Alexey Krylov, shipbuilder and engineer, shares memories of navigation on the Volga and Sura rivers in the 1870s. He recalls the steamships that operated on the Volga in the 1870s and 80s. In the early 70s, passenger steamers from companies such as 'Samolyot', 'Po Volge', and 'Kavkaz i Merkuriy' were active on the Volga. All of them were single-decked, with an open bow for cargo. At the stern, there was a 'bridge' accessible only to first and second class passengers. These steamers were paddlewheelers, equipped with engines from the Belgian company 'Cockerill', and the 'Samolyot' steamers were particularly valued. They were wood-heated, and at night sparks flew from the chimneys, swirling behind.

In 1871, the first two-deck steamer 'Alexander II' appeared on the Volga, featuring a two-story superstructure and oil heating, which caused black smoke to billow from the chimneys. Despite more comfortable passenger accommodations, rumors of possible accidents circulated around it, and it was avoided. Later, merchant Zeveke introduced American-style steamers with a single rear wheel, lowered transportation prices, gained passenger trust, and by the end of the 1880s, all other companies switched to American-type steamers.

Krylov spent the summers of 1879 and 1880 in the Alatyr district of the Simbirsk province. The steamer 'Neozhidannyy', owned by merchant K.N. Popov, navigated the Sura. The Sura was winding and fast, with many shallow areas that constantly changed shape. As they approached a rapid, the steamer slowed down and edged up to the shoal. The engine was stopped, and the captain would command: 'Vanka, Vaska, drop your pants, jump in the water, wave!' Vanka and Vaska would jump into the water and measure the depth, reporting back: 'Vasily Ivanovich, it's knee-deep here!', 'Go to the right bank!' After a while: 'It's half a belly here!', 'Go further!' Finally: 'Vasily Ivanovich, it's belly-deep here!', 'Stay there, keep shouting!' The steamer moved slowly, navigating by the voices of the 'living buoys'.

At that time, there was lively passenger and cargo traffic on the Volga. Barges carrying rye, oats, wheat, and other cargoes were towed upstream or moved by 'cable machines'. Timber products from Sura, including oak logs, staves for barrels, hoops, and sled runners, were sent downstream on the Volga. Grain was dispatched from the village of Promzino, and flour from Alatyr. Ural iron came from the Kama and its tributaries to Nizhny for the fair, along with bread and timber cargoes. Most of the timber was transported on 'belyany', which were built for a single trip.