In the summer of 2017, a great tragedy occurred for the culture of Vyborg: the legendary ship Korolenko burned down, passing a grandiose journey from a cruise ship to a popular floating hotel. You will learn about the life path of the ship and the causes of the fire in this article.
History of the ship "Korolenko"
The ship was built at the famous shipyard Warnemunde in the German city of Rostock, which at that time belonged to the German Democratic Republic. In the mid-50s, the young ship was transferred to the Soviet Union and renamed the Korolenko motor ship in order to carry out passenger transportation along Soviet rivers. At first he was subordinate to the Leningrad Civil Fleet, then it was transferred to Rostov-on-Don. Having traveled countless routes along the Volga, the Korolenko steamboat was soon returned to Leningrad and continued to serve in the cold waters of the northern capital.
This ship was involved in the filming of the famous Soviet film "Young Wife", which also played a role in its peculiar history. After the collapse of the USSR, the ship Korolenko was solemnly handed over to the Valaam Monastery in the framework of universal decommunization and a policy of reconciliation with the church. Thus, from a Soviet tourist liner, he turned into a ship for transporting pilgrims from one consecrated place to another. However, in this role the ship "Korolenko" stayed only 2 years.
Floating hotel
In 1993, the ship was converted into a floating hotel. In this capacity, as they say, he was extremely popular with Finnish tourists who looked into Russia for the opportunity to admire the local beauties. As a hotel, he worked for 24 years, after which he suffered an unenviable fate.
Fatal fire
In July 2017, a criminal case was instituted on the owners of the ship. The reason for the case was the fact that the vessel, converted into a hotel, does not meet the technical standards for ensuring the safety of vacationers. Thus, the ship was considered not safe enough for it to continue to be a hotel. The employees of the Titanic LLC, who worked on the ship, left him unprotected during the criminal proceedings. On the night of July 31, the legendary ship burned to the ground, ending a great era.
At the moment, only a pile of burnt metal remained from it, and it cannot be restored. Having worked for more than half a century as a liner, a monastery ship and a hotel, the Korolenko motor ship has become a victim of negligence by the nouveau riche owners, who have forever sunk into the abyss of history.