MS Ivan Bunin

Built as Aleksey Vatchenko, MS Bunin is one of Russia's renowned "Project 302" river cruise ships.

Dmitriy Furmanov-class Russian river ships

The "Dmitriy Furmanov class" (also known as "Project 302") consists of four series of Russian river cruise ships built in the GDR (East Germany) for the USSR between 1983 and 1992. The class is named after the Russian writer and Bolshevik commissar Dmitriy Andreyevich Furmanov (1891–1926).

A total of 27 vessels were constructed by VEB Elbewerft Boizenburg Shipyard. They represent an upgraded and larger version of the earlier Project 301 (Vladimir Ilyich-class) riverboats. These ships operated passenger (cruise) services across northwestern parts of the USSR—on the Volga, Belomorkanal, Kama, Amur, and Dnieper rivers, as well as on Lake Onega, the Volga–Don Canal, the Black Sea (coastal voyages), and the Yangtze River in China. After the USSR’s dissolution in 1991, all vessels were transferred to private ownership, both Russian and foreign.

"Project 302" ship technology

"Project 302" ships feature the following specifications:

• Length (LOA): 129 m (423 ft)
• Width: 17 m (55 ft)
• DWT: 3,852 tons
• V-shaped hulls (series differ by external design details, window shape—rectangular or rounded—and wheelhouse headlights)
• Five decks (four for passengers)
• Originally designed for 332 passengers and 98 crew members, featuring all-outside cabins (1-, 2-, or 3-bed). Onboard facilities included two restaurants (180 and 80 seats), a café bar (79 seats with dance floor), two bar lounges, a 102-seat cinema, a 75-seat music hall with bar, a 75-seat observation lounge with bar, sauna, souvenir shop, hair salon, massage salon, library, hospital (first-aid room), and a 360-degree promenade deck with 100 outdoor seats and a sports area.
• Powerplant: three 4-stroke marine diesel engines (model 6ЧРН 36/45, also known as ЭГ70-5) with turbochargers, delivering a total output of 2.2 MW.
• Propulsion: three bow thrusters.
• Cabins were originally configured as single, double, and quad (1-, 2-, or 3-bed) rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom.
• During modernization, cabins were enlarged, and new categories such as suites were introduced. Quad cabins were fitted with two upper Pullman (wall-mounted) beds.
• All vessels of this class have undergone full refurbishments and upgrades for both domestic and international cruise operators. During these multi-million-dollar overhauls, passenger capacity was reduced to enhance comfort and safety.

Project 302 ships

First series vessels:

• Dmitriy Furmanov (1983, Дмитрий Фурманов)
• Akademik Viktor Glushkov (1983, now Igor Stravinsky / Игорь Стравинский)
• Novikov-Priboy (1983, now Sergei Rachmaninov)
• Aleksey Surkov (1984, now Viking Helgi)
• Konstantin Simonov (1984, Константин Симонов)
• Leonid Sobolev (1985, Леонид Соболев)
• Mikhail Sholokhov (1985, Михаил Шолохов)

Second series vessels:

• Aleksey Vatchenko (1985, now Ivan Bunin)
• Yuriy Andropov (1986, Юрий Андропов)
• Zosima Shashkov (1986, Зосима Шашков)
• General Vatutin (1986, Генерал Ватутин)
• MS Russ (1987, Русь)
• MS Lenin (1987, Ленин)
• Sergey Kirov (1987, now Viking Truvor)
• Marshal Rybalko (1988, now Zirka Dnipra / Dnieper Princess)
• Marshal Koshevoy (1988, now Viking Akun)
• Georgy Chicherin (1988, Георгий Чичерин)
• Leonid Krasin (1989, Леонид Красин)
• Nikolay Bauman (1989, now Knyazhna Anastasia)
• General Lavrinenkov (1990, Генерал Лавриненков)
• Narkom Pakhomov (1990, now Viking Ingvar)

Third series vessels:

• Gleb Krzhizhanovskiy (1990, Глеб Кржижановский)
• Maxim Litvinov (1991, Максим Литвинов)

Fourth (final) series vessels:

• Taras Shevchenko (September 1991, now TG Shevchenko)
• Konstantin Stanyukovich (October 1991, now Princess Jeannie / Xian Ni) – Regal China Cruises
• Arkadiy Gaydar (November 1991, now Princess Sheena / Xian Na) – Regal China Cruises
• Aleksandr Grin (December 1991, now Princess Elaine / Xian Ting) – Regal China Cruises
• Vladimir Vysotsky (planned, hull built in 1996, launched in 2003 as "Ocean Diva Original")