European Course of Shipbuilders

Every launch of a vessel built at the Leninska Kuznia (Lenin’s Smithy) Plant is viewed by Kyiv shipbuilders as a joyous event, since one more test of European quality has been passed. On the Saturday before last another dry cargo ship, numbering eleven since 1998 when the Ukrainian industrial and investment concern started issuing guarantees as to the projects’ funding, was launched at Lenin’s Smithy for the Dutch Damen Shipyard Bergum Co. As Ukrainian People’s Deputy and honorary president of the plant Petro Poroshenko admitted, it was the most difficult order with the customer insisting on control more stringent than internationally required. And the requirements have been met. The newly built vessel is 89.4 meters long and 12.67 meters wide with a cargo capacity of 3800 tons. According to plant General Director Petro Blindar, the design and construction of the vessel were done concurrently, and alongside the construction of the completely welded hull some equipment made at the plant was installed aboard the vessel.

“We would very much like to build such vessels for Ukraine, for as of today there are none on the Dnipro,” Mr. Blindar said, but so far this dream cannot come true with the state unable to afford it. Thus Lenin’s Smithy is 100% export oriented, which, of course is advantageous to the plant where all back wages have been paid (workers receive UAH 430 on the average). Having made a breakthrough on the shipbuilding market, Kyiv shipbuilders, Mr. Poroshenko said, now can themselves choose their customers. There will be enough work for all. Shortly one more vessel will come off the stocks of Lenin’s Smithy. The shipbuilders are in a hurry to finish it before the end of the navigation season, The Day’s correspondent Petro IZHYK reports.