Motor ships of the type ST (project 19620, 19620A, R-168 and 191) are the mid-size dry cargo ships, agricultural products carriers of the "river-sea" class, which have covered holds, with two decks, with double boards and double bottom, with superstructure in the fore-part, machine compartment in the rear part. Ships are intended basically for carrying of fresh vegetables, as well as boxed cargoes and containers. They were built for the Рrovisions Program of the USSR government (80-ties). In 90-ties some ships were reconstructed to increase their seaworthiness, the galleries on the lower deck were closed and higher falschbords were made at the forecastle.

At the same time the three types of vegetable carriers with similar scheme and characteristics were built. Common serial name (ST-1300) means sukhogruznyy teplokhod or 'dry cargo ship', 1300 tons. Ships of the different types differ in the construction of the hull and superstructure, the equipment of cargo holds and hatch covers, machine power. First two ships of the project 19620 were equiped with cranes for loading-unloading operations.

Motor ships of the projects 19620 and 19620A were built in the USSR on Volgograd plant since 1983 till 1990 and on Rybinsk plant since 1983 till 1994. 55 units were built.  They were assigned serial numbers starting from 1301; Volgograd-built ships - odd numbers, Rybinsk-built ships - even numbers. Motor ships of the project R-168 were built in the USSR on 

the plant in the name of 40th anniversary of October since 1983 till 1990. 12 units were built. They were assigned numbers starting from 1351. Motor ships of the project 191 were built in Yugoslavia on different shipyards since 1985 till 1987. 20 - 21 units were built. They were assigned names after the towns in Yugoslavia and then serial numbers starting from 1376.
Ships are (were) used: on Volga, Don, Kama, Moscow-Volga and Volga-Don canals, rivers and lakes of the Volga-Balt waterway, on Dnieper, on Caspian, Azov, Black, Baltic seas. Since 90-ties the majority of ships are operated on foreign coastal lines. Some ships were sold to different other shipping companies, including foreign ones, and registered under "comfortable" flags. At present time almost all ships are in service. Several ships sank in 90-ties.