On August 6, 2026, at the production facility of Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Ships named after R. E. Alexeyev" in the Chkalovsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region, the eighth passenger hydrofoil vessel of Project 03580, the Meteor (hydrofoil), was launched. The vessel received the name "Andrey Baykov".[1][2] The vessel became the second Meteor 120R built on order from JSC "GTLK" for JSC "SPK Don" and intended for the passenger fleet of Rostov Region.[1]

Launch Ceremony

The ceremony was attended by Maxim Cherkasov, Minister of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship of Nizhny Novgorod Region; Zakhar Sidorenko, Director General of TsKB; Lyubov Vladimirova, Head of Chkalovsk; German Lopatkin, Director General of JSC "SPK Don"; and Nikita Italyantsev, Director General of LLC "Vodolet".[3] The vessel's name was chosen in honor of Andrey Baykov, a distinguished mayor of Rostov-on-Don in the second half of the 19th century.[3][4]

Technical Specifications

The vessel is designed to carry up to 120 passengers, reaches speeds of up to 65 km/h, has a range of up to 700 km without refueling, and is operated by a crew of six.[1] For operation in the waters of the Sea of Azov, the design was adapted for marine conditions: the navigation area was expanded to waters with wave heights of up to two meters, the hull and foil units were reinforced, and additional radio navigation equipment was installed.[3][4] The vessel's navigation class is "O-PR" (river–sea), enabling it to venture into marine waters; the first Meteor 120R for Rostov Region (Meteor 120R-07) underwent the same modifications.[1]

Upon completion of outfitting, the Andrey Baykov is to undergo mooring and sea trials, after which it will be handed over to the customer.[1]

Series Context

By the time the Andrey Baykov was launched, a total of 30 next-generation high-speed vessels had been built at the TsKB im. Alekseyeva production facility in Chkalovsky District: 22 Valday 45Rs and eight Meteor 120Rs.[4][5] Vessels built in Nizhny Novgorod operate in seven regions of Russia — Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saratov, and Rostov Regions, Chuvashia, the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District, and Yakutia.[4] During the previous navigation season, the fleet carried over 120,000 passengers, of whom 15,500 traveled on inter-regional routes.[3] The year 2026 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Rostislav Alekseev, whose work laid the foundation for Russia's high-speed fleet.[5] Construction is being carried out under the national project "Industrial Support for Transport Mobility," in effect since 2025.[3][5]

Sources

  1. Vzglyad-NN — Second Meteor 120R for Rostov Region launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region (archive)
  2. Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Eighth Meteor-120R launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region — Zhivyom v Nizhnem (archive)
  3. Vremya N — Eighth Meteor-120R vessel launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region (archive)
  4. Newsroom24 — Meteor-120R for Rostov launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region
  5. natsionalnyeproekty.rf — Eighth Meteor-120R vessel launched in Nizhny Novgorod Region (archive)