![Keel laid for second Project A45-90.2 river cruise ship for Russia’s State Transport Leasing Company](http://media.assettype.com/bairdmaritime%2Fimport%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F210804-9-USC.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
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.