line - almost immediately the Hamburg (that’s what the ship was originally called) became available for cruises. Built in 1969, the ship was acquired by the Soviet Union in 1973. Almost immediately the ship begins working with tourists in different parts of the world. In the 90s, the ship returned to Germany and operated under the wing of Phoenix Reisen. Already in the 2000s, problems with turbines and boilers began. And the rising cost of fuel. They tried to sell the ship more than once, and at the end of 2009 it was sold for scrap. There were repeated attempts by German enthusiasts to buy it back (with the return of the old name) and install it in Hamburg as a museum ship. But alas, in December 2009 the ship arrived at its last stop. At the moment, cutting is at the final stage.

turbo ship "Fedor Shalyapin"

This is already from the British trotter breed. Cunard realizing that even though the old queens will still come out at the expense of prestige, the future does not belong to such giants. Still, the British still hoped that the transatlantic would survive. Boeing and others like them have squashed their hope. The fate of Cunard's "small three" - the liners Ivernia, Frankonia, and Carmania - is in question. Two liners - Ivernia and Carmania - were bought by the USSR in 1973-1974. Our transport workers came to our court - especially in the Far East - Ivernia went there, becoming “Fedor Chaliapin”. Then he was transferred to the ChMP. Carmania (formerly Saxonia) went to the Black Sea under the name "Leonid Sobinov". Chaliapin was dismantled in 2004, Sobinov in 1999.

turboprop "Leonid Sobinov"

In general, it should be noted here that the main focus of the work of the Soviet maritime fleet was mostly transport rather than cruise. This was especially evident in the Far Eastern Shipping Company. Another feature of the passenger fleet of the USSR was its heterogeneity - in contrast to the river fleet, which in the 50s began to be actively updated with serial ships (at the same time, until the mid-late 60s there were many old non-serial steamships left). A significant influence here was exerted by the small number of shipyards in the USSR that could build sea vessels. The shipyards were mostly loaded with orders for cargo and military fleets. Construction abroad was not cheap, since the shipyards of the socialist countries, again, were in large numbers either on rivers where it was impossible to carry large ships, or were loaded with orders from the Ministry of River Fleet. Construction at capital country shipyards was very expensive. To a large extent, the workload of naval shipyards (especially in Vladivostok and the Black Sea) was also due to the very difficult repair of old naval captured ships. In the Far East, the “libertos” - sea transport ships of the Liberty type, built during the war in the United States - were turning up the heat. A simple and unpretentious vessel, but it was essentially a “disposable” vessel. After the war, they were brought to the shipyard, and the metal on the skin was almost completely changed. Until recently, one Liberty was still alive - the cargo steamer "Odessa", which was stationed in one of the harbors of Vladivostok and was used as a floating ship.
In general, until the mid-70s, the passenger fleet clung quite strongly to pre-war ships - this was the trend throughout the world. Cheap fuel, well-maintained ships and lines - all this made it possible to sail on the “old ones”.

steamship "Admiral Nakhimov"

This photo is unique (in general, thanks to marine enthusiast Vitaly Kostrichenko, on shipspotting you can now find a lot of quite unique photographic material on domestic ships) in that it was taken in Wismar, Germany, during the reconstruction of the steamship.
The steamship was built in 1925. Original name "Berlin". The ship was lucky as a drowned man in the literal sense. Like many large ships of that time, the Berlin was built for the transatlantic line. But unlike its colleague “Bremen” (which went to the British and was mercilessly sawn into nails), its task was not to set records for the Atlantic blue ribbon. It was a ship for transporting simpler clients across the ocean. After the Nazis came to power in Germany, the ship was removed from the transatlantic line and began to work under the auspices of the KDF (analogous to our trade unions). During the war, Berlin becomes a transport hub. In 1945, it was sunk in shallow water by its crew. After the division of the fleet, the ship was transferred to the USSR. After lifting, she was sent to Newcastle, where hull repairs were made, after which the ship was transferred to Wismar to the Matias Tessen shipyard. Repairs of the ship continued until 1955. Initially, the ship was supposed to go to the Far East, but at the very last moment its fate changed and it joined the Crimean-Caucasian line of the Black Sea Shipping Company. And “Asia” went to the Far East. The ship had to put on a military peacoat again during the Caribbean crisis - it made several voyages to the shores of Cuba. The Admiral Nakhimov died abeam Cape Doob while leaving Novorossiysk on August 31, 1986. The cargo ship "Peter Vasev" hit him on the side. You can read more about the disaster here - http://admiral-nakhimov.net.ru/stat.htm
There were 897 passengers on board at the time of the disaster. 359 people died.

1945 This is how “Berlin” went to the Soviet Union

"Admiral Nakhimov" in the port of Novorossiysk

steamship Der Deutsche. As a result of the division of the fleet, it ended up in the USSR and was renamed "Asia". Cut up for scrap in Japan in 1967

steam turbine ship "Soviet Union"

This ship was rightfully considered the flagship of the Far Eastern Shipping Company. Built in Germany by order of the HAPAG company in 1922 and named after the first president and founder of the company, Albert Ballin. Ballin committed suicide in 1918 on the day of Germany's surrender. HAPAG had an Atlantic blue ribbon to its credit before the First World War. The turboship "Deutschland" literally snatched it from the British.
Albert Ballin became the fruit of a different doctrine. Realizing that it was unrealistic to immediately snatch the Blue Ribbon from Britain, the company followed the principle - Comfort and size over speed. In speed, the new ship was of course inferior to the queens, but in comfort and carrying capacity it even surpassed them. A total of four such vessels were built. After Hitler came to power, the ship was renamed Hansa. After the war, Hansa goes to the Soviet Union along with the same type airliner Hamburg. It must be said that the ships have been modernized several times in Germany. THE most radical modernization was carried out in the winter of 34/35, when the bows of both liners were lengthened by 10 meters. This, coupled with the adjustment and modernization of turbines and boilers, resulted in an increase in speed to 19 knots. Hansa became the "Soviet Union" and went to the Far East as a passenger liner (accepted by the shipping company in 1955), and Hamburg became the whaling base "Yuri Dolgoruky"

"Soviet Union" being led into the harbor

The ship operated as part of the Far Eastern MP until 1980. It underwent another modernization of the machine in Hong Kong in 1971. At the end of the 70s, the ship became a training vessel. Butchered in Japan in 1982-1983.

"Soviet Union" in Kamchatka, 70s

turbo ship "Baltika"

The history of this vessel began in 1939. The USSR government ordered two vessels of the same type from the Netherlands for the Baltic Shipping Company - "Vyacheslav Molotov" and "Joseph Stalin". Already in the first days of the war, the ships were mobilized and turned into military transport. During the evacuation from the Hanko Peninsula, both ships came under fire. "Stalin" lost speed and control. The current carried the ship to the shores of Estonia, where it was sunk by German battery fire. According to another version, the ship was blown up by a mine. In 1945, the ship was raised and towed to Tallinn. According to various sources, in the same year it was butchered in Tallinn, according to others - in Polish Gdansk.
After the war, "Molotov" initially served on the Leningrad - New York line, then it was replaced by the "Russia" d/e. For some time, Molotov worked first in the Far East, and then in the Black Sea, after which it returned to the Baltic.

off the coast of Kamchatka, 1955

turboship "Vyacheslav Molotov" on the Black Sea

In 1957, the ship was renamed "Baltika". In the same years, N.S. Khrushchev made a visit to Great Britain on it.

turbo ship "Baltika" near Rendsburg, Kiel Canal, 1967

Already under the rule of L.I. Brezhnev, the ship fell into some kind of “disgrace” - Khrushchev’s visit had an impact. After this, the ship mostly operates on internal Baltic routes. In 1984, the Baltika turboship was taken out of service, and in 1987 it was cut up for scrap in Denmark.

motor ship "Abkhazia" in Yalta, 1940

"Abkhazia" sets sail

June 1942, Sevastopol

As a trophy, the USSR received the unfinished motor ship MARIENBURG, the construction of which began in 1939. In 1955, it became part of the Cheromorsk Shipping Company under the name "Lensovet", and in 1962 - another renaming - now "Abkhazia". Initially, the ship was built to operate in the Baltic Sea as a ferry between the ports of Germany and East Prussia. Cut to metal in 1980 in Barcelona, ​​Spain

"Abkhazia" in Sochi, 1972

1975 the Pobeda false pipe is visible on the right

"Victory" in Sochi, 70s. The ship was stripped for metal in 1977. We see “Victory” in the film “The Diamond Arm” - the hero of Yu. Nikulin boards the ship “Mikhail Svetlov” (in real life, the d/e “Russia”). And on the pier behind the “Russia” there is just the “Victory” - the former German Iberia (not to be confused with the Cunard “namesake” built in 1954)

motor ships "Tajikistan" and "Pobeda" (right) in Yalta, 70s

There is no need to present a photo of this vessel. “Mikhail Svetlov tu-tu”, “Russo tourist, face of morality”, “Our people don’t take taxis to the bakery” - of course - this is the diesel-electric vehicle "Russia". As already noted, episodes of the foreign cruise of the comedy film “The Diamond Arm” were filmed on board the ship. In the film, the ship was called "Mikhail Svetlov".
Of all the captured airliners of the USSR, Rossiya was received in almost perfect condition.
The liner was built in Germany in 1938. This is despite the fact that the keel of the liner was laid in 1937. 14 months passed from the moment of laying to the first voyage! The liner was named "Patria" (Motherland). It is the Motherland, not Adolf Hitler. The “duck” that was once released still roams the open spaces. But then, in 1938, Patria became the largest ship with a diesel-electric power plant - a very bold step for that time.

Patria in the Norwegian port of Hammerfirst. Photo from 1938 (from the collection of J. Pichenevsky)

In 1945, the ship was transferred to the USSR. Having worked for some time on the Leningrad - New York line (where she replaced Vyacheslav Molotov), ​​in 1948 Rossiya entered the Odessa - Batumi line.

1948 The boat is already painted white

The diesel-electric ship was decommissioned in 1984, in 1985 the ship was sold for breaking up, by the end of 1985 it arrived in Singapore, from where it went to Japan for cutting, where, apparently, it was dismantled by the end of 1986.

motor ship "Ilyich" - former German Caribia. In the Far East, its sistership, Rus (ex Cordilera), also worked as part of the Far Eastern MP. Rus was written off and sold for cutting in 1981, Ilyich - in 1983, butchered in Japan at the end of 1984 in Japan.

"Rus" in Vladivostok

motor ship "Kooperatsiya"

"Kooperatsiya" is one of the "last Mohicans" of the first merchant fleet of Soviet Russia. Built in 1928 in Leningrad, she first worked on the Leningrad-London line carrying passengers and cargo. During the war she became a military transport, in the post-war years she worked on different lines, repeatedly went to Beirut (these flights are described in the story by B. A. Remen “In a foreign port, far from home”) and Alexandria. In 1979, the ship was transferred to Interlichter and became a floating hostel. It stood on the site of the current port of Ust-Dunaisk. In 1987, the ship was sold for breaking up and by the end of 1988 it was cut up for metal in Egypt.

steamship "Emperor Peter the Great"

Built in 1913. During the First World War it was used as a hospital ship on the Black Sea. Subsequently, the steamer worked repeatedly in different basins. For some time he worked at the Far Eastern MP (at that time it was called “Yakutia”). After returning to the Black Sea, the ship was returned to its original name - "Peter the Great". Cut into metal in 1973.

In 1938, the Blom und Voss shipyard built two similar liners ordered by Romania - Basarabia and Transilvania. After Romania capitulated, its fleet was divided. Basarabia remained in Romania, and Transilvania was transferred to the Black Sea Shipping Company and renamed "Ukraine". The ship was decommissioned in 1987. In general, the 87th was the last for many old ships - it was affected by the Nakhimov disaster. Basarabia was cut into metal already in the 90s.

Transilvania in Yalta, 1972

steamship "Vologda"

Built in 1930 in Danzig. Worked on the North Sea. During the war - escort transport. In 1956, Wismar underwent modernization. Then he worked on the Murmansk - Gremikha line. In 1975 it was decommissioned and used as a hotel. Cut into metal in 1981.

Only a select few traveled on this ship. This airliner was well known in the West - they used it to judge how they lived in the Soviet Union, but most of the population of the USSR did not even know about its existence. His life was shrouded in mystery. His death still remains a mystery.

On February 16, 1986 at 15:00, the Soviet cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov left the New Zealand port of Picton with 408 passengers and 330 crew members on board. The ship was traveling through the Queen Charlotte Strait. At 16:35 the captain of the ship went to the cabin, and the watch navigator, the second mate, two sailors and the New Zealand pilot remained on the bridge. The pilot told passengers on the radio about local attractions. At his request, the ship's course was set closer to the shore. At 17:30 the ship left the strait on its planned course into the open ocean.
Suddenly the pilot gave the command: “Rudder to the left, 10 degrees.” The watch officer repeated the order, and the ship, changing course, entered the narrow strait between Cape Jackson and the Walkers Rock lighthouse. Second mate Gusev reported that he saw breakers on the water. When asked why the course had changed, the pilot answered the navigator on watch Sergei Stepanishchev that he wanted to give passengers the opportunity to admire the beauty of Cape Jackson. At 17:34 the pilot’s second command was heard: “Rudder to the left, 10 degrees.” The motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" entered the strait at 17:38 at a speed of 15 knots. Suddenly, a passenger ship crashes into an underwater rock at full speed. The length of the hole was 12 meters. The watertight bulkheads were damaged, and by inertia the ship continued to move forward. Captain Vorobiev immediately appeared on the navigation bridge and took control of the ship. He decided to abandon the ship on a sandbank in Port Gore Bay.


At this time, the passengers of the ship gathered in the music salon. They had fun accompanied by artists. At 17:43 a general alarm was declared. There was a report on the bridge that the watertight doors were closed. At 17:45 the ship's roll was already 5 degrees. Water began to flow into the refrigerator department, gym, food pantries, laundry and printing house. Water leaked through poorly locked watertight engine room doors. At 18:20, when the emergency team tried to secure the doors, the ship's list was already 10 degrees. The captain gave the order to prepare rescue equipment. The bridge received a report that water was flooding the main power distribution panel, causing the main engines to stop and power to be lost. At 19:10 the ship's list was 12 degrees and the captain gave the order to leave the engine room.


The motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" was built on March 18, 1972 in the German Democratic Republic at the Mathias-Thesen Werft shipyard in the city of Wismar (former German Democratic Republic). The construction of the cruise ship was supervised by commissions from the Ministry of the Merchant Marine. The ship was put into operation in 1973. Its purpose was to serve regular cruise lines. In the same year, on May 28, the motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" left its home port of Leningrad and set off on its first voyage along the route Bremerhaven-London-Le Havre-New York, where, arriving at the final point of the sea voyage on June 11, it became the first Soviet passenger ship to visit foreign American port for the last 25 years. However, in 1980, the United States took retaliatory measures against the Soviet government, which sent its troops into Afghanistan by banning all Soviet ships from visiting US ports and the liner was transferred to routes to Europe.
A few years later, in 1982, the ship underwent modernization, which cost the Soviet state $15 million. Since then, the ship "Mikhail Lermontov" has met all international standards of a transatlantic liner. This was the first ship in the passenger fleet to be equipped with an American-made satellite communications station. According to its creator, the cruise ship was a showcase of the Soviet way of life, so they did not skimp on the exterior and interior decoration. In Germany, the ship's hull was repainted white, and more luxury cabins appeared, which the market demanded. The decoration, design and comfort of the premises amazed the imagination of even Soviet sailors who had seen the world. The salon deck surprised with glass shops and open display cases. Luxuriously equipped bars: the comfort of the “Sadko” bar with its soft armchairs attracted many guests, real trees grew in the winter garden, and the music salon accommodated about 500 spectators.
According to the maritime regulations, the captain personally recruited the crew of the new ship. Getting into the crew of the ship "Mikhail Lermontov" was considered a great success. Competition in the world of passenger shipping was serious, so the emphasis was placed on the democracy and sociability of the staff. The captain convinced the leadership of the Soviet fleet to introduce on such ships, in addition to the usual naval uniform, a gala uniform for the command staff. It was prohibited to appear in places where passengers rest. Only members of the ship's crew were involved in the amateur performances; on Western cruise ships, professional performers are invited. Passengers loved having nurses and librarians, stewards and laundresses, flight attendants and galley workers singing and dancing for them. Cooks and waiters on Soviet cruise ships studied the cuisines of the peoples of the world and the secrets of serving. The receptions were colossal, and the expenses were corresponding. There were dance and choir groups on the ship. Its own brass band, which always played on deck when the ship entered the port.

The project of the motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" became a successful propaganda campaign of the Soviet government. The ship actually performed the work of diplomatic services and successfully advertised the Soviet way of life in the West.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the international situation warmed up, and the Soviet government took a number of measures aimed at building bridges between East and West. The Soviet-Canadian line was opened by the Alexander Pushkin motor ship. The motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" was assigned to master the USSR-USA tour. On the day of its arrival in New York, the Soviet liner was visited by about 500 journalists, and in the morning American newspapers came out with headlines: “The whistles of the ship “Mikhail Lermontov” put an end to the Cold War.” The Americans recognized the Soviet liner and passengers appeared on the ship. The motor ship has become a noticeable ship in the passenger transportation market. It created serious competition for some Western cruise ships. When the American line was closed, the USSR Ministry of the Navy drew attention to the large flow of passengers between England and Australia, and in 1979 the ship Mikhail Lermontov was sent to work in the Southern Hemisphere. The Soviet cruise ship completed seven round-the-world tours. He left London, visiting the most beautiful corners of the world, and returned to London, but from the other side of the world.
The atmosphere on the ship was homely. Crossing the equator, passengers and the crew took part in Neptune's celebrations and pirate dinners, for which they received special diplomas. We attended excursions in ports and cheered for the crew of the ship “Mikhail Lermontov” when they played football or tennis with other teams. The liner was a small state on which ordinary life flowed. Here they met, fell in love, got married and died.
Many passengers went on cruises every year and welcomed the crew members like family. They brought them gifts, and then wrote letters and invited them to visit.
Movement in the waters of the world's oceans was regulated by special maritime organizations, the so-called conferences. Participation in them cost a lot of money, but in return the ships received the right to unhindered movement and support in ports around the world. The conferences also ensured that prices for cruises from different providers of such services were kept at approximately the same level. The USSR Ministry of Passenger Fleet created its own company in England, called “CTC,” which sold tickets at reduced prices, so foreign tourists stood in line to get on the Soviet ship. The price decline was offset by low costs. Our sea vessels used Soviet fuel, which was much cheaper than Western fuel, and they also saved on the salaries of Soviet sailors (the captain of the ship received about 70 US dollars per voyage, and other crew members from 20 to 30 US dollars). In England, tickets for the Soviet liner were sold at a price of $70 per day. A ten-day boat tour cost $700. For the British, for example, living on a Soviet ship was sometimes cheaper than living on the shore. Naturally, Western cruise companies did not like this fact, so they undertook all sorts of provocations.


At 19:18, the ship's list was already 13 percent, and the emergency lighting on the ship turned on. At 19:20, the gas tanker Tarihiko and the sea ferry Arahura arrived to help the sinking ship. The command was given to urgently disembark the passengers. The landing was relatively orderly. At 21:15 the bridge received a report that passengers had been brought ashore by the Tarihiko and Arahura. The captain then gave the order to check the premises and evacuate the crew.
At 21:30 the ship's roll reached 23 degrees. At 22:10 the rescue operation was completed. Passengers and crew members were met by police and doctors. The pilot, under the supervision of two crew members, was taken to the ferry Arahura, but as soon as the ship landed, he mysteriously disappeared. There is a version according to which the pilot escaped from the ship through the toilet located in the captain's cabin. The toilet had double doors, which the Soviet officers did not realize. For a long time the police did not know where to look for him and how he managed to escape.


When night fell over the passenger ship, he was already lying on the starboard side. At 22:10 the famous cruise ship "Mikhail Lermontov" sank in Port Gore Bay. Many of the crew members floating next to the ship in boats looked at this terrible sight with bitterness. They cried and did not believe that this could happen. When the roll call was taken, one person did not respond. Pavel Zaglyadimov's workplace was in the refrigerator compartment. It was there that the ship received the main hole.
In Leningrad, the crew of the passenger ship was waited by relatives with warm clothes and representatives of the competent authorities, who were not interested in the psychological and physical condition of the crew members.
The disaster off the coast of New Zealand occurred on the eve of the opening of the 27th Congress of the CPSU, which fueled interest in the version that the ship was removed from the market by competitors. The USSR and New Zealand conducted an investigation into the shipwreck in record time. The materials were immediately classified. In the history of the death of the liner, there were many unclear questions - why an experienced pilot led the ship onto the rocks, why the watch officer allowed the course to change, whether it was possible to save the ship and, finally, who is to blame.
On February 18, 1986, the North-Western Transport Prosecutor's Office of the city of Leningrad opened a criminal case into the shipwreck of the ship "Mikhail Lermontov". The investigation did not find any corpus delicti in the actions of Captain Vorobyov. The charge was brought against senior mate Stepanishchev for entrusting his right to control the ship through the helmsman. Two months later, the prosecutor's office transferred the case to the Leningrad City Court. Soon, senior mate Sergei Stepanishchev was sentenced to 4 years of correctional labor. When handing down the punishment, the court took into account the unlawful actions of New Zealand citizen Marlboro pilot Donald Jamison.
The New Zealand side called the court's decision in the Stepanishchev case totalitarian justice. Jamison was not convicted; he voluntarily surrendered his pilot's license and expressed deep regret about the incident. The pilot ended his career as the captain of a small cargo ship. He never spoke about the tragedy of the ship even with his fellow countrymen. In all these years, not a single journalist has been able to interview Donald Jamison.


The story of the ship "Mikhail Lermontov" did not end with its death. Foreign passengers have bombarded Australian courts with claims against the Baltic Shipping Company for millions of US dollars. To reduce the level of indignation, the New Zealand management raised to the surface a safe with jewelry from passengers who had deposited them.
The issue of restoring the passenger ship was decided at the highest levels, but the costs of the event exceeded the cost of the ship. On August 20, 1986, an order was signed to write off the ship "Mikhail Lermontov" from the balance of the Baltic Shipping Company.
The passenger ship was not insured, since it made no sense to insure with Soviet companies, because all maritime transport belonged to one owner - the state. They tried to recover funds from New Zealand to pay for the damage caused to passengers. In April 1989, the Baltic Shipping Company sued the Picton Port Authority and pilot Donald Jamieson for AUD 100 million, or US$45 million. The trial lasted several years. Lawyers found out that the pilot was one in several persons. He acted as general director of the board and captain of the port of Picton, was the only pilot and, in addition, a tour guide throughout the entire water area. Jamison worked 7 days a week, 16-18 hours a day. By overexploiting Donald Jamieson, the Port of Picton authorities violated a huge number of both New Zealand and international conventions, and therefore had to answer for the actions of the pilot, which led to tragic consequences. As a result, the Baltic Shipping Company received 2 million 750 thousand US dollars. The amount, of course, is significantly less than what was stated in the lawsuit, but the Soviet side considered this outcome of the case to be successful. In world practice, the shipowner, and not the pilot, is usually responsible for a ship accident; moreover, the details of the ship’s death became known, but the USSR did not try to make them public. The dissemination of information was not beneficial to New Zealand either. The island state was already suffering losses - 5 years after the ship disaster, passenger ships did not visit these places. The parties entered into a settlement agreement and pledged to keep it secret for five years. The version that the ship was removed by competitors was no longer discussed anywhere.
You can get to the place where the ship sank in three hours. Renting a boat and equipment costs 800 US dollars. The motor ship "Mikhail Lermontov" lies at a depth of 36 meters. In clear weather, its side can be seen from the surface of the sea.
In New Zealand, a sunken passenger ship gave impetus to the development of diving. “Black divers” rushed to the liner, picking up alcoholic drinks, caviar in iron cans, dishes, gold and silver items, tearing mahogany frames from cabin windows, and taking away deck chairs that had floated up at the scene of the disaster. Collecting items from the ship "Mikhail Lermontov" has become a favorite pastime of the locals. International laws prohibit the recovery of any objects from sunk ships. In some countries, the punishment for this is extremely severe - up to 6 years in prison, but New Zealand lives by its island laws. The number of people wishing to visit the Soviet ship has not yet decreased.

In February 2010, I managed to get out into the backwater of the Kama Shipyard, which is opposite Perm. The purpose of the trip is to get on board the Project 785 diesel-electric ships "Bulgaria" and "Composer Glazunov". But the main point was a visit to the diesel-electric ship "Soviet Union". This is a diesel-electric ship of Project 20. A total of two such vessels were built. The first - "Lenin" - burned down in the backwater in 21984 during inter-navigation repairs. "Soviet Union" was luckier - until 1996 he worked on the Volga. And it so happened that I witnessed his last flight. At the beginning of July 1996, we boarded the Sovetsky Soyuz in Samara and went to Moscow. But near Yaroslavl one of the main diesel generators failed. The ship arrived in Moscow 18 hours late. Then, after completing several short flights, the Union left for Nizhny Novgorod, to the VORP base. In the fall of 2001, it was bought by the Kama Shipping Company and the Soviet Union began its long-term berth in Perm. And now, 14 years later - a new meeting with this ship. In May 2010, I happened to be in the Perm backwater again, on board the ship "Bulgaria". Then I took some pictures from the board.
"Soviet Union" was handed over to river workers in 1959. At the moment, it became the last large passenger ship built at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant. Further, all passenger ships in the USSR will come from abroad, from the shipyards of the countries of the socialist commonwealth. The only exception will be Austrian ships, but this is a drop in the ocean. After delivery, the flagship of the VORP became the same type "Lenin". These vessels immediately surpassed everything that sailed along the Volga in terms of technical level. After the fire at Lenin in 1984, the flagship was formally transferred to the Soviet Union. The Khoresmatic appearance of these ships, the high level of finishing (it is entirely wooden - it is not fitting for a flagship to have plebeian plastic), dimensions, the presence (for the first time in the history of the domestic passenger fleet) of a central air conditioning system, water supply to all cabins (even in more modern ships of projects 588, 26 -37, 305 there were no washbasins in the cabins of the third category, and on the 305s there was even a strong closet - places of the IV category, they were located in the bow lobby of the main deck). Project 20 did not have the so-called hard places - after all, on the same three-deck places in class III - an ordinary wooden shelf, soft as the door of a steel safe. For the first time on board, there are cabins with three berths. And the cabins themselves were larger in area.
Of course, in 1996, “Soviet Union” no longer had the same shine as before. And no one considered it comfortable anymore. But still he looked apart from his river colleagues. A sort of leviathan from the harsh Stalinist past.
Time is the best doctor and the best executioner. It doesn't give you a chance, it doesn't fail. Nowadays the “Soviet Union” still stands in Perm and is quietly living out its life. It is unlikely that anyone will undertake to reconstruct it, since it requires a major overhaul of the power plant, and spare parts for electric propulsion motors cannot be found. Nizhny Novgorod enthusiasts are trying to somehow break the situation in order to bring the ship back to Nizhny Novgorod and turn it into a museum. But alas, things are still there. KRP does not want to sell the ship.

diesel-electric ship "Soviet Union" at the Kuibyshev port, from the archive of V. Zaikin

diesel-electric ship "Soviet Union" on a voyage, from the archive of R. Mubarakshin

navigation bridge, bow view

aft



view from the nose



general form



on the main deck



the aft vestibule, or the main deck, or the middle deck - both are such a mess



ship restaurant


coffee machine in restaurant






GP lobby, the door to the exhaust pipes is open



double bunk cabin - according to Soviet classification - category 2A



nameplate - it is located above the ladder in the Moscow Region



light well MO



if I'm not mistaken, one of the cabins on the main ship has four beds. According to the old classification - category 2B. It differs from 2A in that it is located closer to the stern and lacks additional partitions.


night light By the way, despite its relatively frivolous appearance, it is very comfortable and does not interfere with cabin neighbors



deck span - I don’t remember which one, they obviously tried to pull the refrigerator out somewhere






a lamp in the deck span - this is the only one that was more or less preserved at that time


four-bed cabin category 2A. As you can see, the cabin is divided into three “compartments” - two seats by the window, a block of bunks, wardrobes and a washbasin. One more thing - each “compartment” is separated by a partition









middle deck lobby



ladder


middle deck span



the bow saloon of the middle deck, where there is also a grand piano from the Red October factory. Due to the lampshade, the room is high. But there is also a downside - the bow part of the boat deck is very limited for walking - the same ceiling is in the way.









triple single-tier cabin. By the way, in this regard, Project 20 overtook the “crocodiles” - there were bunk beds in the triples. And these diesel-electric ships became the first passenger ships with three-berth cabins.


aft middle deck bay



lobby



in modern language - reception. On the bulkhead (where the white “screen”) hung a map of the waterways and a board with the departure time (EMNIP this was the case in ’96)



view from the restaurant balcony (middle deck)



"balcony" interior

The shipping company Teplokhod.ru invites you to spend the holidays on the ship "Soviet Union". Rent the motor ship "Soviet Union" on the official website of the owner at the best price, with the official conclusion of the contract. Below you will find a full description, current prices and photographs of the ship. We will promptly send a preliminary calculation and show the ship at a time convenient for you.

A small motor ship with a maximum capacity of no more than 40 people was built at the Moscow Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant in 1954 according to project 544 Moskvich type. In 2005, it underwent a complete reconstruction and is now a full-fledged banquet ship, suitable for organizing intimate weddings, family celebrations and corporate events.

Interior and layout

The motor ship "Soviet Union" has two decks. The upper deck is divided by the wheelhouse into two parts: the bow is open and the stern is tented. Both parts have banquet furniture so that in good weather passengers can admire the surroundings.

On the main deck of the ship, according to tradition, there is a banquet hall-restaurant and a bow salon (wardroom). The interiors of these premises are made in a style corresponding to the name, the obvious detail of which is the finishing made of natural wood. Here everything is finished with it: the floor, walls, ceiling, partitions and even the upholstered furniture has a wooden base.

Equipment on board the ship includes karaoke, air conditioning, music center, TV/DVD.

• Low rental price.
• Original interior design.
• Optimal price-quality ratio
• Several functional rooms.

So, in the third part we left our hero - "Ballina" - "Hansa" - sunk in shallow water near the German port of Warnemünde (Rostock). In the final part we will talk about his Soviet biography, under the name “Soviet Union” and the end of the road, under the name “Tobolsk”.
* * *
In accordance with the decisions of the Potsdam Conference of the leaders of the three Allied powers (USSR, USA and Great Britain), the German naval and merchant fleets were divided among the victorious countries as reparations. After the division of the German fleet by the triple commission, turbo ships of the same type Hansa And Hamburg transferred to the USSR. Other airliners in this series - Germany And New York- went to the British. The British picked them up and towed them to England, but considered restoration impractical and cut them up for scrap.
In 1947, the emergency rescue service of the Baltic Fleet examined the sunken Hansa, after which a decision was made to raise it. The difficulty of the lift was that the ship was heavily silted, and the shallow depth made it difficult to place it on an even keel. The work lasted for about two years, and only on December 15, 1949, the ship was lifted and taken to Warnemünde, where shipyard Warnow Werft refurbishment was carried out. Due to the lack of a dock of sufficient size in Warnemünde, hull work was carried out in Antwerp (Belgium) at John Cockerill shipyard, from 08/11/1950 to 06/08/1951. The reconstruction of the engine room, superstructures and restoration of the premises at Warnow Werft in Warnemünde continued for another four years.

1955. The restored "Soviet Union" leaves the port of Warnemünde (GDR).

Since the ship was immediately intended to operate on the Vladivostok-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky coastal line with a traditionally large passenger traffic, the restoration project provided for almost the same passenger capacity that was originally available during construction. At the same time, 4 cargo holds and luggage compartments were preserved, and the upper deck became continuous. The vessel's tonnage increased to 23,009 tons.
The ship was equipped with 10 Lux cabins and 2 Special Lux cabins for a total of 20 passengers, 90 1st class cabins (150 passengers), 85 2nd class cabins (404 passengers) and 85 3rd class cabins (602 passengers ). In addition, the ship could take 2,280 tons of general cargo. Of the four masts on the liner, only two were left: one each in front and behind the superstructure.
During the reconstruction, two chimneys were replaced with one “domed” shape that was fashionable at that time. A similar pipe configuration was used on English liners of the Saxonia type (later Leonid Sobinov), which were built at the same time. During the repair, due to the lack of highly qualified specialists, it was not possible to completely restore the turbines and align the main gearboxes. For this reason, it was recommended to reduce the power of the main engine to 14,000 hp. s., which provided a speed of 16.5 knots.

The area of ​​the Warnow Werft shipyard near Rostock, where the liner underwent restoration.
Photo from 2006

Since this liner was the largest passenger ship in the USSR, there was no doubt about what to name the new ship: “Soviet Union”. The official assignment of the new name took place in 1953. In total, the restoration took five years. However, shortly before the scheduled commissioning date, for unknown reasons, an explosion and fire occurred on the ship, which severely damaged the premises of the liner (1954). A second restoration followed, and in September 1955 the ship was handed over to the customer.

1955.
The departure of the "Soviet Union" after delivery to the Ministry of the Navy of the USSR from the port of Warnemünde for control docking in Sevastopol.

And a color photograph from the same period. The future home port of Vladivostok is already indicated on the stern, but the liner is still in the Baltic.

* * *
Sistership "Hanza" Hamburg was raised in 1950 and underwent restoration in Warnemünde and Antwerp. Initially, it was also planned to use it as a passenger ship in the Far East. The ship was named “Yuri Dolgoruky”, and an acceptance team from Vladivostok had already been sent to Germany. But in 1957, at the level of the USSR government, it was decided to re-equip the ship to the whaling base based in Kaliningrad. Since 1960, the Yuri Dolgoruky mother ship has been actively used in whaling in many areas of the World Ocean: mainly off the coast of Antarctica, in the southern Indian Ocean near Kerguelen Island and in the South Atlantic. In connection with an international convention that sharply limited whaling, the Yuri Dolgoruky floating base was decommissioned in 1977 and cut up for scrap metal.

Former Hamburg, and then the whaling mother ship "Yuri Dolgoruky".

* * *
In 1955, the Far Eastern branch of Sovtorgflot, the Sovetsky Soyuz, was put into operation. But before heading to the Far East, control docking had to be completed. At that time, there was only one place in the USSR where such a large vessel could be docked - the Sevmorzavod dry dock in Sevastopol.
On October 13, 1955, the turboship "Soviet Union" under the command of Captain Nikolai Borisovich Artyukh arrived in Odessa and then moved to Sevastopol. In Sevastopol, at Sevmorzavod, one of the reverse turbines was removed from the vessel and sent for balancing to the Kharkov Turbine Plant, and also docked in the plant’s dry dock. While staying in Sevastopol, the “Soviet Union” was visited by the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev, Defense Minister Georgy Zhukov and Politburo member Leonid Brezhnev in company with the leader of the Hungarian communists Matthias Rakosi, who was soon destined to lose all his posts during the Hungarian uprising (1956 ).

In November 1956, Serafim Porfiryevich Myshevsky was appointed captain-mentor on the “Soviet Union”, and in March 1957, “Soviet Union”, under the command of Captain Artyukh and captain-mentor Myshevsky, went to the Far East. They walked around Africa, and on May 29, 1957, the Soviet Union arrived in Vladivostok and began its first voyage on the Vladivostok-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky express line. Organizationally, it became part of the Far Eastern branch of Sovtorgflot with its home port of Vladivostok, and later, after reorganization, of the Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO). Dalzavod was identified as a repair base in the Far East for the Soviet Union, where it had (and still has) dry dock of appropriate sizes.
After arriving in Vladivostok, in May 1957, Myshevsky was appointed captain of the ship, who worked on the “Soviet Union” until 1962. From 1965 to 1977, the captain of the “Soviet Union” was Hero of Socialist Labor Boris Andreevich Grishin.

Captain of the "Soviet Union" in 1965-1977.
Hero of Socialist Labor Grishin B.A.

"Soviet Union" was placed on the express coastal line: Vladivostok - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. After the defeat of Japan, southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands again ceded to the USSR. It was necessary to transport people with their property, food, production equipment and other cargo. Normal life began to be restored in all other regions of the Far East. A large flow of cargo and passengers was also sent there, mainly going fishing on an organizational basis. The ship worked on this line almost until the end of its existence.

1959. “Soviet Union” in the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Periskop archive.

From January 11 to March 29, 1971, the ship underwent repairs in Hong Kong, during which, among other works, the main gearboxes were finally aligned, and the ship was able to reach speeds of up to 19 knots.

Extracts from the Passenger's Handbook for 1962(has provided dennism )

1. Scheme of the Far Eastern basin of the USSR Ministry of the Marine Fleet, indicating the route from Vladivostok to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In blue I painted the winter route of the turboprop, through the Sangar Strait. During the season from approximately January to April, the Kamchatka Line liners went exactly this way.

2. Tariffs for the transportation of passengers, different classes of cabins (luxury is not included).

3. Airplane schedule.

By the way, when I was there (1976-1980), the arrival of liners at the port of Petropavlovsk often occurred not in the morning at 8.00, as in this schedule, but around 10 - 12 noon. And, let's say, on the Maria Ulyanova in 1987, I arrived at the port opposite, earlier - at 6.30 in the morning. That is, the time of arrival is an extensible value; you had to call the Seaport in the evening of the day before arrival and they would be more precise.

1970s, Vladivostok, Zolotoy Rog Bay. The "Soviet Union" runs along the Egersheld Peninsula

t.x. Soviet Union" about 75-77, I don’t remember exactly. There was a flight to Petropavlovsk from Vladivostok, I’m the happy guy in the photo who had the chance to steer this ship, on that flight I was the grandson of the ship’s doctor, so they let me in everywhere and showed me everything. Wonderful time:)

Short video of the Soyuz, 1957 (1956 is erroneously listed in the credits):

End of career.

The turboship "Soviet Union" completed work on the Kamchatka passenger line on November 30, 1980 and, in accordance with the order of the head of the Far Eastern Shipping Company No. 1037 dated December 2, 1980, was laid up for dismantling equipment, removing materials, technical supplies and preparing the vessel for delivery to scrap metal

By order of the Minister of the Navy of the USSR No. 256 dated December 5, 1980, the liner "Soviet Union" was written off from the balance of the transport fleet, after which, by order of the head of the Far Eastern Marine Fleet, it was renamed "Tobolsk"; it is clear that with the name “Soviet Union” it simply could not be cut up for scrap. Throughout 1981, “Tobolsk” was laid up in the Vladivostok commercial sea port (there is information that during this period it was a training center for cadets of the Nevelskoy School).

On March 5, 1982, the Tobolsk independently set out on its last voyage for cutting with a crew of 60 people under the command of captain Gennady Aleksandrovich Kobtsev, and on March 17 of the same year the ship was officially handed over for cutting into metal to one of the Hong Kong companies.

A few words about the article on “Ballin” in the English Wikipedia.

Unfortunately, the article about the airliner contains many errors. Here, offhand, if we consider the data presented about his career:
1) The first flight was not July 5, but July 4, 1923. On July 5, the liner sailed into the Atlantic from British Southampton;
2) The renaming to “Hansa” followed not on October 31, but on October 1, 1935;
3) The turboship bore the name “Soviet Union” in 1953-1980;
4) The last name of the liner after decommissioning and before dismantling was not Soyuz, but “Tobolsk”;
5) The ship was sent for cutting not in 1981, but in March 1982.
That is, in this case, Wikipedia as a source is weak. And if someone makes a Russian-language article, please take these errors into account.

Another addition about mythology, which tightly enveloped the liner throughout its Soviet biography, after 1957; several interesting samples and explanations of them.

From an article by A. Borisenko Legends and truth of the “Soviet Union”
Some “experts” said that initially the ship was so huge that it could not turn around in the Golden Horn Bay and had to be cut off almost in half, others claimed that the ship was originally called “Adolf Hitler” (according to another version - “Greater Germany” ) and supposedly for this reason the Germans vowed to drown him at the first opportunity. The mechanism for the appearance of the last legend is clear in principle. In October 1955 (a year and a half before the appearance of the “Soviet Union” in Vladivostok), the battleship Novorossiysk exploded and sank in the roadstead of Sevastopol, taking with it more than 600 people into the abyss. It was also received as part of reparations, was formerly part of the Italian Navy and was called "Giulio Cesare".
Rumors immediately spread across the country (they are still circulating, by the way) that the Novorossiysk was blown up by vengeful Italian combat swimmers, who, by the way, were rightfully considered the best in the world. Therefore, many Far Easterners were convinced that the “Soviet Union” was specially “stored” to the farthest basin - away from the vengeful “Krauts”.

Mythology of the music salon piano.

1. [from here]
But, perhaps, the oldest piano in Vladivostok stands on the stage of the Pushkin Theater. This is an instrument from the famous German company Blutner. According to some sources, it is more than a hundred years old. During World War II, this luxurious instrument in a light walnut color decorated a music salon. turboprop "Adolf Hitler", which was part of the passenger fleet of Nazi Germany. Rumor has it that the Fuhrer himself allegedly sat at this piano! It’s not for nothing that local musicians call him “Hitler kaput!” After the war, the ship went to the USSR as an indemnity, where it was renamed “Soviet Union” and for a long time plied the Far Eastern waters of its new homeland, since it did not have the right to cross the border. When the ship was written off for scrap, the "Hitler" piano stood on the pier under a tarpaulin for a long time until it was built into the Sailors' Rest House. In 1999, it was repaired and at the same time painted with car varnish. And in 2000, the Pushkin Theater bought the instrument for 12 thousand rubles. According to the apt remark of Viktor Baranov, director of the creative studio "Kamerton", based in the building of the Pushkin Theater, "no self-respecting musician will sit for him".

2. [from here]
The second piano installed on the main stage of the Pushkin Theater is not connected with the events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. And its age does not even allow us to hint at any connection with the history of the early twentieth century: the piano was made in Germany in 1934 at the Blüthner company. And yet, this musical instrument is directly related to the events of another war - World War II, which ended, as we know, with the atomic tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the defeat of Japan.
At one time the piano stood in the fashionable salon of “Greater Germany”- the largest passenger ship of Hitler's Reich. According to rumors, Adolf Hitler often visited this ship and either played himself (which is hard to believe), or enjoyed the performance of the best pianists in Germany on this piano. In 1943 steamship "Greater Germany" was torpedoed and sunk, and soon after the war was raised and transferred as a trophy to the Soviet Union. [...]
In the 80s of the 20th century, when, due to a sharp drop in the profitability of sea passenger transportation, the management of the Far Eastern Shipping Company was faced with the need to decisively reduce the planned losses of the enterprise, the fate of the ship “Soviet Union” was decided. The age factor also played a role in this. The snow-white ocean liner was renamed Tobolsk and sold for scrap to Japan. And Hitler’s beloved piano ended up in the suburbs of Vladivostok, on the outskirts of the Sailors’ Rest House. There the instrument was discovered by the first director of the Pushkin Theater B.G. Kosyakov. It was he who suggested that in 1999 we purchase this “musical firewood.”
Purchased. Restored. Restored. Set up. And so, when this musical instrument sounded at my first concert at the Pushkin Theater, I remembered...

In the early sixties of the twentieth century, when, by the will of the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N.S. Khrushchev, thousands of first-year students had to divide their day between work at enterprises and evening studies in college classrooms; I worked as a ship assembler (according to the profile of the selected faculty) at Dalzavod. And then somehow the white-hulled Sovetsky Soyuz was docked for repairs. The foreman grabbed me, and we boarded the beautiful ship to perform some hull work in one of the salon rooms of this liner. Entering the room, I was stunned to see the luxury and volume of the enormous space of the hall: high and wide stairways, covered with equally wide carpet paths, elegant tables and chairs, magnificent paintings on the bulkheads, and somewhere in the distant distance of this luxury, on a small dais, stood an elegant dark cherry piano.
The same piano that, forty years later, will be found on the suburban outskirts of the Sailors' Rest House and, amazingly restored, will adorn the stage of the Pushkin Theater of the Far Eastern State Technical University...

Our university is often visited by foreign guests. They happen not only in classrooms, but also at concerts at the Pushkin Theater. Having learned the history of the cherry piano, many of them offer a lot of money for this instrument, wanting to purchase a unique relic as their own.
Now the piano no longer meets modern requirements. Concert organizers contact me asking me to get a new piano. But, firstly, for this you need to get funds somewhere, and secondly, for some reason I feel sorry to part with the legend. Therefore, even today the piano is tuned by the best specialists, and it continues to sound fresh and pure, accompanying even stars from the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
Once, during a performance at the Pushkin Theater by the People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor Elena Obraztsova, I came to the front stage with a large bouquet of flowers. After thanking her for her rare talent, I briefly spoke about the piano to the accompaniment of which she sang. Hearing about Hitler, the singer opened her already huge eyes even wider and said: “Oh, God, this has never happened to me before!” The hall literally exploded with applause.

As you can see, the liner has been gone for 27 years, but the mythology associated with it is multiplying and reproducing :)

Poetry.

Oleg Kabalik, 1995
I am the “Soviet Union”

I am the “Soviet Union”. I'm going into meltdown.
I left my place, forgive me my sins.
I am the “Soviet Union”. I'm going to the chopping block.
Let's sound our horn for the last time, sailors.

Let's say a toast, let's be silent over the lives we've lived
We can neither forgive nor lie to ourselves...
Rats in my holds, if they weren't rats,
We could tell you a lot of things.

But they will run - the rat has no right to die,
So that, having reached a beautiful, fashionable port,
Dug in some gutter,
Kryat that I was a lousy steamer:

All in patches and holes, rotten and bulky
Polluted the oceans, straits, seas...
Hey Alaid volcano! Lend me a cigarette!
You and I know that we didn’t smoke in vain.

And I’ll also tell you guys goodbye,
Going into old age for scrap metal,
Like fifteen vessels soldered from me,
It will drown any storm that breaks out.

I am the “Soviet Union”, going to the last...
Remember, guys, the old man sometimes.
I will return even if centuries later, -
I'll come back! But now - forever!

Stamp with "Soviet Union".

* * *
This part of the series uses texts and facts from

1970s, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Avachinskaya Bay.
"Soviet Union" passes the traverse of Krasnaya Sopka and approaches the seaport; it is already accompanied by two tugboats.

* * *
...I open the window and fresh sea air from Avacha Bay rushes into the room. I take the binoculars hanging nearby and look towards the exit to the ocean. There, far away, at the Gate, a white dot is visible on a bright blue background. It is gradually approaching - and now the outlines of an elongated snow-white liner with a large red stripe on the pipe are visible, gracefully cutting through the waves.
This is him, the handsome “Soviet Union”! It is impossible not to recognize him.
But he is not aiming for the piers of the Seaport.
And he has nowhere to rush: he can maintain 16 knots of cruising speed without straining the car.
Because he is coming - to Eternity, cutting with the stem the Waves of our memory...

© Sergey Sigachev aka Periskop

Four lives of the "Soviet Union":
1. , 2. , 3. (1923-1947), 4. (1947-1982)