Ivan Franko-class passenger ship


Class overview
MS Marco Polo in Tallinn, 2 August 2012
Builders:	VEB Mathias-Thesen Werft, Wismar, East Germany
Preceded by:	Mikhail Kalinin-class (project 101/SeeFa 340)
Built:	1963–1972^[1]
In service:	1964
Building:	5
Planned:	5
Completed:	5
Active:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Ocean liner → Cruise ship
Tonnage:	19,861 GT^[2]
Length:	175.79 m (577 ft) overall^[3]
Beam:	23.61 m (77 ft)^[4]
Height:	16.19 m (53 ft)^[5]
Draught:	8.11 m (27 ft)^[6]
Decks:	8 passenger decks
Installed power:	2 × Sulzer-Cegielski 7RND76 diesels, 15,666 kW (21,008 hp)^[1]
Propulsion:	2 propellers
Speed:	20.45 knots (37.87 km/h; 23.53 mph)^[7]
Capacity:	750 passengers

The Ivan Franko-class passenger ship (project 301, in Germany known as Seefa 750^[8]) is a class of Soviet ocean liners and cruise ships, operated by the Baltic State Shipping Company (BGMP) and Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMMP or BLASCO).^[9] The five Soviet ships Ivan Franko, Aleksandr Pushkin, Taras Shevchenko, Shota Rustaveli and Mikhail Lermontov were constructed in 1963–1972 by the East German company VEB Mathias-Thesen Werft, in Wismar. The class was named after the renowned Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko.

The only liner left among the five is the Aleksandr Pushkin...now known as Marco Polo

Technical Details and Construction

The Ivan Franko-class have surpassed the earlier Mikhail Kalinin-class as the Germany's (in both parts of Germany) largest passenger ships after World War II. At 176 m (578 feet)^[10] in length Marco Polo was 54 metres (177 ft) longer than the prior largest passenger ship, the Mikhail Kalinin and classmates. Marco Polo also was 7.5 metres (25 ft) wider, and with a gross tonnage of 19,861, is almost 3 times larger.

The construction of this class featured some notable differences from contemporary ships built in the west. Amongst other things they offered cabins for six people and had three taps in the bathrooms - for hot, cold and sea water - Both of these features had long since been abandoned in western liners. The ships also featured certain forward-looking features, such as all outside accommodation for both passengers and the crew, and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool with a sliding glass roof.

Ocean liners/cruise ships of the project 301/Seefa 750

Ivan Franko class passenger ships
No.	Original name	English transliteration
1	Иван Франко (Frank)	Ivan Franko (Frank)
2	Александр Пушкин (Marco Polo)	Aleksandr Pushkin (Marco Polo)
3	Тарас Шевченко (Tara)	Taras Shevchenko (Tara)
4	Шота Руставели (Assedo)	Shota Rustaveli (Assedo)
5	Михаил Лермонтов	Mikhail Lermontov

Overview

Ivan Franko class passenger ships
Year of build	Hull No	Image	Name	First operator	Port of Registry	Flag	IMO-No.	Status
1964	125	Image	Frank	ChMMP	Odessa → Kingstown	→	5415901	originally, the Ivan Franko; sold in 1997 to Polluks Shipping; out of service since 21. July 1997; scrapped in Alang ^[11]
1965	126		Marco Polo	BGMP	Leningrad → Vladivostok → Nassau	→	6417097	originally, the Aleksandr Pushkin^[12]
1966	127		Tara	ChMMP	Odessa → Monrovia → Odessa	→ → →	6508195	originally, the Taras Shevtchenko; scrapped^[13]
1968	128	Image	Assedo	ChMMP	Odessa → Monrovia → Odessa → Kingstown	→ → →	6707753	originally, the Shota Rustaveli; scrapped^[14]
1972	129		Mikhail Lermontov	BGMP	Leningrad		7042318	sank on 16. February 1986 near Gannet Pointi (New Zealand) ^[15]