After a storm stranded an enormous cargo ship off Russia’s Baltic coast, locals turn it into a tourist attraction

A powerful storm swept through Russia’s Kaliningrad region on October 9. In Kaliningrad, gusty winds toppled trees and brought down power lines. Authorities put the city on heightened alert. Residents were advised to avoid going out unless necessary, and attendance at schools and kindergartens was made optional. The Kaliningrad Zoo closed, and flights were delayed at Khrabrovo Airport.

Near Svetlogorsk, the storm tore loose a lifting platform belonging to the company Geoisol. The company’s assets, including the platform, are under a seizure order. Regional authorities said there was no risk of water pollution. A criminal investigation was opened into the incident under a law covering violations of safety rules for maritime navigation and vessel operation.

In Yantarny, the storm drove the Bahamas-flagged dry cargo ship Sunny Faith ashore. The vessel had arrived in Kaliningrad from Algeria, stopping along the way at the Spanish port of Algeciras. The Kaliningrad regional government’s press office said the Sunny Faith had no cargo aboard and no fuel spill had occurred. The crew chose to stay aboard and wait for the weather to improve rather than evacuate.

The enormous cargo ship at the shoreline — 129.9 meters (about 426 feet) long and more than 23 meters (about 75 feet) wide — briefly became a tourist attraction. Residents of the Kaliningrad region and tourists posed for photos and filmed videos with the ship in the background. “There’s a huge ship right on the shore!” someone said in one such video, according to the news outlet Klops. Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, a former governor of the Kaliningrad region, was also photographed with the Sunny Faith in the background.

Visitors will be able to see the Sunny Faith for at least a few more days. As of October 12, the ship was still at the shoreline. Sources told Klops that further surveys involving divers would probably be needed to determine how to refloat it.