Latvian Shipping Company

As part of the USSR

On October 29, 1940, by the decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 2132, the Latvian Shipping Company was founded. The company owned shipyards and 54 ships, and managed the ports of Riga , Liepaja , Ventspils and Sventoji ( Lithuania ) ^{[4] [5]} . The Latvian Shipping Company ceases to operate during World War II , after the German invasion of Riga , and only resumes operations in 1944, when only 8 vessels remain subordinate. In 1958, the fleet was significantly updated - new steamships , motor ships , and the first ice class ships were purchased. The specialization of the company was largely influenced by the start of the operation of the tank farm in the port of Ventspils , and later also by the opening of the potash terminal in 1980. The fleet is gradually replenished with refrigerators , tankers and gas carriers . Gradually, the number of ships reaches one hundred. 90% of the cargo transported is oil and oil products, chemicals and liquefied gas. Latvia had the largest refrigerated fleet among the republics of the USSR. Ships of the Latvian Shipping Company delivered cargo to 140 ports of fifty countries ^[4] .

As part of the Republic of Latvia

Latvia leaves the USSR, and on September 13, 1991 the company was registered under the name “Latvijas kuģniecība” ^[6] . Under its jurisdiction, 87 vessels from the former merchant fleet of the Soviet Union are transferred. In 1996, Latvijas kuģniecība became a private-state joint-stock company.

In early June 2002, the company was transformed into an open joint stock company ^[7] . Since June 26, 2002, 200 million shares of Latvijas kuģniecība have been quoted on the Nasdaq Riga stock exchange (on the official list of the Riga Stock Exchange) ^[8] .

In 2004, the privatization of the company was completed, and Ventspils Nafta became the largest shareholder ^[9] .

In 2017, Ventspils Nafta, which is owned by Vitol Holding BV (Vitol Group), transferred a 49.94% stake in Latvijas kuģniecība to Vitol Netherlands BV ^[10] . On August 10, 2017, according to a decree of the Cabinet of Ministers , all shares owned by the Latvian government were also sold to Vitol Netherlands BV ^[11] . As of January 2018, Vitol Netherlands BV owned more than 95% of the shares of Latvijas kuģniecība, and the Council of the Finance and Capital Market Commission authorized to repurchase the remaining shares of the shipping company ^[12] . Thus, Vitol Netherlands BV became the sole shareholder of the enterprise ^[13] . Shares of Latvijas kuģniecība were delisted from the Nasdaq Riga ^{[8] [14]} in February 2018 ^[15] .

In 2017, the company's turnover decreased by 9.1%, profit amounted to 11.273 million euros ^[1] . In 2017, the company owns 16 vessels ^[16] .

• P.P. Stackle 1940
• I.E. Sadogursky 1940-1941
• N. S. Andersen 1944-1946
• N.A. Khabalov 1946-1947
• E. N. Martyntsev 1947-1950
• P.I. Strump 1950–1951
• S. Ya. Sivtsov 1951-1953
• Yu.K. Avot 1958-1976
• V. I. Dyrchenko 1976-1987
• Yu. L. Paderov 1987-1991

Non-serial steamers

• “Auseklis” (formerly “Mezen” built in 1913) 1927/1940
• Henri Barbus (formerly German Pasajes OPDR )
• "Briviba" (formerly German "Fritz Schoop" of the company " Poseidon ", was sunk by aircraft, then raised, rebuilt and transferred to the USSR) ^[17]
• “General Baghramyan” (formerly German “Cleopatra”)
• "Janis Rainis"
• Ligovo (Dampfire / Marita) scrapped 1966
• "Olonets" (Ara) scrapped 1969

Steamers of Project 233 (Kolomna)

• Arzamas
• "Balashov"
• Kaluga
• Kashira
• Kotlas

Hassan-style steamers

• Hassan
• "Imandra"
• Sivash
• Vygozero
• Volokolamsk

Tankers of Project 1596 (“Commander Fedko”)

• "Vsevolod Kochetov" (1977)
• Jan Sudrabkaln (1979)
• "Grigory Nikolaev" (1980)
• "General Pliev" (1980)

Tankers of Project 2062 (Pablo Neruda)

• "Pablo Neruda"
• "Antonio Gramsci"
• "David Siqueiros"
• John Reed
• “Jose Marti”
• "Clement Gottwald"
• Suche Bator
• Mate Zalka
• "Paul Robson"
• "Victorio Codovilla"
• "Jacques Duclos"

Tankers of Project 2226A (Josip Broz Tito)

• Ludwig Freedom, 1984 (exploded in Ventspils on March 6, 1985)
• Maurice Bishop / Dzintari
• "Yuri Danishevsky" / "Ķemeri"
• Ojars Vācietis
• Panteleimon Ponomarenko / Ropaži
• Zhanis Griva / Žanis Grīva

• Official site
• Facebook page (link not available)