Fiery Voyages

The reissue of Georgy Rudnev's legendary documentary and fiction work "Fiery Voyages," dedicated to the seafarers and ships of the Far Eastern Shipping Company who transported strategic cargo across the Pacific Ocean during the Great Patriotic War, was presented in Vladivostok. 

A book of remembrance of the heroism of merchant marine seafarers was immediately added to the library of cadets - members of the shop trade union organization of the Primary Organization of Vladivostok of the Seafarers' Union of Russia at the  Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy. 

According to Yana Vasina, a second-year cadet in the 14th company of the navigation faculty and a member of the shop trade union organization of the Primary Organization of Vladivostok of the Seafarers' Union of Russia at the  Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy, who attended the book presentation, this event became an important lesson of history and professional succession for future seafarers. 

"The fighting spirit and fortitude of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers serve as an example for the current generation of cadets. This inspires us to hold on tighter to our chosen profession, which remains significant over the years," she noted. 

The publication, which was released to commemorate the 145th anniversary of FESCO and the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, tells the tales of people whose acts of labor heroism have become ingrained in the history of the Far East. The author, G. Rudnev, who worked as a radio operator on the steamship Vanzetti during the war, describes in detail how the seafarers risked their lives daily.

"The ships of the Far Eastern Shipping Company carried almost half of all the Allies' supplies to the USSR. This was a true feat. Of those voyages, 25 ships never returned to port, and more than 400 of our seafarers gave their lives for the Great Victory," Petr Ivanov, General Director of FESCO Transport Group, emphasized. 

The text of "Fiery Voyages" is also supplemented by an essay on the life of its author, Georgy Rudnev, and new facts discovered in the 35 years since its last publication. Author Vasily Avchenko, who served as the third edition's editor, discussed the book's laborious process, pointing out that the reprint was the product of a whole team of experts and was crucial to maintaining historical memory.

A print run of 1,200 copies was published. FESCO will donate these copies to schools, libraries, and social institutions in Primorsky Kray so that the younger generation can learn about the heroism of merchant marine seafarers.