From the history of the Georgian Maritime Fleet (based on archival documentary materials preserved in the archive administration)

Abstract

In Georgia, navigation has a long history. Numerous works of Georgian and foreign scientists were dedicated to this issue. After Russia’s conquest of the Georgian coast of the Black Sea, the foundation for the development of long-distance navigation was laid, a Russian maritime-commercial fleet was created, and the restoration and expansion of the maritime routes connecting Europe and Asia began. From 1921, the Batumi port was militarized. At the Batumi port, there existed a Special Administration of the Seas of Transcaucasia, which carried out ship registration and document inspection. Internationally significant conventions ensured the peaceful movement of ships on the Black Sea and the safety of sailors’ lives. Technical requirements were established for all types of maritime transport. Ships were equipped with high-standard radios and warning acoustic signaling systems. All types of hazards, including fire, ship collisions, etc., were considered in the existing convention. The commercial department of the Black Sea coastal fleet had a schedule, calculated in hours and minutes, for incoming and outgoing ships at the Batumi port. Between 1967 and 1974, ships visited ports in 75 foreign countries. Georgia’s maritime navigation was being established from scratch; it had no fleet, lacked necessary material-technical bases, transport management, and personnel. In 1969, 386 ships entered the Batumi port under foreign flags (Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, India, Poland, Finland, Norway, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Romania, Mexico, etc.). Petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, and metals were imported. By 1973, Georgia’s maritime navigation had 40 tankers with a total tonnage of 395. In 1977, foreign currency earnings amounted to 155 thousand manats. On January 8, 1973, Batumi port was recognized as the best among the ports of the Black Sea.