Russia's Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant intends to hand over the delayed ferry Viktor Astafyev (Виктор Астафьев) to her owner by the end of 2026, provided repeat factory sea trials that began on Lake Ladoga earlier this month are successful.
The trials must demonstrate, "all the vessel's operating modes under its normal operating schedule," general director Sergei Karachkov told Delovoy Peterburg.
"I would not like to comment on the reasons for the delays — they are known to everyone and are objective in nature," he added.
Karachkov assured that sister vessel Andrey Dubensky (Андрей Дубенский) was being built according to plan.
Viktor Astafyev is expected to sail from Saint Petersburg to Krasnoyarsk via the Northern Sea Route in 2027. Krasnoyarsk regional legislators were told of the 2027 arrival on the Yenisei River while considering autumn budget amendments that move lease payments for the two vessels into the 2027–2028 timeframe.
The date of the first passenger voyage between Krasnoyarsk and Dudinka has yet to be confirmed, Dela reported.
The two ships were ordered in April 2020 under a contract with State Transport Leasing Company for passenger services in the Krasnoyarsk region.
The lead ship was originally due in 2023 and her sister in 2024, according to the report on the first vessel’s keel-laying. Karachkov, who took over in spring 2026, said the vessels were 80 per cent and 30 per cent complete at the time.
"There was a large volume of technical non-conformities, and some of the detailed design documentation was missing. This prevented construction from being completed on time," he said in an interview.
An earlier factory sea trial programme on Lake Ladoga began on July 25.
Viktor Astafyev has a length of 99 metres, a beam of 14.9 metres, and a maximum draught of no more than two metres. She can carry 245 passengers in 70 cabins with a crew of 41 and has a service speed of 12.4 knots and an endurance of 15 days.
Her ice capability will allow operation in small broken ice near Dudinka towards the end of the navigation season.
The new ferries will replace Valery Chkalov and Alexander Matrosov, which were built in 1953 and 1954 respectively, on the Krasnoyarsk–Dudinka route.