#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. On June 5, the passenger ship Victor Astafiev was solemnly launched in St. Petersburg. The Krasnoyarsk region’s governor Mikhail Kotyukov and Victor Astafiev’s granddaughter Polina took part in the ceremony. The event was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the great Siberian writer’s birth.
“This is a completely new Russian project that has gone through sanctions restrictions. I am very pleased that the ship has got the name of our prominent fellow countryman – Victor Astafiev. The great writer was not an easily scared man, tempered by Siberian nature, went through the Great Patriotic War and carried his love for his native land through all his work. Today we have many tasks – we have to develop tourist and passenger transportation along the Yenisey. In the cabins of the ship, everything is made for the family, thought out to the smallest detail. It is important that in such large-scale projects all attention is given to the person. I am sure that this ship has a wonderful future. Good luck!” Mikhail Kotyukov said.
The launching from the stocks took place in a solemn atmosphere in compliance with maritime traditions. According to one of them, Polina Astafieva was appointed godmother of the ship. In her welcoming speech, she emphasized that the event would mark the beginning of a new stage in navigation on the Yenisey, a river whose greatness was described in detail by her famous grandfather in his works. Victor Astafiev said about himself: “I am a child of the big river”.
“This grandiose event is very honorable and solemn for me, it is an exciting adventure that, through me as a representative of the Astafiev dynasty, is passed on to our entire large family. This is one of the important events in my life, very exciting! Stunning ship. Looking at it, I understand how powerful our Yenisey is. Soon it will accept this huge vessel, and it will become small compared to the great river”, noted Polina Astafieva.
After launching, the preparation of the vessel will continue: it is necessary to carry out outfitting work, adjusting mechanisms and instruments, and routine tests. The Vikctor Astafiev motor ship is scheduled to be put into navigation in 2025. The ship will reach the Yenisey via the Northern Sea Route.
Earlier, we told you about plans to transport more than a billion tons of cargo along the Northern Sea Route.
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Text: Maria Ivanova,Photo: Olga Polyanskaya
