S7 Group, the largest aviation holding in Russia, is exploring new areas of activity in the north of Russia. In Murmansk, it will restore the city's oldest shipyard, which once served civilian ships and ships of the Ministry of Defense.
As the Governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrei Chibis, announced on his Telegram channel, an agreement between S7 Group and the government of the region was signed the day before with the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Evgeny Yelin.
The local Murmansk Arctic University will be responsible for training personnel. The investor will provide a computer class for future MAU engineers.
In addition, S7 Group in the Murmansk region will invest in other projects, in particular, in the cultural and business center "New Murmansk." It was planned to open it on the territory of the former shipyard premises. But now the plant, which is strategically important for the country, will work again, and the CDC will be moved to another location.
As part of this project, a health and recreation center "Arctic Aquathermal Sports and Recreation Complex" with a water park will be created. It will be located in the Podgornaya Street area and will become the first object of "New Murmansk." The investor plans to start its construction next year.
The plant area of 6.5 hectares, which now belongs to S7 Group, was previously owned by JSC "Murmansk Shipyard of the Merchant Marine." According to data from open sources, this company ceased to exist in 2019.
Why is the Murmansk Shipyard important?
The plant in the center of Murmansk served all types of vessels of all classes and purposes: from civilian ships to ships of the Ministry of Defense. For a hundred years of existence – since 1917 – it has acquired its own infrastructure for a full cycle of ship repair: from hull parts to ship furniture and parts production.
The plant had its own mechanical, hull, electrical installation, and wood-painting workshops. On the basis of the foundry and blacksmith areas, blanks of complex configuration made of cast iron, steel and bronze were produced.
Also, the plant still has three docks for ships from 6 to 30 tons, five deep-water berths with all engineering communications, its own metrological service, chemical-analytical and mechanical-technological laboratories.