Restored Russian vessel becomes symbol of friendship, cultural diplomacy in Sarawak

KUCHING (Jan 15): A historic Russian wooden sailing vessel has emerged as a powerful symbol of friendship, cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy between Sarawak and Russia, following its dramatic restoration after running aground in Mukah last year.

Former senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian said the journey of the lodya ‘Pilgrim’ and its eventual repair in Sarawak reflected the enduring value of cultural diplomacy forged not through formal agreements, but through genuine human cooperation and shared heritage.

“Built at the Polar Odyssey Maritime Centre in Petrozavodsk, Russia, the Pilgrim is a historical replica of a White Sea lodya dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries,” he said in a statement.

Since embarking on a global voyage in 2017, the vessel has sailed more than 23,000 nautical miles, crossed the equator twice and visited 21 countries under the command of Captain Sergey Sinelnik, an Honoured Traveller of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Geographical Society.

“The Pilgrim is more than a ship. She is a floating museum of Russian wooden architecture and shipbuilding, with models spanning centuries of maritime history,” Jaziri said.

During her voyage, the vessel sailed through Europe and the Atlantic, traversed the Great Lakes of North America, continued along Canada’s Pacific coast, Alaska, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, before reaching Japan, the Philippines, Borneo and finally Sarawak.

Jaziri said fate intervened when the Pilgrim struck a rock at the Oya River in Mukah last year, leaving a gaping hole in her hull and bringing the journey to an abrupt halt.

For months, uncertainty surrounded the vessel’s future, with discussions focusing on whether she could be repaired or preserved as a static attraction.

Jaziri said he had held extensive discussions with Mukah MP Dato Hanifah Hajar Taib while the damaged vessel lay stranded in her constituency.

“What followed was a true story of friendship,” he said, noting that a generous donation and the exceptional skills of Sarawak’s traditional boatbuilders eventually made the restoration possible.

The vessel has since resumed her voyage, crossing the Malacca Strait, but Jaziri said the spirit of cooperation forged in Sarawak remains.

“Sarawak, where seafaring and boatbuilding are deeply rooted in our identity, welcomed the Pilgrim not as a stranger, but as a kindred spirit,” he said.

“This is cultural diplomacy at its purest. It does not always begin with treaties or speeches, but with genuine encounters — sometimes even with a damaged vessel in need of help.”

Jaziri also floated the idea of Sarawak building a Malaysian-made replica of the Pilgrim, which could serve as a travelling wooden museum and a living symbol of friendship between Sarawak and Russia.

“Such a vessel would enrich cultural tourism, offer Malaysians and visitors alike a chance to experience history on the water, and stand as proof that cooperation and trust are not abstract ideas,” he said.

“They are things that can be built, plank by plank and carried across the seas.”

He added that at a time when global dialogue is increasingly strained, the Pilgrim’s story offers a reminder that trust can be nurtured and bridges between nations built not only in conference halls, but on the decks of wooden ships, under sails carrying history and hope together.