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 beginning of the way
This water transport was built in 1938. Initially, Germany owned it. The name was also different - Patria. This passenger ship had 6 diesel-electric generators. First went on a cruise in the summer of 1938. Then from Hamburg it followed to South America. It remains to be operated for two years.
Later it was used already at home, in Germany. Moreover, they exploited this water transport as a naval base. 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 receiver, Admiral Dönitz, defended the interests of Germany.
Death on the ship
The future ship "Russia" did not immediately pass into the possession of the USSR. A control working group arrived in Flensburg on May 10, 1945. It consisted of British General Foord and American Major General Rox. Over time, the USSR General Trusov arrived to them.
The latter offered to go to the ship Patria. Almost 2 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 call. Later it became clear that they would be arrested. Von Friedeburg was later not sent to prison, because after learning about the arrest, he asked to return to the room, and then shot himself.
Rename
After the war ended, another year the ship "Russia" was in the hands of the British. During this time, he twice traveled from the shores of Liverpool to New York. But in early 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. Special flights from Beirut to Batumi were also committed.
For seven years, the Soviet ship "Russia" sailed along the Crimean-Caucasian route. It was popular among holidaymakers. Therefore, often had to take on board 200-250 people more. 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 sailed 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, it carried passengers along the route: from Odessa to Las Palmas, then to Algeria and at the end to Havana.
In 1985, the ship "Russia" ceased to exist. It was decommissioned and dismantled for scrap in Japan.
Artist career
Many people know the beloved Soviet film “The Diamond Arm”. The plot of the film tells about the smuggling of jewelry. The underlying story was real, but took place in Switzerland. Director Leonid Gaidai transferred it to Russia.
For the first time, a steamboat appears at a time when the family escorts Pope Semyon Gorbunkov on a cruise. On the film you can see how they pass by the ship "Victory", it is he who is considered the "main character". This is actually not the case. This ship was only episodic. But the main characters were already 3 ships. Among them is the ship "Russia".
It turns out that in order to film the famous movie liner Mikhail Svetlov, it was necessary to use not only the former German water transport, but also the motor ships Ukraine and Georgia. The first we see when he is only leaving from the Sochi port, and the second we notice at sea when "it was the seventh day ..."
“Russia” appears in the film several times. 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 “Diamond Arm” has one name - “Mikhail Svetlov”. A ship with that name never existed. It was a director’s whim. Mikhail Svetlov was Gaidai's favorite poet.
Presidential ship
Despite the fact that the German ship Patria has long ceased to exist, there is another Soviet ship "Russia". It was built in 1973 by order of L. I. Brezhnev. This is the only board of its kind. He became 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 not in vain called the presidential. Its interior was different from others. It was quite peculiar, sometimes it had unique works of decorative art. Previously, there was a huge restaurant with 70 passengers inside.
He stood for a long time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, the government planned to release 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.