The creation of transatlantic passenger lines by the Soviet Union. Decommissioned and lost ships of the naval fleet of the USSR The German flag was lowered and the Soviet one was raised
Today I will talk about the legendary series of Soviet-built passenger ships - “Ivan Franko”, “Alexander Pushkin”, “Shota Rusaveli”, “Taras Shevchenko” and “Mikhail Lermontov”. These were the first Soviet modern ocean passenger liners, designed for cruises and operation on regular transoceanic passenger lines.
The ships were built at the Mathias Thesen Werft shipyard, Germany. The motor ship was built by order of the USSR Ministry of the Navy for the Black Sea region and was considered the fourth in a series of five ships of the same type. The lead liner was the Ivan Franko, built in 1964, then the Alexander Pushkin was launched in 1965, the Taras Shevchenko in 1966, followed by the Shota Rustaveli and the series completed by the Mikhail Lermontov in 1971 .
The most famous ships of the series were “Alexander Pushkin” and “Mikhail Lermontov”: they were transferred to the Baltic Shipping Company and made regular voyages on the routes Leningrad - Le Havre - Montreal and Leningrad - Le Havre - New York.
Alexander Pushkin (Marko Polo)
The liners themselves turned out to be successful. “..their overall architectural appearance gives the ships a special elegance.” Inside, they did everything they could to defeat the nosy foreigners.
There is a beautiful interior on board the liner: paintings, tapestries and ornaments in the Georgian style, bright, spacious cabins with showers, most of which have safes. For comfortable conditions, the vessel is equipped with stabilizers. For the relaxation of passengers on the ship, there are two swimming pools and saunas, a gym, a massage room, a sports ground on the upper deck, a cinema hall, a disco, seven bars with a menu for every taste, and one of them is a night bar, a casino, an arcade, a children's club, shops , hairdresser and medical center.
In the 80s, nothing could save the socialist economy, not even the currency miracles of our kings of the oceans. Due to uselessness and lack of demand, Pushkin was driven to the Far East, and when in 1988 the head of Orient Lines, Mr. Herrod, approached the management of MMF with an offer to buy Pushkin, he was greeted with champagne and warm hugs.
Western specialists in the passenger fleet considered Mr. Herrod crazy, because without red flags and exotics, the liner could be made competitive only by first investing a lot of money in it.
Which is what the capitalist and shipowner did. The modernization of the airliner cost him about 20 million dollars, and it was worth it.
A significant reconstruction was carried out, after which the liner found a second life. Four passenger elevators, a swimming pool, a casino, a library, bars, the famous Seven Seas restaurant with 450 seats. The Ambassador performance salon seats 438 people, and the dance salon seats 220 people. Several musical groups with musical programs are constantly present on the ship. Near the pool, in addition to saunas and jacuzzi, there is also a bar where you can relax in an informal atmosphere.
"Ivan Franko"
The motor ship Ivan Franko, the lead ship of a series of cruise ships after the collapse of the Soviet Union, was the first to be scrapped in 1997. All his life he worked on the Black Sea.
"Shota Rustaveli" (ASSEDO)
Since July 1968, the passenger liner Shota Rustaveli began making cruise flights between the ports of Odessa and Batumi, and two months later reached the shores of Great Britain. In the port of Southampton, the ship accepted tourists on board and set off on a three-month cruise around the world. The voyage passed through the ports of Las Palmas, Sydney, Auckland, Papeete and Panama. During such a long journey, the ship left almost 26,000 nautical miles astern and crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the Tasman and Caribbean seas.
The passenger ship was chartered by various foreign companies: Grandi Viaggi, Italnord, Orientourist, Transtour and others. The guests of the comfortable liner were tourists from the republics of the Soviet Union, including prominent personalities - on August 20, 1973, Vladimir Vysotsky, Marina Vladi and her two sons, Pierre and Voldemar, traveled on the ship.
In 2002, after completing lengthy repairs in the port of Sevastopol, the ship with the new name “Assedo” (in reverse order means Odessa - the ship’s home port), as the property of the company “Kaalbye Shipping Ltd Ukraine”, began making cruise voyages in the Black, Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas , as well as visit the ports of Western Europe.
Soon after long passages, the technical condition of the Assedo liner deteriorated and no longer met the ever-increasing international requirements, and on November 28, 2003, the ship was sent for cutting into scrap metal to the Indian port of Alang.
"Taras Shevchenko"
The motor ship “Taras Shevchenko”, the third ship in the series, turned out to be a long-liver among its fellows. The liner made long voyages across all seas and oceans, chartered by Transtour, STS, Intourist, Sputnik and others.
Due to numerous debts for fuel, water, oil and food supplies at the ports, on January 6, 2005, it was renamed “Tara” and sent to one of the ports of Bangladesh for breaking up for scrapping.
"Mikhail Lermontov"
The liner “Mikhail Lermontov”, the last ship of the series, was one of the most comfortable ships of the Baltic Shipping Company. In February 1986, the ship sank during its next voyage from Australia to the shores of New Zealand after receiving a hole off Cape Jackson. All passengers were saved.
Technical data of the liner “Shota Rustaveli” (“Assedo”):
Length - 177 m;
Width - 23 m;
Draft - 8.2 m;
Displacement - 21275 tons;
Number of decks - 9;
The ship's power plant is two Sulzer diesel engines, type 7RD76, with a power of 21,000 hp. With.;
Speed - 20 knots;
Number of passengers - 650 people;
Crew - 100 people;
To be continued...
The motor ship "Shota Rustaveli" was built in 1968 at the shipyard " Mathias Thesen Werft", Germany. There is a beautiful interior on board the liner: paintings, tapestries and ornaments in the Georgian style, bright, spacious cabins with showers, most of which have safes.
For comfortable conditions, the vessel is equipped with stabilizers. For the relaxation of passengers on the ship, there are two swimming pools and saunas, a gym, a massage room, a sports ground on the upper deck, a cinema hall, a disco, seven bars with a menu for every taste, and one of them is a night bar, a casino, an arcade, a children's club, shops , hairdresser and medical center. Motor ship was built by order of the USSR Ministry of the Navy for the Black Sea region and was considered the fourth in a series of five ships of the same type. Was the head liner "Ivan Franko" built in 1964, then launched « Alexander Pushkin» in 1965, « Taras Shevchenko» in 1966, followed by « Shota Rustaveli» and ended the series "Mikhail Lermontov" in 1971.
photographs of the motor ship "Assedo" ("Shota Rustaveli")
motor ship "Assedo"
motor ship "Assedo" in the port of Sevastopol in 2002
motor ship "Assedo" in the port of Dubrovnik
interior in Georgian style
on the deck of the motor ship "Assedo"
cruise ship "Assedo"
gym on board the ship
Since July 1968, passenger liner "Shota Rustaveli" began sailing between the ports of Odessa and Batumi, and two months later reached the shores of Great Britain. At the port of Southampton motor ship took tourists on board and set off on a three-month round the world cruise. The voyage passed through the ports of Las Palmas, Sydney, Auckland, Papeete and Panama. During such a long journey, the ship left almost 26,000 nautical miles astern and crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the Tasman and Caribbean seas.
Passenger ship chartered by various foreign companies " Grandi Viaggi», « Italnord», « Orientourist», « Transtour" and others. The guests of the comfortable liner were tourists from the republics of the Soviet Union, including prominent personalities - on August 20, 1973, Vladimir Vysotsky, Marina Vladi and her two sons, Pierre and Voldemar, traveled on the ship.
In 2002, after completion of lengthy repairs in the port of Sevastopol motor ship with a new name " Assedo» (in reverse order it means Odessa is the ship’s home port), as the property of the company " Kaalbye Shipping Ltd Ukraine", began to commit cruise voyages in the Black, Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, as well as visiting the ports of Western Europe.
Soon after long transitions, the technical condition liner " Assedo» deteriorated and no longer met the ever-increasing international requirements, and on November 28, 2003, the ship was sent for cutting into scrap metal to the Indian port Alang.
the fate of other ships in the series turned out differently
Motor ship "Ivan Franko» head series cruise ships After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was the first to be scrapped in 1997.
motor ship "Ivan Franko"
motor ship "Alexander Pushkin"
motor ship "Alexandr Pushkin"
motor ship "Alexandr Pushkin" in the port
Liner " Alexander Pushkin» after construction in 1965, she made voyages on the cruise line Leningrad and Montreal, and later, after refitting in Germany, the ship began to cruise around the world with passengers from Germany, Great Britain and France. In 1992, after a short period of inactivity in the port of Singapore, the ship was sold to the company " Shipping & General"and sent to Greece for major refurbishment, renamed " Marco Polo" In 2000, the ship became the property of the company " Orient Line».
liner "Marco Polo"
bar on the ship “Marco Polo”
library on board the Marco Polo liner
A significant reconstruction was carried out, after which liner found a second life. Four passenger elevators, swimming pool, casino, library, bars, famous restaurant " Seven Seas» with 450 seats. Salon for performances " Ambassador"for 438 visitors, and the dance salon for 220 people. On
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.
after modernization in Wismar
Alas, of course not all the ships are here. Everything has its time.
The Soviet Union collapsed, and on the Ivan Franko liner the pipe was repainted - the red stripe with a hammer and sickle in the middle was replaced with a blue one with a trident.
In the fall of 1992, we completed navigation on the Middle East Passenger Line. And in November, under an agreement with the Russian military department, we were scheduled to fly to Cuba. Before that, I was there at the beginning of 1987 on the m/v Leonid Sobinov.
They transported the Cuban military to Angola, where at that time three political factions were fiercely fighting for power. All of them were supported by other states, pursuing their own interests - they actively helped the warring parties.
Cuba also did this, fighting on the side of the official authorities - the MPLA, which had previously achieved independence from Portugal. The Soviet Union actively helped - daily injections from its side amounted to 6 million dollars, a significant part of which was military supplies. Cuban officers studied at Union military schools, the troops were equipped with Soviet weapons, and they fought quite successfully in Angola. The contingent was 50 thousand.
Flight Luanda - Havana
In the port of Luanda, I watched from the deck as a Cuban officer periodically threw Soviet-made lemon grenades into the water. He would tear out the ring, having first wrapped the side handle in paper, and throw it sharply. The paper became soaked in the water, the handle opened, activating the fuse, and the grenade exploded at depth. They scared away underwater saboteurs who could swim up to the ship and blow it up, which happened there once.
The waitress Lena, in amazement, asked the Cuban to give her a grenade. She deftly threw it into the water, and after a while there was an explosion, which caused her a storm of delight, and the crew members standing on the deck applauded her. The ship's mechanic stood next to me and, shaking his head, repeated after each explosion: "Seven rubles, seven rubles".
When I asked what this meant, he replied: “After all, these are our grenades, with our money.”
That same day we accepted the Cuban military on board and took the flight back to Cuba in the evening. The young guys were distinguished by discipline and boarded the ship with a sense of fulfilled duty as internationalist soldiers; We were glad that we were returning to our homeland. The flight with the Cubans was uneventful, they sang, danced and exercised a lot.
Before coming to the island, I was asked to write characteristics about the Cubans. I had to consult with captain Zinoviev and political commander Kartamyshev. The ship administrator translated into Spanish. By the way, Spanish turned out to be easy.
In Havana, the ship was solemnly greeted by the Cuban generals, an orchestra played, and we were thanked for our assistance and safe transportation of internationalist soldiers.
Flight Novorossiysk - Havana
They came from Odessa to Novorossiysk in ballast. The weather was stormy. As usual here, the wind was blowing from the north-east, which quickly turned into storm gusts that could reach twelve points. Here it is called bora. Black clouds were gathering. We moored at the passenger pier, where several boats with St. Andrew's flag stood nearby.
Russian naval officers came on board together with our head of the military transportation department Vladimir Trapeznikov. On the meeting was informed that we will remove the Russian motorized rifle brigade. The penultimate part, located in Cuba. In total, there were more than three thousand people who helped train the Cubans in combined arms specialties. Part of the contingent was sent by plane when the opportunity presented itself.
The new Russian leadership, apparently trying to please the United States (to soften tensions and, probably, get loans), withdrew the remaining troops from there. They also closed the Russian radio intelligence center under the pretext that space reconnaissance was more advanced and effective.
And we soon moved away from the pier, loading boxes and barrels with cargo for the Russian military. Novorossiysk was instantly obscured by a veil of rain and ragged wind. The usual two-week passage, not in a great circle, was spent in drills, cleaning, repairs and preparation for the upcoming flight.
Another Havana
We approach the capital Havana. At the entrance to the port there are two fortresses: La Punta and El Morro, built by the Spaniards to protect the harbor from pirates. As we approach the pier, we see the authorities approaching, there are a lot of them, some holding dogs on leashes. The ship's carpenter Yuzov, standing at the gangway, exclaimed in his hearts: “Before we were greeted here with flowers, but now with dogs.”
We felt that, indeed, the attitude towards us had changed, and there was a reason. The union collapsed, the only guiding force, the CPSU, from which the Cuban Communist Party was copied, fled, and serious assistance to Cuba ceased. The leaders of the Country of Soviets let down the Cuban leadership: first, Khrushchev, who created a nuclear threat to the United States by importing nuclear missiles to Cuba, and then, without informing its leader Fidel Castro, took them back. And now Gorbachev/Yeltsin withdrew their military contingent without agreement with Cuba.
Havana port worker Andreas Garcia angrily told me that the help of the “great country” ends in the island’s helplessness before the “sharks of imperialism.” The port worker was upset that no one even warned about the withdrawal of troops, and the Cuban government even officially declared disagreement with such actions, as reported by the Cuban media.
A representative of the Morflot, Boris Trunov, arrived on board with data on the number of people boarding the ship and the order of boarding. There was no proper order: they sat down at night, then they walked in a crowd, then no one showed up for an hour; It was not possible for anyone to clarify the loading procedure. Along with the military personnel, there were a dozen passengers with tickets: our ship was heading from Havana to Leningrad.
At the ramp, the Cubans checked passengers and their luggage, as It was forbidden to export valuable items, cigars, weapons and parrots...
There was an iron barrel on the pier and the Cuban customs officers, having discovered the parrot, tore off its head and threw it into this barrel.
However, it turned out that many managed to smuggle in prohibited items.
“School” and other delights of special flights
A lot of people took their dogs out, It was not prohibited to export Dalmatians. In the “Atlas of Dog Breeds” by Naiman and Novotny I read that the Dalmatian is similar in type to a high-legged hound and was originally used for hunting. Now cultivated as a lap dog. She enjoyed great success, especially among the aristocratic class, as an elegant, smart dog, white with large black spots, accompanying riders and carriages. We paid a lot of money for these purebred four-legged friends of man.
Everyone made money, and the sailors, of course, too. The foreign currency part of the salary was insignificant, so Soviet sailors were engaged in the purchase and resale of everything that was in demand. While in Cuba, unnoticed by the authorities and security, they smuggled in cigarettes of famous brands: “Monte Cristo”, “Romeo and Juliet”, silver coins - pesos, which are no longer in circulation in Cuba, and parrots, if they managed to smuggle it unnoticed. If there was a traditional call to the Canary Islands to replenish fuel and water, then these items were sold or exchanged for watches, things, shoes.
“Special flights” were not profitable, and the sailors tried not to go on them. And if they did, the meager life at home forced them to engage in buying and selling, which was called “school” among the sailors. Such “commerce” raised sailors to a tolerable standard of living compared to the bulk of the population of the USSR.
The military also appears to have picked up on the black market's signals. Before the ship departed, the brigade commander, Major General Vyacheslav Bibikov, appeared at the pier and, without entering the ship, spoke to us right on the shore, making sure that the landing of the contingent was ending.
Flight Havana - Leningrad/St. Petersburg
In total, 827 people boarded with us, including 12 ticketed passengers. Having completed the documents, we slowly proceeded from the Havana port. None of the mourners were visible on the shore. In the foggy haze, a panorama of the gradually receding capital of Cuba was visible: the Malecon embankment, the majestic Capitol building - a copy of the US Congress building in Washington, where the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Cuba is now located.
We begin to figure out what is going on on the ship. I meet the head of the echelon, Colonel Viktor Litovchenko.
He has two assistants: for officers - Valery Abramov and for soldiers - Mikhail Pesennikov, and also an administrative assistant - Vladimir Korshikov.
They are constantly at work - the contingent is difficult, people do not always listen, the stressful life in Cuba in difficult climatic and living conditions takes its toll.
Several cabins are occupied by prisoners who will be tried by a military tribunal at home, four cabins are occupied as a guardhouse, three cabins are provided for a medical isolation ward, despite the fact that the Ivan Franko has an excellent medical block: a reception area, a treatment room and two isolation wards. But military personnel have many diseases: scabies, burns, injuries, hepatitis, and there are also a large number of Dalmatian dogs.
Every morning I gather flight attendants and housekeepers who clean the cabins for instructions; I demand thorough cleaning, sanitation and personal care in order to prevent illness and not to become infected ourselves. Everything seems to be going well so far. Some kind of showdown is taking place between some soldiers - there are streaks of blood in the cabins. I warn Viktor Ivanovich and maintain constant contact with him. He is an erudite and patriot, he tells a lot of interesting things. He believes that the new Soviet helmets worn by military personnel are the best in the world; there are no such helmets in other armies. In his opinion, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is better than the American M-16 automatic rifle. The latter is difficult to disassemble, clean and operate. As for the Kalashnikov assault rifle, we all knew it and knew how to use it, but whether it is better than the M-16, there are different opinions.
There was one captain traveling with us, who was detained by the Cuban authorities due to the fact that when he boarded the plane to go home, he had a Makarov pistol with him. This was prohibited and he was removed from the flight. When boarding our ship, he was afraid that he would be removed again for the previous violation, but everything worked out.
On the second day after leaving Havana, they found a “hare” - Cuban S. He admitted that two of our officers took him onto the ship, taking him to the Frigate bar, and then to one of the cabins, where they left him. S. said that he graduated from the highest naval school in Odessa (now the Maritime Academy, ONMA) and worked in Cuba, but due to his semi-impoverished existence and disagreement with the dictatorial regime in the country, he decided to leave it. Apparently, our military personnel decided to help him. In the Canaries he was met by representatives of an emigrant public Cuban organization, and he got off. A Cuban woman, traveling to Leningrad, with two children also got off.
The military personnel were prohibited from going ashore. The crew members went out into the city, mainly to the market and shops scattered in large numbers on this island. And for some, the island served as an attractive resort center: tourists from different countries were everywhere: Scandinavians, Germans, British, Americans.
Having collected water and fuel, the m/v “Ivan Franko” proceeded to the port of destination - Leningrad, which received its original name St. Petersburg. On the way to the port, one of the soldiers, a diver by profession, approached me and asked if the customs would be “bussing.” He said that the Cubans were so insolent that they caught our military personnel on the territory where our troops were located and searched them in order to find dollars that were prohibited in Cuba. He believes that this is chaos, especially after close friendships, especially since they trained their people.
I reassured him, believing that, on the contrary, we are interested in the influx of foreign currency, so the small amount they have will not be subject to confiscation. Although I thought that we too are full of savagery and lawlessness.
Video from the network: "Ivan Franko", Havana, 04/14/1992
Zaporozhye suffering
As for love and friendship, I had to meet it on this ship. Even before leaving for Cuba, in Odessa, an excited woman of about fifty knocked on my cabin. She introduced herself as Maria Sergeevna from Zaporozhye and asked me to take a young man named Sergio from Cuba, who would buy a ticket if I didn’t object and come to Zaporozhye. She began to persistently ask to do this and begged for help. In response to my questions, she said that Sergio was “madly” in love with her daughter, and she with him. The daughter is terribly worried, crying and sad. At the same time, Maria Sergeevna put a couple of jars of twists that she had made on the table. “With all my heart,” she said, “help the young.” Well, we need to help the lovers, I decided and promised to help.
In Havana, I was called to the port fence by a handsome young man who called himself Sergio, who asked permission to take a ticket, saying that all the documents for the trip were already ready. I gave him permission to go, and before leaving he boarded the ship, and I placed him in a cabin. During the voyage I did not have time to talk with him and, having arrived at the final port, he disembarked safely. I was pleased that loving people would now meet and that I had done a good deed.
Several years passed, and I, looking through my papers and finding Maria Sergeevna’s address, decided to write to her. Soon I received an answer. She wrote with regret that Sergio no longer lived with them and that the marriage was dissolved. I don’t know who is to blame for this, but it reminded me of the love and friendship with Cuba and the song that was once sung in our country: “Cuba, my love, the island of the crimson dawn...”
Igor Lukshin, First Consul General of Ukraine in Turkey (1994-1997), veteran of the ChMP
Prepared by Oksana Mamotenko
The legendary liner "Ivan Franko" was at one time the flagship of the Soviet passenger fleet: it was the first to sail across the Atlantic to the Lesser Antilles, the first of the Soviet ships to arrive at the ports of Ajaccio and Bastia on the island of Koreika, Olbia on the island of Sardinia, and the first to pass through the Norwegian fjords. For the first time since the Spanish Civil War, a ship flying our flag visited the ports of this country. Now, on September 15, the Frankish people remembered their youth.
Team members motor ship "Ivan Franko" gathered in Odessa from different cities of Ukraine and even from America and Germany.
Last year, the teams of the motor ships "Dostoevsky" and "Kazakhstan" met, this year "Maxim Gorky" gathered friends.
“We also decided,” says the organizer. Lyudmila Chernyavskaya, who worked at Ivan Franko for 20 years. On the ship she met her “elder” husband (it sounds so familiar, Odessa-like from her lips) and gave birth to a child. Then life separated the spouses. Immediately on the ship, fate brought her together with her “younger” husband. So my whole life was spent on the ship.
The “Ivan Franko” team was assembled by the German “godmother” Beata
Lyudmila created a page on the Internet dedicated to the Ivan Franko team. And when Beata, a legendary tourist from Germany, essentially the “godmother” of the ship (the real godmother was the wife of the country’s representative at the shipyard in the GDR), came on board, the cogs and wheels immediately started turning and the idea of a meeting of the whole team arose.
“I got to see Ivan Franko in 1984,” he shares with us Beate Inngauer in broken Russian. She worked as a doctor's assistant. And when it was time to go on vacation, I decided to go on a trip. The bureau offered me a cruise to Egypt. On the ship I met Sergei, he worked as an administrator. And it was love for life. We have been friends for 30 years. And three years ago we were on a trip with his wife and daughter.
After the first voyage, Beata was on 14 more voyages on the Ivan Franko,” adds her translator Lyudmila Kryachko (In the photo on the right). - And I became very friendly with everyone. I remember how, approaching Genoa, we looked out to see if Beata was on the shore. Regardless of whether she was on the flight with us or not, she always brought us a bunch of gifts. She was already allowed on board without a ticket, without any documents. She was like a "godmother". I went around and gave gifts to everyone. At the Franko meeting, the German guest looked a little bored. It turned out that she had been waiting all the time for her old friend - the passenger assistant. The next day, Igor Lukshin, a great friend and regular author of “Sailor of Ukraine,” called and said that he was sick, but a German tourist devoted to “Ivan Franko” finally found him, visited him at home, and then just left for her home in Germany.
In general, we always had romantic stories on the ship,” recalls Lyudmila. - I remember how an Austrian tourist fell in love with our flight attendant Lena. And the next year he came with his friend, who fell in love with me. But then it was very strict, extra-official connections were suppressed. We could only smile and talk. There was no talk of going out into the city with a tourist. That's how it all went.
The German flag was lowered and the Soviet flag was raised
The romantic atmosphere of memories in the courtyard of a small cafe suddenly transformed into a solemn one with the appearance of the captain Valentina Sidorova.
In 1964, when we hosted Ivan Franko, I was the third assistant. Mikhail Grigor was our captain. Many are no longer with us. And we have matured, grayed, but we are young at heart. And thank you very much for this!
Through thunderous applause he takes the floor Anatoly Ostapchuk. At 92 years old, the old sailor sparingly shares past events: it was then, as the first mate, that he lowered the German (GDR) flag on a ship acquired by the Union and raised the Soviet one.
We hosted “Ivan Franko” for six months, I inspected every room. It was a very important moment. But the Germans were all right. From Riga we set off on our first flight around Europe. I served on the Ivan Franko for three years, and then was transferred to another ship.
From the diploma to the “car” of “Ivan Franko”
More than once it was necessary to save the ship from fires and breakdowns in the “machine”. Graduating with honors from the Odessa Marine Corps, Vasily Stengach (Pictured on the right) wrote a thesis about the motor ship “Ivan Franko”. Then he did not think that fate would give him a job on this legendary liner.
10 years on Ivan Franko! Everything happened. We had to put out the fire several times. We have always acted quickly, without delay,” Vasily Filippovich tells us. - I remember the diesel caught fire, the injectors were knocked out. I immediately rushed to put it out. We didn’t think about ourselves then, we did what was necessary so that everything would be normal on the ship.
We worked with such dedication, we worked conscientiously, we received little, but we were happy, we fed our family,” the Hero of Socialist Labor Vladimir Kolpakov, whose name, among other heroes, is carved on the stele in front of the Opera House, enters the conversation. He spent 45 years in the navy, 15 of them on the ship Ivan Franko. A breakdown occurred on one of the ChMP vessels, where Vladimir Kolpakov was a mechanic. He volunteered to fix it. But the management did not want to take responsibility. They called a repair company. For five days, specialists tried to do something. Did not work out. It was necessary to put the ship into the factory. And this is 4 million rubles of loss for breaking the contract. When they got out of the “machine,” Vladimir, having agreed with the chief mechanic, decided to try it himself, as he saw fit. It only took an hour and a half to fix the problem. And now the Kolpakov maritime dynasty is continued by the son, working as a chief mechanic.
The motor ship "Ivan Franko", at one time the flagship of passenger ships, was a source of personnel. All assistants became captains. The “machine” and “deck”, the ship’s services, grew.
Peter Gorguz came as a motor mechanic and became a second mechanic.
On December 16, 1972, we went to Rio de Janeiro,” recalls Pyotr Andreevich. - In Genoa we pick up German tourists. They smile at us and thank us. There were times when front-line soldiers from our and German sides met on the ship. But everyone understood: nothing could be better than peace.
We had a wonderful crew. For every holiday there is a concert. Restaurant service - on New Year's, deck - on May 1st. Then we discuss all this for a month. The Germans gave us a music salon. And when they saw our “cabbage makers,” they began to look themselves. Our life was a holiday. Now they tell me: it’s because you were young. No, everything has changed. There were long queues at the cinema in Odessa back then. And you go with a sailor’s certificate, and Odessa residents let you through.
The first motor ship "Ivan Franko" was also in the biography of a deputy of the Odessa City Council, head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Water Transport and Seafarers of Ukraine.
My years on Ivan Franko are my most vivid memories, like my first love. In my working life there were other passenger ships, more comfortable and modern. But “Ivan Franko” is the first. This is a new impression of the Bosphorus, and a crossing of the Atlantic, and the first foreign port after the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union. We already had an established impression of abroad. And then you step onto foreign soil. The team also played a role. We truly lived as one family. After Ivan Franko I went to see Maxim Gorky. And I had something to compare with.
There were also very interesting and exciting flights - to Spitsbergen, around the world. But we had this saying for the crew: “A black ship is a white life, a white ship is a black life.” In a literal sense, this was true. “Ivan Franko” had a classic color scheme at that time - a black side, and “Maxim Gorky” had a snow-white liner. And the lifestyles of our crews were different. We knew how to work, and they gave us a good rest.
In the 80s, flights to Cuba. The level of comfort of the ship was no longer inferior to international standards. We transported officers and conscripts. These flights also had their own flavor. We became well versed in Cuban cigars.
"Ivan Franko", Havana, 04/14/1992
Encountered tornadoes and severe storms
The Ivan Franko flights were not without incident.
“I remember how we left the port in the Antilles,” says Tatiana Kirsun, who worked as a bartender on the ship. - And suddenly a cargo ship is rushing towards us. Its engines failed. And all the way it crashes into the side. And then everything comes into order for him: he reverses and quickly moves away from us. Of course he was stopped. And we were assigned to repairs to repair the dent. There was a case when, while crossing the Atlantic in a strong storm, we were hit by a log. We felt it very strongly. But the worst thing was when, on the open sea, we were asked to leave the deck. We watched the tornado spin around us, absorbing everything.
Hardening and fortitude helped to withstand all the difficulties and trials.
“We all had to make it,” he says as he walks. Sasha Chepelov, hugging the still charming women - we did not sleep for four days, we had to work, and take a walk, and see the country.
There were legends about the crew of the Ivan Franko.His restaurant director Vilena Kushnirenko They almost took me to Moscow.
It was like this,” shares Vilen Nikolaevich. - 15 secretaries of the Komsomol from all republics arrived on our ship. We set the table for them. And now it’s my turn to make a toast. Well, I said it would be Komsomol with naval overtones. Everyone liked it and shouted “our man.” And in the morning the captain calls me. And he says: “What did you do there, why are 15 secretaries unanimously asking to send you to Moscow for Komsomol work?” But I’m a seaman,” the sailor concludes. - Of course, he refused.
The production chief speaks with pride about his work at Ivan Franko Victor Usatii, under whose command 55 cooks worked, cold and hot shops, a bakery and a confectionery.
We had days of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine,” Victor Ivanovich tells deliciously. - The passengers were Germans. And I took the food and showed them how to cut vegetables for borscht, how to cook chicken Kiev. We organized pirate evenings, made Russian teas, and a “buffet” instead of dinner. And all the dishes were decorated with imagination, they competed to see who had the best food.
And, of course, the decoration of the festive table then and now is the cake. For the meeting of the Ivano-Frankivsk members, weighing 10 kg, I baked my dream cake in three levels Zoya Petrik, an old-timer of the liner, who saw him off on his last journey to India. Her whole life is connected with the sea. On the Ivan Franko she met her husband and raised her son, who is already working as a ship mechanic.
This cake is a symbol,” explains Zoya. - This is our life, our youth. White and blue colors - the sea, the lifebuoy of the motor ship "Ivan Franko". And the globe is our life path. It has three layers, three different cakes: “Kyiv”, “Black Broker” and “Broken Glass”. I have long dreamed of making it. And the largest cake that I baked at Ivan Franko weighed 40 kg and was intended for a cold “buffet”.
Zoya is still at sea to this day. And he can’t imagine himself without him:
The sea loves the strong,” she concludes. - And we managed to do everything: work, relax, and see a lot - the whole world!
While we are looking at the unique cake, a lambada is being danced on the summer terrace. This is exactly how fun and mischievous the holidays were spent on Ivan Franko. One of the most memorable was the crossing of the equator.
We organized holidays for passengers who crossed the equator for the first time,” the then Komsomol organizer comments on the video Vladimir Tsurkan, who was in charge of the cultural life of the ship. - And everyone joined in this action. We had so many ideas, so much imagination that everyone was interested: passengers, travel companies, and crew.
The “Ivan Franko” stamp was placed on the body anywhere on Neptune Day
It’s funny to watch an old film, how crew members, dressed as devils, lather passengers’ heads and put a round seal that they made themselves, and on a variety of places: on the stomach, shoulder and more. And then to the pool and swimming.
Almost all crew members took part in the amateur performance. Many were involved in school and student clubs and studios and knew how to sing and dance. There was even a circus performer who juggled burning torches, the Frankovites recall.
Thanks to our participation in amateur performances, we were preferably taken on ships,” says the maid Elena. - This was very welcome. I studied folk dancing. But I always liked performing the gypsy girl. Once, when we had Cubans as passengers, we held a concert for them. I came out in my outfit and threw a shawl to someone. As soon as the Cuban started dancing, he lit up all over. He probably remembered this day very much.
In addition to the memories, guests are given badges with the ship "Ivan Franko". They were not sold during Soviet times. In the kiosk of the Beryozka store on board the liner, you could buy a keychain with an image of the liner for a dollar.
It was the cheapest product, says the kiosk seller Nina Kozlitina. - And the most expensive ones are astrakhan fur, Khokhloma, and boxes. The assortment included nesting dolls, scarves, amber and much more. The profit for a six-month voyage was approximately 10 thousand Deutsch Marks. Moreover, work in ports was not allowed, but only at sea.
Having put on a badge with the flagship of the liners of the 70s, we seem to be joining the amazing, eventful life in which the crew members of the legendary “passenger” participated, earning the glory of a maritime power with their labor. Motor ship " AND van Franco" remains in our memory as an example of high-class service, a hotel on the waves with a friendly staff and professional management.
Inna Ischuk, Anatoly Vengruk
From an interview with Liya Kosheleva, the ship’s librarian (“MU” No. 18 (589) dated May 6, 2009):
“Vanechka” - this is how the first-born of the famous “writer’s” series of passenger ships of the ChMP was lovingly called. In 1964, in Wismar, Germany, “Ivan Franko”, the flagship of the series, was launched, then “Alexander Pushkin” (in ’65), “Taras Shevchenko” in ’66, “Shota Rustaveli” in ’68 and "Mikhail Lermontov" in 1971.
The words “first” and “for the first time” accompanied “Ivan Franko”. For the first time, an airliner of this level was designed according to Soviet drawings, the development of which, by the way, Mikhail Grigor took part - later the first captain of the ship. As a result, the side height is 13.5 m, length - 176.14, width - 23.6, cruising range - 8000 miles. In total, the ship could accommodate about 1000 people, of which more than 350 were crew members.
The team recruited the best of the best. Perhaps this is why such warm, almost family-like relationships developed on board - each of the specialists had practically no equal, and therefore there was no competition, disputes, or quarrels. Everyone understood that they were doing one important common thing - “Ivan Franko” was supposed to become a full participant world tourism, bring on board foreign tourists, accordingly, squeezing out the then monopolists in this market - shipowners of Greece, Italy, Norway and other countries. Needless to say, the crew of the Soviet superliner coped with the task brilliantly. Special, “Frankovsk” service, a friendly atmosphere on board, excellent maritime training of the crew, excellent cuisine - the calling cards of “Ivan Franko”, thanks to which the ship was talked about literally in the first years of its sea life all over the world. The foreign list of Vanechka chartering companies includes such global “bisons” as “Transtour”, “Reisebureau”, “Mediterranean Club”, “Italnord”, etc. Clients of such companies as “Neckerman”, “Italtourist”, “Jan Reisen” “We stood in line to get on board the Ivan Franko.
15/06/1963 Laid down at the shipyard.
07/10/1964 Test flights.
Delivered on November 14, 1964 to the Black Sea and delivered to the ChMP, Odessa, USSR.
Added to ChMP cruise ships.
1997 Sold to Polluks Shipping, Kingstown, St Vincent. Renamed to "FRANK".
07/21/1997 Arrived in Alang, India for cutting into scrap metal.