Where the cruiser was launched. History of the cruiser "Varyag". Reference. Before the outbreak of the Russo - Japanese War

Few people in our country have not heard of the feat of the cruiser "Varyag". However, despite the huge amount of material devoted to this topic, many nuances from the life of the ship remain in the shadows. This article does not claim to completeness or impartiality, since history, by definition, cannot be impartial, but it allows you to learn something new about the fate of the famous cruiser - a symbol of the heroism and valor of the Russian Navy.

The Varyag was built in Philadelphia and launched 113 years ago on November 1, 1899. According to many foreign newspapers, the cruiser was distinguished by its high speed and could well claim to be the first among the ships of its class. Nevertheless, from the very first day of its existence, "Varyag" showed itself not with better side, many systems and mechanisms were constantly failing, breaking down, failing. The obstinate nature of the cruiser constantly demanded attention and "brought up" the crew with endless problems. The Varyag was the first ship built according to the new shipbuilding regulations, but this could only partially explain its countless design flaws. The most troublesome thing for the crew was the Nikloss steam boilers, which turned out to be not only capricious in their work, but also dangerous, constantly burning the sailors with superheated steam.

From the conclusion of the domestic commission of experienced specialists who examined the Varyag: "... Nikloss's boilers are very curious, but they seem to be so only in idea, in practice, except for a number of faults and difficulties, they will give nothing."

In addition, there were mistakes in the project itself. There was not enough room for fresh water, coal, mine arsenal, anchors, spare parts. The officers' cabins were cramped and uncomfortable. But the biggest mistake of the developers was that the cruiser did not have the required stability. To correct the defect, it was necessary to add cast iron ingots with a total weight of 200 tons to the hold. And this led to a decrease in speed and an overconsumption of coal.

On May 3, 1901, the Varyag completed the passage across the Atlantic, dropping anchor in the Kronstadt roadstead. After a series of repairs in August of the same year, the cruiser went to sea again. In Danzig, two emperors visited the ship at once: Nicholas II and Wilhelm II. At the end of September, the Varyag, which was in the Mediterranean Sea received a secret order to proceed to the Far East with a visit to the Persian Gulf to demonstrate to the maritime powers (primarily Great Britain) the capabilities of the domestic fleet. For the same purpose, the ship also visited the port of Nagasaki. In addition, due to numerous breakdowns and failures in the operation of completely different systems of the new ship, our sailors were forced to make stops in Colombo, Karachi and a number of other ports. Finally, in February 1902, the Varyag ended up in Port Arthur.

In October, after completing another repair, the cruiser visited Chemulpo for the first time, but again spent the new 1903 in endless troubleshooting. In addition, due to the increased likelihood of war with Japan, various exercises were constantly conducted in the squadron. The routine of life on ships reached an unprecedented level of tension, for example, the repair of personal belongings began at a special signal from the flagship. In April, the "Varyag" in a training campaign fulfilled its main purpose - a high-speed reconnaissance cruiser with a squadron, although it was no longer fast moving.

The beginning of the Russo-Japanese War found our cruiser and gunboat "Korean" on the Chemulpo raid. Other nearby warships belonged to England, France, Germany and the United States. On January 26, ships of the Japanese squadron appeared in the roadstead. Our ships are trapped. There was nowhere to wait for help in those days.

On the morning of January 27, 1904, the captain of the cruiser Varyag, Rudnev, told the crew: “There can be no talk of surrendering the cruiser. We will not hand over the ship to them, nor will we surrender ourselves and we will fight to the last opportunity. "

According to the old tradition, all the sailors changed into clean uniforms, clearly realizing that they would hardly be able to stay alive. Raising anchors, "Varyag" and "Koreets" moved towards inevitable death. Allied ships were signaled: "Do not remember us with dashing!". The crews of foreign powers, lined up on the decks, saluted, and brass bands performed their anthems, as well as the anthem of the Russian Empire as a sign of special respect.

A Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers awaited the Russians ten miles from Chemulpo. Most of the ships were newer, technically more advanced and more powerful in terms of weapons. And two armored cruisers were even superior to the armored Varyag by a head. Japanese shells on basis shimoses were more powerful than ours, pyroxylin. The artillery guns of Russian ships (unlike those of the Japanese) did not have optical sights and were aimed at the "peephole" as in the old days. And there was no need to talk about the Japanese superiority in firepower. The courageous "Varyag" took the battle with the Japanese squadron, not having the slightest chance of victory. A squadron that will shoot him in cold blood and mercilessly. But it is not for nothing that one glorious dictum sounds: "Many enemies - a lot of honor!" On that day, the Japanese gave our sailors an exceptional honor.

At about noon, the first shots from the most formidable enemy ship "Asama" identified the weak points of the "Varyag": the absence of simple gun shields and armored towers, which led to large losses in the personnel of the crews. After twenty minutes of hurricane fire, almost all the guns on the starboard side, with which the Varyag was directed to the enemy, were destroyed or damaged, and fires began on the ship. Under incessant shelling with the help of the Koreyets covering it, the Varyag turns to the Japanese with a different side. His return shots find targets, one destroyer goes to the bottom, fires start on another cruiser. Suddenly "Varyag" runs aground, representing an excellent target. The Japanese squadron begins to converge quickly. But a miracle happens, a series of large-caliber hits on the left side of the ship pushes the ship aground. Having received a hole below the waterline, the cruiser rolls to the port side, the crew unsuccessfully tries to pump out the water, and the fire tornado continues to walk all over the ship. Soon the steering control is destroyed, Captain Rudnev miraculously survives as a result of the explosion of a shell in the conning tower. But the Russian sailors show miracles of courage, discipline and skill, the cruiser Asama, inadvertently approaching, receives a number of direct hits. Out of harm's way, the Japanese decide to withdraw his battle. Under the cover of the Koreyets, the undefeated cruiser returns to the Chemulpo raid.

“... I will never forget this amazing sight,” the captain of the French ship later recalled, “the entire deck was covered with blood, corpses and remains of bodies lay everywhere. Nothing remained intact, everything was rendered useless, broken, riddled. Smoke was coming from many holes, and the slope to the port side was increasing. "

As a result of the battle that lasted for about an hour, the Varyag sank one destroyer and damaged four cruisers; according to various estimates, the Japanese lost about thirty people killed and two hundred wounded. "Varyag" got stronger, he lost almost all the guns. 31 sailors were killed, 91 seriously wounded and about a hundred got minor injuries. In this situation, the wounded Rudnev, in agreement with the opinion of the military council, decided to destroy the ships and place the teams on the ships of the allies. At 18:10 the Korean was blown up and the Varyag was flooded. Russian sailors were stationed on French, British and Italian ships. Allied military medics provided all the necessary assistance to the wounded. And only the Americans did not take on board any of our sailors, explaining this by the lack of permission from the capital.

One of the French newspapers later wrote: "The American navy is probably still very young to get hold of the high traditions that the navies of other nations have."
The domestic newspaper "Rus" answered them this way: "Youth hardly plays a significant role when it comes to basic moral decency ...".

The heroes who returned to their homeland were welcomed everywhere. Congratulatory letters and telegrams came from European countries. The sailors who distinguished themselves in Chemulpo were awarded the St. George crosses, and the captain of the first rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George of the fourth degree. In addition, he was elevated to the rank of adjutant wing, receiving a place in the retinue of the Russian emperor. The same order was received by G.P. Belyaev (captain of the Koreyets) and every officer from the Varyag. Later, Rudnev was appointed commander of the new battleship "Andrew the First-Called", but in October 1905, for sympathy for the revolutionary-minded sailors and the riots that took place in the ship's crew, fell out of favor. He was fired from service and retired to a small family estate in the Tula province. In 1913, at the age of 58, after a long illness, Vsevolod Fedorovich died ...

However, the story of the glorious cruiser does not end there. In 1904, the Japanese adopted solution raise the Varyag from the bottom. Contrary to calculations, the work took more than a year, costing the Japanese treasury a million yen, and ended only in October 1905. The ship was repaired and put into operation. "Varyag" received a new name - "Soya". It is curious that at the stern the Japanese retained the original name of the proud cruiser. An extraordinary decision, which violated the traditions of any sea power, was enshrined in the decree of Emperor Mutsuhito himself. And this best of all characterizes how highly the country of the Rising Sun appreciated the valor of Russian sailors. The displayed fearlessness and contempt for death was fully consistent with the spirit of the samurai and the code of honor of Bushido. And the fact that the Russians were their enemies made little difference. The Japanese knew how to respect such opponents and admired their courage. The cruiser Soya was used as an illustrative example for the education of Japanese sailors. Each new crew of recruits or cadets who arrived to study for him were lined up on the deck and told the story of how this Russian cruiser refused to surrender, accepting battle with an entire squadron.

Only in 1916, during the First World War, Japan agreed to sell the Varyag and a number of other Russian ships it had captured. After paying four million yen, on March 27, the ship was re-consecrated and our flags, jacks and pennants were raised. This time, a team of the guards crew was sent to the valiant cruiser. When the team took over the Varyag, it was in a terrible state, almost all systems, mechanisms and devices required repair. And again endless work began throughout the ship. In mid-June, the cruiser Varyag and the battleship Chesma left Vladivostok. They had a long journey to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Accidents on the Varyag happened one after another, the guardsmen constantly worked in an emergency mode. At the end of August, our ships appeared in Aden, where they were repainted in combat color. On September 8, the ships entered the Mediterranean Sea, where they parted. The battleship "Chesma" went to Alexandria, and the cruiser "Varyag" to La Valetta, performing complex anti-submarine maneuvers. In early October, he was already in the Atlantic. Near Ireland, the cruiser fell into a terrible storm, a leak formed in the hold, and the ship miraculously did not go to the bottom. Also, only thanks to luck "Varyag" manages to avoid the German submarines. Although the British transport in the wake was destroyed by a German torpedo. On November 17, the cruiser reaches Russia and stops at Aleksandrovsk (now Polyarny).

Japanese cruiser Soya (1907-1916). In Vancouver, 1909

"Varyag" is appointed the flagship of the ships protecting the Kola Bay. But since he urgently needs repairs, it was decided to send him to England. At the same time, it was planned to re-equip the ship with new weapons. On February 25, 1917, the Varyag departed for Glasgow. On board the ship were British and French officers, as well as Russian pilots sent to the Allies for training. However, while the ship was sailing, a change of power took place in Russia. On the evening of March 4, the cruiser stopped in Liverpool, and in the morning the crew announced the abdication of Nicholas II and the establishment of the Provisional Government. After two days of anxious expectation, the Russian consul, keeping silent about the mutinies in Helsingfors and Kronstadt, congratulated the sailors on their newfound freedom, announcing that from that moment on, the word "master" would be added to the ranks of junior ranks.

At the very end of March, Great Britain calculated the time and cost of repair work on the Varyag - twelve months and 300 thousand pounds. As a result, at the end of spring, almost the entire team left. Some of them went to America to receive ships purchased from the United States, the rest went home to Russia. About a dozen sailors remained on the cruiser for protection. When the new Soviet government announced the withdrawal of our country from the First World War, the British arrested all domestic ships in the ports. Among them was the unarmed "Varyag". The St. Andrew's flag was lowered on the ship and replaced with the British naval banner. In the early spring of 1918, all the captured Russian sailors were free and went to Murmansk on a Portuguese steamer. And since the Soviets categorically refused to pay their old debts, the Varyag was scrapped.

Obviously, the wayward ship was strongly opposed to ending his life in this way .... Obviously, being cut into pieces at the factory seemed shameful to him…. Obviously, he, having spent so many years in Japanese captivity, took over something from the Eastern power. In 1920, on his way to the cutting site in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of Scotland, the legendary Varyag fell into a storm and made himself a hara-kiri, throwing himself on the rocks and ripping open the bottom. Attempts to remove the ship were unsuccessful. Not immediately, not later in the summer of 1923, when several German and British companies merged at once. By the fall of 1924, only the skeleton was broken in two: the bow was jammed by rocks, and the stern was hidden under water.

In the summer of 2003, Russian scuba divers conducted special search for the remains of a cruiser in the Irish Sea. The team found the destroyed Varyag hull two miles from the Scottish village of Lendelfoot at a depth of eight meters. They also managed to raise to the surface some fragments of the famous ship. On this underwater expedition Active participation was adopted by VF Rudnev's grandson, Nikita Rudnev, who is currently living in France. July 30, 2006 in the near locality from the place of the last refuge of "Varyag", the village of Lendelfoot took place Grand opening memorial plaque.

On July 13, 2009, a number of relics related to the feat of our ships in Chemulpo were brought from South Korea to Russia. Navy within the framework of the traveling exhibition "Cruiser" Varyag ". Finding Relics ”appeared in the State Hermitage Museum. And on November 11, 2010 at the embassy Russian Federation in Seoul, the mayor of Incheon handed over to our ambassadors, kept in a local museum, the jack of the cruiser Varyag.

The Varyag is the most famous military vessel in the history of the Russian fleet. Many articles and books have been written about his feat, songs have been composed, films have been shot. And this is true, because you need to know your history and keep it carefully. And also to love the Motherland, not to forget the heroes who have spared neither talents, nor strength, nor lives for it. We who live today must be worthy of their blessed memory.

Few people in our country have not heard of the feat of the cruiser "Varyag". However, despite the huge amount of material devoted to this topic, many nuances from the life of the ship remain in the shadows. This article does not claim completeness or impartiality, since history, by definition, cannot be impartial, but allows you to learn something new about the fate of the famous cruiser - a symbol of heroism and valor of the Russian Navy.

The Varyag was built in Philadelphia and launched 113 years ago on November 1, 1899. According to many foreign newspapers, the cruiser was distinguished by its high speed and could well claim to be the first among the ships of its class. Nevertheless, from the very first day of its existence, "Varyag" showed itself not from the best side, many systems and mechanisms were constantly failing, breaking down, out of order. The obstinate nature of the cruiser constantly demanded attention and "brought up" the crew with endless problems. The Varyag was the first ship built according to the new shipbuilding regulations, but this could only partially explain its countless design flaws. The most troublesome thing for the crew was the Nikloss steam boilers, which turned out to be not only capricious in their work, but also dangerous, constantly burning the sailors with superheated steam.

From the conclusion of the domestic commission of experienced specialists who examined the Varyag: "... Nikloss's boilers are very curious, but they seem to be so only in idea, in practice, except for a number of faults and difficulties, they will give nothing."

In addition, there were mistakes in the project itself. There was not enough room for fresh water, coal, mine arsenal, anchors, spare parts. The officers' cabins were cramped and uncomfortable. But the biggest mistake of the developers was that the cruiser did not have the required stability. To correct the defect, it was necessary to add cast iron ingots with a total weight of 200 tons to the hold. And this led to a decrease in speed and an overconsumption of coal.

On May 3, 1901, the Varyag completed the crossing of the Atlantic, dropping anchor in the Kronstadt roadstead. After a series of repairs in August of the same year, the cruiser went to sea again. In Danzig, two emperors visited the ship at once: Nicholas II and Wilhelm II. At the end of September, the Varyag, which was in the Mediterranean Sea, received a secret order to proceed to the Far East with a visit to the Persian Gulf to demonstrate to the naval powers (primarily Great Britain) the capabilities of the Russian fleet. For the same purpose, the ship also visited the port of Nagasaki. In addition, due to numerous breakdowns and failures in the operation of completely different systems of the new ship, our sailors were forced to make stops in Colombo, Karachi and a number of other ports. Finally, in February 1902, the Varyag ended up in Port Arthur. In October, after completing another repair, the cruiser visited Chemulpo for the first time, but again spent the new 1903 in endless troubleshooting. In addition, due to the increased likelihood of war with Japan, various exercises were constantly conducted in the squadron. The routine of life on ships reached an unprecedented level of tension, for example, the repair of personal belongings began at a special signal from the flagship. In April "Varyag" in a training campaign fulfilled its main purpose - a high-speed reconnaissance cruiser with a squadron, although it did not differ in its fast speed. The beginning of the Russo-Japanese War found our cruiser and gunboat "Koreets" on the Chemulpo raid. Other nearby warships belonged to England, France, Germany and the United States. On January 26, ships of the Japanese squadron appeared in the roadstead. Our ships are trapped. There was nowhere to wait for help in those days.

On the morning of January 27, 1904, the captain of the cruiser Varyag, Rudnev, told the crew: “There can be no talk of surrendering the cruiser. We will not hand over the ship to them, nor will we surrender ourselves and we will fight to the last opportunity. "

According to the old tradition, all the sailors changed into clean uniforms, clearly realizing that they would hardly be able to stay alive. Raising anchors, "Varyag" and "Koreets" moved towards inevitable death. Allied ships were signaled: "Do not remember us with dashing!". The crews of foreign powers, lined up on the decks, saluted, and brass bands performed their anthems, as well as the anthem of the Russian Empire as a sign of special respect.

A Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers awaited the Russians ten miles from Chemulpo. Most of the ships were newer, technically more advanced and more powerful in terms of weapons. And two armored cruisers were even superior to the armored Varyag by a head. Japanese shells based on shimosa were more powerful than ours, pyroxylin. The artillery guns of Russian ships (unlike those of the Japanese) did not have optical sights and were aimed at the "peephole" as in the old days. And there was no need to talk about the Japanese superiority in firepower. The courageous "Varyag" took the battle with the Japanese squadron, not having the slightest chance of victory. A squadron that will shoot him in cold blood and mercilessly. But it is not for nothing that one glorious dictum sounds: "Many enemies - a lot of honor!" On that day, the Japanese gave our sailors an exceptional honor.

At about noon, the first shots from the most formidable enemy ship "Asama" identified the weak points of the "Varyag": the absence of simple gun shields and armored towers, which led to large losses in the personnel of the crews. After twenty minutes of hurricane fire, almost all the guns on the starboard side, with which the Varyag was directed to the enemy, were destroyed or damaged, and fires began on the ship. Under incessant shelling with the help of the Koreyets covering it, the Varyag turns to the Japanese with a different side. His return shots find targets, one destroyer goes to the bottom, fires start on another cruiser. Suddenly "Varyag" runs aground, representing an excellent target. The Japanese squadron begins to converge quickly. But a miracle happens, a series of large-caliber hits on the left side of the ship pushes the ship aground. Having received a hole below the waterline, the cruiser rolls to the port side, the crew unsuccessfully tries to pump out the water, and the fire tornado continues to walk all over the ship. Soon the steering control is destroyed, Captain Rudnev miraculously survives as a result of the explosion of a shell in the conning tower. But the Russian sailors show miracles of courage, discipline and skill, the cruiser Asama, inadvertently approaching, receives a number of direct hits. Out of harm's way, the Japanese decide to withdraw his battle. Under the cover of the Koreyets, the undefeated cruiser returns to the Chemulpo raid.

“... I will never forget this amazing sight,” the captain of the French ship later recalled, “the entire deck was covered with blood, corpses and remains of bodies lay everywhere. Nothing remained intact, everything was rendered useless, broken, riddled. Smoke was coming from many holes, and the slope to the port side was increasing. "

As a result of the battle that lasted for about an hour, the Varyag sank one destroyer and damaged four cruisers; according to various estimates, the Japanese lost about thirty people killed and two hundred wounded. "Varyag" got stronger, he lost almost all the guns. 31 sailors were killed, 91 were seriously wounded and about a hundred were slightly injured. In this situation, the wounded Rudnev, in agreement with the opinion of the military council, decided to destroy the ships, and place the teams on the ships of the allies. At 18:10, the Korean was blown up and the Varyag was flooded. Russian sailors were stationed on French, British and Italian ships. Allied military medics provided all the necessary assistance to the wounded. And only the Americans did not take on board any of our sailors, explaining this by the lack of permission from the capital.

One of the French newspapers later wrote: "The American navy is probably still very young to get hold of the high traditions that the navies of other nations have."
The domestic newspaper "Rus" answered them this way: "Youth hardly plays a significant role when it comes to basic moral decency ...".

The heroes who returned to their homeland were welcomed everywhere. Congratulatory letters and telegrams came from European countries. The sailors who distinguished themselves in Chemulpo were awarded the St. George crosses, and the captain of the first rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George of the fourth degree. In addition, he was elevated to the rank of adjutant wing, receiving a place in the retinue of the Russian emperor. The same order was received by G.P. Belyaev (captain of the Koreyets) and every officer from the Varyag. Later, Rudnev was appointed commander of the new battleship "Andrew the First-Called", but in October 1905, for sympathy for the revolutionary-minded sailors and the riots that took place in the ship's crew, fell out of favor. He was fired from service and retired to a small family estate in the Tula province. In 1913, at the age of 58, after a long illness, Vsevolod Fedorovich died ...

However, the story of the glorious cruiser does not end there. In 1904, the Japanese decided to raise the Varyag from the bottom. Contrary to calculations, the work took more than a year, costing the Japanese treasury a million yen, and ended only in October 1905. The ship was repaired and put into operation. "Varyag" received a new name - "Soya". It is curious that at the stern the Japanese retained the original name of the proud cruiser. An extraordinary decision, which violated the traditions of any sea power, was enshrined in the decree of Emperor Mutsuhito himself. And this best of all characterizes how highly the country of the Rising Sun appreciated the valor of Russian sailors. The displayed fearlessness and contempt for death was fully consistent with the spirit of the samurai and the code of honor of Bushido. And the fact that the Russians were their enemies made little difference. The Japanese knew how to respect such opponents and admired their courage. The cruiser Soya was used as an illustrative example for the education of Japanese sailors. Each new crew of recruits or cadets who arrived to study for him were lined up on the deck and told the story of how this Russian cruiser refused to surrender, accepting battle with an entire squadron.

Only in 1916, during the First World War, Japan agreed to sell the Varyag and a number of other Russian ships it had captured. After paying four million yen, on March 27, the ship was re-consecrated and our flags, jacks and pennants were raised. This time, a team of the guards crew was sent to the valiant cruiser. When the team took over the Varyag, it was in a terrible state, almost all systems, mechanisms and devices required repair. And again endless work began throughout the ship. In mid-June, the cruiser Varyag and the battleship Chesma left Vladivostok. They had a long journey to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Accidents on the Varyag happened one after another, the guardsmen constantly worked in an emergency mode. At the end of August, our ships appeared in Aden, where they were repainted in combat color. On September 8, the ships entered the Mediterranean Sea, where they parted. The battleship "Chesma" went to Alexandria, and the cruiser "Varyag" to La Valetta, performing complex anti-submarine maneuvers. In early October, he was already in the Atlantic. Near Ireland, the cruiser fell into a terrible storm, a leak formed in the hold, and the ship miraculously did not go to the bottom. Also, only thanks to luck "Varyag" manages to avoid the German submarines. Although the British transport in the wake was destroyed by a German torpedo. On November 17, the cruiser reaches Russia and stops at Aleksandrovsk (now Polyarny).

Japanese cruiser Soya (1907-1916). In Vancouver, 1909

"Varyag" is appointed the flagship of the ships protecting the Kola Bay. But since he urgently needs repairs, it was decided to send him to England. At the same time, it was planned to re-equip the ship with new weapons. On February 25, 1917, the Varyag departed for Glasgow. On board the ship were British and French officers, as well as Russian pilots sent to the Allies for training. However, while the ship was sailing, a change of power took place in Russia. On the evening of March 4, the cruiser stopped in Liverpool, and in the morning the crew announced the abdication of Nicholas II and the establishment of the Provisional Government. After two days of anxious expectation, the Russian consul, keeping silent about the mutinies in Helsingfors and Kronstadt, congratulated the sailors on their newfound freedom, announcing that from that moment on, the word "master" would be added to the ranks of junior ranks.

At the very end of March, Great Britain calculated the time and cost of repair work on the Varyag - twelve months and 300 thousand pounds. As a result, at the end of spring, almost the entire team left. Some of them went to America to receive ships purchased from the United States, the rest went home to Russia. About a dozen sailors remained on the cruiser for protection. When the new Soviet government announced the withdrawal of our country from the First World War, the British arrested all domestic ships in the ports. Among them was the unarmed "Varyag". The St. Andrew's flag was lowered on the ship and replaced with the British naval banner. In the early spring of 1918, all the captured Russian sailors were free and went to Murmansk on a Portuguese steamer. And since the Soviets categorically refused to pay their old debts, the Varyag was scrapped.

Obviously, the wayward ship was strongly opposed to ending his life in this way .... Obviously, being cut into pieces at the factory seemed shameful to him…. Obviously, he, having spent so many years in Japanese captivity, took over something from the Eastern power. In 1920, on his way to the cutting site in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of Scotland, the legendary Varyag fell into a storm and made himself a hara-kiri, throwing himself on the rocks and ripping open the bottom. Attempts to remove the ship were unsuccessful. Not immediately, not later in the summer of 1923, when several German and British companies merged at once. By the fall of 1924, only the skeleton was broken in two: the bow was jammed by rocks, and the stern was hidden under water.

In the summer of 2003, Russian scuba divers conducted special work to search for the remains of a cruiser in the Irish Sea. The team found the destroyed Varyag hull two miles from the Scottish village of Lendelfoot at a depth of eight meters. They also managed to raise to the surface some fragments of the famous ship. VF Rudnev's grandson, Nikita Rudnev, who currently lives in France, took an active part in this underwater expedition. On July 30, 2006, in the nearest settlement from the place of the last refuge of the Varyag, the village of Lendelfoot, a solemn opening of a memorial plaque took place.

On July 13, 2009, a number of relics related to the feat of our ships in Chemulpo were brought from South Korea to Russia, which on July 25, on the eve of the Navy Day, as part of the traveling exhibition "Cruiser" Varyag ". Finding Relics ”appeared in the State Hermitage Museum. And on November 11, 2010 at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Seoul, the mayor of Incheon handed over to our ambassadors, kept in a local museum, the jack of the cruiser Varyag.

The Varyag is the most famous military vessel in the history of the Russian fleet. Many articles and books have been written about his feat, songs have been composed, films have been shot. And this is true, because you need to know your history and keep it carefully. And also to love the Motherland, not to forget the heroes who have spared neither talents, nor strength, nor lives for it. We who live today must be worthy of their blessed memory.

Cruiser "Varyag" - the legend of the Russian fleet. It was built in Philadelphia (USA) and launched in 1899. During the Russo-Japanese War on February 9, 1904, the first rank cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were blocked by a Japanese squadron of 15 ships in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The Russian sailors rejected the offer to surrender and lower the flags and entered into an unequal battle, which they heroically lost.

1904 the commander of the cruiser "Varyag", captain of the first rank Rudnev received through the Russian consul an official ultimatum from the Japanese admiral Uriu demanding to leave the port of Chemulpo before noon. Allied protests were unsuccessful. Russian warships were trapped. There was no need to count on help: there were no other warships nearby, which, undoubtedly, was a strategic mistake of the command of the Pacific Fleet.Shortly before 11 o'clock, Commander Rudnev addressed the cruiser team: "There can be no talk of surrender - we will not hand over the cruiser to them, nor ourselves, and we will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood."

According to the naval tradition, the sailors changed into clean clothes, realizing that under the circumstances they would not survive. The ship's priest, Father Mikhail, served a prayer service "For the gift of victory."Soon "Varyag" and "Korean" weighed anchors. On the fearless cruiser a flag signal flew up according to the international code: "Do not remember it dashingly!" The crews of foreign warships built on the decks saluted Russian sailors for their fearlessness and unparalleled courage. Russian ships went to their last battle to the sound of drums and the national anthems of the allies. As a sign of special respect, the brass bands of the Allied warships performed and National anthem Russian Empire. The Japanese squadron was waiting for the Russian ships 10 miles from Chemulpo. Even a battle on the open sea, where the Varyag could use its speed and maneuverability, did not promise the Russian sailors anything good. Here, in the narrow fairway, six cruisers and seven or eight destroyers awaited them, many of which were of modern construction, moreover, they had much more advanced and powerful weapons. Two cruisers were armored, the protection and armament class of which was significantly higher than that of the armored Varyag. Simply put, the fearless Varyag challenged the powerful Japanese squadron, which would shoot him in any scenario. He will shoot in cold blood and mercilessly. The chances of breaking through to the open sea with a fight were negligible.

The unequal battle lasted about an hour. During this time, the Varyag fired 1105 shells at the enemy, Koreets 52. The guns of the gunboat were not so long-range, and therefore the Koreets entered the battle much later, at closer distances. According to the commander's report, one destroyer was sunk by Varyag fire and 4 Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, Takachiho and Naniwa were damaged, presumably, the enemy lost about 30 people killed and about 200 wounded.The battle was unprecedentedly fierce Varyag received 5 underwater holes, many surface holes and lost almost all of his guns. Losses among the crew were great: 1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were seriously wounded or shell-shocked, about a hundred more people were slightly injured. There were no casualties on Koreets.In one hour of battle, the cruiser lost most of its combat capability. Of the twelve six-inch guns, only two remained in working order, of the twelve 75-mm guns, seven were damaged, and none of the 47-millimeter guns remained intact.

The allies of Russia took an active part in the rescue of the Russian sailors: to remove them from the doomed ships, boats and boats were sent, and military medics were sent to help the wounded. Russian sailors and the wounded and those who were not injured were taken aboard by French, English and Italian ships.

And only the representative of the American navy did not take on board any wounded and did not even send his doctors to help those in need, citing the lack of permission from Washington.

Legend Russian fleet- the cruiser "Varyag" was built by order Russian government at the William Crump & Sons shipyard in Philadelphia, USA and launched on October 19 (November 1), 1899.

At that time, "Varyag" was well equipped:

• Powerful cannon and torpedo armament.
• Telephonized.
• Electrified.
• Equipped with a radio station.
• Steam boilers of the latest modification were installed on the cruiser.
• The cruiser "Varyag" was the fastest at that time.

In 1901, the cruiser Varyag was sent to the Far East as part of the Russian Navy and reinforced the Pacific squadron.

The Varyag took part in the Russo-Japanese War and on February 9, 1904, together with the gunboat Koreets, they were blocked by the Japanese squadron in the Korean port of Chemulpo. At the ultimatum of the Japanese, lower the flags and surrender, captain of the cruiser "Varyag" Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev made a decision - not to give up.

Having accepted an unequal battle and being damaged, the cruiser "Varyag", although it suffered heavy losses among the crew (31 people killed, 91 wounded and shell-shocked, 100 lightly wounded), but still inflicted significant damage on the enemy.

Due to the impossibility of more fighting, the "Varyag" and "Koreets" returned to the neutral Korean port of Chempulpo. There "Varyag" was flooded, and "Koreets" was blown up.

Russian sailors were redirected on neutral ships to Russia. For this battle, the captain of the cruiser "Varyag" Rudnev and other officers received the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and the lower ranks - St. George's crosses, 4th degree. The crew of the Varyag cruiser was awarded a personal watch.

After the Russo-Japanese War a museum in memory of the heroes of the Varyag cruiser was opened in Seoul, a cruiser captain V.F. Rudnev was awarded the order The rising sun.

In memory of the heroic battle of the legendary cruiser, the song "Our proud" Varyag "does not surrender to the enemy.

But the fate of the Varyag cruiser did not end there. In 1905, it was raised from the bottom by the Japanese and repaired. In 1907 she was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as a class 2 cruiser called Soya.

In 1916, when Russia and Japan became allies, the cruiser Soya was bought by Russia and returned to Vladivostok under the former name Varyag.

And after the 1917 revolution in Russia, the new government refused to pay the debts tsarist Russia and the cruiser Varyag was confiscated by the British for debts. After in 1920 it was resold to the Germans for scrap. And in 1925, while towing the Varyag cruiser for dismantling, the ship got into a storm and sank off the coast of South Scotland, in the Firth of Clyde, near the village of Lendelfoot.

In 2003, Russia began shooting a film in memory of the legendary cruiser Varyag, and an expedition to the Irish Sea was organized to find and recover the remains of the ship. Especially for this purpose, the grandson of the captain of the legendary cruiser, Nikita Rudnev, flew from France. The expedition managed to recover several fragments of the sunken cruiser from the bottom.

The cruiser Varyag is a legend of the Russian fleet. It was built in Philadelphia (USA). During the Russo-Japanese War on February 9, 1904, the first rank cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were blocked by a Japanese squadron of 15 ships in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The Russian sailors rejected the offer to surrender and lower the flags and entered into an unequal battle, which they lost. After the battle, the "Korean" was blown up, the "Varyag" was flooded.

In 1905, the Japanese raised the Varyag and brought it into their fleet under the name Soya. During the First World War, in 1916, Russia bought the Varyag from former enemies along with other captured ships of the First Pacific Squadron.

“WHEN DAWN BROKEN, a difficult picture appeared to the eyes of the Arthurians: two of our best battleships and the armored cruiser Pallada, blown up by Japanese mines, stood helplessly near Tigrovka ... Alas, only now doubts about the inevitability of war have disappeared," Japanese War on the night of January 26-27, 1904 in the collection of historical studies "Defense of Port Arthur" (St. Petersburg, 1910). The treacherous Japanese attack on the enemy's ships (who did not yet know that he was the enemy, because the war had not been declared) - such is the style of the instigator, who strove with one blow to ensure dominance in the future theater of operations. The disabling of two of the seven battleships and one of the four cruisers of the 1st rank of the Pacific squadron entailed the entire chain of events that was dramatic for Russia: the complete seizure of the initiative by the Japanese fleet, the landing of Japanese infantry on the mainland, the 11-month heroic defense and the fall of Port Arthur. But the most tragic moments of the Russo-Japanese war are written on the lead pages of the Pacific waves: the death of the Steregushchy destroyer, the defeat of the Russian squadron at Tsushima, the legendary heroic battle of the Varyag cruiser and the Korean gunboat with the Japanese squadron on the roadstead of the Korean port of Chemulpo.

Russia missed the war with Japan and lost. The monstrous distance between the rear and the front - eight thousand miles along the only and still unfinished Trans-Siberian railway, and even a fantastic commissary robbery. What is the mere supply of boots with cardboard soles to the army! Rearmament was not completed. However, Russia was never ready for a single war. Its military machine, with the constant underestimation of the enemy, as always in ours, cobbled together on the go. For eight years the Japanese had been preparing their fleet for hostilities, sparing no money for it, and our sailors practically did not conduct exercises and firing.

This is how Captain 2nd Rank Vladimir Semyonov described the situation in the Pacific Fleet in his book "Port Arthur - Eyewitness Diary": "Due to ... the reduction of credits ... the ships sailed no more than 20 days a year, and the rest of the time they depicted ... floating barracks. The arrival of the popular admiral (Stepan Makarov. - V.A.) ... could contribute to the training of the team in shortest time what she was not taught in Peaceful time... But nothing, no effort could make up for the irretrievably lost practice of sailing ... Men dressed in sailor shirts ... could have been turned into heroes, but made into experienced sailors, and a bunch of floating barracks turned into a combat squadron - this required long years ... The admiral, who took command of the fleet in order to lead him into battle, was forced to teach him how to perform the simplest maneuvers ... "

Dagger in the back of victory

The feats of the defenders of Port Arthur and the crew of the Varyag cruiser, praised in many songs, were not performed on Russian soil or in Russian waters: Port Arthur and Dalny were located on the Kwantung Peninsula, leased by Russia from China for a 25-year period. Russo-Japanese war, which was conducted not on Russian or Japanese, but on Chinese territory, with the indifference of its true owner - the Chinese imperial Qing dynasty, was marked in the history of Russia by the mediocre command and selfless heroism of soldiers and sailors. But the main thing (and this situation was repeated in 1917 on the fronts of the First World War) - the army received, as the right-wing monarchist newspapers put it, "a dagger in the back of victory" from the liberal intelligentsia. It was her efforts, combined with the efforts of the Japanese, and the "efforts" of the thieves-intendants that led to the defeat of Russia.

“Grieving and aching in our souls about our failures and heavy losses, let us not be embarrassed. In them Russian power is renewed, in them Russian power is gaining strength and growing. I believe with all of Russia that the hour of our victory will come, and that the Lord God will bless the troops and navy dear to me with a united onslaught to break the enemy and support the honor and glory of our Motherland. " When Nicholas II signed this order to the army and navy, promulgated on January 1, 1905, he did not yet know what new losses awaited Russia. Tsushima was ahead. If Port Arthur, during the defense of which about 27 thousand Russians were killed and wounded, cost the Japanese 110 thousand people, then the squadron of Vice-Admiral Zinovy ​​Rozhdestvensky, who arrived at Pacific Ocean only six months after the surrender of the fortress, it was shot by the Japanese calmly and methodically, with almost no losses for the enemy.

The final bitter chord of the war was the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, according to which Russia ceded to Japan the rights to lease Port Arthur and Dalny with adjacent territories and the southern part of Sakhalin.

There are shameful defeats, but there are those that are dearer than any victory. Defeats, tempering the military spirit, about which songs and legends are composed. Feat always presupposes a free choice between life and death. Between shame and honor. The Soviet classic instilled in us that "the most precious thing for a person is life." But the Russian military tradition says something else: the most precious thing a person has is honor. The heroic death of "Varyag" confirms this.

Any negotiations are superfluous ...

On the night of January 27, 1904, the Japanese squadron of Admiral Togo suddenly attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, in the morning another squadron, Rear Admiral Uriu, attacked the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets near the Korean port of Chemulpo.

The Varyag appeared in the Korean port as a stationary for the Russian state, ensuring the normal operation of its embassy in the neighboring country. The ship of the new (American) construction in 1901 had a displacement of 6,500 tons, a good speed of 24 knots (44 km / h). The crew is 570 people. Armament: twelve 152-mm guns, twelve 75-mm, eight 47-mm, two 37-mm guns and 6 torpedo tubes.

The cruiser was commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, an officer brought up in the best traditions of the Russian fleet, whose Naval Regulations for three centuries demanded in every possible way to strengthen "the honor of the Russian name and the dignity of the Russian flag." On the evening of January 23, the commanders of the foreign ships stationed in Chemulpo informed Rudnev that Japan had broken off relations with Russia. The inevitability of the attack was also confirmed by the night departure from the anchorage of the Japanese stationary cruiser Chiyoda.

On January 26, the Russian envoy in Seoul allowed Rudnev to send the gunboat Koreets to Port Arthur with an alarming dispatch. Before entering the neutral Chemulpinsky raid, the Japanese attacked the Russian gunboat. However, three torpedoes fired missed the target. The fourth torpedo attack was thwarted by the commander of the Koreyets, Captain 2nd Rank Grigory Belyaev, leading his small ship to ram a Japanese destroyer. He turned it away without firing a torpedo. The commander of the Koreyets delivered an uncomfortable message to the port: the enemy had more than a dozen pennants.

On the same day, the Japanese squadron entered the Chemulpo raid. On the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" they prepared for battle: they closed the hatches, brought in shells and cartridges from the cellars, checked the fire hoses. The Japanese destroyers from a distance of two cables (about 360 m) directed their torpedo tubes to the Russian ships, where the gunners were on duty all night at the guns, ready to immediately open direct fire. The commander of the enemy squadron, Rear Admiral Uriu, did not dare to attack the Russians in the roadstead, but he completed half of the task before him. Troops were landed from Japanese transports on the Korean coast. Since there was no declaration of war, the Russians did not interfere.

On the morning of January 27 (February 9), 1904, the Japanese admiral turned to the Russians with a threat to attack the Russian ships in the roadstead if they did not leave it before noon. In the port there were stationary cruisers from Britain, France, Italy and the United States. Rudnev decided to make an attempt with a fight to break through to Port Arthur and not fight in the roadstead, so that foreign ships of neutral powers would not suffer, which he warned their captains about. Historical objectivity requires it to be noted: the commanders of the warships of England, France and Italy sent a protest to the Japanese admiral (the commander of the American Vicksburg advice note refused to sign it) demanding peace negotiations. Uriu received a protest, but he considered it possible to answer it only after the battle: "In view of the decision taken by the brave Russian commander, any negotiations are superfluous." Probably, these were the features of Japanese military diplomacy - first to attack, then to negotiate.

Chronicle of the battle:
"Upstairs, you comrades ..."

On January 27, at 9.30 am, they began to breed couples on the cruiser. The commander of the "Varyag" announced the beginning of hostilities to the officers. A unanimous decision is made - to go for a breakthrough, and in case of failure - to blow up the ship, but not to give it to the enemy.

At 10.45, the cruiser commander addressed the crew lined up on the deck. He reported on the received Japanese ultimatum and said: "There can be no talk of surrender - we will not hand over the cruiser to them, nor ourselves, and we will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood." By tradition, all the sailors were dressed in clean shirts, sober and ready to die. It was believed that before the battle, as before the sacrament, it was a sin to drink vodka.
At 11.10 the command sounded: "All upward, remove from the anchor." Ten minutes later the Varyag weighed anchor. The Korean followed in the wake. The crews of foreign ships, built on decks for the front, paid tribute to the courage of the Russian sailors who were marching into a hopeless battle. Brass bands of foreign fleets sang the Russian anthem. Subsequently, foreigners talked about the greatness of this moment. They admitted that they had gone through a difficult moment, seeing off people who are going to certain death. According to foreigners, accepting a challenge to a battle with a squadron many times the strongest is a feat that few will dare. The "Varyag" was also doomed because the low speed of the "Koreyets" tied the speed of its maneuvers, and the cannons of the old system did not reach their target and turned out to be practically useless.

Two ships under the Andreev flag followed a narrow fairway teeming with stones and shoals. Maneuvering in the upcoming battle was out of the question. The Japanese squadron was waiting for the Russians at the exit to the open sea: the armored cruiser Asama, the armored cruisers Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Akashi, Chiyoda, eight destroyers and an armed messenger ship.

At 11.45, after the Varyag responded with a proud silence to the Japanese surrender signal, the first shots from the Asama rang out. From the "Varyag" guns hit the starboard side. The "Korean" was silent for the time being. The large-caliber, obsolete guns of the gunboat were short-range, and they had to be inactive for half the battle. A barrage of artillery fire fell on the Varyag. He fired with armor-piercing shells against his main enemy - "Asama" - and very successfully. Russian gunners fired from the cannons on the upper deck, which had no armor protection. It was here that we had the most losses.
At 12.05 the cruiser commander
gave the order to turn to the right in order to introduce the guns on the left side. And at this time, two large-caliber shells hit the ship. "Varyag" lost control of the steering wheel. Rudnev was wounded. The Japanese are stepping up their shelling. "Varyag" received an underwater hole through which water poured into the coal pits of the boilers. Here and there, fires broke out on the cruiser ... The sailors were exhausted, fighting the fire.

The crew of the "Varyag" put all their fury into the volleys from the guns on the left side. Asama received several direct hits. On the flagship of Admiral Uriu, the stern artillery tower was disabled. The Korean, changing course, covered the retreat of the wounded cruiser with fire. At 12.45, with the approach of Russian ships to the Chemulpo raid, the battle ended.

Return of heroes - defeat sung in songs

The commander of the French cruiser Victor Sanos, who arrived on board the Varyag, will write in his diary: “I will never forget this stunning sight that presented itself to me: the deck is covered with blood, corpses and body parts are scattered everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction: in places where shells exploded, paints were charred, all iron parts were punctured, fans were knocked down, sides and bunks were burned. Where so much heroism was shown, everything was rendered useless, broken into pieces, riddled; the remains of the bridge hung deplorably. Smoke was coming from all the holes in the stern and the roll to the port side was increasing. " In an unequal sea battle, the cruiser lost her combat capability. Almost half of the gunners on the upper deck were killed. Several underwater holes deprived the Varyag of its usual course.

The fate of "Varyag" and "Koreyets" was decided. The ship commanders decided not to surrender the ships to the enemy. The gunboat "Koreets" was blown up by the crew, at 15.30 on the "Varyag" the crew opened the Kingstones. At 18.10, the Varyag went aboard and a moment later disappeared under the water. The French cruiser Pascal, the English cruiser Talbot and the Italian cruiser Elba raised the surviving remnants of the teams of Russian ships to their decks. The commander of the American ship refused to take part in the rescue operations.

The Japanese suffered no less losses. "Varyag" inflicted severe damage on 2 cruisers - especially hit the flagship "Asam", sunk 1 destroyer. Vsevolod Rudnev reported to the Tsar's governor in the Far East, Admiral Yevgeny Alekseev: “The ships of the detachment with dignity supported the honor Russian flag, exhausted all means for a breakthrough, did not give the Japanese the opportunity to win, inflicted many losses on the enemy and saved the remaining team. " The Varyag team lost 122 people killed and wounded. The surviving sailors of the Varyag and Koreyets returned to Russia through neutral ports and were awarded the St. George crosses.

The first solemn meeting of the heroes took place in Odessa. From there, all the way to St. Petersburg, the sailors were warmly greeted by ordinary people. On April 16, the sailors of the Varyag and Koreyets marched along Nevsky Prospect to the music of the guard bands. In the Winter Palace, after the prayer service, Emperor Nicholas II gave a dinner in honor of the heroes of Chemulpo. Vsevolod Rudnev was appointed commander of the battleship Andrei Pervozvanny, which was under construction, the most powerful ship of the Russian fleet at that time.

In 1905, the "Varyag" was raised by the Japanese and enlisted in the fleet called "Soya", but in April 1916 Russia bought it from Japan, and in November under the same name it came to the Kola Bay, where it was included in the Northern Fleet. Arctic Ocean. In February 1917, the ship went to England for repairs, but until the end of World War I it was never repaired and was then sold for scrap.

A fulfilled prophecy

Yes, Russia lost in 1905, but according to the just remark of the prominent Russian philosopher Ivan Solonevich: "The Russians sometimes lost the first battles, but so far they have not lost a single last one." Many blame the tsarist autocracy for all our troubles, but this is what Winston Churchill wrote about this after the First World War: “The idea of ​​the tsarist regime as narrow-hearted and rotten corresponds to the superficial statements of our days. For those blows that Russian empire survived, by the catastrophes that fell on her, we can judge her strength ... Nicholas II was neither a great leader nor a great tsar. He was only sincere common man with average ability ... Justice requires recognition of all that he has achieved. Let them vilify his actions and insult his memory - but let them say: who else was more suitable? There was no shortage of talented and courageous people. But on the verge of victory, Russia collapsed to the ground, devoured alive by worms. " Unfortunately, these "worms" devoured the empire already before the start of the Russo-Japanese war.

The prophecy of Nicholas II - "the hour of our victory will come" - came true ... in forty years. On August 22 and 23, 1945, Soviet paratroopers liberated Dalny and Port Arthur from the Japanese invaders, which subsequently, with good reason, passed under Chinese sovereignty under their historical names Dalian and Lushun. During the fighting from August 18 to September 1, after the complete defeat and surrender of the Kwantung Army, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were liberated and returned to Russia.

In 1996, the Pacific Ocean appeared new ship- guards missile cruiser"Varangian". It was built in 1983 at the Nikolaev shipyard and is included in the Black Sea Fleet under the name "Chervona Ukraine". In 1996 she was transferred to the Pacific Ocean, where in memory of the legendary cruiser she was renamed "Varyag" and was awarded the Guards banner. During the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet, in early February 1996, the missile cruiser Varyag arrived at the Korean port of Chemulpo, at the site of the death of its ancestor, to pay commemorative honors to the fallen hero sailors. By order of the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, the place where the Varyag and Koreets were killed was declared the coordinates of military glory, and all Russian warships were lowering their flags here. For success in combat training, by order of the commander of the Pacific Fleet in 1998, the missile cruiser Varyag became the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. And in December 2003, the small anti-submarine ship (MPK-222) of the Pacific Fleet was named "Koreets".

Ctrl Enter

Spotted Osh S bku Highlight text and press Ctrl + Enter