Steamships from the Dnipro fleet � from the past to the present

Andriy Tsiupa

Abstract— The article is devoted to to the history of the development of the steam?powered fleet at the largest waterway in Ukraine, the Dnipro river: from the construction and start of operation of the first steamboat (1823) and until their withdrawal from the fleet of the river (mid?1980s). Peculiarities of use of steam engines as main engines of river vessels are analyzed; also the need to use them for navigation on small rivers is justified in the article. The history of creation of the most important projects of the improved machine?building equipment and their role in the process of restoration and modernization of the Ukrainian steam fleet, especially after the First and Second World wars, is outlined. The necessity of revival of the tourist passenger fleet on the Dnipro River and some of its tributaries in the present time is substantiated, using steamboats with improved technical characteristics and modern planning of passenger premises.

Key words: Ukraine, steamship, passenger and freight steam river fleet.