ST. PETERSBURG, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian windjammer The Kruzenshtern left port here Friday on a journey to circumnavigate the world.

The ship plans to visit 20 of the world's largest ports and host diplomatic receptions in more than 14 months.

St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko said the boat set sail in honor of the 60th anniversary of VE Day and the 200th anniversary of the circumnavigation voyage led by Russian sailor Ivan Kruzenshtern.

The windjammer will sail along the European coast, cross the Atlantic Ocean, around Cape Horn, cross the Pacific Ocean and go on to Vladivostok.

From there, it will sail to Australia, cross the Indian Ocean, reach South Africa and then head northwards to Russia. The ship is expected to return to St. Petersburg late in the summer of 2006.

The boat, originally called Padua, was built for German navigation schools and launched in 1926. After WWII, it was handed over to the USSR. In February of 1946 it was renamed Kruzenshtern.

It was used as a training vessel for the Russian Agriculture Ministry in the late 1960s.

Naval cadets will accompany the Kruzenshtern's crew.