An updated ferry is operating in the urban settlement of Surazh, Vitebsk region
As reported by Sergey Dmitriev, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee, the main reason for the ferry's modernization is the ability to transport oversized equipment. This is because agricultural branches of Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Factory OJSC are located on both banks of the Western Dvina, and the production base of the Surazh Forestry is situated there. Since the end of last autumn, the ferry was built at the shipyards of river workers in Vitebsk and Rechitsa, Gomel region. At the end of March, both parts were delivered by trailers to the "Vitebskvodtrans" support point in Lushcha on the Western Dvina. Specialists from the Pinsk Ship Repair Plant participated in the docking of the pontoons. Then, the ferry, with the help of a tugboat, covered 30 km to Surazh. After adjustment work, traffic on the crossing opened in early May, and now there is no need to make a detour of almost 100 km to transport oversized equipment.
From history
As Alexander Velitchenko, Chairman of the Surazh Village Council, told us, the ferry crossing appeared in the urban settlement (which then had the status of a district center) immediately after the war. It was powered by manual traction – meaning the ferryman tightened the cable with a wooden lever, gradually moving it. The work was not easy, and by the time you got from one pier (berth) to another, you could break a sweat. This method was practiced until the 1970s, when mechanization arrived in the form of a tractor engine. By the way, during the war, the Germans, with the labor of Soviet prisoners of war, built a wooden bridge in Surazh. But soon, partisans blew it up, preventing the strategic structure from being used for a long time.
Currently, over 900 people live in Surazh, with one-tenth residing on the right bank. While they can go to the store without "stepping into the water," all other social infrastructure (rural council, post office, school, bank) is located across the river. Therefore, a ferry is essential. During the summer, the crossing also serves the right-bank summer residents. They prefer to reach their properties from the left bank when coming from Vitebsk, as it is a shorter car route than going through Tarasenkі.
Without a Ticket
The crossing is free for everyone. Operations begin at 6:00 AM from the left bank, with the last trip from the right bank at 10:30 PM. The ferry makes eighteen round trips a day. The schedule is arranged so that people can catch the Surazh – Vitebsk buses. However, emergency services (ambulance, fire department, police, gas and electricity emergency crews) can necessitate schedule adjustments. Upon hearing a signal, ferry operators are obliged to urgently transport operational vehicles to the required bank, regardless of their current location. An entry is made in the logbook to account for fuel consumption. Incidentally, at night, the ferry operates on a standby basis, also for emergency services.
According to Oleg Kulinchik, the master of the Surazh section of "Vitraykomkhoz," the ferry takes about eight minutes to reach the opposite bank in calm weather, depending on the load. A strong headwind can extend the journey to 15-20 minutes due to the vessel's large sail area. The ferry's passport capacity is 26 passengers. A canopy is provided for them, and large blocks are placed on the deck for seating while maintaining social distancing. A full set of rescue equipment, including lifebuoys and vests, is available. Vehicle drivers must remain in their cabins; there have been instances in the past where cars rolled off.
Among the ferry passengers, the correspondent of "VV" met the director of the Surazh Forestry, Nikolai Kozlov. He said that the modernized crossing has significantly improved logistics. On the right bank, there is a woodworking shop and a parking lot for the enterprise's timber trucks. The nearest gas station on that side is only in Ruba, which is about 50 km away (there is a gas station on the left side of the town). The ferry's carrying capacity allows direct transportation of timber to the workshop from the Surazh and Brigitpol forestry, whereas previously it was necessary to make an 80 km detour.
Crew
Four shifts work on the ferry, each consisting of an engineer and a shore worker. Alexander Tishkin is considered the most experienced specialist. In 1992, he trained as a second mate. He applied his knowledge in a service that installs and maintains water and shore markers, which help navigators choose the correct route. He recalls that at that time, they had to travel along the Western Dvina to Velizh, Russia. Then he worked as a lumberjack, a road worker, and ten years ago, he returned to the river. For most of the year, Alexander Tishkin operates the ferry from the cabin of the tractor installed on it. During high water in spring and autumn, he moves to the helm of the "Titanic" boat, designed to carry ten passengers. This vessel was manufactured in Russia in 1991, and a year later it was delivered to Surazh. Local utility workers, despite prejudices, named it the same as the most famous ship in the world. Last winter, which did not cover the river with ice, allowed the "Titanic" to transport people almost without interruption for the entire cold season for the first time in its history.
The veteran ferryman is also considered to be shore worker Alexey Koptelov, who has been working on the river since 2004. His duties include turning on the hydraulics to raise the ramps (platforms for lifting and lowering vehicles), clearing them of stones, and handling all хозяйственные (household/maintenance) matters, including, if necessary, stoking the stove on the vessel. By the way, in the cold season, the ferrymen invite elderly passengers and children to their service room to warm up.
The River is Wide
After the construction of the Vitebsk HPP dam, the Western Dvina in Surazh became noticeably fuller and wider than in the regional center. In the past, in summer, the riverbed was visible, every pebble could be seen. In some places, daredevils crossed the river, and even a tractor crossed without getting its engine wet. Now the depth here is up to 3 m.
The ferry connects two Surazh streets – Komsomolskaya and Kotchenko (Fyodor Kotchenko was a native of the village of Smakovo, former Surazh district, a participant in the partisan movement in the Gomel region, Hero of the Soviet Union). Last year, queues sometimes formed at the crossing, and additional trips had to be introduced. This year, the ferry's doubled capacity should help avoid inconvenience.
The length of the current mobile crossing is 47 m, the width is 23 m, and the carrying capacity is 120 tons. The project was financed by budgetary funds, and its total cost is about 1 million rubles.
Sergey LYASHUK, photos by the author, "Vitebskiye Vesti".