Журнал "Fleet". Naval & maritime review. № 3 2004

The pioneering boats and rafts man used to navigate, explore and settle the world date back long before the wheel was invented and
the horse and the camel were tamed. By this, I mean water transport is the oldest form of transportation in the world and plays a key role in the trafficking of international cargo. This means that the demand for vessels of various types and purposes will persist. The Russian shipbuilding industry happened to have evolved with a heavy military slant, while passenger vessels and freighters were bought mostly abroad. This ‘tradition’ survived the Soviet era, though dedicated bulk-cargo carrier, tanker and ro-ro vessel manufacturers appeared. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union left most of these manufaturers outside the Russian Federation. The economic crises of the 1990s hampered the progress of the shipbuilding industry. The situation has been improving of late. Upgrading their production facilities, shipyards are placing special emphasis on civilian applications. The Admiralty Shipyards are building a Troitsky Bridge tanker series with deadweight of 47,400 t, ordered by the major Russian shipping company Sovcomflot. Now, Sovcomflot is going to order 6 to 8 ice-breaking bulk carriers from the Admiralty Shipyards. Another major St. Petersburg company - Baltiisky Zavod - continues to build tankers for German and Dutch customers. Vyborg Shipyard has switched over to civil shipping production as well.
Interest in high-speed passenger hydrofoils is on the increase, with Russia being the recognised leader in hydrofoil development. Vessels relying on other dynamic support principles - air-cushion and air-cavity ships - are becoming ever more widespread.
The tour round the globe by the Nadezhda bark, navigated by students of the Navigation Department of Marine State University (Vladivostok), was recently completed. Future captains received unique, long cruise training, and since captains are being trained, they need the ships Russian shipyards are ready to supply.

Contents
COVER STORY
Sailing the Nadezhda round the World
The first Russian circumnavigation
CHRONICLES
HIGH-SPEED VESSELS
Skimming the waves
Admiral of the high-speed fleet
First captain of the first Raketa
Designer of hydrogliders
AMPHIBIOUS AVIATION
Light flying boats to protect the Mediterranean environment
FIGHTING SHIPS
Pole-axe for the Indian Navy
INTERNATIONAL VISITS
Jeanne d’Arc in St. Petersburg
EXERCISE
Black Sea Fleet sailors play men’s games
EXHIBITIONS
DSA 2004: high demand for a wide range of equipment
Ranges of cooperation