The Ivan Gren: New Landing Ship Finally Raises Its Colors, Fresh Out of the Kaliningrad Shipyards
The ceremony of raising the Russian Naval Ensign on the Ivan Gren landing ship was held in Kaliningrad. The ship was named after a vice admiral, naval gunner, and scientist.
Marina Naumova reports about who accompanied the ship on this day.
The sailors are arranged in formation on the deck of the landing ship. Over the course of the almost 300 years of Russian naval history, every flag raising ceremony on new ships has been celebrated as a national event.
Ivan Gren is the first landing ship built at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. It's now officially a part of the Northern Fleet. Ivan Ivanovich Gren's grandson came for the ceremony. The descendants of the vice admiral, naval gunner, scientist, and soldier who devoted 46 years to serving in the Navy, anxiously waited for this day.
Fyodor Erokhin, Vice-Admiral Ivan Gren's grandson: "To have my grandfather's, our great-grandfather's name on such a beautiful ship is a great honor for all of us. Also, we're very happy to be with the people who made this dream come true".
The keel was laid 14 years ago, the engineers altered the project several times. Initially, the ship was built for inland waterways such as rivers and canals. Eventually, they received an order for an ocean-going landing ship. The ship itself and the height of its construction had to be expanded significantly. Today, Ivan Gren has the greatest tonnage among all of the landing ships in the Russian Navy It can carry 13 tanks or 36 armored carriers, along with hundreds of marines. Besides equipment, they also plan to transport military cargo in the ship's hold.
Viktor Vasilyev, Captain of the Ivan Gren: "We're in the ship's armor hold right now. It's the ship's main weapon, as it's a landing ship. Wheeled and tracked vehicles can both be stored here".
It can deliver a company of fully-equipped marines to their destination, launching the assault either from the sea or onto a beach using pontoons. The ship is equipped with 30-mm six-barreled auto-cannons. Two transport-attack helicopters will be stationed in its hangars.
Viktor Vasilyev: "The ship can perform tasks intended for any landing ship, along with various control vessel tasks".
The sailors call this ship "a floating city". They admire its might and nautical qualities which the crew got to appreciate during tests. Many Baltic and North Sea sailors have dreamed of serving here.
Aleksandr Kazakov, senior helmsman of the Ivan Gren: "There was a lot of competition, every serviceman wanted to be first to serve on this new ship".
Soon, the Ivan Gren will leave Kaliningrad and head to Kronstadt. There, it will participate in the celebration of Day of the Russian Navy. Afterward, it will head to Severomorsk to its permanent base.
Marina Naumova, Evgeny Bekish, Aleksandr Naumov, Pavel Timofeev. Vesti, Kaliningrad.