"At the river gates of the city, where there are always many people, the image of Vladimir Kirillov will be seen, and his name will always be remembered," - Evgeny Chintsov

      On May 7, 2026, a solemn opening of a memorial plaque dedicated to the celebrated Volga captain, participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of Socialist Labor Vladimir Kirillov took place at the River Station. Guests of the ceremony included the chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma, Evgeny Chintsov, the rector of the Volga-Vyatka University of Water Transport, Igor Kuzmichev, representatives of the Volga Shipping Company and the Administration of the Volga Basin, honorary citizens of the city, members of the Committee for the Commemoration of Outstanding Personalities and Historical Events, passenger ship captains, veterans, as well as colleagues and relatives of Vladimir Kirillov. Evgeny Chintsov spoke about the journey from the birth of the idea of creating the memorial plaque to its realization. "Initially, at the suggestion of the VGUVT staff and Vladimir Andreevich's relatives, we wanted to install a memorial plaque on the facade of the house on Frunze Street where he lived. However, considering the outstanding merits of the veteran of the river fleet, the members of the city Committee for Commemoration unanimously advocated for choosing a more significant public place. Vladimir Andreevich worked for many years in the Volga River Shipping Company, and one place came to mind – the River Station. Fortunately, the river workers supported the idea, and the memorial plaque appeared right at the river gates of our city. In a place connected with the Volga, with the profession of a river worker and the history of Nizhny Novgorod, where there are always many people, the image of Vladimir Kirillov will be seen, and his name will be remembered forever," emphasized the Duma speaker. He also noted that the opening of the memorial plaque on the eve of the celebration of May 9 is very symbolic, as the legendary captain has a direct connection to the Great Victory. "Hero of Socialist Labor, holder of awards for military feats and labor achievements, Honorary Worker of River Transport Vladimir Andreevich Kirillov became a legend even during his lifetime. I am sure that the character and fate of this remarkable man can serve as an example for thousands of girls and boys who dream of connecting their lives with work in the river fleet and serving the Motherland, just as he did," shared Evgeny Chintsov's opinion. Igor Kuzmichev spoke about what the legendary captain meant to the river workers of the Volga. "Vladimir Andreevich not only made himself, went through the trials of the front, and reached the heights of professional mastery. He became a mentor and raised a whole generation of Volga captains, many of whom still serve on ships across Russia. That is why he is called 'the captain of captains,'" noted the rector of VGUVT. Vladimir Kirillov's granddaughter, Ekaterina Sokolova, shared memories of her childhood in Captain Kirillov's family. "For me, he is first and foremost my grandfather, and I am proud to be a 'captain's granddaughter.' But this does not imply any privileges. Grandfather taught us hard work and responsibility. These qualities still help a lot in life," she said. Participants of the event were greeted by the sirens of the crews of Volga ships moored at the River Station and a group of marching drummers from the Nizhny Novgorod River School named after Kulibin. At the end of the event, the participants of the rally laid flowers at the memorial plaque. It is worth recalling that as a 17-year-old, Vladimir Andreevich Kirillov participated in the Battle of Stalingrad, was wounded, and served on the Red Banner submarine S-57. His entire post-war life was connected with the Volga, where at the age of 31 he became the youngest captain, mastered new technology, introduced new standards for passenger service in the tourist fleet that were new to the country, led the crew of the "Lenin" ship – the flagship of the Volga United River Shipping Company – for 20 years, and was recognized as the best captain of the USSR 14 times.