Empire of the Ring

The long-awaited Volga-Don Canal was reopened after the expansion.

The opening was rushed because the logistics of the Caspian Sea coastal countries had become saturated.

The canal expansion project, which began with Putin's proposal, was carried out through the investment from the Kazakh royal family and Yaniv. Without their participation, the canal project was difficult to start. Russia's economic situation could have not afforded the canal project.

No Western companies were allowed to participate because Russia was under economic sanctions for annexing Crimea.

Thanks to the Kazakh royal family, foreign investments in the form of a private sector could have been attracted.

The Volga-Don Canal, the only channel linking the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, used to have the clearance limit up to 5,000-ton ships, and now 50,000-ton ships were allowed to travel.

The reason for the canal expansion project was that the countries around the Caspian Sea could not afford the growing volume of supplies. On the other hand, Putin wanted to keep the logistics going through the Baku-based railway in check.

The Volga-Don Canal would lose its significance when the Baku, Azerbaijan-Batumi, Georgia, connecting to the Black Sea, and the Baku-Persian Gulf railway routes were completed soon.

However, even if new railway routes were created, it was no match for the volume of goods transferred by ship.

There was nothing to replace the ship as a means of transport to digest many cargoes at once.

Besides, the trade targets of the Caspian Sea coastal countries were mainly European countries, forcing them to use the Volga-Don Canal.

Putin, who was well aware of the situation, suggested the canal expansion project to Youngho.

With the volume of shipments to Kazakhstan more than five times more than before due to explosive economic growth, Youngho, who knew the limits of land logistics, welcomed it with open arms.

The Volga-Don Canal was a 101-kilometer-long waterway connecting the Volga River to the Don River, consisting of 13 gates, three pump stations, and artificial lakes.

The ceremony at the Port of Rostov-on-Don, the lower city of the Don River which was connected to the Azov Sea, was packed with people who flocked to see the historic opening ceremony despite December's cold weather.

Local residents were very happy to attend the ceremony, as some expected the expansion of the canal would boost the local economy.

After the canal-opening tape cutting, Youngho and Putin chatted over the stove in a large tent set up to prevent the cold.

"Duke, I'm so impressed. Would I have been able to achieve this without your help? Thank you again."

"All I've done is to provide a little funding. It would've been impossible if it weren't for your suggestion. The Caspian Sea coastal countries will forever praise your decision."

"I'm flattered. After Crimea, the Kazakh royal family was the only country that was friendly to Russia. I will never forget about it. The Russian economy was able to pick up little by little starting with canal investment."

"Don't say that. Your Excellency helped us strengthen our armament."

"Kazakhstan and Russia are blood allies."

From Putin's expression, he seemed to really mean it.

"I guess you and I get along very well."

"Hahaha… That's right. You've made Central Asian countries a federal country, and that's great."

Putin swallowed Crimea despite opposition from neighboring countries, and Youngho swallowed Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, so they could be considered to have the same tendency.

Although the Crimean case was claimed by the West as a forced annexation, the decision to join Russia was decided by a vote of Crimea residents.

However, the Ukrainian government refused to recognize the vote of the residents of Crimea, who were mostly Russians, and then Russia mobilized force to enforce it.

Come to think of it, little had been said about Kazakhstan's annexation of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as federal states.

Kazakhstan was in charge of foreign affairs and national defense, and the rest of the government's functions were kept intact, and on the other hand, there was a general understanding that Kazakhstan had incorporated them to keep China in check.

With such great public opinion, Kazakhstan was probably benefiting from China.

"Mr. President, how's your project to build a resort around the canal going?"

Putin initially suggested the resort project, but Youngho refused because he was not interested.

However, as large ships were allowed to enter and exit the Volga-Don Canal, the tourism industry was considering the launch of cruise ships to the Caspian Sea.

It was not sure if Putin had expected that when he suggested the resort project, but he was indeed a step ahead.

"When I heard that you were not very interested, I gave up my plan. How can I start with something that can't even attract the attention of a great businessman like you?"

"You've made a good judgment. The Volga-Don Canal is relatively short, and there was no guarantee that tourists would get off in the middle."

"It's too bad, though."

"Your Excellency, there's not much to see here, but when the Volga-Baltic Waterway reopens, the city around the waterway will see a noticeable increase in tourists. We predict that it will trigger an explosive response if we link it to the Trans-Siberian Railway."

The reason for this assurance was that it was based on reasoning from the consulting firm, the Swedish Information Agency.

It even seemed obvious to Youngho who was an outsider. If a medium-sized cruise ship would operate in the Volga-Baltic Waterway, tourists would increase.

The huge Russia was a spectacle on all sides.

"Your Highness makes me happy today. Have you done a survey of the area?"

"It's a result after requesting it from a leading consulting firm in Sweden, so you can trust it."

"Isn't Russia the only one that gets all the benefits? I'm quite sorry about this. Hahaha…"

Putin was smiling nonchalantly as he felt better to hear an unexpected good insight.

"Not necessarily. It was found that there would also be tourists coming to the Caspian Sea. There are also tourists visiting Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan to see the Tian Shan Mountains, so don't worry about me."

"I think I'll have a drink with Your Highness today. I'm not a good drinker, but I can't let it go."

"I wanted to be treated by you anyway. Are you paying for the drinks today?"

"Hahaha… All right, I'll take care of it today."

Putin was someone who did not enjoy drinking very much, but he only suggested it first to his close friends.

This proved that he was so fond of Youngho.

The amicable atmosphere inside the makeshift tent even affected the guards of the two countries, who were on guard from outside.

They were showing off their camaraderie by offering coffee to each other, cheering each other who were suffering in the cold.

***

Until now, the freezing of the Volga-Don Canal had often led to the suspension of the shipping business.

But that had not happened since the canal expansion.

This was because icebreakers from Russia and Kazakhstan regularly broke the ice.

There were two icebreakers in Kazakhstan working in the Caspian Sea.

The 3,000-ton car ferry and cargo ship were those, and they had been responsible for the ice on the Caspian Sea and the Volga river in winter, as it was necessary for Kazakhstan's ships to travel through the canal and the sea.

However, as the canal expanded and canal revenues increased exponentially, the Russian government also actively participated in Kazakhstan's effort to break the ice.

Failure to operate ships could result in a sharp drop in canal revenues.

Until now, the Russian government had not been paying much attention to the freezing of the water because the canal did not operate in the winter.

But now it was directly related to income, so it had been very keen on icebreaking.

Russia had an overflowing number of icebreakers anyway.

In Russia, icebreakers were like necessities because every sea froze in the winter, blocking all ports of import and export.

Originally, the main purpose of the icebreaker was to help the warships' ports of entry and exit.

"Your Highness, we need more small icebreakers, and we need three more to dry. Once the Volga-Balt Canal is open, it's not enough with what we have."

Kim Chun, who was glad to have more royal business due to the re-opening of the canal, suggested putting more icebreakers to break the ice since it was directly related to the royal income.

"There's no problem right now, is there?"

"If you break the ice in the artificial waterway and the dock, the icebreaker is only about 50 kilometers long, so two icebreakers will be enough."

"Can we build an icebreaker at our shipyard?"

"The canal's ice is only 50 centimeters long. That much icebreaker will be possible with our technology."

"I heard that orders for bulk carriers are flooding these days. I doubt that we could make the icebreakers in time. I'd rather buy a used icebreaker."

"I looked into Russia, and they were reluctant. Russia also lacks small icebreakers, so it has to come up with more."

Small and medium icebreakers were not made in high quantities because they could not function properly in the sea.

"We can't help it. If we're making it, why don't we make it 5,000 tons?"

"As the weight of the icebreaker increases, it costs more to build. Why don't we buy a used bulk carrier and reinforce its hull?"

"No matter how strong the hull is, it's useless if the power to break the ice is weak. To build the icebreaker, we need not only the ability to build but also the ability to design."

"Your Highness, we don't have the design capacity in our shipyard, what do we do?"