B-365 / KURSK
Refrigerated cargo ship KURSK (type B-365)
Keel laid: 8 October 1982
Launched: 4 June 1983
Delivered: 31 December 1983
The last series of refrigerated cargo ships built in Gdańsk Shipyard for the USSR merchant marine. It was designed to transport bananas and citrus fruit, as well as meat, butter and other frozen goods. The ships were also able to carry 103 containers, including 16 refrigerated ones, in its holds, on deck and on the hatch covers.
Technical specifications:
capacity: 8960 GRT, 7500 DWT, 103 TEU;
dimensions: 146.60 x 21.8 x 8.2 m
propulsion: B&W-SG 9K67GFC internal combustion engine with 16,800 hp
speed: 21.0 knots
Seven type B-365 vessels were built for the USSR in 1982-1986.
Gdańsk Shipyard began to build refrigerated cargo ships in the late 1960s. Their holds were able to carry meat, fish, fruit and other perishable cargo.
Modern refrigerated cargo ships date back to the 1870s when the first vessels with holds equipped with freezing devices were built in England and France. The many refrigerated cargo ships that were produced at the time led to the economic development of Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, which quickly became the main meat and dairy providers to the European markets.
Gdańsk Shipyard began to build refrigerated cargo ships in 1968, when the keel was laid under the first vessel of this type (the B-443) ordered by the USSR. Twelve such vessels were built.
In 1971, the keel was laid under the next type of refrigerated cargo ship (the B-433), ordered by the Szczecin Gryf fishing company, and in 1973 the construction of the largest series of refrigerated cargo vessels, the type B-437, began. Twenty such vessels were built in total, 14 for Soviet shipowners, 3 for Polish and 3 for South American ones. It is worth mentioning that the hulls of the Polish type B-437 refrigerated cargo ships were built in Portugal and outfitted in Gdańsk Shipyard.
After the disintegration of the USSR, Gdańsk Shipyard continued to built refrigerated cargo ships, but for Western shipowners.
The fate of the type B-365 vessels after the disintegration of the USSR was typical for that of many vessels of the once mighty Soviet fleet.
Initially, all seven sailed under the Soviet flag. When Latvia regained independence in 1992, the Latvian flag was raised on them and the spelling of their names was changed from Russian to Latvian. This way, the former Kursk became the Kurska, the Akademik Boczwar became the Akademikis Bocvars, and so forth. An exception was made for two vessels launched as the Jan Kalnberzin and the Arvid Pelshe. They commemorated two First Secretaries of the Latvian Communist Party, so when the Latvians threw off the Bolshevik yoke, the ships were quickly renamed the Perle and the Pure. In 2002, the refrigerated cargo vessels’ shipowner was privatised and the ships were reflagged as Maltese in late 2004. They were given or restored the names of Russian cities (Kursk, Kaluga—the former Arvid Pelshe, Samara—the former Kamilo Sienfuegos, Novgorod—the former Akademik Bochvar, Smolensk—the former Akademik Chelomiey, Bielgorod and Tula—the former Yan Kalnberzin), but they started to be decommissioned just a year later. The last one, the Samara, was sold for scrap in May 2010.
The technical specifications of the type B-365 vessels have an interesting mention about fitting permanent fastenings for passenger cars in all their holds and on their upper decks. These fastenings were needed by the crews to privately import cars from Western Europe, and the fact that these fastenings were included in the official documentation shows the scale of this phenomenon.
Gdańsk Shipyard began to build refrigerated cargo ships in the late 1960s. Their holds were able to carry meat, fish, fruit and other perishable cargo.
Modern refrigerated cargo ships date back to the 1870s when the first vessels with holds equipped with freezing devices were built in England and France. The many refrigerated cargo ships that were produced at the time led to the economic development of Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, which quickly became the main meat and dairy providers to the European markets.
Gdańsk Shipyard began to build refrigerated cargo ships in 1968, when the keel was laid under the first vessel of this type (the B-443) ordered by the USSR. Twelve such vessels were built.
In 1971, the keel was laid under the next type of refrigerated cargo ship (the B-433), ordered by the Szczecin Gryf fishing company, and in 1973 the construction of the largest series of refrigerated cargo vessels, the type B-437, began. Twenty such vessels were built in total, 14 for Soviet shipowners, 3 for Polish and 3 for South American ones. It is worth mentioning that the hulls of the Polish type B-437 refrigerated cargo ships were built in Portugal and outfitted in Gdańsk Shipyard.
After the disintegration of the USSR, Gdańsk Shipyard continued to built refrigerated cargo ships, but for Western shipowners.
The fate of the type B-365 vessels after the disintegration of the USSR was typical for that of many vessels of the once mighty Soviet fleet.
Initially, all seven sailed under the Soviet flag. When Latvia regained independence in 1992, the Latvian flag was raised on them and the spelling of their names was changed from Russian to Latvian. This way, the former Kursk became the Kurska, the Akademik Boczwar became the Akademikis Bocvars, and so forth. An exception was made for two vessels launched as the Jan Kalnberzin and the Arvid Pelshe. They commemorated two First Secretaries of the Latvian Communist Party, so when the Latvians threw off the Bolshevik yoke, the ships were quickly renamed the Perle and the Pure. In 2002, the refrigerated cargo vessels’ shipowner was privatised and the ships were reflagged as Maltese in late 2004. They were given or restored the names of Russian cities (Kursk, Kaluga—the former Arvid Pelshe, Samara—the former Kamilo Sienfuegos, Novgorod—the former Akademik Bochvar, Smolensk—the former Akademik Chelomiey, Bielgorod and Tula—the former Yan Kalnberzin), but they started to be decommissioned just a year later. The last one, the Samara, was sold for scrap in May 2010.
The technical specifications of the type B-365 vessels have an interesting mention about fitting permanent fastenings for passenger cars in all their holds and on their upper decks. These fastenings were needed by the crews to privately import cars from Western Europe, and the fact that these fastenings were included in the official documentation shows the scale of this phenomenon.
