Former Soviet spy ship La Sultana goes on sale

The 65 metres long superyacht boats seven cabins, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, marina beach club, helipad and hammam. Take a look at all the pictures here.

Built in 1962 at the Georgi Dimitrov shipyard in Varna, Bulgaria the vessel was built as a Black Sea passenger ferry designed to carry cargo and people between the ports of Odessa, Sevastopol, Istanbul and Yalta.

However, with political tensions growing globally, in 1970 the Aji Petri, as it was then called, was used by the Soviet navy as an environmental research ship and it was sent to the North Atlantic Ocean on behalf of the International Organisation of Telecommunications for unofficial spying on the US and the UK. Following the falling of the Soviet Union, the ship was used as a ferry carrying passengers between Istanbul and Yalta.

In 2015 it was acquired by La Sultana Group which turned this historical vessel into a luxury superyacht, boasting seven ensuite cabins that sleep 12 guests. All the cabins have several windows, marble baths and showers, WIFI and plenty of space. The Owner’s Suite is rather large, 66 square metre wide!

Facilities include three tender boats, including two Nantucket Limited Edition Sellerie By Lancel boats and an XPRO 490, a Mini-Moke jeep, an indoor swimming pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, a hammam, a Marina beach club, two jetskis, two kayaks, two windsurfing boards, diving equipment, a wakeboard, six bikes and onboard entertainment system.
La Sultana has many areas to rest and relax, including a large dining room, extensive lounge area with bar, two outdoor lounges which can be used for dining, and a top deck with outdoor shower.

The opulent interior includes artworks by Jilali Gharbaoui and a unique sculpture made from seashells and previously displayed at an Hermes store in Paris.

The superyacht weighs a whopping 823 tonnes, has a range of 5,000 nautical miles cruising at 11 knots and a top speed of 13 knots.

La Sultana has a crew of 17 people and is now for sale via Camper and Nicholsons for€22,500,000 Euros.