Russia's Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant has laid the keel for a new river cruise ship ordered by local operator State Transport Leasing Company.
The vessel will be named Viktor Astafyev in honour of a celebrated Russian writer and playwright. It will be the second of two Project A45-90.2 cruise ships to be built for the same customer.
Once completed, the vessel will have an LOA of 99 metres, a beam of 14.9 metres, a maximum draught of two metres, capacity for 245 passengers, and access for disabled passengers. Onboard facilities will include a bar, a restaurant, two saunas, and a business centre.
Viktor Astafyev and sister vessel Andrey Dubenskiy will be delivered during the 2023-2024 timeframe. Their area of operations will be in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk Krai region.