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Built in Obuda, Budapest
in 1954
54.4 metres long
Series
732 tug, a standard design at the time for vessels built in the USSR
and Hungary
Originally
called "Plovdiv", this Bulgarian-owned example of a series 732 tug
was rebuilt in 1964-66
to resemble an old DDSG passenger steamer named Radetzky built in 1852 in Obuda
and which
served
until 1913 and was scrapped in 1924 despite attempts by the Bulgarian state
with public subscriptions to buy the by-now derelict ship from the Austrian
owners. The original
Radetzky had an important place in Bulgarian history, having been boarded by
Bulgarian independence fighters at the beginning of a revolt against Turkish
rule in 1876.
The idea to build a "new" Radetzky was prompted
by the up-coming 90th anniverary of the death of the revolutionaty Hristo Botev
who died in combat a few days after using the ship to penetrate into "occupied"
territory and remains one of Bulgaria's most celebrated heroes. A campaign was
started by Mrs Lilyana Lozanova, a newspaper editor and the funds were primarily
obtained from schoolchildren. The ship was recreated using old builders'
plans, drawings and photos of the earlier ship although new passenger saloons were added. Other
information was found which allowed internal fittings and items such as kitchen
utensils to be recreated
as authentically as possible. Some artefacts had been saved from the old Radetzky
and a museum with artefacts relating to Botev's life was created in the first
class saloon. She arrived at Kozloduy on May 30th 1966 to great celebration.
In her new guise she was used for cruises for the Bulgarian
Young Pioneers' Movement. She sailed to Budapest and Vienna in 1966 for official
celebrations of the Botev annivesary, the journey being made with 124 schoolchildren
aboard.
In 1982 she was designated a "national" museum and has
support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture as well as the local authorities
in Kozloduy
The ship got a major refurbishment in between 1988 and 1993
and her steam engines were replaced by twin diesel engines