Vodohod Announces Naming of New Cruise Ship “Rasul Gamzatov”
The company “Vodohod” has announced the name of its third ship in the project 00840, which will be called “Karelia.” The new cruise ship will be named after the prominent Soviet poet, prose writer, and public figure Rasul Gamzatov. This was reported by the company’s press service.
The initiative to honor the memory of the national poet of Dagestan, Rasul Gamzatov, was warmly supported by his family. The poet’s youngest daughter, Salikhat Rasulovna Gamzatova, officially confirmed her approval and expressed gratitude for the decision to name the new cruise ship after her father.
The ship “Rasul Gamzatov” will continue the series of vessels in the Vodohod fleet that bear the names of outstanding Soviet and Russian poets and writers. Other vessels in the new cruise fleet include “Mustai Karim” (2019) and the second ship currently under construction, “Mikhail Zhvanetsky” (2026). The Vodohod fleet also includes the ships “Alexander Pushkin,” “Leo Tolstoy,” “Nikolai Chernyshevsky,” “Vissarion Belinsky,” “Konstantin Simonov,” “Leonid Sobolev,” and “Konstantin Fedin,” which operate on the rivers of Russia.
Source: «Vodohod»
Rasul Rasulovich Gamzatov, a distinguished cultural figure in the Republic of Dagestan, is well-known for his poetry both in Russia and worldwide. His profound and heartfelt poetry resonates with the diverse peoples of the vast country and beyond, finding expression in many languages. His poignant ballad “The Cranes,” performed by Mark Bernes, and the romantic song “Sunny Days Disappeared,” sung by Valery Leontiev, are just a few examples of how Gamzatov’s verses laid the foundation for many Soviet songs that became popular hits and symbols of an era.
“We believe that the new Russian vessel will proudly carry the name ‘Rasul Gamzatov,’ strengthening the memory of the poet and his work. A man of immense talent, with a wide Caucasian soul and a kind heart, Rasul Gamzatov maintained a friendship with Bashkir poet and writer Mustai Karim until the end of his life. The fact of their friendship reinforced our intention to name the third ship in the Karelia project after the Dagestani cultural figure Rasul Gamzatov. It is symbolic that ‘two friends—two talents’ will continue to serve the good of our country through the comfortable cruise ships ‘Mustai Karim’ and ‘Rasul Gamzatov,’ bringing joy to people,” shared Rishat Bagautdinov, General Director of Vodohod.
The “Rasul Gamzatov” ship will operate cruises on Russia’s inland waterways, including the Caspian Sea. Planned routes for the new vessel in 2027 include calls in Dagestan — the homeland of the poet after whom the cruise liner is named.
The Vodohod team aims to ensure that guests aboard the “Rasul Gamzatov” experience feelings and emotions during their journeys through their homeland that are akin to those evoked when reading the poet’s verses or listening to them in songs—love and respect for their country, family, and profession.
It’s worth noting that the series of three cruise liners in the Karelia project is being constructed at the Nizhny Novgorod shipyard “Krasnoe Sormovo,” which is part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). All three vessels in this project are being built on behalf of Vodohod as part of a government program to renew the river fleet. The lead vessel (“Nikolai Zharkov“) was laid down on April 28, 2023, the second (“Mikhail Zhvanetsky“) on May 26, 2023, and the third vessel (“Rasul Gamzatov“) on June 22, 2023.
