Sovietskaya Ukraina

[shipstamps]

Russia has issued a pair of "whaling" stamps, the 12k. value showing the whaling factory ship Sovietskaya Ukraina, which was built in 1959 at the Nosenko Shipyard, Nikolayev. She has a gross tonnage of 32,024 and a net of 17,923, her deadweight being 46,000 tons. The vessel on the 3k. stamp appears to be either the Ob or her sister ship Lena.SG2897

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a whaling factory under yard No 500 by I.I.Nosenko at Nikolayev, Russia for the Russian Government.
23 January 1959 launched as the SOVETSKAYA UKRANA one sister the SOVETSKAYA ROSSIJA, she were the biggest whale processing factory ever built.
Tonnage 32,024 gross, 17,923 net, 26,700 dwt. Dim. 217.8 x 27.8 x 10.8m.
Powered by two 6-cyl. B&W diesels, 15,000 hp., twin shafts, speed 16 knots.
Crew 500.

She could process 65 whales in 24 hours. Had a storage capacity for 18,000 tons blubber and whale meat and 2,000 tons by-products.
Accompanied by catchers of the Bystrij type, one depict in the foreground of the stamp.
The type of which around 160 were built did have a tonnage of 844 gross, 299 net, 333 dwt. Dim. 63.6 x 9.5 x 4.4m. (draught).
Diesel electric propulsion 3,600 hp, speed 17 knots.

The SOVETSKAJA UKRAINA was mostly used on the whaling grounds of the Antarctica.

In 1977 the Russian and Japanese were the only nations still using floating factory vessels for whaling. Most of the other whaling factory ships were scrapped or laid up or converted in fish factory vessels.
02 March 1989 during repairs in Sevastopol a fire broke out, and she suffered considerable damage. At that time she was owned by U.S.S.R. Azcherryba.
1995 Sold for scrapping by Black Sea Fisheries Corporation, Antarktica, Ukraine to Kalkavanlar Gemi Sokum Ticaret S.A., she arrived at Aliaga, Turkey on 31 July 1995.
Scrapping commenced by Kalkavan Gemi Sokum on 15 August 1995.

Source: Marine News 1989/310, 1995/635,1996/187. Soviet Bloc Merchant Ships by Bruno and Klaus Bock. Navicula..