Felix Dzerjinsky

[shipstamps]

The 20k. stamp shows the Felix Dzerjinsky on passenger service from Odessa to Latakia and Alexandria. She is one of three Russian vessels bearing this name. Built in 1958, she is practically a sister to the Mikhail Kalinin. Vessels of about 4,722 gross tons on dimensions 400.9 ft. x 52.6 ft. x 17 ft., they are driven by two M.A.N. oil engines, each of six cylinders, from the Rostok Diesel Motor Works. The Mikhail Kalinin was placed on the Leningrad-London service when completed to meet the requirements of expanding traffic and berthed at Tilbury for the first time on September 15, 1958. Early in 1959 she went to the Antarctic and is, I imagine, the first passenger liner of any nation to have made such a voyage. She was built at the MathiasThesen Werft, Wismar.
SG2327 Sea Breezes May 1960

[FrenchShips]

Tons: 4871 DWT: 1357 Yard No: 102 Length overall: 122.2
Ship Design: LPP: 110.0 Beam: 16.0
Builder: Mathias-Thesen Wismar 1959
Black Sea shipping Co Odessa to Batum then transferred to the Far East service from Nakhoda to Yokohama.
1975 upgraded as Turkmenistan for cruise work.
The superstructure was also extended to the stern, for an outdoor swimming pool with lido area, and an extra lounge
CTC also chartered Feliks Dzerzhinsky.
In February 1977 Feliks Dzerzhinsky began cruising out of Fremantle then went to Fiji and from 28 May until 13 August 1978 was based on Lautoka, passengers flying from Australia to join the ship. Felix Dzerzhinsky later came to Sydney for cruises until late in 1979 when the charter ended, and she returned to the Nakhodka service.
In 1992, Dzerzhinsky was sold to interests from mainland China, and renamed. EXCELSIOR NEPTUNE. In January 1993 the vessel sink while beeing towed from Hong Kong to Canton.

[aukepalmhof]

Russian envelope issued in 1959 and 1960