Return the flag of Russia to the merchant fleet! Kontrovsky Vladimir Ilyich. Merchant Fleet of Russia Merchant Fleet of the USSR

Maritime transport is a multifunctional national economic structure that provides domestic and international transport links. In Russia, the navy has always had special priorities, performing the main functions of a political, economic and military nature. Geographical position a country with more than 30,000 km of maritime border, half of which is in the hard-to-reach richest regions of the North, was obliged to develop the navy and its infrastructure.
Per last years Russia as a maritime power, unfortunately, has lost its position. Today, in conditions market economy, the merchant marine is experiencing a deep crisis: the number of merchant ships operating under the flag of the Russian Federation has decreased by almost 4 times compared to 1992. No more than 150 ships with a total deadweight of 1784.3 thousand tons remained in their composition (in 1992 the total deadweight was 10.59 million tons), and these are old ships, the average age of which has significantly exceeded the twenty-year mark. The consequence of this was the lack of competitiveness of Russian shipping companies on international market sea ​​transportation.
At present, the Russian merchant fleet needs not only renewal, but also a new scientifically based development program. Its stability and dynamism, in our opinion, will depend, firstly, on the ability of shipping companies to effectively self-finance and attract investments from external sources, and secondly, on the proper organization of the marketing activities of companies.
A massive replenishment of the marine fleet with new vessels was launched in the 60-70s and by the mid-80s of the XX century, the total tonnage of the USSR merchant marine fleet reached its maximum, amounting to 22 million tons of deadweight, the USSR took 4th place in the world register tonnage with a specific gravity of more than 4%. All this contributed to the achievement of freight independence of the country. The annual transportation of foreign trade cargo exceeded half a billion tons, including the volume of maritime foreign trade amounting to about 300 million tons, or 53% of the total volume of foreign trade transportation of the USSR. At the same time, up to 70% of sea transportation volumes were carried out by the domestic fleet.
Today, the Russian Navy is experiencing such a decline, which has not been in all 300 years of its existence. During the years of reforms, one of the most powerful industries national economy has become a poor transport appendage, the need for which arises only in increasingly recurring emergencies with the delivery of goods to areas where sea transport is the only possible one. As a result, in a few years, one of the most competitive fleets in the world has moved into the category of third-rate fleets, becoming obsolete, not listed on the shipping services market, and Russia as a maritime power has lost its position.
The main reasons for the crisis in the Russian maritime
shipping were:
in the field of macroeconomic regulation - changing the socio-economic foundations of the state; a general decline in production and trade; the division of state property and an extremely inefficient system for managing its remains, an unfavorable investment climate in the country;
in the field legal support- reforming the entire regulatory legislative framework countries and its inadequate use; increasing criminalization and corruption in the country and in transport;
in the field of management of the country's transport complex - the elimination of the state monopoly of foreign trade; exorbitant national taxes and fees in all areas of the navy; loss of protectionism in foreign trade and transport; destruction of the maritime transport management system; arbitrariness of the customs authorities in relation to sea ​​vessels under the Russian flag.
As a result, during the division of the navy, ports and shipyards, the highest quality part of the fixed assets was lost, the optimal schemes for their interaction were lost, discrimination of the domestic sea carrier against the foreign one arose and remains. Ultimately, all this led to the loss of Russia's prestige in the world markets and its freight independence.
The dynamics of the quantitative composition of the sea vessels of the Russian merchant fleet in recent years is presented in Table 1.1.
The data show that at the end of 2003 the total number of ships in the Russian navy was 3,898 units (8,245.3 thousand deadweight tons). Moreover, the largest share of this number falls on fishing vessels - 43%, ships for the transport of general cargo - 22% and the oil tanker fleet - 8%. Next come other vessels - 8% and tugboats - 7%. The share of the rest of the fleet does not exceed 3%.
Compared to 2002, the total number of ships in the Russian merchant fleet increased by 12 units due to oil tankers, ore carriers and bulk carriers, general cargo ships, service fleet, tugboats, icebreakers and research vessels - by 14, respectively (in %), 3.4, 6.4 and 2.
Table 1.1
Dynamics of the Russian navy
2000 2000 2002 2002 2003 2003
Deadweight number
Thousand t Number Deadweight
Thousand t Number Deadweight
Thousand tons
Total 3908 8325.7 3886 8201.9 3898 8245.3
Oil tankers 237 1730.8 257 1758.6 291 1818.5
Liquid other 22 21.2 19 20.1 18 21.9
Ore carriers 36,842.1 33,778.1 34,809.1
General 795 2763.3 796 2909.0 825 3072.6
Passenger and cargo 13 15.5 12 16.1 11 13.6
Container 27,399.5 25,386.9 25,386.2
Fisheries 257,640.7 248,563.1 222,393.0
Fishing 1706 1073.9 1702 1041.7 1670 971.8
Support vessels 33 43.7 30 40.5 32 42.3
Tugs 221 35.9 235 40.3 249 45.5
Dredgers 16 18.5 18 19.2 17 18.6
Scientific research 92 74.4 85 69.3 86 69.0
Icebreakers 24 76.0 26 76.5 27 78.5
Other 316 301.6 296 305.6 292 331.8

Table 1.2 characterizes the quantitative composition of the fleet of Russian shipping companies as of 01.01.2003.
Table 1.2
Marine transport fleet of Russian shipping companies
Shipping company Balance fleet units Balance fleet thousand tons Total fleet controlled by the shipping company units
Total fleet controlled by the shipping company thousand tons

Northern MP 18 66.9 63 270.8
Baltic MP 97,215.4
Novorossiysk MP 26,568.5 152,3327.4
North Caspian 33 83.4
Far East MP 52 699.7 130 1028.5
Sakhalin MP 13 52.0 62,246.3
Kamchatskoe MP 3 16.1 31 51.9
Primorskoye MP 10 43.0 91,959.6
Arctic 9 34.1 10 34.2
OAO Sovcomflot 86 4050.1 86 4050.1
OAO Lukoil-Artik-Tanker 25,516.0
Total 149 17.84.3 848 11593.2
As can be seen from the table at the beginning of 2003 the largest number the balance fleet was in the Far East (52 units) and Novorossiysk (26 units) shipping companies. Next come the Northern (18 units) and Murmansk shipping companies (16 units). In total, 149 ships operated under the Russian flag. The smallest number of domestic ships was at the disposal of the Arctic and Kamchatka (3 units) shipping companies.
The number of vessels operating under a foreign flag at the beginning of 2003 was 392 units. Moreover, most of the tonnage under the “flag of convenience” is in Sovcomflot OJSC - 86 units and in the Novorossiysk Shipping Company - 49 units.
To date, the Baltic Shipping Company no longer exists, there is not a single ship on the balance sheet of the Kamchatka Shipping Company, the fleet of the Sakhalin Shipping Company has decreased by 98%, Novorossiysk - by 79%, Severny and Primorsky - by 65%.3
In general, in recent years the number of ships operating under the Russian flag has decreased by more than 4 times. Moreover, as already noted, no more than 150 vessels with a total deadweight of 1784.3 thousand tons remained in their composition (in 1992, the total deadweight was 10.59 million tons). Basically, these are old ships, the average age of which exceeded 20 years, while in most foreign countries it is 14 years.
With such a composition of the fleet (and its replenishment and renewal under the prevailing economic conditions unlikely in the near future) the competitiveness of Russian shipping companies in the international shipping market is becoming problematic, which negatively affects the mobilization readiness of the merchant fleet, and, ultimately, creates a real threat not only to the economic, but also national security countries.
As you know, the basis of the activity of any shipping company is the cargo base. In world practice, no one builds expensive ships without determining and fixing, at least with protocols, their potential cargo base. With the previously existing monopoly of foreign trade, an integral part of it were freight operations which were controlled, coordinated and monitored by the relevant government agencies. Relations between the parties (cargo owners-charterers and ship owners-carriers) were regulated by internal legislative acts and departmental agreements; foreign trade transactions were concluded taking into account the maximum use of national tonnage in transportation, and this was the norm.
With the collapse of the USSR, the transport services market in Russia became almost completely open. At the same time, the transport conditions for the supply of goods (CIF, FOB) adopted in the country ceased to be valid. For exporters and importers of goods due to heavy economic situation there were no working capital for transportation costs. Russian carriers in the crisis state of the fleet and the existing tax policy in the country could not become competitive. Governmental support was not provided. Under these conditions, the transport services market in Russia was captured by foreign companies, which led to the loss of the domestic cargo base.
At present, the share of the fleet of Russian shipping companies in the total volume of national foreign trade traffic is only 4% (previously 60%).
Foreign trade transportation of goods by the Russian fleet decreased almost fourfold (from 64.1 million tons in 1995 to 12 million tons in 2004). Transportation of imported grain and Sakhalin oil turned out to be lost. For example, in 2002, 35.9 million tons of oil cargo was exported from the port of Novorossiysk, while not a single ton was exported on CIF terms with the participation of the Novoship fleet.
Transportation of oil cargoes of Russian exporters is carried out on tankers of Greece, Malta, Italy, Sweden, Turkey and other countries. At present, despite the growing export volumes of Russian cargo (especially liquid cargo), Novorossiysk Shipping Company receives 98% of its income from cargo transportation between foreign ports.
At present, the position of Russian producers has stabilized, there are prospects for growth in output. Therefore, under these conditions, it becomes relevant to revise the existing proportions for Russian market transport services.
Only cargo preferences and reservation of the cargo base for national shipping can correct the current situation, which is a common international practice. For example, in the United States, 100% of military and 50% of government cargo are reserved for national shipowners, which ensures a 30% fleet load; in France - 2/3 of the foreign trade transportation of oil, 60% of hydrocarbons and 40% of coal; in Spain, the transportation of oil, tobacco and cotton. Reservation of cargo for the national carrier (as a method of stimulating the development of its own merchant fleet) is widely used in developing countries A: Argentina, Peru and Uruguay reserve 50% of export-import shipments.
Another reason for the crisis situation of Russian shipping companies is the high share of taxes in the cost of transport services compared to foreign shipping companies (including fees, duties, mandatory contributions, etc.). The most significant for the marine fleet, given its capital intensity, are value added tax (20% of the cost of goods and services), property tax (more than 2% of its value) and income tax (24% of profits). The level of specific aggregate taxation and other obligatory payments of shipping companies in Russia is about 60%, which reduces the already meager own funds remaining at the disposal of companies.
VAT in ordering and building a new fleet is such a decisive factor that the ability of shipping companies to finance this order often depends on it. All this does not allow enterprises to carry out the reproduction of fixed assets. In addition, when registering ships purchased abroad, as well as those chartered under the terms of a bareboat charter under the national flag, domestic shipping companies are faced with the need for one-time customs payments that reach 25-30% of the value of the vessel.
In many Western countries, the provision of various tax incentives is an important area of ​​shipping policy. The most differentiated system of tax rebates for shipowners is applied in Greece (Greek ships are exempted from the base tax for various periods and from half income tax when servicing regular lines between Greece and foreign ports). In Germany, 80% of the profits of national shipowners from the operation of ships in foreign voyages are exempt from half of the income tax. The Government of India has exempted the income of ship owners in the amount of 40% of the cost of new ships acquired during the year, and in Cyprus the income of the owner of a national ship is not subject to taxation for 10 years.
According to Rosmorflot, the cumulative taxation of the shipowner's profit in the United States was 34%; in the countries of the European Community - 30-38%; and in Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland - 5-20%. In Russia, the level of taxation of shipping companies is 2.6 times higher than in the US and Great Britain, 4 times in Spain and 16 times in Greece.
The high level of tax and customs payments does not allow domestic shipping companies to compete with foreign ones, so they are forced to register their fleet in flag of convenience countries, where the level of taxation is an order of magnitude lower than in Russia.
New tax code The Russian Federation made certain adjustments to tax burden shipping companies (profit tax reduced to 24%), but how effective they will be, the future will show. Also unresolved issues in the current tax system remain:
collection of duties and VAT on imported vessels, equipment and spare parts, which, in the absence of a developed domestic shipbuilding base, does not contribute to the development of the fleet, increases its cost, and, consequently, the costs of shipowners, negatively affects competitiveness;
application of the “0” percent VAT rate for the transportation of foreign trade goods.
Another reason for the sharp reduction in the fleet under the national flag is the lack of conditions for long-term bank lending. Out of 189 ships built for Russian shipowners in 1992-2002, 90% have a foreign flag. This is due to the fact that Russian commercial banks provide lending to shipbuilding only for a short period (up to 3 years) at high interest rates(12-14%). Foreign banks issue loans for a period of 7-9 years at LIBOR plus 1-1.5%. To ensure the return of their investments, foreign credit institutions require the registration of new ships in international registers with favorable tax conditions, and Russian shipowners are forced to comply with these requirements.
In 2002, there was a sharp jump in the number of new ships (before that time, a decrease in the volume of fleet construction was observed), but the share of ships operating under a foreign flag in the total volume of built tonnage is not decreasing, it is growing. If in 1992 the share of ships under foreign flags was 18.4% of the total tonnage of Russia, then at the beginning of 2002 this figure reached 60%, excluding ships of mixed (river-sea) navigation. If this trend is not stopped, then in 5-7 years there will be practically no sea vessels under the national flag, which will entail corresponding economic and political consequences.

December 6, 1985 laid down at the Black Sea shipyard in Nikolaev
(serial number 106), launched on November 25, 1988.

In 1992, with 67% technical readiness, construction was suspended, the ship was mothballed.
In 1993, under an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, the Varyag went to Ukraine.

In April 1998, it was sold to Chong Lot Travel Agency Ltd for $20 million.
- at the cost of the finished order of 5-6 billion dollars.
Since 2008 - renamed "Shi Lang"

basic information

Type: Aircraft carrier
Flag State: Chinese Flag China
Homeport: Dalian
Construction started: December 6, 1985
Launched: November 25, 1988
Commissioned: not completed
Current status: sold

Kyiv is a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Navy of the USSR (USSR Navy).

It was built from 1970 to 1975 in Nikolaev at the Black Sea Shipyard.
In 1993, due to a lack of funds for operation and repair, a significant development of the resource of weapons, mechanisms and equipment, it was withdrawn from the fleet, after which it was disarmed and sold to the government of the PRC. In early 1994, it was towed to Qinhuangdao, where it was converted into a museum.
In September 2003, the Kyiv was towed to Tianjin.

basic information
Type: TAKR

Shipyard: Chernomorsky shipyard in Nikolaev (USSR, now Ukraine)
Construction started: July 21, 1970
Launched: December 26, 1972
Commissioned: December 28, 1975
Withdrawn from the fleet: June 30, 1993
Current status: sold Chinese company in the amusement park.

Minsk is a heavy aircraft carrier cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR Navy, and later - the Russian Navy.

"Minsk" was launched on September 30, 1975.
Entered service in 1978.
In November 1978, it would be included in the Pacific Fleet.

In 1993, a decision was made to disarm the "Minsk", its exclusion from the Russian Navy with transfer to the OFI for dismantling and sale. In August 1994, after the ceremonial lowering of the Naval flag, it was disbanded.

At the end of 1995, Minsk was towed to South Korea to cut its hull into metal. After the aircraft carrier was resold to the Chinese company Shenzhen Minsk Aircraft Carrier Industry Co Ltd. In 2006, when the company went bankrupt, Minsk became part of the Minsk World military park in Shenzhen. On March 22, 2006, the aircraft carrier was put up for auction, but there were no buyers. On May 31, 2006, the aircraft carrier was put up for auction again and was sold for 128 million yuan.

basic information
Type: TAKR.
Flag state: Flag of the USSR USSR.
Shipyard: Chernomorsky shipyard.
Launched: September 30, 1975.
Withdrawn from the fleet: June 30, 1993.
Current status: sold to the entertainment center.

Novorossiysk - an aircraft carrier of the Black Sea and Pacific Fleets of the Navy of the USSR (USSR Navy) in 1978-1991.

For the first time in the USSR, an aircraft carrier was designed to accommodate troops on board, receive heavy transport helicopters and base Yak-38P fighters.

Built from 1975 to 1978 in a shipyard in Nikolaev (Chernomorsky shipyard, director Gankevich). Changes made to the project during construction delayed the commissioning date until 1982. Since 1978, it was launched and completed in a floating state.

On August 15, 1982, the Naval flag of the USSR was solemnly raised on the ship, and on November 24 it was included in the Red Banner Pacific Fleet.

basic information
Type: aircraft carrier
Flag state: Flag of the USSR USSR
Launched: December 26, 1978
Withdrawn from the fleet: 1991
Current status: sold South Korea

Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Gorshkov"

(until October 4, 1990 it was called "Baku", then renamed "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov", but recently in official documents it is referred to in a simplified form as "Admiral Gorshkov") - Soviet and Russian heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser, the only ship of project 1143.4 , sold to India on January 20, 2004. On March 5, 2004, the cruiser was excluded from the combat strength of the Russian Navy, the current name was canceled, and the Andreevsky flag was solemnly lowered. At present, the ship, after a complete restructuring, has been commissioned into the Indian Navy as the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and is being completed afloat, at one of the berths of the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise.

basic information
Type: Heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser project 1143.4
Flag State: Flag of Russia Russia
Launched: 1987
Withdrawn from the fleet: 2004
Current status: sold India January 20, 2004

"Ulyanovsk" (order S-107) - Soviet heavy nuclear aircraft carrier with a displacement of 75,000 tons, Project 1143.7.

Laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant on November 25, 1988, construction was stopped in 1991. By the end of 1991, most of the hull of the nuclear aircraft carrier was formed, but after the cessation of funding, the ship, which was ready by almost a third, was cut on the slipway. The metal intended for the second ship of this type also went into remelting.

Ulyanovsk, which was supposed to become the flagship of the Navy, was supposed to have an air group, including up to 70 vehicles, such as helicopters and Su-27K, Su-25, Yak-141 and Yak-44 aircraft. The ship was equipped with two catapults, a springboard and an arrester. To store the aircraft below deck, there was a hangar measuring 175 × 32 × 7.9 m. They were lifted onto the flight deck using 3 lifts with a carrying capacity of 50 tons each (2 on the starboard side and 1 on the port side). The Luna optical landing system was located in the aft part.

It was supposed to build 4 ships. On October 4, 1988, the lead "Ulyanovsk" (serial number 107) was included in the lists of ships of the Navy and on November 25 was laid down at the Black Sea Shipyard No. 444 in Nikolaev. Commissioning was planned for December 1995.

basic information
Type: Heavy aircraft carrier cruiser
Flag state: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the USSR
Home port: Sevastopol
Current status: disposed of

"Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov"

He is the "Soviet Union" (project),
aka "Riga" (bookmark),
he is "Leonid Brezhnev" (launching),
aka "Tbilisi" (tests))
- heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of project 1143.5, the only one in the Russian Navy in its class (as of 2009). Designed to destroy large surface targets, protect naval formations from attacks by a potential enemy.

Named after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. Built in Nikolaev, at the Black Sea shipyard.

During cruises, Su-25UTG and Su-33 aircraft of the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment (home base - Severomorsk-3) and Ka-27 and Ka-29 helicopters of the 830th Separate Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment (base airfield - Severomorsk-1).

December 5, 2007 "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" led a detachment of warships that set off on a campaign in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Thus, the Russian Navy resumed its presence in the oceans.

Large anti-submarine ships of the "Komsomolets of Ukraine" type (project 61, NATO code - Kashin).

As of 2009, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy has only one (SKR "Sharp-witted") of the 20 ships of the project that became part of the Soviet Navy in the period from 1962 to 1973. The remaining 19 ships are currently decommissioned and dismantled for metal.

No. Name Shipyard Laid down Launched In service Decommissioned Fleet
1. Komsomolets of Ukraine Nikolaev 09/15/1959 12/31/1960 12/31/1962 06/24/1991 H
2. Smart Nikolaev 07/20/1960 11/04/1961 12/26/1963 07/03/1992 H, S
3. Agile Nikolaev 02/10/1961 04/21/1962 12/25/1964 08/21/1990 H
4. Fire Leningrad 05/05/1962 05/31/1963 12/31/1964 04/25/1989 B,S
5. Exemplary Leningrad 07/29/1963 02/23/1964 09/29/1965 06/30/1993 B
6. Gifted Leningrad 01/22/1963 09/11/1964 12/30/1965 04/19/1990 S, T
7. Brave Nikolaev 08/10/1963 10/17/1964 12/31/1965 11/12/1974† H
8. Glorious Leningrad 07/26/1964 04/24/1965 09/30/1966 06/24/1991 B
9. Slender Nikolaev 03/20/1964 07/28/1965 12/15/1966 04/12/1990 C
10. Guarding Leningrad 07/26/1964 02/20/1966 12/21/1966 06/30/1993 T
11. Red Caucasus Nikolaev 11/25/1964 02/09/1966 09/25/1967 05/01/1998 H
12. Resolute Nikolaev 06/25/1965 06/30/1966 12/30/1967 11/01/1989 H
13. Smart Nikolaev 08/15/1965 10/22/1966 09/27/1968 02/22/1993 C
14. Strict Nikolaev 02/22/1966 04/29/1967 12/24/1968 06/30/1993 T
15. Sharp-witted Nikolaev 07/15/1966 08/26/1967 09/25/1969 - H
16. Brave Nikolaev 11/15/1966 02/06/1968 12/27/1969 03/05/1988 B, B
17. Red Crimea Nikolaev 02/23/1968 02/28/1969 10/15/1970 06/24/1993 H
18. Capable Nikolaev 03/10/1969 04/11/1970 09/25/1971 01/06/1993 T
19. Fast Nikolaev 04/20/1970 02/26/1971 09/23/1972 11/22/1997 H
20. Restrained Nikolaev 03/10/1971 02/25/1972 12/30/1973 05/29/1991 H
21. DD51 Rajput (Reliable) Nikolaev 09/11/1976 09/17/1977 11/30/1979 05/04/1980 India
22. DD52 Rana (Destructive) Nikolaev 11/29/1976 09/27/1978 09/30/1981 02/10/1982 India
23. DD53 Ranjit (Nimble) Nikolaev 06/29/1977 06/16/1979 07/20/1983 11/24/1983 India
24. DD54 Ranvir (Solid) Nikolaev 10/24/1981 03/12/1983 12/30/1985 10/28/1986 India
25. DD55 Ranjivay (Tolkovy) Nikolaev 03/19/1982 02/01/1986 02/01/1986 01/15/1988 India

Anti-submarine cruisers-helicopter carriers.

Moscow - sold to India, cut into scrap metal.

Leningrad - they were taken in tow to India, where they were butchered for metal.

Project 1164 cruisers

"Moscow" - (former name - "Glory") is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet

"Marshal Ustinov" - part of the Northern Fleet.

Varyag is the flagship of the Pacific Fleet.

"Ukraine"(former "Admiral of the Fleet Lobov")

In 1993, he became part of the Ukrainian Navy, the decision to complete it was made in 1998, but Ukraine cannot put it into operation, and therefore the cruiser is standing at the pier, options for selling the cruiser are being considered.

Total:
-Out of SEVEN heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers, ONE is ready to defend Russia.
Five SOLD.
One has been disposed of.

Of two anti-submarine cruisers-helicopter carriers
SOLD TWO.

From 20 BOD (project 61)
19 ships decommissioned and dismantled on metal.

Of the four missile cruisers of project 1164
3 active.
1 on pre-sale stage.

P.p.s.:
CONSTRUCTED and under construction ships and submarines of the Russian Navy:
in recent years:
Etc. 20380 "Guarding" Russia, 2008 Corvette --- 2 built + 2 under construction
Etc. 22460 Rubin Russia 2009 PSKR --- 1 built
Etc. 22350 "Admiral Gorshkov" Russia 2011 Frigate --- 2 under construction (not to be confused with the aircraft carrier "A. Gorshkov" of the same name!))
Etc. 21630 Buyan Russia 2007 MAK (small artillery ship) --- 1 built in 2006 +2 under construction
Etc. 20370 Russia, 2001 Communication boat --- 4 built
Etc. 20180 Zvezdochka Russia, 2007 PTS --- 1 in 2007 +1 under construction 5-6 units are expected in the series. minimum
Etc. 20120 Russia, 2008 Experimental diesel-electric submarine 1 built by SF - B-90 "Sarov"
Etc. 18280 Russia, 2004 Communication ship 1 built by Admiral Yu. Ivanov, +1 under construction. SSV, that is, scout
Etc. 11711 "Ivan Gren" Russia, 2012 BDK (large landing ship) 1 under construction +5 in the future Baltic Fleet
Etc. 16810 Russia, 2007 Deep submersible 2 built by "Rus" and "Consul"
Etc. 14230 Sokzhoy Russia, 2002 PC 2 built
Etc. 1244.1 Grom Russia, 2009 TFR 1 in 2009 now Borodino, training ship
Etc. 1431 "Mirage" Russia, 2001 PK 3 BF - 2, KF - 1.
Etc. 1166.1 "Gepard" Russia, 2001 MPK 2 built by "Tatarstan" and "Dagestan" Series - 10.
Etc. 1244.1 "Thunder" Russia, 2011 Frigate 1 by 2011
Etc. 266.8 "Agat" Russia, 2007 MT 1 built by the Baltic Fleet (= project 02268 "Adm. Zakharyin" delivered to the Black Sea Fleet)
Etc. 10410/2 "Fireflyak" of the USSR, 1987 PC, about thirty were built in total, of which about ten since the early 2000s. 1 is under construction.
Etc. 955/A Borey/Kasatka Russia, 2007 SSBN 1 built + 3 under construction, preparing to lay down 1
Etc. 885 "Ash" Russia, 2010 SSGN 1 is almost built. 1 is under construction. It is planned to bookmark 1 more during the year.
Etc. 677 Lada Russia, 2010 DPLT 1 built. 3 are under construction.
Etc. 10830 "Wicket" Russia, 2003 AGS 1 built

PLANNED FOR CONSTRUCTION:
Etc. 677 Lada Russia, 2010 DPLT 3 under construction 4 by 2015. Planned to build 20-25 so far.
Etc. 955 / A "Borey" / "Kasatka" Russia, 2007 SSBNs 1 + 3 laid down Planned construction from 5 to 8
Etc. 885 Yasen Russia, 2010 SSGN 1 under construction, 1 laid down At least 10 planned
Etc. 20180 Zvyozdochka Russia, 2007 PTS 1 in 2007 +1 under construction 6 in the future
20380 "Ave. Steregushchiy» Russia, 2008 Planned construction of 20
Etc. 21630 "Buyan" Russia, 2007 MAK 1 in 2006 +2 KF are under construction
Construction is planned from 5 to 7-15 until 2020.
Etc. 22350 Admiral Gorshkov Russia, 2011 Frigate 1 under construction + 1 laid down Planned construction 20

Links in addition:
1) Nuclear submarine "Project 210" "Losharik" built in 2003
http://www.newsru.ru/russia/12aug2003/losharik.html
2) In 2008, the Caspian Flotilla (CF) of Russia received two small landing boats "Serna" and 1 for the Black Sea Fleet (plan - 30 pieces). A total of 7 pieces were built, one is under construction.
http://prospekta.net.ru/np11770.html
3) A new generation patrol ship for the Border Guard was launched
http://www.itar-tasskuban.ru/news.php?news=2302
In total, the order for the PV is 20 ships of this type; in November 2009, an icebreaker patrol ship for the PV, with a displacement of 1000 tons, was commissioned.
plus for the PV another order of 30 boats PSKA pr.
4) The program for the restoration of heavy missile cruisers of the "Kirov" type (project 1144 and its modifications).
Now the Russian Navy has one nuclear-powered missile cruiser, Peter the Great. The possibility of restoring and modernizing the nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, as well as Admiral Lazarev, is being discussed. According to Vladimir Popovkin, the Ministry of Defense considers it expedient to have up to three such ships in the Navy: one of them will be in the Pacific Fleet and two in the Northern.
http://www.oborona.ru/1001/1010/index.shtml?id=4213

Addition to the list.
For the Russian Navy, the following are still being built:
* Base minesweeper project 12700 "Alexandrite". Currently, two ships of this project are being built. Note - minesweepers, mine seekers, and not ordinary MT
* Project 21820 "Dugong" air cavity small landing craft.
Currently, one ship of this project is being built, an order for up to ten Dugongs has been announced.
*Project 18280 communications vessel. Currently, one vessel of this project is being built, an order for a total of two vessels of project 18280 has been announced.
*Project 21300С rescue vessel. At present, one vessel of this type is being built, an order for a total of four vessels of project 21300С has been announced.
* Rescue vessel "Igor Belousov"
JSC "Admiralty Shipyards" is under construction. Laid down December 24, 2005. Delivery to the fleet was announced for 2011.
*Sea transport of weapons of project 21130 "Diskant". One ship of this project is currently under construction. Laid down in 2008, delivery in 2011.
*Marine transport of weapons (search and transport vessel) of project 20180. Currently, one ship of this project is being built.
*Crane loader vessel project 20360 "Dubnyak" . Currently, one vessel of this project is being built, an order for two Dubnyakov has been announced.
*Experimental vessel of project 11982. Currently, one vessel is being built. "Seliger" Laid down on July 8, 2009. Delivery to the fleet was announced for 2011.
*Project 22030 sea rescue tug. Currently, one vessel of this project is being built, and an order for three such tugs has been announced. Delivery of the first - 2011.
*Marine rescue tug of project 745MB "Walrus". Currently, two ships of this project are being built (in the 745MB modification), an order for a total of four Walruses has been announced.
*Small hydrographic vessel of project 19910. The lead vessel ("Vaigach") entered the fleet in 2008. Currently, one vessel of this type is being built, and an order for a total of four vessels of project 19910 has been announced.
*Large hydrographic boat of project 19920 (19920B). The lead boat of this project BGK-2090 entered the fleet in 2008. One boat of this type is currently under construction.
* Project 90600 offshore tug. Since 2003, 18 project 90600 tugs have been built (including one for the Russian Navy). Currently, 2 vessels of this project are being built, and an order for a total of five tugs has been announced from the Russian Navy.
* In addition, ordered:

OJSC "Baltic shipbuilding plant "Yantar"" (Kaliningrad) Oceanographic vessel of project 22010 2013
OJSC "Vostochnaya Verf" (Vladivostok) Landing boat 2011
JSC "Okskaya Sudoverf" (Navashino, Nizhny Novgorod region) Crane-loader project 20360 2010
OJSC "Khabarovsk shipbuilding plant" Two sea rescue tugs of project 22030 2011
JSC "Zelenodolsk plant named after A. M. Gorky" (Zelenodolsk, Tatarstan) Two sea rescue tugs of project 745MB 2010 and 2011
Astrakhan Shipyard Project 705B harbor tug 2011
JSC "Leningrad shipbuilding plant" Pella "" Two roadstead tugs of project 90600 2010 and 2011
JSC "Sokolskaya shipyard" (Sokolskoye settlement, Nizhny Novgorod region) Road boat of project 1388НЗ 2010
OAO "Shipbuilding Plant named after the October Revolution" (Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region) Two self-propelled barges 2009 and 2010
35th ship repair plant (Murmansk) Project 1394 boat 2010.

19:12 - REGNUM Ninety-two years ago, on October 25, 1925, the first Soviet merchant ships "Grigory Zinoviev" and "Comrade Stalin" left the stocks of the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. The launching of these ships marked the beginning of the Soviet merchant fleet.

(cc) www.siicex.gub.uy

On July 18, 1924, the joint-stock company "Soviet Merchant Fleet" ("Sovtorgflot") was organized, uniting transport ships that previously belonged to various people's commissariats, departments and joint-stock companies, including mixed, with the participation of foreign capital. This association laid the foundations for the centralized management of maritime transport as a single industry. National economy. The foundation was laid for the creation of infrastructure, including not only ships, but also ports, shipyards, and educational institutions.

During all the years of the existence of the Soviet Union, the merchant marine was considered as one of the main factors in ensuring the economic and military security of the state, as well as a source of foreign exchange earnings.

After the Great Patriotic War, in the first post-war five-year plan, only 3 factories built a fleet in our country: Krasnoye Sormovo, Navashinsky and Sretensky, and from foreign countries - enterprises from Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland, China. In subsequent years, the Nikolaev Plant named after A.I. Nosenko, Kherson, Admiralty, Marine Plant in Sevastopol, Gorohovets, Severodvinsk, Khabarovsk, Petrozavod in Leningrad and others. Ships were built abroad in the shipyards of the GDR, the Polish People's Republic, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Hungarian People's Republic, the Socialist Republic of Romania, as well as England, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Japan and, especially, Finland, where the Soviet icebreaker was built. fleet.

The marine merchant fleet was constantly replenished and in the period 1971-1985. intensively updated. During this period, the fleet annually included from 50 to 80 new ships with a total tonnage of 0.7 to 1 million tons. , took fifth place in the world among developed shipping countries. This period characterizes the intensive stage of the qualitative development of the merchant marine. The ships that replenished the domestic merchant fleet during this period had fundamentally new designs, devices and mechanisms.

With the collapse of the USSR (due to the division of territories and property), the unified transport system of the former state was disrupted, especially its maritime component. During the division in the Russian Federation, only 10 out of 16 shipping companies with a marine fleet with a total number of 798 units of ships with a total displacement of about 10 million tons remained. Most of the ships had an outrageous (20-year-old) age.

“Today, the Russian Federation is in the top 30-40 both in terms of tonnage and quantity,” such data was given by the director of the department, speaking at the 10th international forum “Transport potential”, public policy in the field of sea and river transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation Vitaly Klyuev.

Why Russian ships began to fly under foreign flags?

In 1973, the USSR Ministry of the Navy asked the government to allow the department to acquire new and used ships abroad under a long-term leasing or bareboat charter scheme. The formation of Sovcomflot was the result of a decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on March 23, 1973 to indirectly break the monopoly of foreign trade and provide the USSR Ministry of the Navy with the opportunity to purchase new and used ships under a long-term leasing scheme, the so-called bareboat charter

A foreign bank gave the Soviet side a loan for the purchase of a vessel, the property being acquired served as collateral. After paying off the loan, the ship was already wholly owned by the buyer. This scheme made it possible to expand the fleet without the use of public funds.

“Until the end of the 80s, banks agreed to register bareboat ships under the Soviet flag. Subsequently, due to the impossibility for foreign banks to apply a pledge right on the territory of the USSR, and then Russia, banks refused loans if they were not satisfied with the country of registration of the flag, and the most acceptable conditions could be found in the states of the "convenient" flag, - He speaks Vadim Kornilov, CEO Sovcomflot in 1991-1999 - Foreign shipowners have already paved the way there - about 70% of the world's tonnage was registered offshore (Liberia, the Virgin Islands, Cyprus, the Isle of Man, Bermuda, etc.). Registering a company for one ship costs several (3-5) thousand dollars there.

Then it was decided to purchase new ships and comply with the law of those countries where the leasing was issued, to register ships in foreign jurisdictions.

“In the 90s, the government’s policy was such that ports should be developed, and we will hire a fleet abroad, - Vitaly Klyuev, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Sea and River Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, recalled. — To this day, we feel the consequences of such a short-sighted approach of those years.”

Vitaly Klyuev also noted that about 60% of the total export-import cargo turnover of the Russian Federation is carried out by sea, but only from 2% to 3% of all this cargo turnover is provided by ships flying the Russian flag. Everything else is transported by ships flying foreign flags.

“The Soviet Union in shipbuilding focused on other countries - these are Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania. And those shipbuilding capacities for civil shipbuilding, which were in the USSR, they went to other republics, V. Klyuev emphasized. — And now we are very dependent on the product that is produced by the shipbuilding industry, and today it is a foreign product.”

The approximate ratio for the production of ships for the USSR in the period from 71 to 85 was as follows: domestic factories produced 35% of the ships, socialist countries - 32.8%; Western European countries and Japan 32.2%, that is, two-thirds of all ships purchased in the USSR came from abroad.

Quote from Rising Star video. Special report by Alexander Lukyanov

How to return the Russian flag to ships?

The Ministry of Transport accepts various economic measures stimulation. “Earlier it was called the return of ships under the Russian flag,” said V. Klyuev. - Now there is nothing to return, all these ships are old or decommissioned. Therefore, in order to replenish the fleet of ships under the Russian flag, changes have been made to the federal law 305-FZ of 2011 "On the support of shipbuilding and shipping".

The measures taken are bearing fruit. According to V. Klyuev, the number of courts in the international registry after the adoption of this law has increased almost four times. More than 100 ships under this law were built at Russian shipyards with subsequent registration under the state flag of the Russian Federation. But this is not enough, although the first step has been taken.

(cc) BenutzerWofratz

The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation came up with the following initiative: ships flying a foreign flag will be banned from transporting goods along the Northern Sea Route on domestic flights. The agency proposes to extend the concept of cabotage to the Northern Sea Route and thereby force shipowners operating in the Arctic to abandon the flags of offshore states.

“Today, the State Duma is drafting a bill that suggests that ships that transport cargo loaded in the waters of the Northern Sea Route, mined on the territory of the Russian Federation, should be transported by ships under the Russian flag. We hope that this issue will be resolved by the end of the year.” - said V. Klyuev.

MERCHANT FLEET IN THE HISTORY OF RUSSIA

Vladimir Kontrovsky

Russian merchant fleet

The history of the merchant marine fleet of our country is rooted in hoary antiquity. Back in the days of Kievan Rus, our ancestors made trade trips along the Black Sea to Byzantium, sailed in the Caspian. Later, the Novgorod Slavs sailed across the Baltic Sea to the Hanseatic cities, and in the 11th-12th centuries they came to the shores of the White Sea. In the XV-XVII centuries, Pomors sailed on boats and boats to Murman, Novaya Zemlya, Mangazeya and even to the subpolar Grumant archipelago. By the end of the 17th century, industrial and service people crossed Siberia in pursuit of furs and reached the shores of the Far Eastern seas. Even then, there was an awareness of the need for Russia to have its own military and merchant fleet. Attempts to create it were made under Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail and Alexei Romanov. But in reality, it was possible to realize this only under Peter I. On October 20, 1696, by the decision of the Boyar Duma, for the first time in the centuries-old history of Russia, the foundation was laid for the creation of a permanent state military and transport navy. Since that time, Russia began to turn into a great maritime power. While intensive construction of warships for the Sea of ​​Azov was going on in Voronezh, from 1696 to 1701, at the sovereign shipyard in Solombala, 6 three-deck merchant ships were built, which soon appeared in the ports of Europe. This is another reason to consider the decisions of the Boyar Duma the beginning of the creation of the state merchant fleet of Russia. Private, merchant "new manner" ships were also built in the north. Together with transport warships, this local fleet fully provided for the transportation of coastal cargo in the North, the Caspian Sea, the Far East, and to a large extent - in the Baltic Sea. A qualitatively new period began in the history of the domestic merchant fleet from the middle of the 19th century. Due to significant subsidies in the North, the Baltic, in the southern seas of Russia and the Far East, a number of shipping companies were created in the 60-70s. The largest of them were the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade (ROPiT) and Dobroflot. Russian merchant steamships go beyond coastal seas, develop transoceanic lines, make regular voyages in the Arctic and the Far East. To manage the industry in 1903, the Main Directorate of Merchant Shipping was created, which later became part of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Training of personnel for navigators and mechanics is organized. The civil war caused enormous damage to the navy and ports. Suffice it to say that out of 1,120 steamships available on January 1, 1915, , in 1921 only 220 courts remained in the country. Many ports and shipyards were destroyed. In difficult conditions of general devastation, the restoration of maritime transport took place in the 20-30s. Despite the difficulties, the transport fleet actively participated in the development of the Arctic and the Far East, made heroic voyages to the fighting Spain. During the same period, important organizational measures were taken in the field of maritime transport management. On July 18, 1924, the joint-stock company "Soviet Merchant Fleet" ("Sovtorgflot") was organized, uniting transport ships that previously belonged to various people's commissariats, departments and joint-stock companies, including mixed ones, with the participation of foreign capital. This act laid the foundations for the centralized management of maritime transport as a single branch of the national economy, its infrastructure was formed, including not only ships, but also ports, ship repair yards, and educational institutions. Already the first year of work confirmed the expediency of the formation of Sovtorgflot, which achieved high performance. Particularly increased transportation in small cabotage - more than 1.5 times. With the formation of "Sovtorgflot" the beginning of the replenishment of the fleet with ships of domestic construction is also connected. For 1928-1932 maritime transport received 66 ships from domestic shipyards and 44 ships of foreign construction. The restoration of the country's port economy was successfully completed. Port cargo turnover in 1932 reached 48.6 million tons, exceeding the level of 1913. Major work was carried out to reconstruct the seaports in Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, and Vladivostok. New berths, warehouses, passenger stations were built, mechanization facilities were increased. The construction of new ports began (Tiksi, Moskalvo, etc.). Shipyards were expanded and reconstructed. The training of personnel for the navy in the 1930s was carried out in branch educational institutions - in two universities (in Leningrad and Odessa) and in seven maritime technical schools. Maritime schools were organized to train enlisted specialists. The navy in the 1930s significantly expanded the navigation areas thanks to the heroic voyages of the A. Sibiryakov, F. Litke, Chelyuskin, G. Sedov ships. On a large scale, the development of the Northern Sea Route was begun and its transformation into a permanent highway.

During the Great Patriotic War

The final registration of maritime transport as an independent economic branch of the national economy took place before the Great Patriotic War. The sea fleet has become an important part of the unified transport system of the country. From the first hours of the war, all 14 shipping companies, 51 seaports, 27 shipyards and other enterprises subordinated their activities to military needs. About 100 ships were immediately handed over to the Navy, some of them came under the operational control of the military fleets. In the Baltic, the war began on June 22, 1941 - the Germans in advance (on June 20-21) secretly made mine laying. Early in the morning on July 22, 1941, the Nazis attacked the unarmed steamer Gaisma, which was heading to Germany with a load of timber. Off the island of Gotland, the ship was attacked by four boats and torpedoed. Of the 80 crew members, seven sailors were killed. Almost simultaneously with the attack on the "Gaisma" near the island of Kotlin, a fascist plane fired on the steamer "Luga". The Baltic ports (Liepaja, Ventspils, Riga) were left one after another - in the most difficult conditions - and troops and equipment were taken out on board merchant ships. On the night of June 30, the sailors of the Lachplesis icebreaker dragged the Kirov cruiser through the shallow Moonsund Strait, which ran aground six times. With the same difficulty, large merchant ships of the Latvian Shipping Company passed through the strait - two weeks after leaving Riga, twenty ships arrived in Leningrad. The fate of 29 transport ships that left Tallinn on August 28, 1941 was tragic. The caravan went through continuous minefields under continuous attacks from the air. The losses of the merchant fleet participating in this operation turned out to be huge: out of 29 ships, only two reached Leningrad, two more ships remained off Gogland Island, and 25 were sunk. The Tallinn crossing in 1941 became one of the most difficult operations for the entire period of the Great Patriotic War. The death of the brave killed many of the best sailors of the transport fleet. One of the last left Tallinn steamship "Kazakhstan". Fascist dive bombers furiously attacked the ship, the bombs hit the boiler room, a fire started. For nine hours, the crew and the Red Army soldiers on board fought the fire and knocked down the flames. But then enemy planes again fell on "Kazakhstan". Bombs exploded next to the side. Only seven people remained from the crew. A fire was simulated on the ship, and the Nazis, confident in the death of the ship, stopped the attacks. The sailors managed to repair the damage, divorced the couples, and on the fourth day after leaving Tallinn, the "Kazakhstan" arrived in Kronstadt. Among the three ships damaged by aircraft and left at Gogland was the steamer Saule, commanded by sea captain Anna Ivanovna Shchetinina, the only female captain in the USSR merchant fleet. Despite the raids of fascist aircraft, the ship's crew repaired the damage, the ship refloated and safely arrived in Leningrad. On the Black Sea, merchant ships supplied and evacuated besieged ports. So, during the defense of Odessa, sailors of the transport fleet took 350 thousand soldiers and civilians and about 100 thousand tons of various cargoes to Sevastopol and other ports. In November 1941, the fascist armies launched an offensive against Sevastopol, and the connection between the besieged main base of the Black Sea Fleet and the country was carried out only by sea. 20 transport vessels took part in the Kerch-Feodosiya landing operation. One of the first to enter the port of Feodosia and landed the landing units of the Red Army was the steamship "Fabricius" under the command of Captain M. Grigor. The ship "Kuban" four times (its captain Vislobokov died on the first voyage) came from Novorossiysk to Feodosia with landing troops. After the landing, transport ships continued to make flights to the Crimea, supplying the advancing Red Army troops with everything necessary. In the winter and spring of 1942, the merchant fleet, despite the blockade, delivered military supplies to Sevastopol. Flights of transport ships ceased only in June 1942, when even surface warships of the Black Sea Fleet could no longer break through to Sevastopol. Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, three Caspian shipping companies - dry-cargo ("Kaspflot"), oil-loader ("Kasptanker") and offshore oil-loader ("Reidtanker") - have reorganized their work for the needs of the country's defense. Already in July 1941, the evacuation of the population, dismantled equipment, grain cargo from the western regions of the country began to Kazakhstan and the republics of Central Asia. Oil and oil products were sent to the Volga. Military formations, military equipment and ammunition were transferred from the Central Asian republics to the western ports of the Caspian Sea. At the same time (in August 1941), several large transport ships took part in the transportation of Soviet troops, which were temporarily introduced to Iran in accordance with the existing agreement. The sailors did everything to fulfill the tasks for transportation: they reduced the time for loading, unloading and repairing ships, loaded the ships in excess of the established norm, adapted the cargo spaces of the ships for passengers and accommodated passengers on deck. On the decks of tankers in July-December 1941, Caspian sailors transported over 100 thousand people. During the fighting for the North Caucasus and the Volga, the front approached the Caspian Sea, and the sailors had to work under the blows of enemy bombers. The fascist aviation was especially rampant in the Astrakhan roadstead - fuel was unloaded right under the bombing. As a result of enemy air raids in 1942, the Caspian merchant fleet lost 32 transport ships, about 100 sailors died at their combat posts. By the end of 1941, the directions of external transportation were determined for the navy. The Baltic and the Black Sea were cut off - the North and the Far East remained. The main flow of Lend-Lease supplies went through Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, and as part of the polar convoys, along with the transports of the allied powers, ships of the Soviet merchant fleet also made voyages. In May 1942, the ship "Old Bolshevik", loaded with weapons and ammunition, went as part of the allied convoy "PQ-16" from England to Russia. The convoy, escorted by English escorts, was furiously attacked by the Luftwaffe forces. For three days, the heroic ship withstood 47 bomber attacks. During one of them, a bomb hit the forecastle, a fire started on the ship. And the attacks did not stop - the enemy sought to finish off the ship. Anti-aircraft gunners shot down one dive bomber and drove the rest, but the fire intensified. The commander of the English convoy suggested that our sailors leave the ship and go to one of the escort ships. The captain of the ship, Afanasiev, ordered to hand over to the commodore of the convoy: "We are not going to bury our ship." The convoy left, leaving the Soviet sailors alone in the ocean on a burning ship. But what was the amazement of the allies when, two days later, the Old Bolshevik, having coped with the fire and damage, caught up with the convoy and took its place in the order. The plans of the "Kriegsmarine" to prevent traffic along the Northern Sea Route were thwarted thanks to the courage of the sailors of the icebreaker "Sibiryakov" (Captain Kacharava). Attacked by the German raider "Admiral Scheer" in the Kara Sea, "Sibiryakov" accepted an unequal battle and, at the cost of his death, managed to report on the radio about the appearance of a pirate. After that, "Sheer" considered it best to stop the raid. Sailors of the merchant fleet of the Far East also worked in the main direction of wartime external shipping. Here they regularly made flights to the USA, South America, Canada, Australia, delivering military supplies from there. Vessels of the Far Eastern Shipping Company carried out transportation on the northern communications, plowed the waters of the Indian Ocean, went to the ports of the Persian Gulf. At the beginning of December 1941, in the Far East, Japan began a war against the USA, England and Holland. Although the Soviet Union was not at war with this country, the Japanese launched piracy against the merchant fleet of our country. In Hong Kong, on December 14, the steamer "Krechet" was sunk; in the Celebes Sea near the Philippines, on December 20, Japanese aircraft sank the tanker "Maikop". The crew of the ship "Perekop" (Captain Demidov), sunk on December 18 by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea, landed on Bolshoy Natuna Island, and only in November 1943 returned to Vladivostok. In 1942-1944. the Japanese sank a number of ships of the Far Eastern Shipping Company, and in May 1942 the steamer "Uelen" (Captain Malakhov), en route to Australia, was attacked by an "unknown" submarine. A two-hour artillery duel ensued, during which the Uelen sailors sent the submarine to the bottom. And in 1945 the merchant fleet took part in the landings on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

Fleet recovery

The war left heavy traces: the industry lost 380 ships with a deadweight of about 1 million tons, more than 90 ports were destroyed, and many ship repair enterprises. Only four merchant ships survived the war in the Baltic. The trophy fleet did not make up for these losses, and the "disposable" (it was assumed that their construction cost paid off in one transatlantic crossing) received under Lend-Lease "Liberty" type transports were not designed for long-term operation. For the second time in three decades, the country had to spend a lot of effort and money to restore maritime transport. From the end of the 50s, the industry began to rapidly develop and replenish it with new ships. Already in 1965, the country's marine transport fleet amounted to 1,187 ships with a total deadweight of 8.4 million tons and came in 6th place in the world. It has become the main mode of transport in the country's foreign trade transportation. Transport ships began to work on cargo and passenger lines connecting our country with many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, made long voyages to Cuba, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand, as well as to the sixth continent - Antarctica. Thanks to the construction of new icebreakers led by the Lenin nuclear-powered icebreaker, the duration of navigation in the Arctic was significantly increased. Later it became year-round in the Kara Sea. The unique voyages of Soviet ships to the North Pole, to Antarctica and to other areas of the World Ocean for industrial and research purposes have raised the prestige of our fleet in the world. The 70-80s became the time of a qualitatively new rise in the merchant fleet: in addition to domestic ships, it included a large number of foreign-built ships. The merchant fleet of the USSR confidently occupied a worthy place in the world market of cargo transportation. But then everything changed, as life itself changed radically. Today, Russian maritime transport as an industry includes organizations, associations, institutions of various forms of ownership that carry out sea transportation, stevedoring, freight forwarding, repair and technical operation of ships and ship equipment, research, design and survey work, training and other activities related to merchant shipping. On March 15, 1996, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the Department of Maritime Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation was transformed into the Federal Service of the Marine Fleet of Russia. The fleet managed by the Federal Marine Service of Russia is about 780 ships with a deadweight of 10.3 million tons. Maritime transport in Russia today is 10 shipping companies, 41 seaports, 13 shipyards, 4 research institutes, 2 design and survey bureaus, 3 maritime academies, 7 specialized secondary educational institutions. And besides, about 700 joint and private enterprises and organizations that have received licenses from the Service for the right to operate. A "Program for the Revival of the Russian Merchant Fleet" was adopted, aimed at restoring this strategic industry, which ensures the country's political and economic security and independence in foreign trade. The program provides for the development of maritime transport in three areas: the supply of sea vessels; development of seaports and railway approaches to them; development of maritime transport infrastructure. The implementation of the program is envisaged to be carried out at the expense of the enterprises' own funds; the specially created Fund for the Revival of the Merchant Fleet of Russia; attracted funds from domestic and foreign investors; federal budget. The implementation of the "Program" will allow Russia to have a fleet worthy of a great maritime power. PeterI once said the following: "A power that only has an army has one hand, and which has a fleet - both." The first Russian emperor was smart... True, he had in mind a military fleet, not a merchant fleet, but these two fleets very often perform a common task.