An official ceremony dedicated to laying of the bottom section of the river-sea cruise passenger liner PV300VD took place at the yard yesterday. Such vessels have not been built in Russia for more than 60 years. Construction was started via video-conference by the President of Russia, who held the State Council Presidium meeting on Russian inland waterways development in Volgograd at that time.

USC vice-president for civil shipbuilding, Yevgeny Zagorodny, reported to the president about the passenger vessel readiness for construction. Together with the temporarily acting general director of the yard, Dmitry Antonov, he fixed a commemoration board on the vessel section. Representatives of the Astrakhan Region government, shipping and shipbuilding companies took part in the official ceremony.

“I hope that it is the first, and not just not last, but a successful step in construction of the whole range of vessels. I have no doubts that this range will be popular and contribute to rebirth of the river passenger traffic, development of domestic and incoming tourism”, – said the President to the shipbuilders.

The “Moscow Inland Navigation Company” is the client of 141 m long and 16,5 m wide four-deck liner, with capacity of 300 passengers. Construction of the first passenger vessel is planned to be completed in 2018, and its hand-over to the client – by beginning of navigation in 2019.

The liner is planned to be used on the Caspian Sea routes.

Shipyard “Lotos” is one of the biggest USC yards in the Lower Volga region, main resident of special economic zone “LOTOS”.