Pavel Nikitin

The layout of The Oseberg Ship has also been completed, and the files are now being prepared for print.

This is one volume in two parts: a historical study of the Oseberg ship and the author’s description of the reconstruction and building process of the model in 1:32 and 1:25 scales.

The book will be available together with four A0 scale drawings, making it useful not only for owners of the kit, but also for modelers who wish to study the ship in detail or build it from drawings.

The printed version is expected to be available for sale on July 15.

Owners of the Oseberg kit receive a 20% discount.
https://shipsofpavelnikitin.com/details?id=435

The layout of The Gokstad Ship has been completed, and the files are now being prepared for print.

This is one volume in two parts: a historical study of the Gokstad ship and the author’s description of the reconstruction and building process of the 1:32 scale model.

The book will be available together with five A0 scale drawings, making it useful not only for owners of the kit, but also for modelers who wish to study the ship in detail or build it from drawings.

The printed version is expected to be available for sale on June 20.
Owners of the Gokstad kit receive a 20% discount.
https://shipsofpavelnikitin.com/details?id=402

The Viking Ship / Tuneskipet

I had long intended to open this topic: over time I gathered material, studied research, and analyzed all available data concerning the Tune ship. Why this particular vessel? First of all, because ships such as the Oseberg ship and the Gokstad ship have already been extensively studied, and there exists a large body of scholarly work, reconstructions, and drawings dedicated to them. The Tune ship is a somewhat different case. The surviving remains leave considerable room for interpretation, since no one can say with certainty what the vessel originally looked like. My goal is to attempt a reasoned reconstruction drawing based on archaeological finds and research into Viking Age shipbuilding. The main idea behind this project is also to somewhat diversify the familiar range of Viking ship models, which is usually limited to Oseberg and Gokstad. The Tune ship, or Tuneskipet, is one of the best-known Viking Age finds discovered in Norway. In Norwegian archaeological tradition, such ships are usually named after the parish, municipality, or farm near which they were found. In this case, the vessel received its name from the parish of Tune. The ship was discovered in the autumn of 1867 on the Nedre Haugen farm. It became the first Viking Age ship to be excavated in a relatively good state of preservation. However, the archaeological methods of the time caused enormous damage to the find. The excavation was carried out hastily and completed in only fourteen days, after which another eight days were spent transporting the remains to Oslo. Numerous shovel marks are still visible on the lower part of the hull, left by workers who hastily scraped away the clay. This clearly demonstrates the extremely careless treatment of the ship. The situation was made even worse by the fact that the landowner, Ole Arnesen Haugen, had already begun dismantling the burial mound in the early 1860s. For nearly seven years, the burial remained exposed to oxygen, moisture, and erosion. As a result, the hull was completely destroyed above the waterline. Archaeologists managed to preserve only the keel, keelson, mast step, fragments of the mast, and ten strakes of planking on each side. The stems, stern, as well as most of the rigging and spars, were almost entirely lost. Originally, the Tune ship was dated to approximately 900 AD based on comparisons between fragments of a carved wooden saddle and bronze ornaments found in the mound and similar artifacts from Gokstad. Later, however, after further revisions and corrections, the construction of the vessel was more precisely dated to between 905 and 910 AD. It is worth noting that, from a typological perspective, the Tune and Gokstad ships (around 890 AD) are not only close in date, but also represent the peak of Viking Age shipbuilding technology. The main difficulty in reconstructing the Tune ship lies in the fact that most of its principal dimensions can only be estimated hypothetically. Only the lower part of the hull has survived, and therefore such important features as the height of the sides, the shape of the stems, the vessel’s length, the number of planking strakes, and even the overall silhouette of the ship remain subjects of ongoing debate. One of the most difficult issues is the reconstruction of the upper hull planking. For a long time, it was believed that the ship had only ten strakes per side and a very low freeboard. However, later studies revealed traces of additional fastenings and lost structural elements, suggesting the existence of at least two additional strakes. As a consequence, the estimated proportions of the entire vessel also change: its seaworthiness, freeboard height, arrangement of the oars, and even the dimensions of the sail plan. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the ship’s timber became heavily deformed over the centuries. Many parts changed their original shape under the pressure of the burial mound and due to deterioration following the excavations of the 19th century. Therefore, even the precise dimensions of the surviving elements do not always reflect their original form. For more than a hundred years, researchers repeatedly attempted to create a convincing reconstruction of the Tune ship, yet no final consensus has ever been reached. Each new study offers its own interpretation of the hull form and ship construction, based both on the archaeological remains and on comparisons with other Viking Age vessels. One of the most significant modern studies was conducted by Knut Paasche, who used modern analytical methods and digital reconstruction techniques in an attempt to restore the vessel’s presumed original appearance. His research allows us to better understand what the Tune ship may actually have looked like.

The construction of the Gokstad is complete!

It has been a truly fascinating journey — full of character, tension, and discoveries at every stage. This ship has a special strength: the longer you work with it, the more clearly you feel not only the beauty of its lines, but also the inner discipline, severity, and confidence of a true northern vessel.

And yet, there is a slight sadness now. This year, my work will no longer be connected with Vikings and their incredible ships, which means that, for a while, I am saying farewell to this world — to the long hulls, high stems, sharp silhouettes, and that particular sense of freedom they carry within them.

But Gokstad has already taken its place in the series, alongside Oseberg, and Tune still lies ahead. So the story of northern ships in our workshop is not ending — it is simply taking a pause.

At the end of May, many modelers will be able to begin building this formidable ship with their own hands. And perhaps that is when Gokstad will truly continue its journey — in the workshops of those who have long been waiting to meet it....
https://shipsofpavelnikitin.com/details?id=369

Tomorrow, Gokstad 1:32 goes on sale!

The sail has arrived from the print shop and has already taken its place on the ship.The project, which has required a long and substantial amount of work, has now reached its final stage: all that remains is to rig the running lines on the sail, and the model will be fully completed.

Starting tomorrow, the kit will be available to order in the shop.

Thank you to everyone who has been waiting for this moment, following the work, and supporting the project from the very beginning to this final stage!

Tomorrow, Gokstad begins its journey to those who will be able to bring it to life with their own hands.

https://shipsofpavelnikitin.com/shop/shipsKit

While Gokstad is waiting for her sail, I am finishing another important part of the work — the drawings for the future kit.

For this ship, four A0 sheets have been prepared. At this stage, the project already feels different: the model is almost complete, and at the same time its entire graphical foundation lies beside it.

For me, this is always a special moment. Because the ship is already almost alive, but the work is still continuing — now in lines, dimensions, and structural details.

Very little remains until full completion: the sail and the final rigging of the running rigging.

Gokstad is already very close.
https://shipsofpavelnikitin.com