Alrosa

Alrosa Hotels is best known for its former connection with the Lena cruise ship “Mikhail Svetlov.” The hotel company operated the vessel during a period when it ran its own Lena cruises. For a time, the cruise ship thus complemented the business of the Alrosa group, while tourism on the river remained a distinct line of operation alongside the diamond and hotel businesses.

The ship on the Lena

The “Mikhail Svetlov” was built at an Austrian shipyard in 1986. It initially operated in the Ob-Irtysh basin before moving to Yakutsk on the Lena in the late 1980s. Along with its sister ship, the “Demyan Bedny,” it was used for trips downstream as far as Tiksi. These Lena cruises were initially run by Intourist; after a suspension beginning in 1991, they resumed in 1994. After this early period of operations ended, the “Mikhail Svetlov” was temporarily laid up from 1998 as a result of the economic crisis. Alrosa Hotels resumed operations in the early 2000s.

The Lena cruises linked Yakutsk with places in the river’s lower reaches and the Laptev Sea. An itinerary published in 2019 described 14-day round trips from Yakutsk to Tiksi. Stops included the Lena Pillars, Zhigansk, and Kyusyur; Tiksi lies near the Lena’s mouth at the Laptev Sea. On the return journey, the program included stops at Stepanovka and the Arctic Circle, among others. This route made the long stretch of river from Yakutia’s capital to the Arctic coast the centerpiece of the cruise program. The voyage connected Yakutsk with the lower reaches of the long Siberian river and the Arctic coastal region.

Transfer to Lenaturflot

Alrosa Hotels operated the vessel through 2012. In 2013, the Lena United River Shipping Company bought back the “Mikhail Svetlov” and handed it over to Lenaturflot for management; in 2014, Lenaturflot acted as the ship’s tour operator. The sale was part of the disposal of assets that were not central to the Alrosa Group’s core business. The “Mikhail Svetlov” remained a Lena cruise ship, while ownership, management, and tour operations were reassigned. The ship overview and the river cruise regions provide context for the vessel and its waterway; the overview of cruise companies presents operators and tour organizers as separate roles.