Norwegian authorities have seized the Russian cruise ship «Professor Molchanov» in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, and announced plans to convert the vessel into a floating museum of unpaid arbitration awards, complete with guided tours and a souvenir shop selling miniature icebergs.
The ship, which was detained on the orders of a Norwegian court to enforce a $4.2 billion arbitration ruling in favor of Ukrainian energy giant Naftogaz, will now serve as a permanent reminder of Moscow's outstanding debts. «Visitors will be able to walk the decks and marvel at the sheer scale of what Russia owes,» said a spokesperson for the Norwegian Maritime Museum Authority, which has been tasked with the conversion. «We have installed interactive displays showing the interest accumulating in real time, and a gift shop where guests can purchase replicas of the original court order.»
The vessel's new role has already attracted international attention, with several other countries reportedly considering similar conversions of Russian assets. «We have received inquiries from Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states,» the spokesperson added. «They all want to know if we can lend them our curator.» Meanwhile, the ship's former crew has been offered positions as museum guides, with retraining programs focusing on the history of international arbitration.
The museum is scheduled to open next month, with a special exhibition on the Crimean assets that were the subject of the original dispute. «We expect a steady stream of visitors,» the spokesperson said. «After all, it is not every day you get to see a ship that has been turned into a monument to someone else's unpaid bills.»