Let us make a small tour of the steamboat and we will start from the «heart» of the vessel — the engine room. Real miracles will open up before your eyes. One of them is the steam engine manufactured by russian shipbuilders as far back as 1911 year. It is still in the same ideal condition as it was at the beginning of the last century. Polished copper details are shining due to careful hands of engine operators, and a mechanician on duty can at any moment carry out the orders received by telegraph from the chart house. By the way, the steering wheel is still decorated with the trademark of the tsarist Sormovo shipyard. Going up higher on the main deck of the steamboat you will notice four fitting boards of the vessel, it’s his - tory cast in metal. The first one was manufactured at Sormovo ship - yard in 1911 due to the steamboat building. Two other boards, dated 1941 and 1959, were placed in memory of two thorough repairs of the vessel, per -of good wine can come downstairs to the conventionalized and trimmed with wood cozy bar. Quiet music and interior create the atmosphere of so necessary mental comfort. And only waves splashing behind the porthole remind you that you are in open river. Rising up from the bar you walk along the port side by the cabins of the vessel crew and get to the steamboat restaurant — mess-room. Here you can have a formed at Veliky Ustyug ship repair plant. The fourth board informs us about the modernization of the steamboat «N.V. Gogol», carried out by the shipbuilders of «Zvyozdochka» in 1996. Beside the portrait of the writer N.V. Gogol in honour of which the paddleboat was named, there is a ship's bell cast by russian craftsmen at the beginning of the 20-th century. On the starboard and on the port side of the main deck you can watch through access hatches the paddle wheels working and breaking river water into multitude of splashes refracting the solar light and sometimes making a pleasant to the eye rainbow. In the bow of the main deck the most comfortable single- and two-birth cabins with soft furniture are situated.
The comfortable rest saloon allows to meet in circle of a small company and watch beautiful northern views. People who love to retire, to drink a cup of coffee or a glass lunch, to sit at a table, to order some coffee, to listen to the music. Let us continue our trip along the steamboat and rise to the second deck where the main part of the cabins for passengers is situated. The bow living quarter with «deluxe» cabins and rest saloon is the most comfortable, its interior reminds us the movie of Nikita Mihkalkov «Cruel Romance». The saloon is right for business meetings, negotiations, receptions and official lunches for VIP persons holding. Along both shipboards of the promenade deck there are benches and armchairs made of natural wood, White Sea pine, the tree that the forests along all the route of the trip are very rich in. Passing to the sterm you will get to the dance saloon where in the evening, especially during the white nights season passengers spend unforgettable hours close to unique northern nature.
So we finished an excursion on the promenade deck of the vessel. It remained to rise to one more deck – awning deck. It is just here where the «brain» of the steamboat, the wheelhouse is situated. From here the captain or his mates and the sailor at the wheel perform the steering of the vessel. The ships coming in the opposite direction obligatory greet the patriarchy of Russian flu - vial fleet and the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» merrily going splashing through the Dvina water returns affection. And hooters disturbing white -winged seagulls are heard; above the mighty
Steamboat guests
By the Decree of the Head of the Arkhangelsk regional administration dated 14.07.98 the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» was declared the historical monument of regional significance. But it seems that the importance of the steamboat-veteran is much wider. Not only shipbuilders of «Zvyozdochka» and their families, but also tourists from other regions of Russia and from abroad make trips onboard of the steamboat. For example, Russians as well as Norwegian and Swedish visitors, participants of the meeting held within the framework of the Barents region countries collaboration river; they call upon not to forget the past, to love the present and to believe in the future. Such moments are unforgettable! If you are lucky the watch-standing sailors will allow you hooting. You can take sunbathes and enjoy fresh aroma of the river breeze on the awning deck. So we have strolled across the entire vessel, as sailors and river workers say, from keel to acorn. Everything has interlaced here — both olden days and the present. We should like to express enormous gratitude to Russian river workers and shipbuilders who for many long years have been steering the steamboat on broad expenses of the Northern Dvina and then gave it a new life in the new, XXI century. If you still have not been at the paddle steamboat «N.V. Gogol», have not admire from its board our northern nature, come and you will not regret it. Water trip will produce on you really unforgettable impressions. In summer 1997 on board the «Gogol» left the following notes in the register of honorary visitors: «Owing to the meeting organized by the Economy Council of Barents region we have spent some wonderful days on the Dvina. Many contacts, much pleasure. Bounds disappear during such meetings. We have to do it more often! Arnold Arnoldussen, Norway». «For the first time in my life I traveled up the Northern Dvina.
The trip was wonderful. White nights, fine weather, exotic steamboat «N.V. Gogol». It was fantastic! It will stick to the memory for all the life. But the most important are the people who provided all this. I would like to thank Captain V.N. Novosyelov, who skillfully conducted the steamboat by Dvina banks, the chief of the water transport workshop N.V. Zharikhin, who has prepared the ship so that there were no slightest delay during the trip and all the crew, polite and preventive. Let the steamer «N.V. Gogol», this miracle of the XX century, surprise Russian and foreign visitors for a long time in future. Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of science P.N. Yudakhin» High efficiency of international meeting held on board the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» was confirmed by the participants of the road-builders conference: «Thank you very much on behalf of the Finnish Russian pavement group. Our meeting has made excellent progress. Ministry of transport of Finland, Rita Pairhainen, September 3, 1997».
Another appreciation: «I express my greatest thanks to the collective of «Zvyozdochka» and the crew of the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» for the organization and realization of measures during the meeting the delegations of Russia and United States of America regarding the questions of protection, control and registration of nuclear substances. With profound respect, Head of Inspection of state nuclear and radiation safety supervision, rear admiral N.N. Yurasov, August 17, 1997». Success of held on board the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» meetings and business trips is promoted by peculiar climate at the vessel-veteran. It makes people from different countries reflect on the past and the present, on their responsibility for the future of our nations. The former Head of Russian government S.V. Kiriyenko (in the past a naval architect who had worked at the shipyard «Krasnoye Sormovo») made a trip on the steamboat «Gogol» in 1999 and wrote down in the register of visitors: «Thank you for solicitously preserved miracle! It is not just our history. It is the pride for our country and our shipbuilding. For me, as representative of the shipyard «Krasnoye Sormovo», all I have seen was especially pleasant. Thanks! I wish you success and good luck. Sincerely yours, S. V. Kiriyenko. 14.06.1999» The Chairman of the Council of Federation of the RF E. S. Stroyev, members of Pomor association in Moscow, families of the crew members of Indian Navy submarines repaired at «Zvyozdochka» and others have made trips along the Northern Dvina during the last years. And another note in the register of visitors about, perhaps, one of the brightest events of the steamboat «N.V. Gogol» long life, wrote down by Tikhon, the bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory: «I tender deep thanks to the enterprise «Zvyozdochka» in the person of the director N. Y. Kalistratov for given opportunity to perform religious mission dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of Christmas on the steamboat «N. V. Gogol».
This religious mission is a historical event in the life of the Arkhangelsk region. While crossing all the region along the Great Russian River Northern Dvina we are praying for doing much good to the bordering lands and through them — to all the Arkhangelsk region. We would like as many inhabitants of the region as possible to get in touch with the Christmas jubilee. I am sure that not only our contemporaries, but also descendants will keep this good action in their hearts. Sincere joy in people's years when they met the procession was the evidence of it. Travelling during the Easter holidays, I greet all the toilers of the steamboat by eternal words: Christ resurrected! – He truly resurrected! Let the enterprise «Zvyozdochka» and the steamboat «N. V. Gogol» prosper for the welfare of Russia! Let God blessing stay with them! Tikhon Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory. Religious mission: Severodvinsk – Kotlas. May 28–June 2, 2000» We will add that before the procession beginning the bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Tikhon served a public prayer and consecrated the steamboat with the words: – From archives we know that every year many religious processions took place in our eparchy on holidays and on different occasions. But there has never been religious procession along all the Northern Dvina.
The route of the mission (with stops) was running through the next towns, settlements and villages: Severodvinsk — Arkhangelsk — Ust-Pinega — Brin-Navolok — Khetovo — Kommuna — Ust-Vayenga — Dvinskoy Bereznik — Troitsa — Verkhnaya Toima — Koptelovo — Krasnoborsk — Kotlas. A participant of the religious mission Lyudmila Sosnina wrote in the newspaper «Arkhangelsk eparchy bulletin»: «During the mission God gave us not only great number of meetings with remarkable people, but wonderful weather as well. That's why we had the possibility to spend much time on decks and admire the beauty of the Northern Dvina and its banks. The river was particular beautiful at white nights when water and sky seemed to change constantly, and you wanted to retain every instant on film. One night strong bow wind was blowing. But the Dvina had turned and the wind disappeared at all. It did not change the direction, it had just vanished. At the last night we were running along high beautiful banks overgrown with forest where nightingales were trilling away. The climate that was reigning all those days on the steamboat had a beneficial influence upon the members of the crew. Three times priests performed the sacrament of christening in the mess room. Two people were christened as early as they were coming near Kotlas. Altogether 11 members of the crew became Orthodox Christians during the religious mission. Some of them even managed to receive communition in the churches were liturgies were serviced».
