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Soviet Shipping
 
Page 3: Soviet Purchased Ships after 1948
 
This page is still under construction!
 
This page is devoted to passenger ship postcards of the Soviet Union. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet, also in alphabetical order.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Fedor Shalyapin - Black Sea Shipping: 1973-1999
Leonid Sobinov - Black Sea Shipping: 1973-1999
Maxim Gorkiy - Black Sea Shipping: 1974-
 
Soviet Web Pages:-
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Soviet Page 1: Soviet Built Ships - vessels built within the Soviet Bloc & satellites
Soviet Page 2: Acquired Ships - vessels acquired by the Soviet Bloc before 1948
Soviet Page 3: Purchased Ships - vessels purchased by the Soviet Bloc after 1948
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 Fedor Shalyapin  Ivernia, Franconia

 1954
 Leonid Sobinov  Saxonia, Carmania

 1954
 Maxim Gorky  

 1969
 
 
 
 
 
 
Soviet Fleet List
 
 
Fedor Shalyapin
(Black Sea Shipping: 1973-1999)
 
 
Fedor Shalyapin was built as Ivernia in 1954 by John Brown & Co, Clydebank. She was the second four ships primarily intended for the Canadian service, and their dimensions were determined by the St Lawrence Seaway. During the summer they would sail to Quebec and Montreal, and in the winter (when the St Lawrence Seaway is iced over) to Halifax and New York. Construction of Ivernia started in 1954, and she commenced her maiden voyage from Greenock to Quebec and Montreal on 1st July 1955. She was 21717 gross tons, and 608 feet in length. She carried 110 first class passengers and 833 tourist class. Her decor was contemporary for the time, and most unlike the traditional interiors of earlier Cunarders. Many regular passengers were not impressed, and the last two sisters, Carinthia and Sylvania, reverted to a more traditional style. From April 1957, Ivernia sailed from Southampton to Montreal, rather than from Liverpool. Many of her sailings then included Rotterdam, to tap the European market, whilst her sister Saxonia often called at Le Havre.
 
The late 1950s were boom years for Cunard, and Ivernia was initially very successful on her designed routes. However, air was becoming increasingly the dominant mode of trans-Atlantic travel, and Cunard announced a significant financial loss in June 1962. It was announced that Saxonia and Ivernia would be rebuilt at John Browns to make them more suitable for cruising. Ivernia had completed 109 round voyages across the Atlantic when she was sent back to her builders in October 1962, reappearing as the Franconia in Cunard's cruising green livery. The interiors had been refitted, and a new lido had been built on the aft decks, replacing the aft cargo hatches. passenger capacity had been reduced to 119 first and 728 tourist class, and air conditioning had been installed throughout. Despite the cruising modifications, Franconia re-entered service on the North Atlantic run in July 1963. She ran successfully through the summer and switched to her planned cruising itinerary from New York in the winter, returning to the trans-Atlantic routes in April 1964. Other ships in the Cunard fleet, including the Queens, were being sent on experimental cruises from this time. The later sisters, Carinthia and Sylvania, had continued on year-round trans-Atlantic service. Passenger numbers were dropping, particularly in winter, and Sylvania was sent on a cruise from Liverpool in February 1965, despite not being suited to such work. Carinthia followed suit on her first winter cruise in January 1966. May 1966 saw the national Seaman's strike in the UK. All four sisters were affected, being held at Southampton or Liverpool. Services were resumed in July, but the strike had a devastating effect on Cunard's finances. On 8th May 1967, Sir Basil Smallpiece (Cunard's chairman) announced the withdrawal of all Cunard liners apart from Carmania, Franconia, and the new Queen Elizabeth 2. Franconia was used purely for cruising from 1967, and took over the weekly New York to Bermuda run when Furness-Withy withdrew, taking 28 cruises through the summer, with only one diversion to cruise to Canada.
 
In 1970, Cunard took a 50% interest in Overseas National Airways, which had two cruise ships on order to operate on fly-cruises, forming the company Cunard-ONA. Shortly after this, ONA were forced to withdraw from the arrangement, leaving Cunard to continue alone. The ships were delivered as Cunard Adventurer and Cunard Ambassador. In 1971, Cunard was taken over by Trafalgar House. They looked at upgrading the Carmania and Franconia, but decided it would be too expensive, and the ships were withdrawn and offered for sale, to be replaced by the new Cunard Adventurer and Cunard Ambassador. Franconia left on her last Bermuda cruise on 2nd October 1971, whilst Carmania's last cruise left Naples for Southampton on 24th October, arriving on the 31st, the last day of the four sisters in Cunard service. Carmania and Franconia remained at Southampton for seven months, when they were moved to the River Fal, where they joined the Southern Cross which had been withdrawn shortly after them. At one point is was hoped to sell them to Ted Arison for his fledgling Carnival Cruises, but agreement could not be reached. Carmania and Franconia eventually began new careers under the hammer and sickle as the Leonid Sobinov and Fedor Shalyapin. The sisters received very little interior changes before beginning a varied career as Soviet cruise ships, travelling all over the world. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1989, the sisters became owned by the Ukraine, although nominally belonging to Maltese holding companies. Their condition deteriorated over the next few years and they were both laid up in the Black Sea in 1995. Leonid Sobinov was broken up in 1999, although her sister remained laid up for some time longer.
 
 
CTC postcard of Fedor Shalyapin.
Scan: Ken Murayama
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Black Sea Shipping Co official postcard of Fedor Shalyapin.
 
 
Japanese postcard of Fedor Shalyapin.
Scan: Ken Murayama
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Simplon Postcards release sc2002 of Fedor Shalyapin.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, Southampton, 1984.
 
 
CT Publishing postcards 050 of Fedor Shalyapin.
Photo: © Bert Pellegrom, North Sea Canal, June 23rd 1994.
 
 
Photograph of Fedor Shalyapin in the North Sea Canal.
Photo: © Wil Moojen, 23rd June 1994.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leonid Sobinov
(Black Sea Shipping: 1973-1999)
 
Leonid Sobinov was built as Saxonia in 1954 by John Brown & Co, Clydebank. She was the first of four sisterships built by Cunard between 1954-57:- Saxonia - Ivernia - Carinthia - Sylvania. She marked the start of a 90000 ton rebuilding programme for Cunard by John Brown. The four ships were primarily intended for the Canadian service, and their dimensions were determined by the St Lawrence Seaway. During the summer they would sail to Quebec and Montreal, and in the winter (when the St Lawrence Seaway is iced over) to Halifax and New York. Saxonia was launched on 15th February 1954, and commenced her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal on 2nd September of the same year. She was 21637 gross tons, and 608 feet in length. She carried 110 first class passengers and 819 tourist class.
 
The late 1950s were boom years for Cunard, and Saxonia was initially very successful on her designed routes. However, air was becoming increasingly the dominant mode of trans-Atlantic travel, and Cunard announced a significant financial loss in June 1962. It was announced that Saxonia and Ivernia would be rebuilt at John Browns to make them more suitable for cruising. Saxonia had completed 116 round voyages across the Atlantic when she was sent back to her builders in September 1962, reappearing as the Carmania in Cunard's cruising green livery.
 
In 1970, Cunard took a 50% interest in Overseas National Airways, which had two cruise ships on order to operate on fly-cruises, forming the company Cunard-ONA. Shortly after this, ONA were forced to withdraw from the arrangement, leaving Cunard to continue alone. The ships were delivered as Cunard Adventurer and Cunard Ambassador. In 1971, Cunard was taken over by Trafalgar House. They looked at upgrading the Carmania and Franconia, but decided it would be too expensive, and the ships were withdrawn and offered for sale, to be replaced by the new Cunard Adventurer and Cunard Ambassador. Franconia left on her last Bermuda cruise on 2nd October 1971, whilst Carmania's last cruise left Naples for Southampton on 24th October, arriving on the 31st, the last day of the four sisters in Cunard service. Carmania and Franconia remained at Southampton for seven months, when they were moved to the River Fal, where they joined the Southern Cross which had been withdrawn shortly after them. At one point is was hoped to sell them to Ted Arison for his fledgling Carnival Cruises, but agreement could not be reached. Carmania and Franconia eventually began new careers under the hammer and sickle as the and Fedor Shalyapin. The sisters received very little interior changes before beginning a varied career as Soviet cruise ships, travelling all over the world. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1989, the sisters became owned by the Ukraine, although nominally belonging to Maltese holding companies. Their condition deteriorated over the next few years and they were both laid up in the Black Sea in 1995. Leonid Sobinov was broken up in 1999, although her sister remained laid up for some time longer.
 
Complete history of Leonid Sobinov
 
 
CTC postcard of Leonid Sobinov.
Scan: Ken Murayama
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Photographic postcard of Leonid Sobinov.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maxim Gorkiy 1974-
 
In December 1965, a new company known as Deutsche Atlantik Line was formed to finance a new ship to replace the Hamburg Atlantik liner Hanseatic (1). Axel Bitsch-Christensen, the manager of Hamburg Atlantik, drew up a scheme to offer past passengers shares in the new company. This was successful, and an order was placed for the 25000 ton Hamburg in November 1966. However, the Hanseatic (1) had been badly damaged by fire in September 1966. She was towed to Hamburg, but considered unsuitable for repair. To replace her, the loss-making Shalom of Zim Lines was bought in 1967 by a third company, the Hanseatic Schiffahrts Gesellschaft, and renamed Hanseatic (2). The Hamburg Atlantik Line was then wound up, and the Hanseatic (2) was marketed as the Deutsche Atlantik Line. She was joined by the new Hamburg in 1969, by which time both ships were cruising full time, with annual positioning trips across the Atlantic. 1973 was a difficult year for cruise operators, and Hanseatic (2) was sold to Home Lines as their Doric. The Hamburg was briefly renamed Hanseatic (3), but was then sold herself to the Soviet Union in early 1974, becoming the Maxim Gorkiy.
 
 
Russian-produced card of Maxim Gorkiy, in Soviet colours ('hammer & sickle')
 
 
Official postcard of Maxim Gorkiy.
Scan: Ken Murayama.
 
 
Worldpostcard-Service Nr.100 (Zorneding, Germany) of Maxim Gorkiy, in Soviet colours.
 
 
Chantry Classics CC/S111 of Maxim Gorkiy in Soviet colours.
Photo: Glenn Gunderson. New York.
 
 
Buro Bremerhaven-Werberg postcard of Estonia produced for the port of Bremerhaven.
The Maxim Gorkiy is seen in the background.
 
 
An official postcard of Maxim Gorkiy, in Soviet colours, produced for a charter to Nur Touristic of Frantfurt/Main.
 
 
An official postcard of Maxim Gorkiy, in Soviet colours, produced for her charter to Phoenix Reisen of Bonn.
 
 
An official postcard of Maxim Gorkiy, in Soviet colours, produced for Phoenix Reisen of Bonn.
 
 
A Pieter Oost postcard of Maxim Gorkiy (no serial number).
Copies of this card are available direct from the publishers at:- http://www.p-oostcards.nl/
 
 
Postcard of Maxim Gorkiy at Halifax.
Card supplied by Reto Raeth.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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