Nautical education in russia

To provide the Merchant Marine with qualified personnel there are three types of Nautical institutions: nautical schools, colleges and state maritime academies. There are also institutes of Merchant Marine Engineers to train shore personnel.

Nautical schools train deck and engine-room ratings. Nautical colleges train junior officers for Merchant Marine. State Maritime Academies train merchant marine senior officers.

All the nautical colleges and maritime academies are supported by the state. Education in nautical colleges is free of charge and the cadets get scholarships (grants).

All ship and shore personnel, who wish to continue their studies can study by correspondence. A correspondence course is longer and is to be paid for.

Colleges and maritime academies are equipped with up-to-date training facilities: simulators, computers, laboratories and so on.

During the whole course of study the cadets are taught English. It is a special subject.

I study at the Novorossiysk Maritime Academy. There are three faculties at our Academy: the Navigation Faculty, the Marine Engineering Faculty and the Economic Faculty.

Our cadets have their shipboard training for developing practical skills aboard the ships of different shipping companies.

A marine engineer`s duty

Engine-room of a merchant ship has the following personnel: chief engineer, second engineer, third engineer and fourth engineer.

All ship engineers are responsible for keeping in order all the machinery.

The chief engineer is free of watch. His main task is to ensure general leadership. He is responsible for the safety of the power plant and buying bunker and technical supplies in ports.

The engineer on watch must be usually present in the Engine Control Room and supervise the readings of all instruments, pressure gauges and devices. He must properly

fulfill the orders from the bridge.

From time to time the engineer on duty must go to the engine room and inspect the machinery. If he detects some trouble such as vibration of any gearing or pump, high temperature of oil in the bearings, oil leakage from a pipeline, absence of cooling water in a tank and so on, he must do everything possible to prevent damage.

The second engineer is responsible for the main diesel engine or main turbine, reduction gears, propeller shaft and so on.

The third engineer is responsible for boilers, fuel oil tanks, compressors, separators and some other machinery. He is in charge of receiving bunker. The fourth engineer is responsible for all the deck mechanisms.

The port of Novorossiysk

Novorossiysk was founded in 1838 on the coast of the beautiful Tsemes Bay. Before that it was a Turkish fortress named Sudzuck.

Novorossiysk is a small town, its population is about 200 thousand people.

A glorious chapter in the town's history was the 265 day defence of the Malaya Zemlya, during the Second World War. You can see many monuments devoted to this event. Novorossiysk is awarded the title of the Hero City. It has the order of the Great Patriotic War and the order of the October Revolution.

Now days the Hero City of Novorossiysk is a big industrial center with world known cement plants. The cement the quality of which is very high is а main itern export.

Novorossiysk is a big seaport. The Novorossiysk Shipping Company has got about 120 ships, mostly tankers. About 20,000 people work in the Novorossiysk Shipping Company.

The seaport is very well equipped with modern cranes, derricks and loaders. The port is very large, it consists of 4 harbours : the dry – cargo harbor, the fisher harbor, the Shcheschans Oil Harbour, а timber harbour. The main items of export are: oil, cement, timber machinery, metal scraps and so on. The main items of import are: coffee, sugar, food products, grain and so on. There is also a big ship-repairing plant which providers all kinds of repairs to ships.