( CNN ) -- As captain of the Neptune tugboat , Viktor Nikolsky spends his days gently directing giant cargo vessels in and around the vast port of St. Petersburg , Russia . It 's a job that requires patience , concentration and flawless planning . But life on the water was n't always so rigidly structured -- far from it . Behind the sailor 's steely visage lie memories of distant shores , daring adventures and a terrifying ordeal at the hands of pirates . A boat in the distance . Nikolsky hesitates when recalling the moment he realized armed bandits were fast approaching his ship off the coast of Somalia . As the first mate of the MV Faina , Nikolsky was in charge of 21 crewmen and cargo aboard the Ukrainian operated freight vessel transporting aging Soviet military equipment to the port of Mombasa , Kenya , via the Gulf of Aden . See also : Where are the world 's piracy hotspots ? `` We knew that the Somalian region was very dangerous for navigation and we planned our way to stay 250 miles from the shore , '' Nikolsky explained . On the September 25 , 2008 , however , the ship 's second officer approached Nikolsky to inform him he had spotted two small dots in the distance moving towards the Faina at speed . Despite sailing more than five times the recommended distance from the coast as a precaution against hijacking , the fast moving dots were speedboats carrying heavily armed pirates . The assailants boarded the Faina and searched below the ship 's decks , quickly realizing they had chanced upon valuable cargo . `` When they saw what kind of cargo they were surprised , '' Nikolsky said . `` They put the prize for liberation to $ 50 million dollars . The usual prize for liberation was approximately not more than $ 1 million . '' Hostage at sea . The discovery of the military cargo signaled the beginning of a four month standoff between the pirates and a host of parties with an interest in reclaiming the ship , including NATO , the U.S. Navy and the Kenyan government . See also : Welcome aboard the world 's biggest ship . A U.S. Navy ship kept watch of the Faina from a distance while pirates patrolled the decks . Bargaining chips in the middle of all this were Nikolsky and his crew . At the time of the attack , the ship 's captain , Vladimir Kolobkov , had taken seriously ill , tragically passing away a week later . This meant Nikolsky was in command when the pirates attacked . They decided to separate him from his colleagues . Nikolsky remained under guard on the ship 's bridge while the remaining crew members were held in a small cabin roughly 14 meters across . `` I spent all my highjacking life on the table like that ( pointing to a small dinner table ) without anything . '' As the days and weeks passed , Nikolsky began to talk to the leader of the pirates , eventually gaining his trust . He negotiated better conditions for the hostages as well as permission to go above deck to get some fresh air . `` The crew was under control all the time . I insisted ( they ) must have a rest , must have a walk at the open air . Because if a person lies ( down ) all the time , he will have a problem with his stomach . During these breaks , the crew would talk to each other and even plot to take on the pirates if the opportunity arose . See also : What happens to goods lost at sea ? At one stage , when it looked as though a ransom would not be achieved , the pirates intimated they would transfer the crew to Somalia in order to obtain a separate ransom for each individual . Nikolsky said his heart sank at this moment . Free at last . Finally , on the February 5 , 2009 , an agreement with the pirates was reached which saw them receive $ 3.2 million , a fraction of what they originally asked for . They left , and the ship and crew free to go . For Nikolsky , it signaled the end of four months of unrelenting pressure . `` We could n't believe it , '' he said of their moment of liberation . `` We were afraid that the pirates when they left the vessel left some explosive . '' `` I asked the commander of the navy ( who boarded the Faina shortly after the pirates disembarked ) to check everything . He told us that everything was clear and all the pirates left the vessel . '' The Faina sailed into the port of Mombasa , Kenya , a few days later where Nikolsky was reunited with his wife and family . On their return to Russia , the family resolved that Viktor should seek a job that would be less unpredictable than life at sea . That decision has led Nikolsky to St. Petersburg where he navigates vessels 10 times the size of his own into and out of the city 's harbor . But while he enjoys being close to his family , that itch for life at sea still remains . `` Sometimes when I dream I see the very clear water and my ship moving over the clear water in open sea , '' he said . `` But I spent at sea all of my life , 45 years ... ( and ) now I like my village , I like my job here . '' Eoghan Macguire contributed to this article .
Viktor Nikolsky is the captain of the Neptune tugboat in the port of St. Petersburg . The Russian government has been trying to get rid of him for a long time. The Faina was held captive for just over four months .