On March 27th, 2014, the important event happened at Nevsky Shipyard. Mikhail Zaborshchikov and the members of his family visited the salvage vessel “SPASATEL ZABORSHCHIKOV”, recently built at Nevsky Shipyard, before her going to the place of permanent location in Vladivostok. Mikhail Zaborshchikov is the honourable worker of Russian Navy, honored rescuer of Baltic BASU and the person after who the vessel was named.
The multipurpose salvage vessel with ice class is unique thanks to her equipment and technical capabilities. Nowadays, the vessel “SPASATEL ZABORSHCHIKOV” together with the sister vessels “SPASATEL KAREV” and “SPASATEL KAVDEYKIN” are the biggest and the most significant vessels built according to Federal Target Program “Development of transport system (2010-2020)”.
This event is obviously unordinary as there are still disputes should vessels be named after living people or the vessel name should be the tribute to the memory of died hero. The salvage vessel is named after living person. This fact is unique for Nevsky Shipyard at which the series of 4 such vessels of MPSV07 project is being built. The salvage vessels are intended for providing assistance to people and vessels in distress, elimination of consequences of accidents at sea in determined search and rescue zones of the Russian Federation. They are named after the best rescuers of Russian Navy.
Mikhail Zaborshchikov is one of the most honourable veterans of our rescue fleet. During half a century of work in the Group Mikhail Zaborshchikov was a diver, diving specialist and chief deputy of the Group on rescue service and underwater technical works. From 1963 to 1968 he was the chairman of Shipboard Personnel Committee of the Baltic Shipping Company. In1972-1974 he participated in the special expedition for cleaning of the port of Chittagong (Bangladesh). Mikhail Zaborshchikov took part in more than 200 rescue and ships lifting operations, including very difficult operations for salvage.
Regardless of the professional activity Mikhail Zaborshchikov was always a model of sailor-rescuer, opinion leader, life of a group. He has fostered high moral and endurance qualities in many rescuers of Baltic BASU by personnel example. Without these qualities a rescuer can’t be real marine rescuer. Many rescuers of Baltic BASU proudly call themselves as pupils of Mikhail Zaborshchikov.
Specialists of Nevsky Shipyard gave a warm welcome to Mikhail Zaborshchikov. 86 years old sailor easily got on the vessel deck up ladder where he was being waited by the Chief Shipbuilder who showed the vessel to the veteran. Mikhail Zaborshchikov was delighted and couldn’t wait to know as more as possible about new high-technology vessel, her functionalities, take a good look at everything, touch equipment and devices like a child. All these equipment differ from those at which he worked at vessels of the middle of the last century.
After the tour during friendly tea drinking in companion cabin Mikhail Zaborshchikov shared his memories about the years of working as rescuer, gladly answered numerous questions of shipbuilders. The Shipyard specialists presented the badge of the crew member of the vessel “SPASATEL ZABORSHCHIKOV” to Mikhail Zaborshchikov and gave water-color drawing of the vessel made by a pupil of Schliesselburg art school and other souvenirs. At the end of the meeting Mikhail Zaborshchikov said with tears: «I haven’t words to express gratitude to the specialist of Nevsky Shipyard who have built such excellent vessel. I wish the vessel crew strength, team spirit, competence and the qualities appropriate to sailor-rescuers such as courage, valour, professionalism.”
If a person deserves that a good vessel takes his name while the person is alive, may be it is worth to do it?...
