The new XXI century did not reduce the meaning of the steamboat N.V. Gogol as a shipping, tourism and excursion vessel and floating recreation base. On the contrary, when it, glittering with whiteness of its superstructures, habitually enters the roadstead of Arkhangelsk City, its look against the background of the embankment and ocean liners still fills hearts with delight and particular pride. His Majesty King of Sweden Charles XVI Gustav and Her Majesty Queen Silvia made a tour onboard the steamboat N.V. Gogol on October 11, 2001. By the way, Charles XVI Gustav is a naval officer and has an excellent understanding of machinery. The steam engine of the past century raised professional interest of the crowned person. He enjoyed the performance of the paddle wheel and, wearing white gloves, carefully viewed the steam engine. The engine is in an excellent condition! thats the way His Majesty defined the technical condition of the machine. The Royal Couple left autographs in the book of steamboat honorary guests. The Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the RF Sergey M. Mironov made a brief tour onboard the oldest steamboat of Russia. He left such a record in the guest book: Thanks to craftsmen of Zvezdochka for restoration of such a magnificent boat. Thanks to the crew for the wonderful tour and brilliant mooring! The RF Defense Minister Sergey B. Ivanov examined the boat during a tour up the Northern River with great attention. He wrote in the guest book: Thanks a lot to Gogol crew and entire Zvyozdochka for labor, patriotism, love for sea and the Navy, careful treatment of our Russian traditions and history, concern about the future! Honoured, S. Ivanov. June 26, 2002. In August 2002 ten Americans, who had come from behind the Ocean specially for that purpose, made a tour up the Northern Dvina River onboard the steamboat N.V. Gogol. They had long been dreaming to be at this famous wheeled steamboat. Later, in November 2002 Bill Worden of Detroit would share his impressions with his compatriots in the pages of Steamboat Bill magazine. The author of the article pays a great attention to description of design of the oldest Russian steamboat, route of the tour, he tells about meetings with Northerners. Still weather, picturesque riverbanks and the beauty river enchanted the tourists from the USA. 80 year old Edwin Davis of Florida had quite a different type of interest to Arkhangelsk. When N. V. Gogol left Arkhangelsk mooring line and headed up the Dvina river, Edwin peered into the left bank, waiting for a meeting with Bakaritza district. He knew the name of this port section very well. It is here, where in winter 1945 the vessel Henry Lomb was unloaded. Onboard this ship seaman Edwin Davis came to the Soviet Union within allied convoy. Seafaring of convoys became a synonym of courage of American and English seamen and left a particular track in his memory: Polar nights, ice and storm winds multiplied horrors of war. On return to his Motherland Edwin Davis wrote to Tatyana Melnik the guide: I enjoy recollections about the tour onboard the Gogol and about Arkhangelsk. I will never forget those nice days in Arkhangelsk.
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And here is a record made by the Chairman of Russias Government Mikhail Fradkov on July 16, 2004: It was a great interest to be onboard the monument of creative work by our compatriots of the beginning of the past century. It is nice that the machinery is maintained in a unique operational condition (at a high technical, competitive level) through the efforts of present Zvyozdochka technicians. I enjoyed it a lot. Looking forward to new meetings. Best wishes. A hundred feet under the keel! A week later, on July 21, a special guest made a tour onboard the steamboat N. V. Gogol the most prestigious trophy of the National Hockey League Stanley Cup. As you know, each player of a winner team of NHL may invite Stanley Cup to his home for a day. Thats what was done by the ice-hockey player of American club Tampa Bay Lightning Dmitriy Afanasenkov of Arkhangelsk who attended the legendary steamboat. Stanley Cup had not experienced a river tour before although wherever had not it been. For example not long before a player of winner team had elevated the 17 kilogram heavy silver prize to the top of Elbert mountain of Colorado, its height being 4800 meters above sea level. Late July Stanley Cup returned to Canada and took its habitual position in the museum of ice-hockey glory. The steamboat N. V. Gogol crew will long remember the trip in middle August 2004.
The ship doctor V.V. Golubev had to deliver a baby of a passenger. It was half an hour before arrival to Arkhangelsk, when Galina Kapustina, wife of the steamboat senior mechanic V.A. Kapustin, felt sick. The events developed headily and soon a cry of an infant baby broke the night silence of the Northern Dvina. An ambulance car, called on the portable radio transmitter, waited the mother and the baby on the riverbank. The boy, born in the Kapustins family was the third. Its already become a good tradition that Indian diplomats, Indian Navy officials, family members of crews of submarines under repair at Zvyozdochka make tours onboard the oldest Russian steamboat up the Northern Dvina. Ambassador of the Republic of India in Russia Mister Shri Canval Sibal made a short tour by the steamboat N.V. Gogol on August 5, 2005. Mister Sibal highly assessed the work of Zvyozdochka shipbuilders on preservation of the river fleet grandpa. Northern summer gave good, sunny weather that day. The passengers greatly enjoyed the tour onboard the steamboat. Mister Ambassador, according to his com - patriots, had expected to see real cold up to a snow - storm in the Russian North. He was sorry he didnt happen to see those exotic things.
