At the foot of the Chkalov stairs on the waterfront Lower Volga Nizhny Novgorod on a huge pedestal installed boat "hero", who participated in his time in the major wars of the twentieth century in the Soviet Union. Heroic riverboat on the initiative of veterans riverine was established on the eve of the anniversary of the victory (in May 1985) on a granite pedestal in the most picturesque part of the promenade.

Built boat "Hero" in 1916 at the Kolomna plant before the revolution was called "Matthew Bashkirov." In 1918 the ship was dressed in armor, armed with machine guns and gave the name of "Volgar-volunteer." He was famous for "Volgar", as well as dozens of other ships of the Volga Flotilla, fighting on the Volga, Caspian, the White River and the Kama River during the Civil War. In peacetime boat converted for towing caravans oil from the sea, and incurring the dispatch service, but in 1942 "Volgar" was again dressed in armor and equipped with anti-aircraft gun. In 1942-1943, the heroic boat participated in the battles against the Nazi invaders at Stalingrad. Since 1967, every veteran boat navigation went on a voyage along the Volga, leading advocacy as a museum of military glory of the navy.

Today, a monument to the history and culture of the boat, "Hero", after 90 years in the Volga flotilla, stands on eternal parking lot at the foot of the stairs Chkalov is one of the tourist attractions in Nizhny Novgorod. For Novgorod "Hero" is an obligatory stop in the route of wedding walks. And each year the Victory Day at the monument to lay flowers.