Armored cruiser "Varyag" Missile cruiser "Varyag"

November 1 marked 110 years since the legendary cruiser Varyag was launched.

The cruiser "Varyag" was built by order of the Russian Empire at the William Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia (USA). It left the Philadelphia docks on November 1 (October 19, O.S.) 1899.

In terms of technical characteristics, the Varyag had no equal: equipped with powerful cannon and torpedo weapons, it was also the fastest cruiser in Russia. In addition, the Varyag was equipped with telephones, electrification, and a radio station and steam boilers of the latest modification.

After testing in 1901, the ship was presented to St. Petersburg residents.

In May 1901, the cruiser was sent to the Far East to strengthen the Pacific squadron. In February 1902, the cruiser, having sailed halfway around the world, dropped anchor in the Port Arthur roadstead. From that moment his service began as part of the squadron. In December 1903, the cruiser was sent to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to serve as a stationary vessel. In addition to the Varyag, there were ships of the international squadron on the roadstead. On January 5, 1904, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" arrived at the roadstead.

On the night of January 27 (February 9, new style), 1904, Japanese warships opened fire on the Russian squadron, which was stationed in the Port Arthur roadstead. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) began, lasting 588 days.

The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", located in the Korean Bay of Chemulpo, were blocked by a Japanese squadron on the night of February 9, 1904. The crews of Russian ships, trying to break through from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, entered into an unequal battle with a Japanese squadron, which included 14 destroyers.

During the first hour of the battle in the Tsushima Strait, the crew of the Russian cruiser fired more than 1.1 thousand shells. "Varyag" and "Koreets" disabled three cruisers and a destroyer, but they themselves received heavy damage. The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo, where they received an ultimatum from the Japanese to surrender. Russian sailors rejected him. By decision of the officers' council, the Varyag was sunk and the Koreets was blown up. This feat became a symbol of the courage and bravery of Russian sailors.

For the first time in Russian history all participants in the battle (about 500 people) were awarded the highest military award - the Cross of St. George. After the celebrations, the Varyag crew was disbanded, the sailors entered service on other ships, and commander Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded, promoted, and retired.

The actions of the "Varyag" during the battle delighted even the enemy - after the Russian-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a museum in Seoul in memory of the heroes of the "Varyag" and awarded its commander Vsevolod Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.

After the legendary battle in Chemulpo Bay, the Varyag lay at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for more than a year. It was not until 1905 that the wreck was raised, repaired, and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name Soya. For more than 10 years, the legendary ship served as a training vessel for Japanese sailors, but out of respect for its heroic past, the Japanese kept the inscription on the stern - “Varyag”.

In 1916, Russia acquired former Russian warships Peresvet, Poltava and Varyag from its now ally Japan. After paying 4 million yen, the Varyag was enthusiastically received in Vladivostok and on March 27, 1916, the St. Andrew's flag was raised again on the cruiser. The ship was enlisted in the Guards crew and sent to reinforce the Kola detachment of the Arctic Fleet. On November 18, 1916, the cruiser Varyag was solemnly welcomed in Murmansk. Here she was appointed the flagship of the Kola Bay Naval Defense Forces.

However, the cruiser's engines and boilers required immediate overhaul, and the artillery required rearmament. Just a few days before the February Revolution, the Varyag left for England, to the ship repair docks of Liverpool. The Varyag remained in the Liverpool dock from 1917 to 1920. The necessary funds for its repair (300 thousand pounds) were never allocated. After 1917, the Bolsheviks permanently erased the Varyag as a hero of the Tsarist fleet from the history of the country.

In February 1920, while being towed through the Irish Sea to Glasgow (Scotland), where it was sold for scrap, the cruiser was caught in a strong storm and sat on rocks. All attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. In 1925, the cruiser was partially dismantled on site, and the 127-meter hull was blown up.

In 1947, the feature film “Cruiser “Varyag”” was shot, and on February 8, 1954, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the “Varyag” feat, a gala evening was held in Moscow with the participation of veterans of the Battle of Chemulpo, where, on behalf of the Soviet government, the “Varangian” heroes received Medals "For Courage" were awarded. Anniversary celebrations took place in many cities of the country.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle in 2004, the Russian delegation erected a monument to the Russian sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyts" in Chemulpo Bay. At the opening of the memorial in the port of Incheon ( former city Chemulpo) the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the guards missile cruiser "Varyag", was present.

The current "Varyag" - the successor to the legendary first-generation ship of the same name - is armed with a powerful multi-purpose strike missile system, which allows it to hit surface and ground targets at a considerable distance. Also in its arsenal are rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and several artillery installations of various calibers and purposes. Therefore, NATO figuratively calls Russian ships of this class “aircraft carrier killers.”

In 2007, in Scotland, where the legendary "Varyag" found its last refuge, it was opened memorial Complex, which was attended by the large anti-submarine ship (BOD) of the Russian Navy "Severomorsk". These monuments, made in Russian maritime traditions, became the first memorials to the Russian military spirit outside Russia and an eternal symbol of gratitude and pride for descendants.

In 2009, to mark the 105th anniversary of the legendary battle with the Japanese squadron, a unique international exhibition project"Cruiser "Varyag". Discovery of relics, including genuine rarities from the legendary ship and gunboat "Koreets" from the collections of Russian and Korean museums. A similar exhibition demonstrating relics Russian fleet haven't been in yet national history.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Design.

The shipbuilding program of 1898 envisaged the construction of armored cruisers with a displacement of about 6000 tons, while main bet was made for speed and power reserve, weapons and protection were given a secondary role.

According to the technical specifications, the ship was supposed to reach a speed of up to 23 knots (the best cruisers of Japan and England reached speeds of more than 21 knots), have a cruising range of up to 5,000 miles and be armed with twelve 152-mm guns. There were no requirements for armor, only the need for an armored carapace deck was indicated without specifying the thickness of the armor in the specification.

Construction and testing.

The contract for the construction and design of the future "Varyag" was awarded to the American company "William Cramp & Sons", whose representatives developed such vigorous activity in St. Petersburg that they ended up building the cruiser, and with it the squadron battleship (the future "Retvizan"), without any competition , and even without even a preliminary design.

The official laying of the ship took place on May 10, 1989, and on October 19, 1989, the cruiser was launched. The non-standard way of concluding the contract caused a number of problems during construction, since many details had to be agreed upon after the keel of the ship. As a result, the ship's displacement increased to almost 6,500 tons, two underwater torpedo tubes were abandoned, and the main caliber guns were located on the deck without any protection, even without anti-fragmentation shields.

In addition, contrary to the opinion of the Marine Technical Committee, boilers from the French company of the Nikloss brothers were installed on the cruiser, which, as it later turned out, were characterized by very low reliability. However, the same boilers on the battleship Retvizan did not cause any particular problems, so it was unlikely that the problem was with them.

Factory tests of the cruiser began in May 1900 and revealed a lot of shortcomings, in particular, one of the high-pressure cylinders had to be replaced. Subsequently, the capricious nature of the mechanisms constantly made itself felt: tubes ruptured regularly and bearings became heated.

At the same time, the cruiser also had undoubted advantages: already during the first tests, it reached a speed of 24.59 knots, which was higher than required by the technical specifications and higher than what the manufacturer itself promised.

It took more than six months to eliminate the identified deficiencies; only on January 2, 1901, the cruiser was accepted by the commission, while finishing work continued after this date. 05/03/1901 "Varyag" arrived in Kronstadt.

Description of the design.

The cruiser "Varyag" turned out to be very controversial. The solid displacement, which seemed to imply balanced characteristics, was poorly matched with unprotected artillery and not very outstanding armor.

At the same time, it is extremely high speed allowed the Varyag to evade an unprofitable battle under any circumstances: ships capable of keeping up with it did not pose a particular threat to the cruiser, because Only destroyers could catch up with him. Alas, the high speed was only on paper: unreliable boilers and constant breakdowns rarely made it possible to keep the speed above 20 knots.

In general, the Varyag could have been an excellent raider for operations on enemy shipping lines, but, unfortunately, it did not have the chance to serve in this capacity.

The cruiser had a hull length of 129.56 m, a maximum width of 15.9 m, and a height from the keel to the upper deck of 10.46 m. The presence of a forecastle noticeably improved the ship's performance, but at the same time, due to a design miscalculation, the cruiser had insufficient sustainability. Since it was impossible to eliminate this drawback, 200 tons of ballast were loaded onto the Varyag, which in some way solved the problem, but did not have a very good effect on its speed and cruising range.

Reservation.

The ship's protection was provided by an armored deck, the thickness of which at the slopes reached 76 mm; the conning tower was protected by 152 mm armor. In addition to the armor itself, the survivability of the ship was increased by a successful and well-thought-out layout. Coal pits were placed around the mechanisms, providing their additional protection; the ammunition cellars were located compactly and it was very difficult for enemy shells to reach them.

On the slopes of the armored deck there were cofferdam compartments to isolate damaged areas of the plating and prevent significant flooding. According to the project, these compartments were supposed to be filled with cellulose, but it was decided to abandon it during operation.

Power plant and driving performance.

The power plant consisted of two vertical four-cylinder (two low-pressure and one medium- and high-pressure cylinders) triple expansion steam engines and 30 already mentioned Nykloss system boilers.

The boilers turned out to be the cruiser's main problem; problems with them plagued the Varyag constantly: the ship spent almost the majority of its service under repairs. Tube ruptures were a common occurrence, and overheating of bearings was commonplace. The mechanisms were rebuilt twice, but the problems could not be eliminated. All this did not allow the Varyag to develop the declared speed; in addition, there was excessive consumption of coal, which reduced the range.

Armament.

Another problem for the cruiser was its artillery. With a large number of fairly powerful and fast-firing 152-mm guns, they were deprived of any protection. The absence of turrets and even anti-fragmentation shields was explained by weight savings, but led to obvious consequences: even a minor hit that did not disable the gun could wound or kill the gunners nearby.

In addition, the bow and stern guns were located in pairs, which did not allow them to be used when firing from one side. In total, the Varyag could use 6 main caliber guns in a broadside salvo. Auxiliary artillery consisted of 75-mm guns and small-caliber guns, characterized by a high rate of fire, but not too high power of projectiles. However, the Varyag’s artillery was more than enough to fight the destroyers; any enemy of comparable displacement could cause serious trouble.

Equipment and auxiliary systems.

A feature of the ship at the time of construction was a high level of electrification, which significantly improved both living conditions and the combat qualities of the cruiser. Electricity three dynamos were produced: two in the bow and one in the stern. In addition, there were emergency batteries.

The cruiser's cabins were equipped with compasses, duplicated steering columns, engine telegraphs, tachometers, telephones and speaking pipes, as well as big amount other equipment. There was an emergency alarm and electrical fire control devices. In addition, the cruiser had a developed electrical display system, and after arriving in Kronstadt it was equipped with a radio station.

Service.

Before the Russo-Japanese War.

On 02/25/1902, the cruiser "Varyag", pursued by mechanical breakdowns, reached Port Arthur and became part of the Pacific Ocean squadron. In December 1902, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev became the commander of the cruiser.

While in Port Arthur, the cruiser visited Chemulpo several times and spent a significant part of the time undergoing repairs. They were not able to eliminate all the shortcomings.

Russo-Japanese War.

From the beginning of 1904, the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" were in the port of Chemulpo, at the disposal Russian embassy. There they were attacked by a Japanese combat detachment under the command of Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, who demanded the surrender of the ships or their withdrawal under the threat of attack in the roadstead. Despite the obvious inequality of forces (the Japanese squadron had 6 cruisers, including the powerful Asama, and 8 destroyers), the Varyag and the Koreets took on an unequal battle.

It must be said that assessments of the battle cause heated discussions: some consider the battle to be a very mediocre defeat, others an example of the highest heroism. Estimates, of course, may be different, but there is no reason not to believe the enemies: after the war, Rudnev was awarded the Japanese Order in recognition of his valor.

It is also interesting that the Japanese, after raising the cruiser, left its original name on the stern. Be that as it may, the first and last Stand"Varyag" went down in the history of the Russian fleet as one of the most striking episodes: the exit of light Russian ships to certain death cannot be assessed other than as an example of incredible courage.

The interwar period and the First World War.

In 1905, the Japanese raised the sunken cruiser Varyag and, after repairs, included it in the fleet under the name Soya, where they used it as a training ship. However, that's the story heroic cruiser didn't end.

In 1916, "Soya" was bought by the Russian government and, on April 4, 1916, the St. Andrew's flag flew again on the cruiser. Soon the "Varyag" found itself on its native shores - in Vladivostok. Unfortunately, the ship was not destined to reach the western part of Russia: in 1917, the Varyag was sent to Great Britain for repairs, but after the revolution it was confiscated to pay off debts that the new rulers of Russia refused to pay.

However, this legendary cruiser was not going to give up even in such a hopeless situation: in 1925, while being towed for scrapping, the Varyag was caught in a storm and sank.

The cruiser "Varyag" has become a truly legendary ship in Russian history. It became famous due to the battle at Chemulpo, at the very beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. And although the cruiser “Varyag” has already become almost a household name, the battle itself is still unknown to the general public. Meanwhile, for the Russian fleet the results are disappointing.

True, then two domestic ships were immediately opposed by an entire Japanese squadron. All that is known about the “Varyag” is that it did not surrender to the enemy and preferred to be flooded rather than captured. However, the history of the ship is much more interesting. It is worth restoring historical justice and debunking some myths about the glorious cruiser “Varyag”.

The Varyag was built in Russia. The ship is considered one of the most famous in the history of the Russian fleet. It is obvious to assume that it was built in Russia. Nevertheless, the Varyag was laid down in 1898 in Philadelphia at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards. Three years later, the ship began serving in the Russian fleet.

Varyag is a slow ship. Poor quality work during the creation of the vessel led to the fact that it could not accelerate to the 25 knots specified in the contract. This negated all the advantages of a light cruiser. After a few years, the ship could no longer sail faster than 14 knots. The question of returning the Varyag to the Americans for repairs was even raised. But in the fall of 1903, the cruiser was able to show almost the planned speed during testing. Nikloss steam boilers served faithfully on other ships without causing any complaints.

Varyag is a weak cruiser. In many sources there is an opinion that “Varyag” was a weak enemy with low military value. The lack of armor shields on the main caliber guns caused skepticism. True, Japan in those years, in principle, did not have armored cruisers capable of fighting on equal terms with the Varyag and its analogues in terms of weapon power: “Oleg”, “Bogatyr” and “Askold”. No Japanese cruiser of this class had twelve 152 mm guns. But the fighting in that conflict was such that the crews of domestic cruisers did not have the opportunity to fight an enemy of equal size or class. The Japanese preferred to engage in battle with an advantage in the number of ships. The first battle, but not the last, was the battle of Chemulpo.

"Varyag" and "Koreets" received a hail of shells. Describing that battle, domestic historians talk about a whole hail of shells that fell on Russian ships. True, nothing hit the “Korean”. But official data from the Japanese side refutes this myth. In 50 minutes of battle, the six cruisers spent a total of 419 shells. Most of all - "Asama", including 27 caliber 203 mm and 103 caliber 152 mm. According to the report of Captain Rudnev, who commanded the Varyag, the ship fired 1,105 shells. Of these, 425 are 152 mm caliber, 470 are 75 mm caliber, and another 210 are 47 mm. It turns out that as a result of that battle, the Russian artillerymen managed to demonstrate a high rate of fire. The Koreets fired about fifty more shells. So it turns out that during that battle, two Russian ships fired three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. It remains not entirely clear how this number was calculated. It may have been based on a survey of the crew. And could a cruiser, which by the end of the battle had lost three quarters of its guns, fire so many shots?

The ship was commanded by Rear Admiral Rudnev. Returning to Russia after retirement in 1905, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev received the rank of rear admiral. And in 2001, a street in South Butovo in Moscow was named after the brave sailor. But it is still logical to talk about the captain, and not about the admiral in the historical aspect. In the chronicles of the Russian-Japanese War, Rudnev remained a captain of the first rank, commander of the Varyag. He did not show himself anywhere or in any way as a rear admiral. And this obvious mistake even crept into school textbooks, where the rank of the Varyag commander is incorrectly indicated. For some reason, no one thinks that a rear admiral is not qualified to command an armored cruiser. Fourteen Japanese ships opposed two Russian ships. Describing that battle, it is often said that the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets” were opposed by the entire Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu of 14 ships. It included 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers. But it’s still worth clarifying something. The Japanese never took advantage of their huge quantitative and qualitative advantage. Moreover, initially there were 15 ships in the squadron. But the destroyer Tsubame ran aground during maneuvers that prevented the Korean from leaving for Port Arthur. The messenger ship Chihaya was not a participant in the battle, although it was located close to the battle site. Only four Japanese cruisers actually fought, with two more sporadically engaging in combat. The destroyers only indicated their presence.

Varyag sank a cruiser and two enemy destroyers. The issue of military losses on both sides always causes heated discussions. Likewise, the battle at Chemulpo is assessed differently by Russian and Japanese historians. Domestic literature mentions heavy enemy losses. The Japanese lost a scuttled destroyer, killing 30 people and wounding about 200. But these data are based on reports from foreigners who observed the battle. Gradually, another destroyer began to be included in the number of those sunk, as well as the cruiser Takachiho. This version was included in the film “Cruiser “Varyag”. And while the fate of the destroyers can be debated, the cruiser Takachiho went through the Russo-Japanese War quite safely. The ship with its entire crew sank only 10 years later during the siege of Qingdao. The Japanese report does not say anything at all about the losses and damage to their ships. True, it is not entirely clear where, after that battle, the armored cruiser Asama, the main enemy of the Varyag, disappeared for two whole months? He was not present at Port Arthur, as well as in the squadron of Admiral Kammimura, which acted against the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers. But the fighting had just begun, the outcome of the war was unclear. One can only assume that the ship, which the Varyag mainly fired at, was still seriously damaged. But the Japanese decided to hide this fact in order to promote the effectiveness of their weapons. Similar experiences were observed in the future during the Russo-Japanese War. The losses of the battleships Yashima and Hatsuse were also not immediately recognized. The Japanese quietly wrote off several sunken destroyers as being beyond repair.

The story of the Varyag ended with its sinking. After the ship's crew switched to neutral ships, the Varyag's seams were opened. It sank. But in 1905, the Japanese raised the cruiser, repaired it and put it into service under the name Soya. In 1916, the ship was bought by the Russians. Walked First World War, and Japan was already an ally. The ship was returned to its former name “Varyag”, it began to serve as part of the Arctic Ocean flotilla. At the beginning of 1917, the Varyag went to England for repairs, but was confiscated for debts. The Soviet government had no intention of paying the tsar's bills. Further fate The ship was an unenviable one - in 1920 it was sold to the Germans for scrapping. And in 1925, while being towed, it sank in the Irish Sea. So the ship is not resting off the coast of Korea.

The Japanese modernized the ship. There is information that the Nicoloss boilers were replaced by the Japanese with Miyabara boilers. So the Japanese decided to modernize the former Varyag. It's a delusion. True, the car could not be repaired without repairs. This allowed the cruiser to achieve a speed of 22.7 knots during testing, which was less than the original.

As a sign of respect, the Japanese left the cruiser a plaque with his name and the Russian coat of arms. This step was not associated with a tribute to memory heroic story ship. The design of the Varyag played a role. The coat of arms and name were mounted in the aft balcony; it was impossible to remove them. The Japanese simply fixed the new name, "Soya", on both sides of the balcony grille. No sentimentality - complete rationality.

“The Death of the Varyag” is a folk song. The Varyag's feat became one of the bright spots of that war. It is not surprising that poems were written about the ship, songs were written, pictures were written, and a film was made. At least fifty songs were composed immediately after that war. But over the years, only three have reached us. “Varyag” and “Death of Varyag” are best known. These songs, with minor changes, are heard throughout feature film about the ship. For a long time it was believed that “The Death of the Varyag” was a folk creation, but this is not entirely true. Less than a month after the battle, Y. Repninsky’s poem “Varyag” was published in the newspaper “Rus”. It began with the words “Cold waves are splashing.” Composer Benevsky set these words to music. It must be said that this melody was in tune with many war songs that appeared during that period. And who the mysterious Ya. Repninsky was was never established. By the way, the text of “Varyag” (“Up, oh comrades, everything in its place”) was written by the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz. The version known to everyone appeared thanks to the translator Studenskaya.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, all the leading world powers entered the phase of imperialism. Growing empires sought to take control as much as possible more territory and significant points on the world map. China was weakened by internal and external wars, which led to the emergence on its territory of spheres of influence of great powers, including Russia. For Russian Empire control over the northern part of China, as well as the retention of Port Arthur, was part of the allied obligations that Russia assumed in 1896 under an agreement with China. Russia with its land and naval forces was supposed to protect the integrity of China from Japanese attacks. In order to isolate Russia in the Far East, Japan turned to Great Britain with a request to conclude an alliance treaty; as a result of short negotiations, such an agreement was signed in 1901 in London. England sought to weaken Russia, as the interests of these empires collided throughout Asia: from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

At the beginning of February 1904, two Russian ships with a diplomatic mission arrived at the port of the capital of Korea, Seoul: the cruiser “Varyag” under the command of captain of the first rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev and the gunboat “Koreets” under the command of captain of the second rank G.P. Belyaeva.

NO ONE WISHES SERVY

Up, you comrades, everyone is in place!
The last parade is coming!
Our proud “Varyag” does not surrender to the enemy,
Nobody wants mercy!

All the pennants flutter and the chains rattle,
The anchors are raised up.
The guns are preparing for battle in a row,
Sparkling ominously in the sun!

The words of this famous song are dedicated to the most famous event of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. - the feat of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", which entered into an unequal battle with the superior forces of the Japanese squadron in the Korean Bay of Chemulpo. The lyrics of this song, impressed by the cruiser's feat, were written in 1904 by the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz. The poem was published in one of the magazines, and soon its Russian translations appeared, the most successful of which was the translation by E. Studenskaya. Musician of the 12th Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment A.S. Turishchev set these poems to music. The song was first performed at a gala reception given by Emperor Nicholas II in honor of the officers and sailors of the Varyag and the Korean.

The feat of the sailors of the “Varyag” and “Korean” forever entered the history of the Russian fleet, becoming one of the heroic pages of the unsuccessful Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Having withstood an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron and without lowering the flag in front of the enemy, the Russian sailors did not surrender to the enemy and sank their ship themselves.

On the night of January 27 (February 9), 1904, Japanese destroyers, without declaring war, attacked the Russian squadron on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, a naval base leased by Russia from China. The Japanese attack had dire consequences: the battleships Retvizan, Tsesarevich and the cruiser Pallada were damaged. On the same day, in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon), a Japanese squadron consisting of 1 armored cruiser, 5 light cruisers and 8 destroyers blocked the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets.

Captain Rudnev received a notice from Japanese Admiral Uriu, announcing that Japan and Russia were at war and demanding that the Varyag leave the port, otherwise the Japanese ships would fight right in the roadstead. "Varyag" and "Koreets" weighed anchor. Five minutes later they sounded a combat alarm. English and French ships greeted passing Russian ships with the sounds of an orchestra.

In order to break the blockade, our sailors had to fight through a narrow 20-mile fairway and break out into the open sea. The task is impossible. At half past eleven Japanese cruisers an offer was made to surrender to the mercy of the winner. The Russians ignored the signal. The Japanese squadron opened fire...

The fight was brutal. Under hurricane fire from the enemy (1 heavy and 5 light cruisers, 8 destroyers), sailors and officers fired at the enemy, applied plaster, sealed holes, and put out fires. Rudnev, wounded and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle. But, despite the heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag still fired accurately at the Japanese ships from its remaining guns. “Korean” did not lag behind him.

According to the report of the commander of the Varyag, one destroyer was sunk by the cruiser’s fire and 4 Japanese cruisers were damaged. Losses of the Varyag crew - 1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded and shell-shocked, about 100 more people were slightly injured. There were no losses on the "Korean".

However, critical damage forced the Varyag to return to the bay roadstead an hour later. After assessing the severity of the damage, the remaining guns and equipment on it were destroyed if possible, and it itself was scuttled in the bay. The "Korean" was blown up by the crew.

PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

On the Chemulpo roadstead there were Italian, American, Korean and English ships, as well as the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda. On the night of February 7, this cruiser, without lighting the identification lights, left the roadstead and went out to the open sea. The next day, the gunboat "Koreets" left the bay at about 16.00, where it met a Japanese squadron consisting of 7 cruisers and 8 destroyers. The cruiser "Asama" blocked the path of the "Korean" to the open sea, and the destroyers fired three torpedoes at the gunboat (2 missed, and the third sank a few meters from the side of the "Korean"). Belyaev decided to enter a neutral harbor and disappeared into Chemulpo.

On February 9 at 7.30 in the morning, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Urio Sotokichi, sent a telegram to the captains of the ships stationed in Chemulpo about the state of war between Russia and Japan, in which he reported that he was forced to attack the neutral bay at 16.00 if the Russian ships did not surrender or leave in open sea by noon.

At 9.30, Captain 1st Rank Rudnev became aware of this telegram on board the English ship Talbot. After a short meeting with the officers, it was decided to leave the bay and give battle to the Japanese squadron.

At 11.20 minutes “Koreets” and “Varyag” left the bay. On foreign ships of neutral powers, all teams were lined up and saw off the Russian heroes with a loud “Hurray!” to certain death. On the Varyag, the orchestra played the national anthems of those countries whose sailors saluted the bravery of Russian weapons.

Japanese cruisers were located in battle formation near the island. Richie, covering both possible exits to the sea. Destroyers were located behind the Japanese cruisers. At 11.30 minutes, the cruisers Asama and Chiyoda began moving towards the Russian ships, followed by the cruisers Naniwa and Niitaka. Admiral Sotokichi offered the Russians to surrender; neither the Varyag nor the Koreyets responded to this proposal.

11.47 minutes on the Varyag, due to accurate hits from Japanese shells, a fire starts on the deck, which is extinguished, several guns are damaged. There are killed and wounded. Captain Rudnev is shell-shocked and seriously wounded in the back, but helmsman Snigirev remains in service.

At 12.05 the steering mechanisms on the Varyag were damaged. It was decided to give a full reverse, continuing to fire at the Japanese ships. "Varyag" managed to disable the stern turret and bridge of the cruiser "Asama", which was forced to stop and start renovation work. The guns on two other cruisers were also damaged, and one destroyer was sunk. In total, the Japanese lost 30 people killed, the Russians killed 31 people, and 188 wounded.

At 12.20, the Varyag received two holes, after which it was decided to return to Chemulpo, repair the damage and continue the battle. However, already at 12.45, hopes of repairing the damage to most of the ship's guns did not materialize. Rudnev decided to scuttle the ship, which happened at 18.05. The gunboat "Korean" was damaged by two explosions and was also sunk.

RUDNEV'S REPORT

“...At 11:45 a.m. the cruiser Asama fired the first shot from an 8-inch gun, after which the entire squadron opened fire.

Subsequently, the Japanese claimed that the admiral signaled an offer of surrender, to which the commander of the Russian ship responded with disdain, without raising any signal. Indeed, I saw the signal, but I did not find it necessary to respond to it, since I had already decided to go into battle.

After which, after zeroing in, they opened fire on the Asama from a distance of 45 cables. One of the first Japanese shells, hitting the cruiser, destroyed the upper bridge, causing a fire in the chart room, and broke the fore shrouds, and the rangefinder officer midshipman Count Nirod and all the rangefinders of station No. 1 were killed (at the end of the battle, one of Count Nirod’s hands was found, holding the range finder)…

... Having been convinced after examining the cruiser that it was completely impossible to engage in battle and not wanting to give the enemy the opportunity to defeat the dilapidated cruiser, general meeting officers decided to sink the cruiser, taking the wounded and the remaining crew to foreign ships, to which the latter expressed full consent due to my request...

... I present a special petition for rewarding the officers and crew for their selfless courage and valiant performance of duty. According to information received in Shanghai, the Japanese suffered heavy losses in people and had accidents on ships, the cruiser Asama, which went into dock, was especially damaged. The cruiser Takachiho also suffered a hole; The cruiser took 200 wounded and went to Sasebo, but the road plaster burst and the bulkheads did not hold up, so the cruiser Takachiho sank into the sea. The destroyer sank during the battle.

Reporting the above, I consider it my duty to report that the ships of the detachment entrusted to me with dignity upheld the honor of the Russian flag, exhausted all means for a breakthrough, did not allow the Japanese to win, inflicted many losses on the enemy and saved the remaining crew.

Signed by: commander of the cruiser 1st rank "Varyag" captain 1st rank Rudnev

HONOR TO THE HEROES

Sailors from Russian ships were accepted onto foreign ships and, having given an undertaking not to take part in subsequent hostilities, returned to Russia through neutral ports. In April 1904, the ship's crews arrived in St. Petersburg, and Sailors were greeted by Nicholas II. All of them were invited to a gala dinner at the palace, where special dinnerware was prepared for the occasion, which was given to the sailors after the celebration. All sailors of the Varyag were given personalized watches as a gift from Nicholas II.

The battle at Chemulpo showed the heroism of Russian sailors and officers who were ready to face certain death in order to preserve their honor and dignity. The brave and desperate step of the sailors was noted by the establishment of a special award for sailors “Medal for the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean” on January 27, 1904 at Chemulpo”, as well as the immortal songs “Our proud “Varyag” does not surrender to the enemy” and “Cold waves are splashing” .

The cruiser's sailors did not forget about the feat. In 1954, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo, Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy N.G. Kuznetsov personally awarded 15 veterans with medals “For Courage”.

On August 9, 1992, a monument to the commander of the cruiser V.F. was unveiled. Rudnev in the village of Savina (Zaoksky district of the Tula region), where he was buried after his death in 1913. In the summer of 1997, a monument to the cruiser Varyag was erected in Vladivostok.

In 2009, after lengthy negotiations with the Korean side, relics associated with the feat of the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets”, previously stored in the storerooms of the Icheon Museum, were brought to Russia, and on November 11, 2010, in the presence of Russian President D. A. Medvedev, the mayor of Icheon handed over the cruiser's gun to Russian diplomats. The ceremony took place at the Russian Embassy in Seoul.

NICHOLAS II - TO THE HEROES OF CHEMULPO

Speech of the Tsar in the Winter Palace

“I am happy, brothers, to see you all healthy and returned safely. Many of you, with your blood, have entered into the chronicle of our fleet a deed worthy of the exploits of your ancestors, grandfathers and fathers, who accomplished them on the Azov and Mercury; now you have added with your feat new page into the history of our fleet, the names “Varyag” and “Korean” were added to them. They will also become immortal. I am confident that each of you will remain worthy of the reward that I gave you until the end of your service. All of Russia and I read with love and trembling excitement about the exploits that you showed at Chemulpo. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting the honor of St. Andrew’s flag and the dignity of Great Holy Rus'. I drink to further victories of our glorious fleet. To your health, brothers!”

THE FATE OF THE SHIP

In 1905, the cruiser was raised from the bottom of the bay and was used by the Japanese as a training ship called Soya. During the First World War, Russia and Japan were allies. In 1916, the cruiser was purchased and included in the Russian Navy under the same name. In February 1917, the Varyag went to Great Britain for repairs, where it was confiscated by the British because the new Soviet government refused to pay for its repairs, and was then resold to German companies for scrapping. While being towed, the ship encountered a storm and sank off the coast in the Irish Sea.

It was possible to find the site of the death of the legendary cruiser in 2003. In July 2006, a memorial plaque was erected in his honor on the shore near the site of the death of the Varyag. In January 2007, a fund to support the Navy “Cruiser “Varyag” was established. His goal, in particular, was to raise funds for the construction and installation of a monument to the legendary ship in Scotland. The monument to the legendary Russian cruiser was opened in September 2007 in the Scottish town of Lendelfoot.

"VARANGIAN"

...From the faithful pier we go into battle,
Towards the death that threatens us,
We will die for our Motherland in the open sea,
Where the yellow-faced devils wait!

It whistles and thunders and rumbles all around,
The thunder of guns, the hiss of a shell, -
And our fearless, our faithful “Varyag” became
Let's look like absolute hell!

Bodies tremble in their death throes,
There is roar and smoke and groans all around,
And the ship is engulfed in a sea of fire, -
The moment of farewell has come.

Farewell, comrades! With God, hurray!
Into the boiling sea below us!
We didn’t think about it yesterday,
Why should we fall asleep under the waves today?

Neither the stone nor the cross will tell where they lay down
For the glory of the Russian flag,
Only the waves of the sea will glorify forever
The heroic death of the “Varyag”!

Since childhood, Russians have known the cheerful marching song “To the top, comrades, everyone is in place...”. They know that its main character is the cruiser Varyag, who died heroically in battle with superior Japanese forces during the war at the beginning of the twentieth century. The other, minor, song “Cold Waves Splashing” is less known. But it is dedicated to the same event, and there is no contradiction in that.

The fate of the ship was ambiguous, and the truth about its feat was sacrificed to the demands of propaganda.

American miracle of technology

By the time the Russo-Japanese War began in 1904, Russian society In relation to the future enemy, a “captivating” mood reigned. The defeat led to the opposite result: the technical achievements of the Japanese began to be exaggerated.

This trend also affected the assessment of Varyag. At first, the cruiser was characterized as a powerful military unit, capable of “outshining” the enemy. Later, allegations appeared that this cruiser was weak and outdated. Both statements are incorrect. It was not a matter of technology, but (as they would say today) human factor.

Naval arms race

Japan in late XIX centuries lagged behind developed countries in technical terms, but has already managed to make a grandiose economic breakthrough.

It did not reach the level of a world power, but it was worthy competition for the leading countries of the world. Further development required resources that were not available on the cramped islands - this explains the belligerence of the young “Asian tiger”.

In 1895 Russian intelligence received information about Japan's intention to increase its fleet so that it would surpass Russian forces on the Pacific Ocean.

This should not have been allowed - Russia itself had expansionist plans in China and Korea. The order for the construction of the Varyag ship was one of the steps to prevent Japanese domination.

American order

Import substitution was not established - Russian shipyards worked slowly. Therefore, the order for the construction of the armored cruiser “Varyag” was received by Philadelphia shipbuilders. They undertook to do everything in 20 months. The cruiser's guns were manufactured in Russia.

According to the project, these cruisers met all the latest (at that time) requirements for warship.

The description of the ship's technical characteristics allows us to imagine a powerful, fast, well-armed ship.

Overall dimensions: length – 129.56 m, draft – 5.94 m, width – 15.9 m.
Displacement - 6500 tons (design), 6604 tons (actual).
Armor: deck – from 37 to 76 mm, conning tower – 152 mm.
The total engine power is 20 thousand liters. With.
Maximum speed – 24.59 knots (obtained during testing).
Main caliber – 152 mm (12 pcs.).
Other artillery - 24 guns (75-, 63-, 47-, 37-mm), 2 machine guns.
Other weapons: 6 torpedo tubes 381 mm, 2 * 254 mm, 35 barrage mines, 6 throwing mines.
Team – 20 officers, 550 lower ranks(according to state). There were changes in real conditions; So, at the time of the battle with the Japanese, there were 558 people on the cruiser: 21 officers, 4 conductors, 3 hired civilians, a priest, 529 sailors.

There were other miracles of technology.

The ship had a lot of electrical equipment (new for that time) - lifts for shells, winches for boats, even dough mixers. There was a telephone connection. The furniture was made of metal, although it was painted “for the ambiance” to resemble wood. This reduced the fire hazard.

Details not included in reports

The true history of the cruiser “Varyag” reveals facts that predetermined its short life. It was built and delivered to the customer in 1899 (that is, on time), but the flag over it was only understood on January 2, 1901. The reason is that the ship immediately required modifications - the tactical and technical characteristics did not correspond to what was planned.

There were two main problems. The Nikloss system boilers installed on the ship turned out to be unreliable and often broke down. Although the Russian fleet already had experience working with boilers of this system, and they did not cause any special problems, it didn’t work out here.

For this reason, in combat conditions the ship was slower than planned, and constantly ran the risk of ending up with emergency boilers at the most inopportune moment. In practice, the speed of 26 knots declared by the manufacturers was not achieved.

Usually the ship did not even give the speed of 24.5 knots shown during tests.

Captain V.F. Rudnev complained not only about problems with the boilers, but also about other shortcomings of the manufacturer, and about a weak repair base. Probably his information about maximum speed the speed of 14 knots is underestimated, but the Varyag did not give full speed.

In addition, the armored cruiser's guns were deprived of armor protection. This created an additional risk for the gunners and the combat effectiveness of the cruiser (it was easy for the enemy to destroy the ship’s weapons).

This lack of armor protection played a role fatal role in the famous battle of the cruiser “Varyag” with the Japanese squadron. Most cruisers of that time had such protection, but in in this case the ship was made lighter due to gun armor.

From sad experience, appropriate conclusions were drawn; other cruisers of this type (including the Aurora) had gun protection installed. But this could no longer help the “Varangian” artillerymen.

Improvements during service

Throughout its life, the Varyag underwent major modernization twice. The first was produced by the Japanese, who raised the cruiser in 1905. During the repairs, the chart room, pipes, fans, navigation bridges were changed, and mine net poles and top platforms were removed. The 75mm guns were replaced with 76mm Armstrong guns.

After the return of the Russian ship in 1916, the bow and stern main caliber guns were transferred to the center plane, as a result of which the power of the side salvo increased.

The machine guns were converted to fire at air targets. Dead moves have been eliminated in the mechanics. And most importantly, the artillery received partial armor protection (shortened shields) - conclusions were drawn from the past.

Royal retinue

Upon completion of the modifications, the ship left Philadelphia and went to Kronstadt, where it arrived in early May 1901. After 2 weeks, Tsar Nicholas II personally examined him. There is no denying that the cruiser looked great, and its fate was successful at first.

The monarch was so impressed that he immediately included the cruiser in the escort group of his own yacht for a trip to Europe. The decision was justified by the fact that the cruiser was still doomed to a long voyage to its place of duty - it was assigned to Port Arthur.

The ship visited many ports of the Old World, and everywhere it was greeted enthusiastically. To the cruiser in literally there were excursions of the “good society” of the ports where he appeared. This was pleasant for the commander (V.F. Rudnev), but harmful from a military point of view. Indeed, during its journey, the Varyag also called at Nagasaki, a Japanese port popular with foreign sailors. The Mikado's reconnaissance worked well, and got the opportunity to find out more about the Russian ship.

While the Russian command was filled with confidence in its military superiority over the Japanese, they were preparing for war in earnest. Japan adopted the latest ammunition and artillery, captains and admirals had an excellent knowledge of the theater of future military operations, and discipline and order reigned at all levels.

Russian sailors served regularly, but corruption at the top is not an invention of our days. Among the top military leadership of Russia there were enough incompetent people who did not want to bear responsibility for the consequences of their orders.

Some verified data

There is not much reliable information about the death of the cruiser Varyag. Facts were immediately sacrificed to ideological expediency.

Even the captain's account of the battle is riddled with inaccuracies. But historians managed to restore the true picture.

Just the facts

On December 27, 1903, the Varyag set off from Port Arthur to Chemulpo. It was a neutral Korean port. Officially, the cruiser (accompanied by the gunboat "Korean") was supposed to provide communication between Port Arthur and the consulate in Seoul. In Chemulpo, Captain Rudnev learned about the beginning of the war.

On February 8 (new style), 1904, Chemulpo Bay was blocked by the squadron of Admiral Urio. The "Korean" made an attempt to break through to Port Arthur, but was stopped.

Urio presented the Russians with an ultimatum: leave the bay and take the fight, or be attacked in the roadstead where the ships of other states were located. The Japanese squadron consisted of 15 pennants. The officers of foreign ships were categorically not satisfied with the option of shelling the Russians in the roadstead - they, too, would have been “under attack.”

And captain Rudnev decided to try to make a breakthrough.

The Varyag left Chemulpo at noon on February 9 and was attacked by the Japanese. The battle continued for an hour. The cruiser was badly damaged, there were dead and wounded on it. Due to the damage received, we had to return to the port. The “Korean” followed because he could not compete with the Japanese in speed.

It was decided to destroy the ships. "Varyag" died at the hands of his own. Foreigners categorically opposed its explosion, and the cruiser was scuttled by opening the kingstons.

The crews of the “Varyag” and “Korean” sheltered the ships of Great Britain, Italy and France. US sailors treated the wounded.

Voyage into history

There are also facts concerning posthumous history ship. The story of the heroic deed of the cruiser Varyag quickly became famous. When the crew returned to Russia (the sailors were initially interned), they were received by the Tsar. All participants in the battle received St. George's Crosses, and the officers received orders.

They also gave out awards of a mundane nature - the sailors received a personalized watch from the emperor. V.F. Rudnev was promoted to rear admiral.

The results of the battle were described almost as a victory. Stories spread about two damaged Japanese cruisers (one even allegedly sank) and several sunk destroyers. Captain Rudnev's report spoke of a thousand or more shells fired.

"Varyag" became a symbol of loyalty to naval traditions and military valor. Already in 1954, the Soviet government found the participants in the battle of Chemulpo who were alive by that time and awarded them medals “For Courage.” Songs and poems became a monument to the cruiser “Varyag”, and not only in Russia.

It is believed that the canonical text “To the top, comrades” is a free translation of a poem by a German author. The cruiser was mentioned in books. It was withdrawn in 1946 Soviet film"Cruiser "Varyag" and " the main role“It went to the Aurora, but in the USSR there was no more revered, symbolic ship! For the sake of filming, they even attached an additional fake pipe to the symbol of the revolution.

The Naval Museum in St. Petersburg has a model (scale 1:64) of a cruiser made in the USA in 1901. There is also a model of his steam engine (1:20), it appeared in the 1980s, the author is S.I. Zhukovitsky.

These are all facts. But they do not answer some questions that are poorly covered in the real history of “Varyag”.

Tricky questions

They exist: not everything is clear in the biography of the “Varyag” and the history of its death.

Why was the cruiser sent to Chemulpo on a “postal” mission? Was “Korean” really not enough to establish contact with the consulate?
Why did European and American officers object to the explosion of the cruiser?
Did the Varyag sink Japanese ships?
Did the cruiser really shoot through most of its ammunition? After all, by the end of the short battle he had lost ¾ of his artillery, and the rangefinder officer was one of the first to die?
Why didn’t “Varyag” make the breakthrough alone, leaving “Korean”? The slow-moving gunboat (13 knots) turned out to be a dangerous brake for the cruiser, and the crew could have been evacuated.
Why was it not difficult for the Japanese to raise and repair the ship? The restoration of the Varyag was completed in July 1907, and the cruiser sailed under the Japanese flag for 9 years.
Why did Rear Admiral Rudnev resign soon after being awarded the rank?

Without answers to these questions, it is impossible to know the history of the famous ship as it really was.

The truth about the cruiser “Varyag” turned out to be inconvenient for the propaganda machine, and was hidden for its sake. Due to deliberate concealment and distortion of facts, not all inconvenient questions have answers even now.

Answers to awkward questions

But there are answers, and they create a different picture than the official “biography” of the cruiser.

The “postal” purpose of the cruiser is difficult to explain. According to one version, he was needed to deliver the Korean ambassador to his homeland. But it is still unclear why the ambassador had to travel on a cruiser. At that time, the cruiser Boyarin was already in Chemulpo, and the Varyag was supposed to replace it. The port was officially neutral, but there were plenty of foreign warships there. This was probably an attempt to fight for influence in Korea.
The foreigners' motives are unclear. They probably did not want to clearly take the side of Russia. The United States was clearly not interested in Russia becoming a leading Pacific power. The Portsmouth Peace Treaty showed that the Americans needed to weaken both Russia and Japan.
The Varyag did not sink a single enemy ship, although it caused damage to them. One of the Japanese cruisers, after a meeting with a Russian, was forced to undergo lengthy repairs.
The scale of the Varyag's defense is exaggerated. Having raised the cruiser, the Japanese discovered stocks of unspent ammunition on it, so Captain Rudnev’s information about the shooting is overestimated. Data on the consumption of main-caliber shells are not exaggerated too much (but fifty 152-mm shells is a lot). However, Rudnev allowed himself to exaggerate the consumption of other ammunition.
The principle “perish yourself and save your comrade” is highly moral. The Russian fleet honored traditions, but in the case of the battle in Chemulpo, it was unwise to destroy a cruiser for the sake of a slow-moving gunboat. The real reason for this decision is unclear. Captain Rudnev referred to the difficulties of passing the local fairway. There is a version that the Russian envoy Pavlov did not give permission to the cruiser to leave.
In the area where the cruiser was sunk, the bay was not deep enough. The Varyag did not sink completely, and it was not difficult to raise it. Repairs turned out to be more difficult - work continued until 1907. The renovation cost a million yen. The cruiser served as part of the Japanese fleet as a training ship. Officially it was called "Soya", but the inscription "Varyag" on the stern was retained as a sign of respect for the courage of the enemy. It was assigned the 2nd rank (during construction - 1st).
Experts in Russia knew the real picture of what happened. Experienced sailors could appreciate the unprofessionalism of the actions of both the command in Port Arthur and Captain Rudnev. This could have been the reason for his resignation. But the high authorities could not be considered incompetent.

The idea that all or almost the entire crew of the cruiser died during the battle is also untrue. Losses during the battle were small.

On the cruiser, 1 officer and 30 lower ranks were killed, 85 sailors and 6 officers (including the captain) were seriously wounded and shell-shocked. There were no losses at all on the "Korean". But became folk song spoke about the “boiling sea below us” and the absence of a “stone and cross” in memory of the sailors, and this version became entrenched in the mass consciousness.

In fact, many sailors of the cruiser were destined long life, and their graves have been preserved in Vladivostok, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl.

Technology of the legend

Why was it necessary to hide the truth and invent beautiful legends and myths about the “Varyag”?

Then, to hide the fact that the very first battle in the war with Japan ended in defeat for the Russian fleet.

And it was not the sailors and officers who were to blame for this (only a hand was found from the midshipman who died on the Varyag, and this hand never released the rangefinder), but the country’s top leadership.

For the sake of propaganda, the sailors were turned into superheroes who dealt with almost half of the Japanese squadron. They honored glorious traditions, did not abandon their comrades and died under an unconquered flag. Many contemporaries (and even more so descendants) did not even understand that the Varyag was sunk in the roadstead.

There was no need to debunk the created legend about the “Varyag”. The heroism of the sailors (and it was real) partially justified the shameful defeat in the war. Further Nice picture from the past was useful for the education of growing sailors. True story The Varyag team, which really behaved with dignity and showed true loyalty to the oath, did not bother anyone.

Tighten up, boy, tie the knots...

Not sea ones, but those that connect with the Motherland.

In 1916, Japan (now an Entente ally) returned the cruiser to Russia along with two more ships. It is noteworthy that Russia also had to pay for the Varyag - it was officially sold.

It did not remain on the Pacific Ocean, but, having undergone partial modernization in Vladivostok, under its own power crossed the Northern Sea Route to Romanov-on-Murman (Murmansk).

The ship needed repairs, and for this purpose at the beginning of 1917 it was sent to England. There he was caught by the news of the revolution, and the “allies” requisitioned him, making him a “training ground”. In 1919, the Varyag was sold for scrap, but it did not reach its destination, having sunk on the reefs. In 1925, the ship was finally destroyed.

But that's not the end of the story. In 1979, a missile cruiser was laid down in the “Soviet Ukraine” series. Today “Varyag” is thundering again Far East, flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet.

Another ship with the same name was built in Nikolaev. After the collapse of the USSR, the Varyag aircraft carrier went to Ukraine, but it could not and did not want to complete its construction. In 1998, the aircraft-carrying cruiser Varyag was sold to China.

They remember that in 1905, the Japanese invaders cut off the heads of the Chinese, counting the victims in the thousands. Under the name "Liaoning", the Varyag TAVKR patrols the seas under the red flag. It is weaker than envisaged by the project, but it is still better for the invaders not to fall under its distribution.

The feat of the cruiser "Varyag" has become overgrown with legends that have little in common with real fate ship and its crew. The truth is simple: Russian sailors knew how to follow orders and observe the rules of honor.

We did not lower the glorious St. Andrew’s banner before the enemy...