Ulyanovsk
On Friday, a significant event took place in the river port of Ulyanovsk. For the first time in the modern history of Russia, the “Meteor” arrived here – a hydrofoil river ship. Once they regularly sailed along the Volga waters, but in the post-Soviet era they stopped.
“Musa Jalil” was launched from the stocks of the Zelenodolsk Shipbuilding Plant in Tatarstan on August 4. This is a high-speed passenger hydrofoil of the 03830 “Meteor-2020” project, developed by the “Sea Tech” design bureau. On it, the rais of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov arrived in Ulyanovsk.
– This is the beginning of a great serious work to launch passenger transport on the Volga, – met with the Governor of Ulyanovsk Alexei Russkikh. – Flights will be subsidized, since their cost is much higher than what Ulyanovsk residents can afford.
In fact, the cost of a trip from Kazan to Ulyanovsk is about 4,000 rubles. A flight on the Meteor for residents of the region should be estimated no more than a bus ride – from 1000 to 1300 rubles.
The capacity of the Meteor is 120 people. Travel time from Kazan to Ulyanovsk is 4.5 hours. The average speed is about 60 km/h. And such a ship costs 600 million rubles.
Meanwhile, tourism is also developing on ordinary river boats. Rinat Safargaleev, General Director of Simbirskaya Gavan LLC, told the RG correspondent about this:
– More than 120 tourist boats were accepted, 21 thousand tourists. This is about one and a half times more than last year on the same date.
Kazan
Increasing passenger traffic to half a million people and producing 10 Meteors a year – these are the tasks set by the new shipping company JSC Fleet of the Republic of Tatarstan. No one was appointed to lead it, but Roman Lizalin himself, who, being the captain of the ship “Arabella”, on July 10, 2011, rescued 79 people from the sinking ship “Bulgaria”.
The work of the existing Tatflot company, apparently, does not suit the Tatarstan authorities. You don’t have to go far, they still can’t organize online ticket sales for passenger transport. You have to buy tickets at the box office the old-fashioned way. And this adds excitement to trips on rural routes.
The Flot company, which will start delivering passengers next year, promised to solve this problem.
In Tatarstan, they seriously decided to take river public transport. For the renovation and repair of ships, as well as berths, the government of the republic allocated a fabulous amount of two billion rubles for industry. The first new Meteor-2020, produced at the Zelenodolsk Gorky Shipyard, was transferred to the company’s balance sheet on June 1. First, “Musa Jalil” was tested on a tourist route to Sviyazhsk and Bolgar. And now we decided to test it at a long distance to Ulyanovsk.
The presentation of a new tourist route Kazan – Ulyanovsk with the participation of the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the governor of the Ulyanovsk region Alexei Russkikh also took place there.
Cheboksary
Since this year, a tourist route has appeared between Kazan and Cheboksary on Valdai 45R. This hydrofoil was developed at the Central Design Bureau named after RE Alekseev in Nizhny Novgorod. Capacity: 45 passengers plus two crew members, speed: 65 kilometers per hour, autonomy: up to 8 hours. You can only walk on water during the day.
Three boats of this type have been acquired. Now they go from Cheboksary to Nizhny and Kazan. Despite the fact that pleasure is not cheap, this type of transport is in demand. A trip to Sviyazhsk and back will cost one and a half thousand rubles, from Kazan to the capital of Chuvashia – 1260. Tourists note that it is more comfortable to travel this way than by bus or train, and also more romantic.
Nizhny Novgorod
We talked about the development of river transport in Nizhny Novgorod in the latest issue of Economy of the Volga region. Remember that Valdai connects four regions: Nizhny Novgorod, the Vladimir regions, the Mari El and Chuvashia republics.
There are domestic flights, say, to Gorodets. The ticket costs 550 rubles per person. For comparison, the price of a bus trip is 282 rubles.
The transport company is trying to attract passengers with preferential rates. For example, they are introduced for pensioners, students, children, large families and the disabled. Discount – 55 rubles at the same Gorodets. But the ticket is still more expensive than the bus. In addition, there are restrictions on the number of preferred places.
The residents believe that it is necessary to make water transport more affordable.
Permian
The passenger traffic situation in the Perm Territory is strikingly different from what it was 30 years ago. Then along the Kama and Chusovaya, the two largest rivers in the Urals, motor ships and hydrofoils moved day and night. Hovercraft sailed to the northern villages along Vishera and Kolva, they could land anywhere. Now there are only three river routes left in the Kama region, which are served by small motor boats.
But cruise tourism is developing. Perm is the starting point of the routes leading to the Black, Azov, Caspian, Baltic and White seas. Using canals and locks, tourist ships will be able to take their passengers to almost any city on the shores of the Kama, Volga, Moskva, Neva, Onega and Ladoga lakes.
– Last year, more than 120 thousand passengers were transported along the rivers of the Kama basin, – says Sergey Sergeev, head of the Kamvodput Administration.- This year, the results have not yet been summed up, but they this figure is more likely to be higher.
Penza
There has been no major sailing in Penza for more than 20 years, but pleasure boats appeared last year. This summer their number increased to five. They are mainly used by tourists.
River transport goes from the central embankment to the Sverdlovsky bridge every day from 10 am to 9 pm. An hourly walk costs 500 rubles for adults on weekdays, 550 on weekends, and a 50 percent discount is available for children and the disabled.
You can also go rafting on the Sura in a kayak, raft and even on an inflatable sofa. This service is in high demand. Many people want to see a familiar city from an unknown side. All equipment is available to rent, including a life jacket. A kayak for two or four people will cost from 1,000 rubles on weekdays and 1,700 rubles on weekends. Group rafting, you can order pilaf and hot tea upon arrival.
