Ivan Franko-class passenger ship explained

The Ivan Franko-class passenger ship (project 301, in Germany known as Seefa 750[1]) was a class of Soviet ocean liners and cruise ships, operated by the Baltic State Shipping Company (BGMP) and Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMMP or BLASCO).[2] The five Soviet ships Ivan Franko, Aleksandr Pushkin, Taras Shevchenko, Shota Rustaveli and Mikhail Lermontov were constructed in 1963–1972 by the East German company VEB Mathias-Thesen Werft, in Wismar. The class was named after its lead ship, which took its name from the Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko. The last remaining vessel, the Aleksandr Pushkin – last known as Marco Polo, was retired in 2020 and beached in Alang, India for scrapping on 13 January 2021.[3]

Description and construction

The Ivan Franko class surpassed the earlier as Germany's (in both parts of Germany) largest passenger ships after World War II. With a length of 176m (577feet)[4] the Ivan Franko vessels were 54m (177feet) longer than the prior largest passenger ship, and its classmates. The Ivan Franko vessels were also 7.5m (24.6feet) wider, and with a gross register tonnage of 19,861, almost three times larger.

The construction of this class featured some notable differences from contemporary ships built in the west. Among other things they offered cabins for six people and had three taps in the bathrooms – for hot, cold and sea water – Both of these features had been long abandoned in western liners. The ships also featured certain forward-looking features, such as all outside accommodation for passengers as well as the crew, and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool with a sliding glass roof.

Ocean liners/cruise ships of Project 301/Seefa 750

Ivan Franko class passenger ships
No. align=Left Original name !align=Left English transliteration
1 align=Left Иван Франко (Frank) align=Left Ivan Franko (Frank)
2 align=Left Александр Пушкин (Marco Polo) align=Left Aleksandr Pushkin (Marco Polo)
3 align=Left Тарас Шевченко (Tara) align=Left Taras Shevchenko (Tara)
4 align=Left Шота Руставели (Assedo)align=Left Shota Rustaveli (Assedo)
5 align=Left Михаил Лермонтов align=Left Mikhail Lermontov

Overview

Ivan Franko class passenger ships
align=Left Year of build !Hull No Image Name First operator Port of Registry align=Left Flag !IMO-No.Status
align=Left 1964 125 ChMMP 5415901 originally, Ivan Franko; sold in 1997 to Polluks Shipping; out of service since 21 July 1997; scrapped in Alang [5]
align=Left 1965 126 BGMP → → 6417097 originally Aleksandr Pushkin;[6] scrapped in Alang in 2021[7]
align=Left 1966 127 Tara ChMMP → → → → 6508195originally, Taras Shevtchenko; out of service since 29 January 2005; scrapped in Chittagong[8]
align=Left 1968 128 Assedo ChMMP → → → → → 6707753 originally, Shota Rustaveli; scrapped in Alang in 2003[9]
align=Left 1972 129 BGMP 7042318 sank on 16 February 1986 near Gannet Point (New Zealand) [10]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DDR Schiffbau . german-shipbuilding.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20130615092941/http://www.german-shipbuilding.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=11 . 2013-06-15 . German . 11 January 2019.
  2. Web site: Ivan Franko Class . simplonpc.co.uk . 11 January 2019.
  3. Web site: Gonzalez . Frank . [VIDEO] CMV Marco Polo Beaching in Alang Scrap Yard ]. Cruises-Info.com . 14 January 2021.
  4. Web site: Ivan Franko data in English . 2012-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120730182653/http://sea.infoflot.ru/en/fleet/ship.php?id=20 . 2012-07-30 . dead .
  5. http://fleetphoto.ru/ship/4536/ Frank (Иван Франко → 06.1997)
  6. http://fleetphoto.ru/ship/6506/ Marco Polo (до 1991 Александр Пушкин)
  7. Web site: Gonzalez . Frank . [VIDEO] CMV Marco Polo Beaching in Alang Scrap Yard ]. Cruises-Info.com . 14 January 2021.
  8. http://fleetphoto.ru/ship/4824/ Tara (Тарас Шевченко → 08.1995 Taras Shevchenko → 08.2001 Тарас Шевченко → 10.2004)
  9. http://fleetphoto.ru/ship/18970/ Assedo (Шота Руставели → 2001)
  10. http://fleetphoto.ru/ship/18332/ Михаил Лермонтов