The owner of the Volga shipbuilding factories, Vasily Ivanovich Kalashnikov, was called "The Mechanic" for his outstanding engineering skills. He could quickly identify the cause of a ship's breakdown and develop a project for a new vessel, despite lacking formal education, being a self-taught individual. The son of a petty bourgeois from Uglich, Vasily Ivanovich became interested in technology in his teenage years and began working as a draftsman in steamship companies at the age of 16.

His talent particularly manifested in the 1870s when he worked at the Nizhny Novgorod shipyard. There, Kalashnikov focused on modernizing engines and created an energy-efficient boiler, which allowed for reduced fuel consumption without loss of efficiency. Later, he developed a steam engine for shallow rivers and a device for deepening and cleaning riverbeds. The management of the shipyard highly valued his inventive abilities. Over 14 years, he built about 150 steamship boilers and designed more than ten new ships. When the oil boom began in Russia, Kalashnikov was the first to create tank barges for transporting kerosene along the Volga.

Later, he decided to start his own business and founded his shipyard, where four tugs and the fireboat "Prince Yuri," which he was particularly proud of, were built according to his designs. This "Rescuer" was distinguished by its high speed and power, capable of towing 13 barges. However, despite his talent as an inventor, Kalashnikov struggled with managing the business and soon went bankrupt, returning to the shipyard as an engineer.

Subsequently, he participated in the establishment of a water supply system in Nizhny Novgorod and developed a project for a funicular, which was never realized. Nevertheless, during his lifetime, Kalashnikov, known as "The Mechanic," became a recognized authority in the steamship industry.