The Krusenstern is a barque built in the Telenborgh shipyards in Bremerhaven, Germany. She was launched in 1926 and was given the name Padua.
The barque was built to transport cargo over long distances. She shipped building materials to South America and returned to her home port with saltpetre and phosphates from Chile. The barque was also used to ship grain from Australia.
After World War II, the Padua was given to the USSR as reparation, and the barque was renamed after the great Russian naval explorer Ivan Kruzenshtern [Johann Krusenstern in his native German] (1770-1846), who commanded the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Nadezhda (Hope) and Neva.
From 1961 to 1966 the Krusenstern was used by the Soviet Academy of Sciences for scientific research. The barque embarked on voyages to Bermuda, Jamaica, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Halifax and other ports.
Today, the Krusenstern is owned by the Russian Baltic Fishing Fleet State Academy and is used for training purposes.
The barque regularly takes part in international sailing regattas. She gained world recognition in 1995 and 1996 upon circumnavigating the globe to mark the tercentenary of the Russian navy. The voyage followed in the path of the first Russian expedition under the command of Ivan Kruzenshtern and took 308 days. The ship travelled 39,000 miles and visited 18 ports. In 2005 and 2006, she circumnavigated the globe for a second time, a voyage that lasted 14 months.
The barque has a displacement at maximum draught of 5.825 tons. She has an iron riveted hull 114.5 metres long and 14 metres wide. The board is 8.5 metres above water and the draught is 6.8 metres. The rigging consists of 31 sails, with a total sail area of 3,900 square metres. She has a speed of 17 knots under full sail and 10 knots when powered by her engine. The masts are 56 metres high from the waterline to the top. The ship has a crew of 56 and can take aboard 164 naval cadets.