Isn’t it reminiscent of a Star Wars prop? You can always count on the Soviets to have the most amazing objects left behind.
This rusted monstrosity was formerly a member of a fleet of vessels that sprang out of the water at great speed and were revered as the Russian riverways’ heroes during the Cold War and into the 1980s.
Lead picture (c): Ratmir foundation
The hydrofoil technology employed by the streamlined Soviet passenger boats lifted the boat’s hull out of the water, reducing drag and enabling it to reach amazing speeds of up to 150 km/h.
via Dark Roasted Blend
They were nicknamed Raketas (“Rockets”) and some models were even fitted with airplane turbine engines on each side.
Soviet inventor Rostislav Alexeyev was considered the ‘father’ of modern hydrofoil and nearly 3,000 vessels were built for Russian and Ukranian waterways. Over the years, many different models were introduced with names inspired by the Soviet space age, like “Sputnik”, “Comet”, “Meteor” and “Stormbringer”.
But then came the economic collapse of the Soviet Union and production of the hydrofoils ceased. Vessels were decommissioned, sent to rust away in ship graveyards, like this one in a forest near the city of Perm ↓
(c) Ratmir Base
(c) Ratmir Base
(c) Ratmir Base
Others found their way out of the Soviet Union as far as Vietnam, where the 1970s Voshkod hydrofoil boats are still in service, operating a daily route between the Cat Ba island and the city of Hai Phong.
You can find others still gliding down rivers in Canada, Greece, Yugoslavia, Netherlands, Thailand and Turkey. Here’s one in China…
For many Russians, the hydrofoils are a fond childhood memory from the golden age of Soviet innovation. One wealthy Russian even converted one into a luxury yacht…
via Dark Roasted Blend
This one found a less glamorous fate as a bar inside of what looks like a housing estate in Ukraine ↓
via Dark Roasted Blend
I hope you enjoyed geeking out on these as much as I did. And since we’re on the topic of Soviet behemoths, check these out…
Above: Ekranoplan “Alekseyev A-90 Orlyonok”/ Below: Proposed passenger & cargo shop from”TM” magazine, Russia, 1974
You can find more bizarre bygone maritime inventions over on Dark Roasted Blend.