The new bulk carriers were named after the soldiers who hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag

A solemn ceremony was held at the Zvezda shipbuilding complex to lay the foundation stone for two bulk carriers named after Heroes of the Soviet Union Mikhail Egorov and Meliton Kantaria. The symbolic event is timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Rosneft said.

Egorov and Kantaria went down in history as scouts of the 756th Infantry Regiment, who hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag on May 1, 1945. For this feat, they were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union.

The Mikhail Egorov and Meliton Kantaria bulk carriers, 229 m long and 34.5 m wide, are designed for the transportation of bulk cargo. Cutting of parts for them started in February of this year. "Mikhail Egorov" and "Meliton Kantaria" will become the first in a series of five coal transportation vessels under construction at the SSC Zvezda.

The Zvezda shipbuilding complex is being created in the city of Bolshoy Kamen, Primorsky Krai, on behalf of the president. The project operator is PJSC NK Rosneft. The shipyard has more than 60 orders in its portfolio, and 12 vessels have already been launched.