Pushkaryov Leonid Vasilyevich (10 June 1926, village of Nizhny Uslon / Verkhny Uslon, Verkhneuslonsky District, Tatar ASSR — 7 November 1995, Nizhny Novgorod) — river navigator, captain-mentor of the Volga United River Shipping Company (VORP), Hero of Socialist Labour. He was born into a family of hereditary river navigators and spent most of his life connected to Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), where he worked, studied and died.[1][2]
Early life and the war years
Pushkaryov's father, Vasily Dmitrievich, served on the steamship "Irkutsk"; from childhood the son spent navigation seasons aboard and knew the vessel by heart. In 1941, having just turned 15, Leonid Vasilyevich was taken on as a sailor on the same "Irkutsk".[1] In the winter of 1941, near Kineshma, the steamship's crew used ice chisels to cut a channel through the ice to free the passenger steamship "Sovetskaya Respublika", carrying more than a thousand evacuated children, from the ice. The "Irkutsk" stayed for the winter; during repairs Pushkaryov suffered severe frostbite to his feet and narrowly survived.[1]
Career as captain and innovative method
In 1951 Pushkaryov became captain of the "Irkutsk", and on 28 August 1953 took command of what was then one of the most powerful motor ships on the Volga — the "Admiral Ushakov".[1][2] It was here that he developed a method of pushing barge trains instead of the traditional towing on a cable: travel speed increased by 15 percent, fuel and lubricant consumption per tonne of cargo fell, and course stability and safety improved. Pushkaryov designed a special device to stiffen the train at the coupling points, worked out schemes for arranging barges according to their draft, and proposed towing heavy-load rafts and pushing trains coupled in tandem from several barges. As a result, the "Pushkaryov method" was adopted by all 20 river shipping companies in the country.[1][2]
In 1960 Pushkaryov became captain of the first large-tonnage motor ship on the Volga, the "Volgo-Don 1", a post he held until 1964. Under his command the vessel delivered 7.6 thousand tonnes of salt instead of the planned 5 thousand on the Dzerzhinsk. The savings were achieved through efficient ballasting; the engine room crew mastered straightening the propellers and replacing the nozzles without going into dry dock, which yielded an extra 7 days of operating time per navigation season.[2]
Education and administrative work
In 1963 Pushkaryov graduated from the Gorky River School named after I. P. Kulibin, qualifying him to serve as captain on vessels of all classes.[2] From 1964 he worked as a captain-mentor for VORP in Gorky. In 1971 he completed a correspondence degree at the Gorky Institute of Water Transport Engineers (GIIVT), majoring in "navigation on inland waterways", earning the qualification of navigation engineer. From 1973 he headed the shipping inspectorate of VORP. He retired in 1987.[2]
Awards and legacy
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 14 September 1966, for early completion of the seven-year plan's targets for the development of river transport, Pushkaryov was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour along with the Order of Lenin (No. 382657) and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal (No. 12915). He had earlier been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1958) and the medal "For Distinction in Labour" (1953).[2]
Leonid Vasilyevich Pushkaryov died on 7 November 1995 and is buried in Nizhny Novgorod at Mar'ina Roscha Cemetery.[2] The motor ship "Kapitan Pushkaryov" bears his name.[1][2]
Sources
- vuslon.ru — Hereditary river navigator Leonid Pushkarev from Nizhny Uslon (archived)
- warheroes.ru — Hero of Socialist Labour Pushkaryov Leonid Vasilyevich — Heroes of the Country (archived)