Kaunas Ships Repair Company in 1944–1990

The article analyses the history of Kaunas shipbuilding and repairing company in 1944–1990. During Soviet times Kaunas was an important centre of river transport and had the largest river shipyard in the country. Kaunas shipbuilding and repairing company started its activity in 1944, and until 1974 it was operating in the city centre, in an island on the right bank of Nemunas, Carmelite district. Every year almost ten new ships were built in the old shipyard (cargo ships, passenger ships, and fishing ships), as well as the old ones were repaired. In 1974, Kaunas shipbuilding and repairing company moved to a new place on the right bank of Nemunas, in Vilijampolė district. Despite modernization of the shipyard, a clear stagnation was observed in building river ships, as the number of newly built ships decreased to five. The aim of this article is to describe the history of Kaunas shipbuilding and repairing company in 1944–1990. During Soviet times, river shipping was regulated by the state company "Nemuno laivininkystė", which consisted of several independent organizations; the above mentioned Kaunas shipbuilding and repair company was one of the main companies without which river shipping could not function. The present research investigates the development of the company, its activities, and the types of ships manufactured. The investigation uses the memoirs of six respondents who were working in river transportation during the Soviet times, archive, and periodical material