The Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard has launched sea trials for the new passenger motor ship of Project A45-90.2, "Viktor Astafiev". The 98.2-meter long vessel has become the largest passenger floating hotel in the company's history and is intended for transportation in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, including challenging routes along the Yenisei River.

The trials are taking place in the waters of Lake Ladoga and will last several weeks. Specialists will check the operation of the main power plant, navigation equipment, general ship systems, deck equipment, and auxiliary means. Measurements of hull vibrations, propeller shaft parameters, and other characteristics affecting operational reliability will also be performed.

The checks involve a team of approximately 100 shipyard specialists and representatives of the classification register. According to Sergey Karachkov, General Director of the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard, the project marked the company's transition into a new segment of civil shipbuilding. For the first time, the shipyard built a passenger vessel almost 100 meters long, mastering the installation of complex life support systems, passenger infrastructure, and conducting a full cycle of trials.

"Viktor Astafiev" was created as a modern river liner capable of operating in the conditions of the North and the Arctic zone. The vessel received ice class MPR 3.0 (ice 20), which allows continued operation at the end of the navigation period, including areas with small broken ice near Dudinka.

One of the main features of the project was its high autonomy and increased reliability. The motor ship is equipped with a three-shaft power plant, which maintains maneuverability even with partial equipment failure. In addition, a high-speed boat is provided on board for delivering passengers to shore and back in places without proper mooring infrastructure.

The vessel is designed to carry 245 people on routes up to 5000 km. The autonomous navigation range reaches 15 days. On board, there are cabins of various classes, a restaurant, a bar, a medical cabin, a fitness area with two saunas, a business office, luggage storage, and a passenger elevator.

The total length of the motor ship is 98.2 meters, width – 14.6 meters, draft – up to 2 meters. The maximum speed reaches about 25 km/h. The crew consists of 41 people, and fuel consumption for a round trip is about 40 tons.