Cruise vacation in the USSR

• The cruise vacation in the USSR

In spite of the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union were still a niche, which includes foreigners was not banned. One of these niches are cruises on Soviet ships. Citizens of the Soviet Union, too, were not deprived of the benefits of civilization: selected could go on a cruise, so that at least for a short while to live "life abroad."

In this issue you will find pictures of booklets 70-80s touting cruise vacation, a subspecies of the western Soviet life on cruise ships.

In Soviet times, when travel abroad was a rare and incredible symbol of prestige cruises were very popular among Soviet citizens. Of course, mostly concerned not sea cruises and river - in the first place on the Volga and its tributaries.

These cruises were very popular among the citizens of the USSR, since the vouchers were distributed through trade unions and battered employees of large enterprises is much cheaper than the real value of only 30%. Sometimes discounts reached 90-95%. Rest paid by the unions and the state.

In a very large personal ties, or (for special achievements in work) on trade union lines could buy a ticket to the sea cruise - on the Black and Mediterranean seas. It is in this cruise was lucky to get the hero Yuri Nikulin from the beloved film "The Diamond Arm". Caressed fate of the lucky ones might even get to travel around Japan Sea and along the coast of West Africa.

The choice of the capitalist countries for tours was small: a year to send multiple groups in Finland, especially favorites - sea cruise "Around Europe" or "Mediterranean", tourists easier - cruise "on the Danube", one or two group year sent to France or England, Austria, Canada, the United States. Sometimes there were exotic tours, for example, in 1961 - "In Africa", in 1962 - India, in 1969 - "Tunisia, Algeria, Cuba," in 1972 - a cruise around Japan.

The cost of permits was different. Cruise around Europe on one of the most comfortable while liners "Shota Rustaveli" costs about 500-800 rubles (depending on the cabin class). Cruise around West Africa on the ship "Bashkiria" was worth from 600 to 827 rubles plus the road to Odessa and the purchase of currency at 24 rubles.

Such was the standard cabin on the Soviet cruise ship.

The history of the Soviet sea tourism started in 1957 when the "Intourist" rented two boats - "Victory" and "Georgia", which is carried by sea and traveling around Europe and Odessa in Leningrad. Incidentally, it was on the "Victory" were shooting the famous comedy "The Diamond Arm" - it acted as the ship "Mikhail Svetlov".

In the 50 boat "Peter" started a Black Sea cruises for tourists from the socialist countries. In the photo: German holidaymakers on the ship "Belarus".

a serious cultural and excursion program was prepared for foreign tourists during these cruises.

The monopolist in the Soviet travel market "Intourist" was engaged in the organization of not only group tours, but also individual sea and river cruises, trips to foreign resorts USSR and of Soviet citizens - to foreign resorts. Arranged and exclusive tours, such as hunting.

In order to advertise tourist trips to the Soviet Union "Intourist" published tourist brochures, leaflets, posters, promotional tourism films, spent advertising on radio and television, as well as through the Soviet and foreign press.