On 5 July, the Palace of Culture of the Russian University of Transport hosted an enlarged meeting of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) Board and the Public Council under Rosmorrechflot dedicated to the main achievements of the Agency which celebrates this year the 20th anniversary since its foundation.

The meeting was chaired by Andrey Tarasenko, Head of Rosmorrechflot, and gathered employees of the Federal Agency, management of FSUE “Rosmorport” and other subordinate organizations, representatives of leading water transport companies, and industry veterans.

Roman Starovoit, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, made a welcoming speech. Head of the Ministry of Transport of Russia congratulated Rosmorrechflot on its 20th anniversary, noting that this year, rich in anniversaries, marks 215 years since the foundation of the consolidated transport institution and transport education of Russia.

“We are successfully coping with the tasks set. At the instructions of President and the Government of the Russian Federation, works on dredging, construction of berthing infrastructure, and building up fleet are being actively carried out. The Ministry of Transport fully provides the industry with qualified personnel,” Roman Starovoit said, highlighting that given the dynamic development of the transport sector, the professionalism of industry workers will be in full demand.

Alexander Poshivai, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, conveyed congratulations to water transport workers on behalf of Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation:

“Russia in the past and present, and well into the future is a great maritime power. With your daily work, you make a constant contribution to strengthening this status, developing international and inland waterways, and ensuring the connectivity of the vast territory of our country. <...> Traditions and the continuity of generations is what makes the fleet strong. This is the foundation for the development of the industry. Rosmorrechflot with its subordinate enterprises across the country has approached its 20th anniversary with strong results: dozens of successfully implemented major projects. I am sure you will continue the given development vector.”

“20 years of Rosmorrechflot mean 20 years of accumulating positive and valuable experience which you possess,” Alexander Poshivai added, addressing the employees of the Federal Agency. “I am confident that all the instructions of President of our country will be successfully fulfilled.”

Andrey Tarasenko made a report on the main achievements of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport. Head of Rosmorrechflot stressed that seaports were one of the key elements of the transport system:

“All these 20 years there have been positive dynamics in the growth of new port capacities, an increase in cargo turnover and an expansion of the range of goods. Over two decades, the total increase has amounted to about 1 billion tons.”

At the same time, the cargo turnover of Russian seaports shows steady growth of 3-8 % per year. Over the past 10 years, cargo transshipment has increased 1.5 times. In 2023, cargo transshipment in seaports approached 900 million tons.

Andrey Tarasenko noted that during this period dozens of investment projects to create port infrastructure had been implemented both at the expense of the federal budget and with the involvement of extra-budgetary sources. The Agency, together with FSUE “Rosmorport” and major private investors, has concluded more than 20 agreements on the implementation of large-scale investment projects.

Head of Rosmorrechflot also mentioned the importance of the fleet technical condition and quality in fulfilling the tasks of ensuring safe navigation. Since 2006, systematic work has been underway to create conditions for involving vessels under the Russian flag. At the beginning of 2007, 136 vessels with a total deadweight of 0.5 million tons were registered, whereas now about 2 thousand vessels with a total deadweight of more than 11 million tons are registered under the Russian flag.

Andrei Tarasenko specially highlighted the importance and complexity of constructing a new fleet. Thus, thanks to the measures of state support, transport companies have built about 200 mixed navigation and passenger vessels over the past period. More than 55 vessels for state purposes have been commissioned at the expense of the federal budget, including icebreakers, ferries, emergency and rescue vessels, pilot and buoy-lifting vessels, diving support and dredging vessels.

Among the most important projects in the field of domestic civil shipbuilding, Andrei Tarasenko named the construction of the world's most powerful linear diesel icebreaker Viktor Chernomyrdin of project 22600; three linear diesel-electric icebreakers Vladivostok, Murmansk and Novorossiysk of project 21900M; two innovative ferries Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky, as well as complete repair of the sailing training vessel Khersones to join two operated sailing frigates Mir and Nadezhda.

During the meeting, as part of the Rosmorrechflot exposition, FSUE “Rosmorport” presented models of the icebreakers Viktor Chernomyrdin and Novorossiysk, the automobile and railway ferry Marshal Rokossovsky, the high-performance dredger Nikolai Rusanov and the sailing training vessel Mir, as well as a scheme of large-scale works carried out by the enterprise to develop the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal. For a more detailed acquaintance with the specifics of the activities of the leading enterprise of the marine industry, brochures as well as video clips about the work of high-tech vessels of FSUE “Rosmorport” were presented at the exposition.

At the end of the meeting, Andrey Tarasenko presented certificates of merit and gratitude to the best employees of Rosmorrechflot and subordinate organizations. Denis Matuzov, Head of the operation service of the automobile and railway ferry complex of the Ust-Luga Department of the FSUE “Rosmorport” North-Western Basin Branch, received a Letter of Gratitude from Head of Rosmorrechflot for his labour achievements and many years of conscientious work.