Freight carrier purchases additional two vessels to transport tomatoes to Tomsk.
Revised Article:
Tomsk to Launch River Services with Luxury Ships in 2025: A Game-Changer for Tourism
Get ready for a refreshing cruise experience in Tomsk, Russia!
Entrepreneur Victoria Saifulina made waves with her recent announcement that passenger river services are set to kick off in Tomsk by 2025. With two new stunning vessels - a high-speed riverboat called "Luch-15" and a two-decked ship called "Sibir'" (formerly known as "Vavilion") - the city is gearing up to offer an unmatched boating adventure.
Saifulina shared the family's long-standing passion for river transport in Tomsk. They already own the "Naдежды-2" (Hope II) passenger vessel, which currently operates as the only river service from Tomsk's city center to the left bank of the Tom River.
"This year, we're planning to launch the high-speed "Luch-15" and "Sibir'" (Syberia-70)," Saifulina revealed. "We're waiting for the Russian River Registry to accept us so we can get our licenses. Deadlines are tight, so the process might take a while." After obtaining the necessary licenses, the routes for these exciting new services will be announced.
Luxury on the Water
The high-speed "Luch-15" was purchased from Samara in 2022 and will be brought to Tomsk by land. "The Autobus a la Mer" (boat bus) can carry up to 51 passengers and reaches speeds of up to 44 kilometers per hour. In comparison, the "Naдежды-2" tops out at 22 kilometers per hour. The "Luch" is currently undergoing repairs, and once complete, it will not only transport day-trippers but also ferry leisure seekers to Semeyikino Island.
The Legendary "Vavilion"
Another vessel on the horizon is "Sibir'-70". From 1989 to January 2024, the two-decked "Moscow" type ship was used for corporate events and entertainment in Tomsk by the Tomsk Shipping Company. Saifulina's family purchased the vessel and plans to use it to transport large corporations for leisurely river cruises.
The original capacity of the ship is 250 passengers, but its previous owners retrofitted the open deck with cabins, adding soft furnishings, increasing the weight of the ship, and reducing the maximum number of passengers to 60. The new owners, however, aim to restore the ship to its original grandeur, demolishing all additional structures.
"We're also changing its name," Saifulina explained. "The name 'Vavilion' is a bit, well, outdated. We want to link the ship to the city and the region. That's how 'Sibir'-70' was born."
The new luxury vessels, "Luch-15" and "Sibir'" (Syberia-70), are set to revolutionize not only the tourism industry in Tomsk, but also the finance horizon as entrepreneur Victoria Saifulina plans to secure essential licenses and delve into the transportation sector. With corporate events and leisure cruises in mind, the newly acquired "Sibir'-70" will undergo renovations to restore its original grandeur, potentially attracting a broad spectrum of clients in the finance and corporate sectors.
