Soviet shipyards started in 1932 with building inland paddle wheel steam tugs according to the CIA report called Soviet River Shipbuilding and vessel classification dated around 1955

For the report was the book Osnovy Teorii i Ustroystva Sudov Vnutrennego Planiya of A.P. Strakhov dated 1955 used. An item reported that in 1932 in the Soviet Union was started with the building of inland paddle steam tugs fitted out with a 400hp inclined steam engine.

Source

The report was published on www.archive.org, document number CIA-RDP80-00809A000700260105-5