The Russian flagged Ivan Franko in dry dock at Wallsend in March 1970
Owned by Black Sea Shipping Co and built in East Germany in 1964 and scrapped in 1997
Named after a Ukrainian poet!!
Extensively modified to remove the Cold War gear
I reckon the crew would out and about with their binos as there was plenty of naval activity at this time.
Incidentally I honeymooned on a Russian ship the Nadeshda Krupskaja named after Lenin's wife in 1971
Michael