"Anton Chekhov", a wonderful handsome ship, the brainchild of project Q-056 - the first river passenger ship with four decks. Named after the great Russian writer, it was built back in 1978 at the shipyard Österreichische Schiffswerften AG Linz Korneuburg (ÖSWAG), and since then it has been the flagship of the Russian river navigation, to this day decorating the fleet and giving its passengers an unforgettable travel experience .
The operation of Anton Chekhov is conducted by the Orthodox Cruise Company, the ship runs along the Volga and Don, its route runs from Rostov-on-Don to Moscow. He has a "twin brother" - the ship "Leo Tolstoy".
Interesting story
It was 1975, one of the years of the “stagnation” period, when oil flows of oil freely entered Russia, which made it possible to order the construction of an entire flotilla of three- and four-deck ships in the West.
On December 30, between the All-Union Association Sudoimport and the Austrian shipyard (the name is written above), contract No. 77-03 / 80010-111 was signed for the supply of two motor ships under the new project Q 056. The motor ship Anton Chekhov became, respectively, one of them .
The working name of the current Chekhov was Novosibirsk, since after the construction they planned to ship the ship to the Ob-Irtysh river shipping company with cruise targets on the Ob river. But on the Ob in 1987 appeared the ship "Mikhail Svetlov" with less draft.
It is interesting that when the finished ship went to Russia, because of its width, it could not go along the White Sea Canal. The situation was decided to be resolved as follows - to get together on a journey of 13,000 kilometers around Scandinavia. None of the countries obstructed us except Norway. In the Skagerrak region, the authorities of the northern country banned the passage of the "strategic" ship through the territorial waters of Norway. I had to fight.
And they did not take the ship immediately. The reassembly was carried out, and finally the “birthday” of the Anton Chekhov motor ship, whose photo is displayed today in many avenues for foreign tourists arriving in the Russian Federation, took place on June 30, 1978, in the port of Galati (Romania). It was then that the State Flag of the USSR was raised aft.
First flights
Anton Chekhov set off on his first flight with tourists in May 1979. From 1984 until 2003, Ivan Marusev, the hero of Socialist Labor, stood at the helm of the ship.
Since 1991, the ship began to be directly chartered by various travel companies, the owner of that time was the Yenisei Shipping Company, and in 1992 a long-term contract for the rental of Anton Chekhov by groups of foreign tourists entered into force.
In 2003, during a decline in demand, the ship was sold to Ortodox.
During one of the haulage, the Anton Chekhov motor ship fell into a storm: the bow cabin on the middle deck was damaged - the windows were knocked out in a wave. Since 2003, he was assigned to Rostov-on-Don. This is a very reliable vessel that has gained popularity among foreign tourists.
Navigation
The motor ship "Anton Chekhov" from May 2004 cruises with groups of domestic and foreign tourists on the route Moscow — St. Petersburg — Moscow.
The ship runs along the Volga River from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don and back with stops in Uglich and Yaroslavl, in Nizhny Novgorod and Kozmodemyansk, passing Cheboksary and Kazan, Samara and Saratov. Finally, important points of the route are Volgograd and Astrakhan. Distillation flights Rostov-on-Don - Moscow are relevant in the spring, and Moscow - Rostov-on-Don - in the fall.
Cruises 2018
On the ship "Anton Chekhov" you can go on a cruise from Moscow to the port of St. Petersburg for 6 nights. The cost per person is about 33,000 rubles, and as part of this cruise, the ship passes through 7 ports: Moscow, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritsy, Kizhi, Mandrogi, St. Petersburg.
The cost of a permit in a cabin with a window is 33,000 rubles, in a junior suite - 54,000 rubles, in a suite - 66,000 rubles.
According to the standard scheme, three meals a day are already included in the price that you pay for the ticket. The breakfast buffet is replaced by a regular lunch and dinner menu - guests have a choice of second courses, and tea and coffee are free for guests at these meals, and you have to pay for water. At the same time on board a completely different menu. For Russian tourists - one thing, for foreign tourists - another.
What are its parameters
The ship takes on board 223 passengers, the number of crew members is 75 people. "Anton Chekhov" flying the flag of Russia has a length and width of 115.6 and 16.5 meters, respectively, its draft - 3 meters. The ship's displacement level is estimated at 2915 tons, and it can reach a maximum speed of up to 25.6 km / h. His home port today is Rostov-on-Don, since 2013 the ship has been on wintering in Moscow.
What is board. Types of cabin
The ship is equipped with two salons. Guests are invited to use the bar, restaurant, cinema and souvenir kiosk, as well as the pool.
The cabins are comfortable and modern. The vessel is equipped with 15 triple, 50 double and six single cabins. There are also six luxury cabins and 7 junior suites equipped with a bathroom, consisting of a toilet, shower and washbasin, there is also air conditioning, powered by a central air conditioning system, and a 220 V power outlet.
Televisions and refrigerators are installed in luxury cabins and junior suites. No cabins are equipped with a hairdryer, and another nuance is that there is no Wi-Fi connection on board, but perhaps this is only a matter of time.
Reviews about the ship "Anton Chekhov" and the cruise
There are practically no negative reviews about the work of the ship’s crew, about the cruise itself, about the ship. Almost all tourists shared their positive impressions and emotions about traveling on Anton Chekhov. This is really a decent vacation on a quality boat.
Wide decks delight luxurious spaces, but there is also a small minus - this is ensured to the detriment of the corridors inside the ship. But this is not scary.
The staff is impeccably educated, polite and invisible, helps in solving all problems. Since mixed groups — Russian and foreign tourists — go on a cruise, each one has its own manager and assistant who solve various problems.
Employees unobtrusively provide all the necessary services. Regular cleaning is carried out on decks and in cabins; mooring takes place very carefully.
Tourists shared that the entertainment is also different and interesting for each group, concerts and dance evenings were arranged every night - they sang Russian romances and karaoke, at the same time origami lessons were organized for Russian and Japanese tourists.
Of the shortcomings, passengers noted that travel information should be updated more often. Five minutes a day is not enough. Nevertheless, the history of the Volga cities is told to all tourists, a lot of interesting information about shipping is provided. The daily data is updated with the program the next day, about the city, about the places past which the ship passes.
It is also convenient that on board a large assortment of different souvenirs is presented, tourists can buy them without leaving the ship.
Cabins
Reviews about the cabins were also left in a positive way. The ship "Anton Chekhov" as a whole, guests find it very beautiful and comfortable inside, cozy cabins allow you to relax calmly and comfortably. The disadvantage, according to customers, is the lack of refrigerators in the cabins, but the sanitary unit is much more convenient and larger than on other ships of this class. Cleanliness and grooming - at the highest level.
Food
Delicious and quality food impressed tourists. They praise very tasty cereals, the chef at Anton Chekhov tries his best. For breakfast, in addition to cereals, a standard set of food is served - muesli and toasts, rolls and juices, salads, fruits and vegetables, as well as eggs and omelets, sandwiches, sausages and hash browns. In addition, the menu also has hot dishes, as well as milk and honey.
Entertainment
On the boat there is a pool bar aft and a lounge on the bow of the boat deck. The first is open until 23:00, and the second - until the last visitors, that is, until night. Passengers celebrate a large selection of drinks, cocktails, beer, mulled wine, other alcohol and soft drinks. The assortment of food in bars is not very wide - chips, chocolates and nuts. All wines in the bars are dry, since the public is sometimes represented mostly by foreigners who recognize only such drinks of this kind, including champagne. Passengers note reasonable prices and say that the bars serve delicious coffee.
And even beauty sessions!
All lovers to take a steam bath is great news, guests will enjoy not only the cruise. The ship "Anton Chekhov" is equipped with a sauna, which is located in the bow of the main deck on the port side. At the same time, guests noted that it was quite organically and competently fit into the interior and the general impression was that it was provided for by the project. The sauna has everything that tourists expect from it - the sauna itself, a toilet and shower, a relaxation room with a table, tea and a kettle. It is very convenient that towels in the steam room are provided to guests in unlimited quantities.
There is entertainment specifically for the fair sex. A specially equipped beauty salon, which is also a hairdresser. Relax, relax and tidy yourself up!
Services
Guests were also very pleased with the daily change of towels. As for the pool on the boat, it is small and looks very cozy together with the bar. The pool can be used at any time, and the bar is open at certain hours. You can swim with the three of us, but for more people will already be uncomfortable. The pool shower is also open constantly, the pool water is heated, guests say that this is the highest level of comfort.
The ship "Anton Chekhov" in general amazes tourists with the comfort, friendliness of the crew, attention and grooming.
Almost everyone who went on trips on this ship also liked the excursion program. The number of excursions was optimal, it was not boring and at the same time no one was very tired.
In general, the cruise ship "Anton Chekhov" and its excursion offer can be evaluated on a solid five with a very slight minus. Perhaps in the future, routes will be presented in a more expanded version, which will attract even more customers.