Mikhail Kalinin Class Soviet Luxury Cruise Ship Litva Russian Souvenier Pin

Mikhail Kalinin Class Soviet Luxury Cruise Ship Litva Russian Souvenier PinMikhail Kalinin Class Soviet Luxury Cruise Ship Litva Russian Souvenier Pin Product Description : Mikhail Kalinin Class Soviet Luxury Cruise Ship Litva Russian Souvenier Pin A pretty metal badge with a 2.5cm wide badge face and a long, stick pin style fastener to the rear. The pin depicts the 'Litva', a Soviet cruise liner. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Built in 1960 as M.S. Litva of BLASCO, by the Mathias-Thesen Shipyard in then East Germany. She was one of six Mikhail Kalinin class coastal liners built by the same shipyard between 1958 and 1964. Originally, she was designed to be a coastal liner, easy and profitable to operate between Soviet and European ports in coastal regions. However, with changing trends in the eighties, she was also used for low budget cruising all throughout Europe and North Africa.In 1991, she was going to be sold to Odessa Sun Ltd., Malta and was going to be renamed M.S. Odessa Dream, but that never materialized. In 1994, she was renamed M.S. Boguchar to serve between Odessa and Istanbul but that never turned into a succesfull operation. Already a 35 year old vessel then, she was sold to Fujian shipping of Hong Kong for scrap and renamed M.S. Fujian. There were rumors that she got scrapped in the Far East in 1995 but a February 2002 article that appeared in West Coast Sailors of San Francisco, California, reports that she was still afloat then, under the name of M.S. Green Coast. Apparently, she is in very bad shape, soon to be scrapped, if not already. Postage and Packing : The item will be sent by airmail from The Czech Republic. Please allow 3-4 days delivery time to Europe and up to 7 days worldwide. Enamel Pin Badge(s)$3.99 Payment Methods : I prefer payment by Paypal Direct Bank Transfer - details available on request No personal checks please. Warranty Terms :This pin is in the condition described above and as photographed. If you are in any way dissatisfied I will happily discuss any problems you have via email. I always strive to provide an excellent service.