Cruise vacation in the USSR

Despite the iron curtain, there were still niches in the Soviet Union, into which the entrance to foreigners was not prohibited. One of these niches was sea cruises on Soviet motor ships. The citizens of the USSR were also not deprived of the benefits of civilization: the elected could go on a cruise in order to at least briefly live a “foreign life”.In this issue, you will find photos from booklets of the 70-80s, advertising cruise rest, a certain subspecies of Western life on Soviet cruise vessels. In the days of the USSR, when a trip abroad was a rarity and a symbol of incredible prestige, cruises were very popular among Soviet citizens. Of course, basically this did not concern sea cruises, but river ones - primarily along the Volga and its tributaries. Such cruises were very popular among citizens of the USSR, since the vouchers spread through trade union organizations and went to employees of large enterprises much cheaper than the real cost, in just 30%. Sometimes discounts reached 90-95%. The rest of the amount was paid by trade unions and the state. According to a very large blat or (for special achievements in work) along the trade union line it was possible to purchase a ticket to the sea cruise - along the Black and Mediterranean Seas. It was in such a cruise that the hero Yuri Nikulin from all his favorite film “Diamond Hand” was lucky to get. The lucky ones could even get on the sea trips around Japan and along the coast of West Africa. The choice of capitalist countries for tourist arrows was small: several groups to Finland were sent annually, especially elected to the sea cruise “Around Europe” or “On the Mediterranean Sea”, tourists simpler-to the cruise “according to Danube”, one or two of the group were sent to France or England, Austria, Canada, the USA. Sometimes there were exotic tours: for example, in 1961 - “according to the countries of Africa”, in 1962 - India, in 1969 - “Tunisia, Algeria, Cuba”, in 1972 - a cruise around Japan. The cost of vouchers was different. The cruise around Europe on one of the most comfortable at that time the shota Rustaveli liners cost 500-800 rubles (depending on the class of the cabin). A cruise around West Africa on the Bashkiria boat cost from 600 to 827 rubles plus a road to Odessa and buying a currency for 24 rubles. This was the standard cabin on the Soviet cruise boat. The history of Soviet naval tourism began in 1957, when Intourist rented two vessels - “Victory” and “Georgia”, on which sea trips around Europe and Odessa were carried out to Leningrad. By the way, it was on the “Victory” that the film “Diamond hand” was shooting - in it the ship acted as “Mikhail Svetlov”. In the 50s, the ship "Peter the Great" began to conduct Black Sea cruises for tourists from socialist. In the photo: German vacationers on the ship "Belarusia". For foreign tourists, a serious cultural and excursion program was prepared during such cruises. The monopolist in the Soviet tourist market “Intourist” was engaged in organizing not only group tours, but also individual sea and river cruises, traveling foreigners to the resorts of the USSR, and Soviet citizens to foreign resorts. Exclusive tours were also arranged, for example for hunting. In order to advertise tourist trips to the Soviet Union, Intourist published tourist avenues, booklets, posters, advertising tourist films, conducted advertising on radio and television, as well as through the Soviet and foreign press. From 1956 to 1985, the USSR visited more than 70 million foreigners from 162 countries, although not everyone came as tourists. See also - the happiest pensioner on earth Did you know that we have Telegram? Subscribe if you are a connoisseur of beautiful photos and interesting stories!

Cruise vacation in the USSR

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