Volgo-Don - river dry cargo vessels designed for the transport of bulk goods (coal, ore, grain, gravel, etc.) along large inland waterways with access to Onega and Ladoga lakes and Taganrog Bay.
Vessel type - river single-deck twin-screw dry cargo ship with one open cargo hold (project 507) and four open cargo holds (project 507A), with double sides, a double bottom, a forecastle, with a stern engine room and a living superstructure.
History
The project was developed by TsKB-51 (TsKB Vympel). At the time of release, it was the largest river ship in the world. They were built from 1960 to 1990, one of the most massive series of Soviet river vessels (up to 225 ships of various series were built in total).
During the construction of the ship were repeatedly modified:
- Projects 507 and 507A are the first modifications.
- Project 507B - 6CHRN 36/45 “G60” diesel engines (1800 hp instead of 2000 hp) developed by the Engine of the Revolution plant were installed.
- Projects 1565, 1565M - closed holds, a superstructure of a modern form.
- Project 1566 - a composite vessel, which had a self-propelled part and a non-self-propelled barge-console. Open holds. The only ship built in 1966 under the name "XXIII Congress of the CPSU".
Motor ships of the Volzhsky type became a further development of the project.
In the 1990s, some of the Volgo-Don type vessels were reconstructed into the river-sea type, which allowed them to go into the closed seas and make international voyages, mainly in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. Reconstructed vessels are either shorter or have a higher bow and an increased height of the holds.
Vessels of Projects 507, 507A, 507B and 1566 were built at the Oka Naval Shipyard, Project 1565 and 1565M - in the same place at Santierul Navale Oltenita, Romania .
Structurally, ships are motor ships with a carrying capacity of 5000-5300 tons (project 1566 - 10 000 tons with a prefix) with open or closed holds. The length of the vessels is 138–140 m, the width is 16.5–16.7 m, the draft is 3.4–3.6 m. The power of the main engines is 1800–2000 hp, and the speed is empty at 21–23 km / h.
Vessels of the Volga-Don type were actively operated and continue to be operated on the Volga, Kama, Don, Volga-Baltic water system, on the Dnieper, and also on the Yenisei below the Kazachinsky rapids. Some vessels were sold to foreign companies, some were converted to convenient flags . Some vessels are decommissioned or mothballed for commercial reasons.
See also
- Volgo-Balt (type of river vessels)
- Volgoneft (type of river vessels)