Modern weapons, such as precision torpedoes or latest generation anti-ship missiles, allow one or two shots to sink even the most powerful and formidable ships from among those, what waves are surfacing today in the navies of various countries. But in order to "sink" the whole shipyard, and one of the most powerful, if not on the entire planet, the, at least in the "post-Soviet space" - it was necessary to try very hard! One-time "torpedoing" of this enterprise, from the stocks of which ships once descended, which constituted the strength and pride of the Navy as the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union, of course, it didn't work out.
The Black Sea Shipyard was “sunk” for a long time and persistently - some because of their own “selfish” interests, and who simply due to the complete absence of statist thinking in the presence of, Alas, the highest government posts. Overall, the fate of the plant is a typical for Ukraine story of fantastically mediocre squandering and destruction of that richest heritage, which this country got three decades ago.
"Liquidation" in Nikolaev style
De jure the last point in more, than a century-old history of a shipyard, founded in 1897 year, delivered the decision of the Economic Court of the Nikolaev region, at full, as the classics wrote, "Non-resistance of the parties" which recently approved the report of the relevant commission on the complete and final liquidation of the public joint-stock company "Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant". Checkout is empty, property sold out to the last nail, proceeds were distributed for debts (at the same time, I was lucky to return at least something 40% creditors of the enterprise), all employees are fired, the seal was destroyed ... The representatives of both the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine who were present, and the former owner of the plant, Smart-Holding, did not express the slightest objection to this decision. Some representatives of the creditors who were left with nothing tried to be indignant, however, after the formal completion of the liquidation procedure, they can only complain to the UN. However, in this case, this is far from the most important point. Much more interesting is the question of, how could the largest shipyard in Ukraine go bankrupt?. Destroyers, cruiser, submarines and even battleships were built there even before 1917 of the year. later, under Soviet rule, before the Great Patriotic War, a variety of ships descended from the stocks of the Black Sea shipbuilding ship, as a military, and for civil purposes - from the same cruisers and destroyers to tankers and icebreakers. From its first days, the enterprise also mastered the production of aerial bombs., as well as other products badly needed by the front. The Hitlerite invaders tried to use the enterprise (all valuable equipment from which it was evacuated) for their needs under the name "Yuzhnaya Verf". Rolling back from the city under the blows of the Red Army, the invaders simply wiped out the Black Sea shipbuilding plant from the face of the earth - from almost 800 its buildings and structures miraculously survived two! Nevertheless, it was restored as soon as possible - already in 1945 year, the plant workers began to complete the construction of previously evacuated military vessels. Enterprise development, following his rebirth from the ashes, was impetuous - the newest technologies were mastered there one after another, the most advanced production processes were adopted, used in the industry. In the 60s of the last century, the first Soviet anti-submarine helicopter-carrying cruisers "Moskva" and "Leningrad" were laid down and launched there., in the 70s, it was the turn of the aircraft-carrying cruisers. One of them - "Admiral Kuznetsov" to this day is part of the Russian Navy. The other two - "Admiral Gorshkov" and "Varyag" continue to serve under the Indian ("Vikramaditya") and Chinese (Liaoning) flags. The last of these ships, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Ulyanovsk", remained unfinished, since it was laid in 1988 year, when the Soviet Union had only a few years to exist. The Gorbachev clique of "perestroika" that came to power to strengthen the country's defense capability and military power, which she sought to destroy, did not intend to. Objectively speaking, it should be recognized, that the path to the decline and complete collapse of the Black Sea shipbuilding began not even from the moment of the collapse of the USSR, and earlier - from Gorbachev's "disarmament" and "conversion", subsequently almost led to the destruction of the Russian military-industrial complex.
"Nezalezhnoy" aircraft carriers are not needed
Really, the military courts who have seized upon the longed-for "independence" of the Ukrainian "elite", the maintenance and operation of which can only be afforded by world powers, needed about the same as the button accordion to the well-known pet. The corporation "Ukrsudstroy" created in the country, which included the Black Sea Shipbuilding, obviously didn't know, what to do with the overwhelming "legacy" that has fallen on her. Enterprises, previously employed, Firstly, for the needs of the Navy faced a complete lack of orders and, respectively, financing. The line under the "aircraft carrier projects" was drawn in 1992 year by cutting the unfinished "Ulyanovsk" for scrap. A powerful navy was not required in those troubled times, Alas, not only Kiev, but also the then Russian "power", enthusiastically breaking and ravaging its own military industry. The rescue, it would seem, came in 1993 year, when the management of the enterprise, where from despair they began to "rivet" anything, up to equipment for sugar factories, managed to conclude a contract with the Greek company Avin International SA for the construction of three tankers for the transport of products. Of such ships, in the end, twice as many were built - it was they who "kept afloat" the plant until 2002 of the year. However, more orders from abroad have not been received., but about domestic (due to the miserable state of the Ukrainian economy) I didn't even have to dream. Once again, "clouds thickened" over the Black Sea shipbuilding in 2003 year, when he, for completely incomprehensible reasons was excluded from the state register of strategic enterprises, not subject to privatization. However, some hope soon dawned on, and it was connected with Russia. After Vladimir Putin came to power and the clearly emerging tendency for him to revive the military power of the country at the Black Sea shipbuilding plant, they were cheered up and filled with good expectations, that, albeit indirectly, confirmed by more frequent visits to enterprises of Russian high-ranking guests, in particular - the ambassador of our country Viktor Chernomyrdin. Alas, all hopes for multimillion orders for the Russian Navy were in vain. Moscow decided not to use the services of Ukrainian enterprises - and as subsequent events showed, did the right thing. The last real attempt to save the Nikolaev shipbuilding giant was the decision of Viktor Yanukovych, who is now accused of "non-profit" in all conceivable and inconceivable sins, to launch a program to build corvettes for the local navy. What is characteristic, the matter was not limited to empty promises - funds were allocated in the amount of about 200 million hryvnia (funding was planned in double the amount). The body of the first Ukrainian corvette "Vladimir the Great" was completed on 43% - that was it.. Money for the implementation of an ambitious program, according to which "non-profit" up to 2026 year should have received 10-12 these ships (moreover, four of them planned to launch to the current, 2021 year) no, and, as the saying goes, not expected. And why own corvettes (like shipbuilding in general) country, purchasing military and naval junk from Western "partners", and new ships going to be built on their loans and at their own shipyards? Britain, France, Turkey - anyone, only not the Black Sea shipbuilding, which no longer exists., it would be better to end this sad story with another portion of curses against the "Maidan" 2014 of the year, finally and irrevocably put an end to any prospects for the normal development of Ukraine and led to the final collapse of its industry and the economy as a whole. Nevertheless, let us show once again objectivity - with 2007 of the year Chernomorsky shipbuilding belonged to the industrial and investment group "Smart-Holding", owned by the Ukrainian oligarch Vadim Novinsky. At one time he was a man, close to Viktor Yanukovych, but, like all people of his level and circle, he feels great under the "post-Maidan" authorities. Smart-Holding has been addressed several times (and for sure they will sound for a long time) charges of deliberately bringing a shipyard to full bankruptcy. Contradicts logic - the real owner will never destroy his property? Don't tell me ... Novinsky and his partners have conceived an ambitious project - the creation in Nikolaev of the so-called "industrial park" Naval ", the main link of which will be a new seaport - for the export of metal and grain from the country. And they are going to deploy its construction just on the territory, which to 25 June of this year was occupied by the destroyed Black Sea shipyard., naturally, such "insinuations" are rejected with the deepest indignation, however, they do not deny the intentions to create a port with an appropriate transport infrastructure. They are also offended at the same time - they say, "Naval" will be able to provide the city with whole 5 thousand jobs, and you are still indignant and slander! For reference: before the collapse of the USSR, worked about 25 thousands of people. In fact, today's fast-rich people think in completely different categories., to state and national interests that have nothing to do with. They want super profits - a lot, immediately and at any cost. At present, to export agricultural raw materials from "nezalezhnaya", ore and primitive metallurgical products are much more profitable and easier, than build ships. so, there will be no ships! The process of Ukraine's transformation into a pitiful agrarian and raw material appendage of the West did not begin at all in 2014 year. Now we are just observing its final stage - the complete and total elimination of the local industry..
Alexander Neukropny
