Survivor of Tsushima. The unknown history of the cruiser Aurora. The cruiser "Aurora" is a ship known for its one shot. Main characteristics, history of the cruiser Reconstruction of the Mariinsky water system

On May 24, 1900, Emperor Nicholas II, amid salutes of fireworks, launched one of the most legendary ships of the Russian fleet - the cruiser Aurora.

The order for Diana-class cruisers was caused by the foreign policy situation that emerged at the end of the 19th century. The aggravated contradictions with England, which were soon resolved diplomatically, were replaced by the ever-increasing “German threat” in the Baltic. A new round of the naval arms race against the backdrop of a tense political situation led in 1895 to another adjustment to Russia’s twenty-year shipbuilding program, adopted in 1881. As part of the additions made to the program, three “carapace cruisers” were ordered, which later became Diana-class cruisers.

On June 23, 1896, the head of the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding and Supply (GUKiS), Vice Admiral V.P. Verkhovsky ordered work to begin on the construction of a “cruiser with a displacement of 6,630 tons” at the New Admiralty. like "Diana". This name of the new ship was preserved in official documents for almost a year, until Nicholas II decided to name the cruiser.

Direct work on the formation of the ship's hull began at the plant in the New Admiralty in September - October 1896. However, by this time, all the materials necessary for construction were not available, since the Admiralty Izhora Plant was overloaded with orders and was unable to cope with the production of a number of key elements. In this regard, the plant administration began to insist on increasing the work time. As a result, part of the order, by order of the head of GUKiS, was placed at the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry. The nascent cruiser was named personally by Emperor Nicholas II in April 1897. He ordered that the cruiser under construction be named “Aurora” in honor of the Roman goddess of dawn.

At 11:15 on May 24, 1900, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and both empresses, the ceremonial launching of the Aurora took place. Under the volleys of artillery salutes from the ships stationed on the Neva, the cruiser safely landed on the water. “As the ship left the boathouse, flags were raised on it, and on the mainmast the standard of His Majesty” was how the Neva magazine described the event. During the descent, on the upper deck of the ship, the guard of honor included a 78-year-old sailor who served on the frigate Aurora - the same 44-gun sailing ship that defended Petropavlovsk from the English squadron during the Crimean War. In addition, the descent was attended by a former officer of the famous frigate, and now Vice Admiral K.P. Pilkin.

The Aurora, without exaggeration, was one of the most advanced warships of its time. The new armored two-masted cruiser had a displacement of 6,731 tons, its length was 127 and its width was 16.8 meters. It had good artillery armament in the form of fourteen 152-mm guns, and in addition, it had a completely innovative air defense system at that time in the form of six 76-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The cruiser "Aurora" entered service as warships of the Russian Navy in 1903. The ship received its baptism of fire 5 years later in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War, where it was seriously damaged and lost 15 crew members. The cruiser managed to escape from encirclement and go to Manila, where she remained disarmed until the end of the war. In 1906, the ship returned to the Baltic.

After repairs, the cruiser became part of the training detachment of the Naval Cadet Corps and made a number of voyages to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, to the shores of Africa, Thailand and Indonesia.

During the First World War, the ship carried out patrol duty in the Baltic Sea and at the end of 1916 arrived in Petrograd for repairs.

And on November 7, 1917, the cruiser Aurora fired a blank shot and gave the signal for the storming of the Winter Court and the beginning of the October coup.

On this day exactly 116 years ago, a great event took place that people would remember for many years to come, namely, the descent of the cruiser Aurora to the surface of the water. An armored two-masted ship with a displacement of 6.7 tons, a length of 127 meters and a width of more than 16 meters at that time was armed with 14 guns of 152 mm caliber and 6 anti-aircraft guns of 76 mm caliber. The cruiser was launched at the New Admiralty shipyard (St. Petersburg). The event dedicated to the ship's launch on its first voyage was personally attended by Empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Feodorovna, as well as Emperor Nicholas II, who initiated its launch. Speaking about this cruiser, which later became a symbol of the October Revolution, we should remember why such a powerful machine bears such a tender name - “Aurora”.

The cruiser was named in honor of the 44th gun frigate of the same name, which provided the defense of Petropavlovsk during the Crimean War. The ship managed to withstand the English squadron, which was almost twice as strong. The cruiser, named after the frigate and led by a 71-year-old captain who served on the Aurora for most of his life, later also repeatedly contributed to the Russian army in confronting enemy troops - in 1903, the Aurora officially entered service as warships. The first battle in which the ship took part took place five years later during the Russo-Japanese War. Unfortunately, the cruiser's baptism of fire came at a cost to itself - the side of the ship was significantly damaged, and in addition, 15 members of its crew were killed in the battle. Nevertheless, “Aurora” managed to leave the “hot spot” and go to Manila - here it remained disarmed until the very end of the war.

In 1906, the Aurora returned to the Baltic. After repairs, the ship was transferred to the ranks of the Naval Cadet Corps fleet, where it was a member of the training detachment for a long time. During the years of her stay there, the Aurora managed to make a number of voyages, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, Thailand and Indonesia. During the First World War, the ship was sent to serve in the Baltic Sea, where it remained until 1916 and its return to Petrograd. After undergoing another repair, the Aurora stood in the port of its hometown until a blank shot from its cannon gave the signal for the beginning of the October Revolution. This happened on November 7, 1917. Subsequently, the cruiser took part in the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars. The Aurora set out on its last voyage a few years after the end of the Second World War - on November 17, 1948, the cruiser was moored in St. Petersburg for eternal mooring.

It is worth noting that even after the end of its “career” the cruiser was used by students of the Leningrad Nakhimov School. Later it was turned into a museum, and after some time - a branch of the Central Naval Museum. To this day, the status of the cruiser has still not changed, except that it is now officially recognized as an object of cultural heritage of Russia. In 1992, a canvas of the St. Andrew's Naval Corps appeared on the Aurora flagpole. Relatively recently, in September 2014, the ship was sent to Kronstadt to undergo the next stage of repair work. They are promised to be completed this year, after which the Aurora, a symbol of the Great October Revolution, will again be moored in St. Petersburg for eternal mooring. It should be recalled that the cruiser "Aurora" was designed according to the type of a similar ship "Diana". The order for the construction of such ships was due to the unfavorable foreign policy situation that was observed at the end of the 19th century. Initially, the Russian Empire was agitated by contradictions with England, but later they were resolved diplomatically. Immediately the “German threat” from the Baltic Sea began to increase. All this resulted in a complete adjustment of the shipbuilding program, which had been created over the course of 20 years, and the order of three cruisers, one of which was later named Aurora.

The construction of the vessel was carried out by the Baltic Shipyard. The company’s specialists were chosen to carry out the work, since only they were able to provide ready-made drawings and designs for future ships within a month. They were based on the English cruiser Talbot with a displacement of 6,000 tons. For about a year, all the details and technical characteristics of the future vessel were discussed, and only then its construction began. The ships "Diana" and "Pallada" went through each stage of construction simultaneously, but the "Aurora" was always behind schedule. That is why some historians argue that the ship can be considered not part of the project to create cruisers, but its separate addition.

» On June 9, 1914, the Society of Nikolaev Factories and Shipyards laid down the last, fourth ship of this type, called “Ioann the Terrible”. On August 13, 1914, an official contract was signed. The ship's delivery date for sea trials was set at March 1, 1917.

The very first test firing of the decommissioned battleship revealed a significant lack of armor for all ships of the project. The rigid supporting contour on which the armor plates were superimposed did not interfere with their deflection, as a result of which the thin skin behind the armor tore, forming a leak. This problem could be solved only by making the belt monolithic, that is, by tying the plates together so that they would not allow the projectile to push the plate inside the body. Therefore, a radical change in the design was undertaken - a monolithic armor belt appeared from plates connected by dowels of the “double dovetail” type (before this, keyed fastenings of armor plates were implemented on the Izmails)

Armament [ | ]

The battleship was planned to be armed with 356-mm main battery artillery, but the project was revised under the pretext of the difficulty of supplying different-caliber artillery and the requisition by Great Britain of the Turkish battleship "Reshadiye" with a 13.5-inch (343-mm) main battery, so that the "Nicholas I" was equipped with the usual 305 -mm guns. The resulting displacement reserve (about 4,000 tons) was used to strengthen the armor - the thickness of the armor bevel and longitudinal torpedo armor bulkhead was increased to 75 mm, and the middle deck armor was increased to 63 mm, and the side bevels on the lower to 75 mm. By eliminating the aft conning tower, the armor of the forward conning tower (walls 400 mm, roof 250 mm), main battery artillery towers (front 300 mm, roof and side faces 200 mm) and elevators (300-225 mm) was strengthened.

The cruiser "Aurora" is one of the most recognizable symbols of the October Revolution. However, the history of the ship includes many more events and military campaigns, without which an idea of ​​the historical path of the cruiser would be incomplete.

Cruiser project

Construction of the cruiser Aurora (a Diana-class ship) began in 1896. According to the previous shipbuilding program, this project was not in the fleet’s plans at all. However, at the end of the 19th century, the foreign policy situation deteriorated noticeably. An arms race with Germany began. Against this background, the state needed new ships like the Aurora.

The ship became the third among cruisers of its class (the first two were Diana and Pallada). The ship was laid down at the New Admiralty. His project is the work of naval design engineer Xavier Ratnik. The draft version was approved by the Marine Technical Committee, after which preparations for construction began.

In the spring of 1897, Emperor Nicholas II was offered 12 ideas for the name of the future ship. The king chose “Aurora” - a name adopted from the ancient Roman goddess of dawn. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 4. The Admiral General of the Fleet was present at it. The remaining two cruisers were completed before the Aurora appeared. The ship was made belatedly due to the fact that the contractor for a long time could not agree on the supply of a steam engine. The society at first did not want to transfer valuable drawings to the Baltic Plant. Finally, the conflict was resolved and the contract was signed (July 20).

Start of service

On May 24, the Aurora ship was launched. The ceremony took place in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and mother Maria Feodorovna. It is symbolic that during the descent there was a sailor on board who had previously served on the frigate Aurora of the same name, which participated in the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War. Installation of machines and auxiliary mechanisms began the next day.

The main technical ones are as follows: length - 126 meters, width - 16 meters, draft - 6 meters. Aurora has a displacement of 6,731 tons. The designers chose Belleville as the engine. With a power of about 12 thousand horsepower, the ship could reach speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour (19 knots). The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors and another 20 officers.

The ship underwent testing for several years, after which in 1903 it became part of a detachment under the command of Rear Admiral Andrei Virenius. The further fate of the ship was connected with the Second Pacific Squadron, created due to the outbreak of the Russian-Japanese War. She went to Port Arthur in order to unblock the besieged port. The ships had a long journey ahead, which usually lasted at least a year.

Ghull incident

While sailing in the Baltic Sea on October 22, 1904, a serious incident occurred. The ships of the squadron fired at a suspicious ship unidentified in the fog. It turned out that they were English fishermen. Two of them died. The Aurora also came under friendly fire due to poor visibility. The ship was hit by 5 shells. Due to the wound received, the hieromonk who was on the cruiser soon died. The event became known as the Ghull Incident. Due to the fleet's mistake, relations between Russia and Great Britain were seriously damaged. In order to find out all the circumstances of the tragedy, the parties agreed to an investigation by an arbitration court. This was the first such case in world practice.

Despite what happened, the squadron continued its journey. What was the situation on the cruiser Aurora? The ship was quickly patched up, and its damage did not cause a return to its homeland. During their stay on the island of Madagascar, the sailors learned that Port Arthur had fallen and the First Pacific Squadron had perished.

Battle of Tsushima

On May 14 or 27, 1905, according to the new style, the ship "Aurora" took part in the famous Battle of Tsushima. For the Russian fleet, this was a decisive battle and the last hope for saving the entire military campaign. The Second Pacific Squadron suffered a crushing defeat. The Aurora was lucky - the ship was damaged, but did not capitulate and was not sunk, unlike most other domestic ships.

After the battle, the cruiser was found to have 18 hits. was interrupted and the fairlead was disabled. The remaining damage consisted of holes. On May 21, the ship, accompanied by Americans, docked at the port of Manila, Philippines. The ship was interned. The team signed a pledge not to participate in further hostilities with the Japanese. The Aurora remained moored in Manila until the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed, ending the war. The cruiser returned home on February 19, 1906. The anchor in Libau was dropped 458 days after the ship set off on an expedition as part of the Second Pacific Squadron.

World War I

Immediately after the outbreak of World War I, the cruiser ship Aurora arrived at the port of Revel awaiting new orders. On August 26, 1914, the Magdeburg ran aground in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. "Aurora" set out to intercept the German ship. Russian sailors managed to capture the ship. It was later dismantled for scrap.

This was followed by a long stay in the port of Helsingfors. In 1916, the Aurora entered and assisted the ground forces with heavy artillery fire. In the fall, the ship went to Kronstadt for repairs.

February Revolution

While staying in Kronstadt, Captain Mikhail Nikolsky tried to resist the political revolutionary agitation that flourished at the local plant where the ship was being repaired. Strikes began at enterprises. The workers' demands varied. Some wanted a reduction in working hours, others generally opposed the authorities. In such a situation, the captain rightly feared for the morale of his sailors.

On February 27, the guard guarding the cruiser Aurora was reinforced. The ship's history has already included dangerous naval battles, but if a mutiny had started on the ship, the officers would simply have nothing to count on. In addition, agitators spread rumors that the Aurora would be turned into a floating prison.

On the eve of the February Revolution, riots broke out on the ship. The sailors stopped obeying Nikolsky's orders, after which the officers opened fire on them. Three people were injured, one later died from complications. Meanwhile, massive popular demonstrations were already taking place in Petrograd, and power in the capital was virtually paralyzed.

On the 28th, a demonstration began opposite the Aurora. Workers swarmed the ship. When they learned that there had been shooting on the ship the day before, there was outrage. The dissatisfied detained captain Nikolsky and another officer Ogranovich. Their shoulder straps were torn off. The two were mauled to death by the crowd in the growing chaos of the demonstration. Nikolsky was shot for not wanting to go in with a red banner in his hands. The officers failed to protect the ship from the agitators.

Restless 1917

In 1917, the Aurora ship model was still combat-ready and relatively modern. The cruiser, despite all the costs of war and revolution, could be used for its intended purpose. After the February events and the overthrow of the monarchy, the sailors established a ship committee. There were many representatives of leftist parties, but not a single Bolshevik.

However, already in the summer the situation changed radically. Lenin's supporters worked carefully with the army and navy. Therefore, of course, they could not ignore such an important cruiser Aurora. The history of the ship was briefly known to all residents of the capital. If the Bolsheviks had managed to win the ship's crew over to their side, it would have been an unconditional success.

The party's most eloquent agitators (for example, Mikhail Kalinin) spoke on the Aurora, which emphasized its special attitude towards the docked ship. The result was not long in coming. By the summer, there were already 42 representatives of the RSDLP(b) on the committee. Sailors began to actively participate in Bolshevik street actions. On July 4, during a mass demonstration in Petrograd, the sailors came under machine gun fire from the army, which remained loyal to the Provisional Government. Repressions against the Bolsheviks soon began. Lenin fled to a hut in Razliv, and some especially zealous sailors of the Aurora found themselves under arrest.

October Revolution

In September, the next re-election of the ship committee took place. Bolshevik Alexander Belyshev was elected its chairman. Nikolai Erikson became the captain. Since the ship's repairs were completed, it was soon to go to sea. However, on October 10, the Bolsheviks at a meeting of the Central Committee decided on an armed coup in Petrograd. They needed the Aurora not just as a well-armed cruiser, but also as an important symbol.

The Bolsheviks controlled not only the ship, but also the Petrograd Soviet. According to his decision, on October 24, the sailors left the ship in St. Petersburg. The Aurora was supposed to bring down the city authorities tried to block the crossings in order to stop the coup in the capital, and the rebels tried to prevent this.

On the night of October 25, the ship entered the Neva. Captain Erickson initially resisted this decision, but finally agreed. He feared that incompetent sailors would simply run the ship aground. The Nikolaevsky Bridge was in the hands of the cadets. When the Aurora approached, they fled, and Bolshevik supporters were able to restore movement across the river.

Blank shot

By the morning of October 25, Lenin from Smolny controlled the entire communication infrastructure of Petrograd - telegraph, post office, train station, etc. The Provisional Government still remained in the Winter Palace. The Bolsheviks were going to fire at him from the Peter and Paul Fortress if the ministers refused to surrender him.

How could Aurora help in the assault? The type of ship and its armament made it possible to fire a signal shot. The Bolsheviks decided to take advantage of this opportunity. On the afternoon of the 25th, Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, the head of the field headquarters of Lenin’s supporters, arrived on the ship. He ordered a blank shot, which was planned to be fired after a signal from the Peter and Paul Tower. In addition, the Bolsheviks used the radio on the Aurora to broadcast the appeal of the leader of the world proletariat.

A blank shot was fired at 21:40. It was produced by gunner Evdokim Ognev. The shot served as the signal for the storming of the Winter Palace. In addition, he caused the ministers of the Provisional Government, who were holed up in their last stronghold, to panic. Historians are still arguing about whether there was a technical possibility for field shooting of Aurora at the Winter Palace. Some researchers argue that there could not have been any lethal fire, if only because of the location of the ship. One way or another, further shooting was not necessary. The Winter Palace ended up in the hands of the rebels without the help of the Aurora.

Subsequent history

The episode that took place during the October Revolution became the most famous for the cruiser Aurora. The ship's story was immediately turned into an important image of the birth of Soviet power. Three days after the events in the Winter Palace, he returned for repairs. Soon the Aurora again became part of the active fleet.

In the summer of 1918, Bolshevik power was still fragile. The offensive of Yudenich's White Army developed near Petrograd. The Aurora class ship could do nothing to help the fighting on the ground. However, it was decided to use the cruiser somewhat differently. At the same time, Petrograd faced the threat of foreign intervention. The Bolsheviks wanted to sink the Aurora and several other ships in order to block the path of enemy ships. However, such a need did not arise.

In peacetime, the ship "Aurora", a photo of which appeared on the front pages of many Russian and foreign newspapers during the October events in Petrograd, became a training ship. The cruiser took part in several foreign voyages. During these expeditions, new RKKF sailors gained experience. On the tenth anniversary of the revolution in 1927, Aurora was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

The ship made its last long voyage in 1930, when it circled the Scandinavian Peninsula. This was followed by a long overhaul. However, he could not smooth over the fact that the ship was outdated. By 1941, it was planned to withdraw it from the fleet altogether, but this was prevented by the onset of war.

During the siege of Leningrad, the Aurora was subjected to numerous bombings by German aircraft. At the beginning of the war, the Soviet leadership decided to make the ship part of the city's air defense system. The ship had several anti-aircraft guns that could be useful in the fight against Luftwaffe aircraft. The shelling resulted in the ship receiving many holes. At the end of 1941, the sailors were evacuated. The firing at the Aurora stopped only after the blockade was lifted.

On an eternal parking lot

In 1944, it was decided to send the ship to its eternal mooring near the Petrogradskaya embankment and turn it into a museum. By that time, in the entire Soviet Union there were almost no such legendary monuments as the cruiser Aurora. A tour of the ship has become a must for tourists in the Northern capital.

Over the next few decades, Aurora went through a dozen restorations. In 2014, the ship was sent to Kronstadt for another repair. It is planned that it will return to its eternal parking lot near the Petrogradskaya embankment in the summer of 2016.

It should be noted that the yacht “Standard” was distinguished by a very high level of comfort, but at the same time, not at the expense of comfort, it also had high seaworthiness and was rightly considered the best yacht of its class in the whole world among such vessels. In the book of the American writer Robert Mass “Nicholas and Alexandra” it is written about her like this: “Wherever the Shtandart moored - in the Baltic or near the Crimean rocks - she was a model of maritime elegance. The size of a small cruiser, powered by a coal-fired steam engine, it was nevertheless designed as a sailing vessel. Its huge bowsprit, decorated with a gold monogram on a black background, directed forward, like an arrow fired from a bow, as if continuing the bow of the clipper. Three slender, varnished masts and two white chimneys rose above the deck. White canvas awnings were stretched over the polished decks, shading the wicker tables and chairs from the sun. Below the upper deck there were living rooms, salons, and saloons, lined with mahogany, with parquet floors, crystal chandeliers, candelabra, and velvet curtains. The premises intended for the royal family were draped in chintz. In addition to the ship's church and spacious cabins for the imperial retinue, the yacht had quarters for officers, mechanics, boiler operators, deck crew, barmen, footmen, maids and a whole platoon of sailors of the guards crew. In addition, there was enough space on the lower decks to accommodate a brass band and balalaika players.”

Imperial yacht "Standard". On the roadstead of Yalta, 1898.

In the presence of august persons on the Shtandart, the yacht was always accompanied by an escort of 2-3 destroyers. Some of them could be standing not far from the yacht, while others were leisurely cruising on the horizon.

Imperial salon.

Office of Nicholas II.

During the day, the yacht slowly sailed between rocky islands generously scattered by nature off the coast of Finland, periodically delving into picturesque coastal bays bordered along the shore by the trunks of tall ship pines. In the evening they dropped anchor in some secluded deserted bay, and in the morning the passengers of the Shtandart were already admiring its quiet clear water, a bottom with yellow sand and red granite boulders overgrown with dense bushes.

Salon of the Empress.

Dining room of members of the imperial family.

The Empress, suffering from private ailments, rarely went ashore, and spent most of her time on deck. Since 1907, Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova became her maid of honor, and now, together with Alexandra Fedorovna, she spent a lot of time on the yacht “Standart” and left interesting memories about it. When it was warm, the empress and the maid of honor basked in the sun in chairs on the deck, played music, wrote letters and admired the sea views. In the evenings, when Nicholas II played billiards with his adjutants or smoked cigarettes he stuffed with his own hands on the deck, Alexandra Fedorovna and Vyrubova were busy reading aloud to each other or sewing by the light of an electric lamp.

The bedroom of the heir to the crown prince.

Lunch for lower ranks.

In good weather, Nicholas II used to take long walks with his daughters through the Finnish forests that grew along the shores of the bays. At the same time, he often dismissed the guards accompanying them and walked with them alone. The girls were busy collecting bouquets of flowers, wild berries, mushrooms, gray moss growing on the rocks and small pieces of quartz sparkling with magical sparks. Travelers, full of impressions, returned to the yacht for afternoon tea, which was served to them on the upper deck accompanied by marches performed by a brass band, or by the virtuoso playing of a group of balalaika players who were part of the yacht’s staff.

Princesses Olga and Tatiana on board the Shtandart.

In the evenings, the imperial yacht turned into a real cradle. Her gentle rocking on the water lulled everyone to sleep. So, when the stewards began to set the table for dinner in the living room, very often there was simply no one to eat it: the entire imperial family was already fast asleep.

Tatyana in a sailor suit.

While on board the Shtandart, Nicholas II continued to deal with state affairs, so that both ministers and secret police officials came to him on destroyers and boats to report. The emperor arranged his annual June two-week vacation on board the yacht in such a way that he worked two days a week and rested for five days. During this rest period, neither ministers nor high ranks of the secret police were allowed to board the yacht. But important reports, as well as various documents and press, were delivered to the Shtandart from St. Petersburg daily by courier boat.

The Imperial family on board the yacht "Standard".

In her memoirs, Vyrubova spoke in detail about what happened on the yacht “Standard” in her presence. For example, that while the emperor’s daughters were still small, a special sailor-nanny (as they were called on the “Standard” - uncle) was responsible for each of them, who were busy making sure that the child entrusted to his care did not fall overboard.

Sablin N.P. - author of memoirs about his service on the Shtandart in the company of the grand duchesses and officers of the yacht.

Then the grand duchesses grew up and received parental permission to swim in the sea on their own, but the “uncles” were not canceled. Just so as not to embarrass them during water procedures, they were on the shore nearby and, standing on some hill, watched them through binoculars.

Imperial yacht "Standart" in Revel Bay. King Edward VII and Emperor Nicholas II.

It is clear that the older the princesses became, the more this guardianship burdened them and they sought, like all children, to show that they were no longer “little.” It happened that the princesses teased their uncles and even played various tricks on them. However, Nicholas II never interfered in this relationship between his daughters and their yacht sailor nannies. But every year, for their hard and very delicate work, all the guys were given a personalized gold watch as a gift from the emperor, that is, it was valued very highly.

King Edward VII and Emperor Nicholas II aboard the Shtandart in 1908.

It happens, Vyrubova recalled, that the “Standard” dropped anchor in the waters of the possessions of both the Russian and Finnish nobility. And their owners could often meet the Russian emperor on the threshold of their house in the morning, who politely asked their permission to play on their tennis court. By the way, Nicholas II was an excellent tennis player, which she was not the only one to note.

The life of the imperial family on the yacht was easy and carefree. It was her own world, a world away from troubles and sorrows, a world in an “ivory tower.”

Alexandra Feodorovna with Tsarevich Alexei.

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna and British Princess Victoria on board the yacht "Standard" in Revel.

Head of the Chancellery of the Ministry of the Imperial Household A.A. Mosolov, in his notes “At the Court of the Last Russian Emperor,” published in 1993, wrote: “The Empress herself became sociable and cheerful as soon as she stepped onto the deck of the Shtandart.” The Empress took part in the children's games and talked for a long time with the officers. These officers obviously occupied a very privileged position. Some of them were invited every day to the highest table. The Tsar and his family often accepted an invitation for tea in the wardroom... The junior officers of the Standard little by little joined the games of the Grand Duchesses. When they grew up, the games imperceptibly turned into a whole series of flirtations - of course, quite harmless. I do not use the word “flirting” in the vulgar sense that is now given to it; - the officers of the “Standard” were best compared to pages or knights of the Middle Ages. Many times these youth rushed past me in a stream, and I never heard a single word that could cause criticism. In any case, these officers were wonderfully trained..."

Tsarevich Alexei and his uncle Andrei Derevenko.

And Vyrubova recalls how “... passing by the door of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, I saw the Empress Mother sitting on his crib: she was carefully peeling his apple, and they were chatting merrily.”

The Emperor and his wife on board the yacht "Standard".

In any case, the emperor, once on his yacht, tried to spend as much time as possible with his children. Moreover, the large size of the yacht turned it into an excellent playground. Young princesses, for example, skated on her deck on roller skates!

Princess Anastasia plays with kittens...

Princesses Maria and Tatiana playing with kittens, 1908

But it cannot be said that the “Standart” was just a kind of floating house for the royal family. The yacht was very often used to participate in various diplomatic and representative events. At that time, there was not an emperor, king or president in Europe who would not have been on this ship at least once, did not step on its sparkling clean deck and admire its decor, gallant crew and interior.

Maria, Olga, Anastasia and Tatyana... They still don’t know what fate awaits them in the future...

“We came on business.” Minister of the Imperial Court Baron V.B. Fredericks and Chairman of the Council of Ministers P.A. Stolypin on the deck of the yacht "Standard". Finland, 1910

In 1909, Nicholas II made his last visit to England on board the Shtandart, during which King Edward VII organized a parade of the royal navy in honor of his crowned guest. Both sovereigns were on board the royal yacht Victoria and Albert, which sailed between three lines of ironclads and dreadnoughts. At the same time, on English warships the flags were lowered in front of the yacht, the ships saluted with gun shots, and the orchestras on the decks played the anthems “God Save the Tsar!” and “God Save the King!” King Edward VII and Emperor Nicholas, in the uniform of an English admiral, stood side by side on the deck and saluted, while thousands of British sailors shouted loud “hurray” to them.

Nicholas II inspects the pre-dreadnought battleships of the Black Sea Fleet.

As for Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm, the last time they had a chance to meet was in June 1912, and again on board the yacht “Standart”. Then both the Standard and Emperor Wilhelm's yacht, the Hohenzollern, anchored side by side in the port of Revel (now Tallinn). On June 30, 1912, Nicholas wrote in a letter to his mother: “Emperor Wilhelm stayed for three days, and everything went quite well. He was extremely cheerful and friendly... gave good gifts to the children and gave Alexey a lot of board games... On the last morning he invited all the officers of the "Standart" to his yacht for a snack with champagne. This reception lasted an hour and a half, after which he told me that our officers drank 60 bottles of his champagne.”

Photo of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia with sailors, 1908.

Interestingly, his white and gold yacht Hohenzollern had a displacement of 4,000 tons and was therefore significantly smaller than the Standard, and the Kaiser could not hide his envy when looking at this beautiful ship. “He said,” Nicholas II wrote to his mother, “that he would be happy to receive it as a gift...” But... no matter how much he hinted to Nikolai how good it would be, he did not heed his hints and “Standart” ultimately remained with him.

Engine compartment of the yacht "Standard".

One of the voyages in the skerries ended in an accident. Here is her description made by Robert Massey in 1907, that is, immediately after the incident: “The yacht exited through a narrow strait into the open sea. The passengers were sitting on the deck. Suddenly, with a deafening crash, the yacht hit an underwater rock. Dishes overturned, chairs fell, musicians fell onto the deck. Water rushed into the hold, the Shtandart tilted and began to settle. Sirens howled, the sailors began to lower boats into the water. At that moment, the three-year-old Tsarevich was missing, and both parents were simply distraught with grief. It turned out that the sailor-nanny Derevenko, when the Shtandart hit the rock, grabbed Alexei in his arms and carried him to the bow of the yacht, believing quite correctly that from this part of the ship it would be easier for him to save the heir if the yacht was completely destroyed.

Nicholas II was at the railings all the time, watching the lowering of the boats. He often looked at his watch, counting how many inches per minute the Standard was sinking into the water. He estimated there were 20 minutes left. However, thanks to its sealed bulkheads, the yacht did not sink. And later it was repaired.”

“The yacht “Standard” is a Faberge “egg”.

Nicholas II's sister Olga recalled that while the Shtandart was being repaired, sailors from the yacht were often invited to the Mariinsky Theater to play the roles of slaves and warriors there, for example, in the opera Aida. “It was funny to see these tall men standing awkwardly on stage, wearing helmets and sandals and showing off their bare hairy legs. Despite the director’s frantic signals, they stared at the royal box and smiled broadly and cheerfully at us.”

“The yacht “Standard” is a Faberge “egg”. Close-up.

In Soviet times, the Marty minelayer was made from the Shtandart yacht, but this is a completely different thing...