On 13–15 September, SCF Group held a seminar for its senior officers in Vladivostok. The event was held at the Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University, which is a long-term partner of SCF in the training of personnel. Speakers at the seminar included: Alexander Orlov, Director of SCF Crewing Services Vladivostok; Viktor Petrusevich, Head of Sovcomflot’s Navigation Safety Division; and Alexander Olshevsky, Advisor to Sovcomflot’s President and CEO. At the seminar, the participants discussed navigation in the ice-bound Arctic and sub-Arctic seas, as well as measures to increase the quality and efficiency of fleet operations, including on the Far Eastern continental shelf. They also talked, amongst other things, about making further improvements to the professional training of personnel and the psychological aspects of working at sea.
An awards ceremony was held during the seminar for SCF’s senior officers on 14 September. Honorary “Ice Captain” lapel badges were presented to Vladimir Kamlyk and Ravil Akhmetov, captains of the Stepan Makarov and SCF Sakhalin supply vessels, respectively. The awards promote the two captains to the League of Sovcomflot Ice Captains. Badges of distinction “For Accident-Free Operations with Sea Transport” were awarded to Captains: Alexander Borisov (SCF Tobolsk); Sergey Dunai (Yuri Senkevich); Konstantin Kudryavtsev (SCF Angara) and Sergey Permyakov (Victor Konetsky), amongst others.
Special mention was made at the ceremony of Maxim Yurchuk, Fourth Engineer on SCF Sayan, and Eduard Skachenko, Able Seaman 1st Class on the same vessel, who prevented a crime against a teenager in Novorossiysk in February 2017, and turned the offender over to the police. Mr Yarchuk, who attended the seminar, was presented with a personalised watch and received a commendation from the Director of the Novorossiysk Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mr Skachenko will receive his commendation upon returning from his current voyage.