Russian River Ships - Types "Bolshaya Volga" and "Shestaya Pyatiletka"

Types "Bolshaya Volga" and "Shestaya Pyatiletka"

Ship Types / Dry Freighters

Description. Motor ships of the types BOLSHAYA VOLGA (project 11) and SHESTAYA PYATILETKA (project 576) are the mid-size dry cargo ships, which have four covered holds, with double bottom, with machine compartment and superstructure in the rear part. It is the most successful and mass series of such class in the USSR. Ships are intended for carrying of general and bulk cargoes, boxed cargoes, such as crushed stone, sand, coal, paper rolls, timber. During operation some ships were equipped with the nose stresses for pushing of the barge sections; hatch covers were removed on some ships for acceleration of the unloading works during transportation of bulk cargoes. The majority of ships were modernized with partial replacement of the equipment; some got a new wheel-house. In 90-ties several ships were reconstructed for their possibility of making short sea marches.

Modifications. Ships of the project 11 initially had removable hatch covers with ventilation funnels. Two modifications of this project are distinguished by the form of the bridge casing. Project 576 is the further development of the project 11, with the increased machine power and wider, mechanized sliding hatch covers. Outwardly the ships of the project 576 differ by the higher fore-part and wide windows in the superstructure. There are two modifications of the project 576, which differ in the rudder complex: one has three simple rudders, the other has two control nozzles. Later-built ships have superstructure with illuminators instead of large windows. During heavy repairs the machines and hatch covers of the ships of the project 11 were replaced with those similar to project 576; the windows in the superstructure were replaced with illuminators on many ships of the both projects. On the base of the project 576 the tankers of the types "Los" and "KamGES" were developed.

Serial building. Ships of the type "Bolshaya Volga" were built since 1948 till 1956 in the USSR; about 120 - 130 units were built. Ships of the type "Shestaya Pyatiletka" were built since 1956 till 1961 in the USSR and till 1968 in Romania; up to 250 units were built. Mainly ships were assigned names after the towns in the USSR.

Distribution. Ships of the type "Bolshaya Volga" were delivered to Volga and Volga-Don shipping companies; ships of the type "Shestaya Pyatiletka" - to Volga, Volga-Don, Kama, Moscow, North-Western, Ob-Irtysh, Yenisey and Ukrainian Dnieper shipping companies. At present time many ships of these types are laid up or written off. However, they remain one of the main classes of cargo carriers on the rivers of the Volga basin, Volga-Don, Moscow-Volga canals, Volga-Balt waterway.

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Known ships of the types "Bolshaya Volga" and "Shestaya Pyatiletka"

Project 11
Year of built and the name of the leading ship	1948, BOLSHAYA VOLGA
Mission	dry cargo motor ship with covered holds
Place of built	USSR
Shipyard	shipbuilding plant "Krasnoe Sormovo"
River Register class	O
Length / width / draught, m	93.9 / 13.4 / 2.9
Cargo-carrying capacity, tons	2000
Machine power, h.p.	800
Speed (empty), km/h	19
Project 576
Year of built and the name of the leading ship	1956, SHESTAYA PYATILETKA
Mission	dry cargo motor ship with covered holds
Place of built	USSR, Romania
Shipyard	shipbuilding plant "Krasnoe Sormovo", Santierul Navale Oltenita, Santierul Navale Galati, Severnav Drobeta-Turnu-Severin
River Register class	O
Length / width / draught, m	93.9 / 13.4 / 2.9
Cargo-carrying capacity, tons	2000
Machine power, h.p.	1000
Speed (empty), km/h	21.6