The magnificent Vitiaz was moored at the museum quay, but repairs and restoration in its interiors had just begun. Step by step, cabins and decks were restored and the museum exposition was created. The “Krupp” engine, mechanisms and false funnel became expositions.
In the beginning of 1995 the Vitiaz resumed its scientific life – the first hydrometeorological measurements were made aboard it. And still researchers from P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanography come and work here every day.
In 1996 Russia celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Russian Fleet. Since that year our embankment received a name – Peter the Great Embankment. The 1st International Conference on the History of National Oceanology was held aboard the Vitiaz in the same year. Scientists from five countries gathered here.
In 1997 the historical halls were opened with the exhibition “Art of Charts”. Works on the main deck were completed and guests could stay on the Vitiaz.
In 1999 four jubilees were celebrated: 60 years of built-time, 50 years of the first voyage, 20 years of the last voyage and 5 years of moorage at the museum quay. In September the 2nd International Conference on the History of National Oceanology was held. Many vitiazers lived aboard their home ship and recalled their youth. Scientific memorable laboratories were opened: reefological, geological and hydrological.
And in 2000 the museum celebrated its 10th jubilee and the maritime hall was opened on the main Vitiaz’s deck. In 2003 the exposition “Journey to the Sea Bottom” was opened in the hold 2. It gives an opportunity to get acknowledged with work of undersea archeologists, meet Jacques-Yves Cousteau, feel like a diver and make a trip to the Titanic inside the Mir.
In 2006 the Vitiaz was docked at the Svetlovski shipyard and according to specialists it can be afloat for further 10 years. Almost all the cabins are opened for visitors. There are the crew’s mess, the maritime hall, the library, the memorable dwelling cabin, the gyrocompass cabin, the buffet, the medical cabin, the ventilator cabin and the lamp cabin on the main deck. The upper deck contains a chief-mess, a chief navigator’s cabin, a caboose, “Jaws” exhibition and memorable scientific laboratories (reefological, benthos, ichthyological, plankton, echo-sounding and geological). Cabins of the vitiazers are situated on the promenade deck – N. Miklukho-Macleay’s, S. Makarov’s and of the new Vitiaz; and a cabin of head of expedition. Here you can also walk through historical halls (with the exposition “Russia Explores the Ocean”) and the video-hall. The boat deck contains the captain’s cabin, the wheelhouse and the operating monitoring laboratory. Different deck and research equipment can be found outdoors on the boat deck.
New exhibitions are often opened on the Vitiaz, conferences and seminars are held here and, of course, permanent work on safe moorage and ship care is done.
Visit the Vitiaz and breathe in perfume of far-away voyages! Hold the handrail the famous Jacques-Yves Cousteau has touched and feel like an explorer of the maximum depths of the World ocean or new species. Or just go up the main ladder, hold your face up to fresh wind and leave all the problems somewhere, because you are aboard the Vitiaz – the famous scientific ship of the XX century.