Monuments of Tolyatti
Monument - U.Gromovoj's high relief

Uljana Gromova (1924-1943) - the Hero of Soviet Union, a member of a staff of the underground Komsomol organization "Young guards" of Krasnodon, struggling with the enemy in days of the Great Patriotic War. Young heroes extended leaflets, made diversions, helped to run the prisoner of war, relieved of stealing in slavery youth, destroyed fascists. The Gestapo was possible to open the organization and to arrest underground workers. But молодогвардейцы and in torture chambers have kept will, inflexibility of spirit. Each of them - a resistance symbol, the wall which has risen before the enemy. Been lost, they have found immortality.

Names молодогвардейцев had been named streets of Komsomol area: Sergey Tjulenina's streets, Ljubovi Shevtsovoj, Oleg Koshevogo, Uljany Thunderous. U.Gromovoj's high relief is opened on May, 6th, 1988. The author - sculptor Martynov Lev Semenovich. The customer - the Volga specialized association "Sojuzgidrospetsstroj" (1984). A material - shod copper.

The project

"Companion" intended for high-speed passenger transportations on the rivers and water basins on routes in the extent to 600 km. The author of the project 329 was the known Soviet designer of hydrofoils Alekseev R. E.

In 1960 the vessel contract design has been approved by board of the Ministry of river fleet of RSFSR. According to the project, rowing screws have been located ahead of a wing. For reduction of weight of a vessel it built not of a steel, and from an aljuminievo-magnesian alloy.

Operation possibility was planned at excitement to 8 points. Passengers took place in three salons with aviation armchairs.
To [correct] History

In 1961 at factory Red Sormovo the skilled copy has been constructed. At the moment of construction it was the world's largest on capacity the river craft of this kind.

In the central Soviet newspaper "Truth" in article from October, 12th, 1961 it was informed on "Companion": «the biggest in the world the passenger steam-ship on underwater wings„ the Companion “— the labor gift of ship builders of" Red Sormova “to XXII congress of the CPSU — has arrived yesterday to Moscow».

At first it was maintained on a line Bitter — Tolyatti. In its 1965 have translated on a line Kuibyshev — Kazan. The fact deep vessel deposits that didn't allow to use effectively it in upper courses of Volga became an explanation for transfer. However the vessel any more hasn't finished this navigation, it passed in Tolyatti only three months.

Captains:

    * Poluektov V. G — the winner of the Lenin award
    * Belodvortsev E.A.
    * Samorukov S.I.
Lacks

4 engines consumed a lot of combustible and its operation has appeared the extremely unprofitable. Besides, from four working diesel engines the strong vibration leading to frequent breakages proceeded.

The engine room settled down between passenger salons and under minirestaurant. Noise and vibration strongly reduced comfort of passengers.

By results of pre-production operation of court of the project 329 to a batch production haven't gone.


In one of flights the vessel has faced with топляком then some years have staid in ship-repair factory. One of engines has seriously suffered, and on purchase new means weren't. The vessel remains afloat, but has lost a course and didn't rise on a wing. It was offered to cut it on scrap metal, but other decision was accepted. A vessel have established on a pedestal on quay in Tolyatti.

In 2005 in the youth center located in a vessel there was a fire in which result internal furnish has burned out.


    * Slava63 СПК the Companion - strange destiny of the river winged giant. A forum river путушественников (on March, 05th 2008). — History of a vessel and archival photos. It is checked up on April, 4th 2008.
    * Open Society "ЦКБ on СПК of R.E.Alekseeva" - the central design office on hydrofoils of R.E.Alekseeva
    * Hydrofoils on a site «Russian river crafts»
    * Shipbuilding - Hydrofoils
    * ФПГ "High-speed fleet" - Hydrofoils
    * "Rocket", "Meteor", "Comet", "Companion". Passenger ships on underwater wings. From space names to space speeds
    * the Chronicle of passenger-carrying fleet 1960
    * the Chronicle of passenger-carrying fleet 1961
    * From history of hydrofoils
    * Hydrofoils
    * the Illustration "River craft" Companion "" in the Big Soviet encyclopedia
    * 1961.