Motor ships of the type XXVI SYEZD KPSS or VOLZHSKIY (projects 05074, 05074M and 05074A) are the big dry cargo ships, including those with barge attachments, which have, depending on modification, open or covered holds, with double boards and double bottom, with machine compartment and superstructure in the rear part. This type is the largest inland ship type in the USSR; further development of the type "Volgo-Don" with new superstructure, new rear part of the hull and increased machine power. Ships are intended basically for carrying of bulk cargoes, such as crushed stone, as well as boxed cargoes. Ships with covered holds can carry cargo on the hatch

covers. Articulated ships are operated together with their barge attachments on the main waterways (the big rivers); on canals and locked river parts the attachments are steered apartly by tugs-pushers. In 90-ties some ships were converted into the "river-sea" class. They were shortened and got more modern equipment of holds and higher fore-part. Converted articulated ships lost barge-holding device. Attachments of these ships are used with tugs-pushers as bulk cargo barges. In 2000 - 2001 several motor ships and attachments were converted in tankers.
Ships of the initial project are equipped with open cargo holds; they have barge-holding device and a barge attachment. Ships of the modified project (project 05074M) do not have attachments and are equipped with two cargo holds with hermetic hatch covers. On the base of this project "river-sea" ships (project 05074A) were built. They differ from earlier modifications by smaller length, higher rear and fore-part.
Since 1980 till 1999 63 units of the project 05074 and its modifications were built, among them: 28 - articulated ships, 27 - ships of the project 05074M, 8 - ships of the project 05074A.
Ships of the type "Volzhskiy" are (were) used: on Volga, Kama, Don, rivers and lakes of the Volga-Balt waterway. Since 90-ties many ships are operated on foreign coastal lines on Caspian, Azov and Black seas (Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria), on Baltic sea (Poland, Germany).