Soviet Union was still alive and powerful. And I was young and worked as Radio Officer on general cargo ship Dalnegorsk registered in Far-Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) based in Vladivostok.
Navigation in Arctic ocean is open just for few summer months, and during this time must be supplied all towns, mines and military bases along vast northern coast of Russia. So we came from Vladivostok loaded with thousands of items of cargo. From needles and sausages to machinery and bricks. Dalnegorsk was not big vessel just about 3500 tons deadweight, but designed for arctic voyages and able to go through ice. Not heavy ice of course.
So we sailed from Vladivostok, passed along Kurile Islands, Kamchatka, around Cape Dezhnev, turned west, and here we are - at the mouth of Kolyma River. Several hours up the river, and we dropped anchor at the Cherskiy town. Small port was occupied by another vessel, unloading boxes with bottles. A little bit wine, but mostly vodka. It is not joke about drunken Russians, it was real and practical. During long winter months life is slow down, and population of northern towns do not have much to do, so drinking is one of the main attraction there. Or at least it was so 30 years ago, and I do not think it had changed much since then.
Berth was occupied, we waited at anchor with also not much to do. One of the days we launched our boat and had picnic on one of the islands a few miles from the town.
So photo has nothing to do with abandoned ship and danger. If forgot that after discharging our cargo and sailing from Cherskiy Dalnegorsk went aground in the mouth of Kolyma for two days. But it is already another story...
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