Russia's State Transport Leasing Company has begun operational sailings of a new hydrofoil ferry built by United Shipbuilding Corporation's Vympel Shipyard.
Kosmonaut Pavel Popovich honours the late Pavel Romanovich Popovich, a Ukrainian-born former fighter pilot and Soviet Air Force major general who died in 2009.
The newbuild is the latest example of the Project 23160 series of hydrofoil ferries, which are each crewed by five people and are capable of transporting up to 120 passengers at speeds of over 32 knots.
The passengers are housed in an air-conditioned cabin with business class and economy seating areas while a pitch control system keeps the ferry's attitude as level as possible for more comfortable sailing.
As with other Project 23160 hydrofoil ferries, Kosmonaut Pavel Popovich will provide an inter-city commuter service via coastal routes.
Design work on the Project 23160 ferries was undertaken by Alexeev's Hydrofoil Design Bureau in compliance with Russian Maritime Register of Shipping class rules covering navigation in both open sea and inland waterways.