Few people know, but many Russian warships originally belonged to Germany. They have come a long way. Some of them even became movie stars. The fate of the ship "Russia" was no less exciting.
The start of the journey
This watercraft was built in 1938. It was originally owned by Germany. The name was also different - Patria. This passenger ship had 6 diesel-electric generators. She first went on a cruise in the summer of 1938. Then from Hamburg it followed to South America. It remains in operation for two years.
Later it was used already at home, in Germany. Moreover, this water transport was operated as a floating base of the Navy. In 1945 he was moved to Flensburg. This place was strategic. It was here that almost the entire fascist fleet was located. It was here that Hitler's successor, Admiral Dönitz, defended the interests of Germany.
Death on the ship
The future ship "Russia" did not immediately come into the possession of the USSR. On May 10, 1945, a control working group arrived in Flensburg. It consisted of the British General Foord and the American Major General Rooks. Over time, General of the USSR Trusov arrived to them.
Last suggestedgo to the ship Patria. Almost two weeks later, Dönitz, Jodl and von Friedeburg were called here. Then the Nazis did not know that a control commission was stationed there. Arriving on deck, they could only guess the purpose of their summons. Later it became clear that they would be arrested. Von Friedeburg was later not sent to prison, because after he found out about the arrest, he asked to return to the room, and there he shot himself.
Rename
After the end of the war, for another year, the ship "Russia" was in the hands of the British. During this time, he twice sailed from the shores of Liverpool to New York. But at the beginning of 1946, the USSR received this ship as a reparation. It was transferred to the Black Sea Shipping Company with a different name.
After the war, a special first international line was organized, on which the new ship began to work. Until May 1947, "Russia" traveled from Odessa to New York. There were also special flights from Beirut to Batumi.
Seven years the Soviet ship "Rossiya" sailed along the Crimean-Caucasian route. It was popular with vacationers. Therefore, it was often necessary to take on board 200-250 more people. Sometimes even up to 500 passengers. Of course, they were left without cabins, but they could comfortably spend the night on decks or in sun loungers.
Recent travels
In parallel with the Odessa-Batumi flight, the ship also made voyages to Cuba, to West African countries and even to Havana for a youth festival. In 1962, the ship took the personnel of the Soviet missile regiment from Cuba. In 1978 carried out transportationpassengers on the route: from Odessa to Las Palmas, then to Algiers and finally to Havana.
In 1985, the ship "Russia" ceased to exist. It was decommissioned and scrapped in Japan.
Artist career
Many people know everyone's favorite Soviet film "The Diamond Arm". The plot of the film tells about the smuggling of jewelry. The underlying story was real, but set in Switzerland. Director Leonid Gaidai moved her to Russia.
For the first time, the ship appears here at the moment when the family accompanies the father of Semyon Gorbunkov on a cruise. The film shows how they pass the ship "Victory", it is he who is considered the "main character". Actually it is not. This ship was only episodic. But the main characters were as many as 3 ships. Among them is the ship "Russia".
It turns out that in order to shoot the famous cine liner "Mikhail Svetlov" it was necessary to use not only the former German water transport, but also the ships "Ukraine" and "Georgia". We see the first one when it is just departing from the port of Sochi, and we notice the second at sea when “it was the seventh day…”.
"Russia" appears several times in the film. At the very beginning, when the family comes to the port, also after, when they shoot the scene on the deck. The ship itself in the film "The Diamond Hand" has one name - "Mikhail Svetlov". A ship with that name never existed. It was the whim of the director. Mikhail Svetlov was Gaidai's favorite poet.
Presidentialvessel
Despite the fact that the German ship Patria no longer exists, there is another Soviet ship "Rossiya". It was built in 1973 by order of L. I. Brezhnev. This is the only board of its kind. It has become a real sightseeing ship. It was immediately intended for river walks, and was also designed for access to the coastal sea zone.
This ship is called the presidential ship for a reason. Its interior was different from others. It was quite original, sometimes had unique works of decorative art. Previously, there was a huge restaurant inside for 70 passengers.
He stood idle for a long time. But in the early 2000s, the government planned the release of a government ship. When it became clear that such a project would cost a lot of money, it was decided to modernize "Russia". Five years later, the ship was handed over to the presidential administration.
