Port Arthur. Dry dock and dock workshop. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Railway and station. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. The native city is Chinese. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Embankment. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Inner eastern pool. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. General form. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Entrance to the harbor and view of the Great Roadstead. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Palace of the Viceroy in the Far East. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Port Arthur. Recessed western pool. Photo from Niva magazine, 1904
Located on the southeastern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in Guangdong (Kwantung Region), at 38° 48' north latitude and 121° 20' east longitude. The port, with a rather shallow, but deep enough bay for large ocean-going ships, 1.5-2 km across, forms an excellent, partly artificially deepened harbor with a wide roadstead in the open sea. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city consisted of two parts: the old - eastern, the new - western, with a suburb Tiger nose.
The emergence of the city
The port city arose on the site of the Chinese fishing village of Lushun in the 1880s (“was built for the Chinese German engineers only in 1884"). English name Port Arthur received due to the fact that in August 1860, the ship of the English Lieutenant William K. Arthur was being repaired in the local harbor. This English name later it was adopted in Russia and other European countries.
Construction of a naval base in the strategically important Lushun Bay was begun by the Chinese government, but Japan occupied the area on November 21 during the First Sino-Japanese War and the base was destroyed. In 1895, under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Port Arthur passed to Japan, but due to strong pressure from Russia, Germany and France (Triple Intervention), Japan was soon forced to return the bay to China.
Russian possession
S. Yu. Witte protested against such a proposal: after the Russian-Chinese secret defense agreements, in which we “undertook to protect China from any attempts by Japan to occupy any part Chinese territory... after all this, a seizure of this kind would be an outrageous measure and in high degree insidious... This measure is dangerous... The occupation of Port Arthur or Da-lian-wan will undoubtedly arouse China and from a country extremely favorable and friendly to us will turn into a country that hates us, as a result of our deceit.”
Then Count Muravyov’s proposal was rejected, however, “a few days after the meeting... The Sovereign Emperor, apparently a little embarrassed, told me<С. Ю. Витте>…: “Do you know, Sergei Yulievich, I decided to take Port Arthur and Da-lian-wan and sent our flotilla there with military force, - and added: - I did this because the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported to me after the meeting that, according to his information, English ships are cruising in areas near Port Arthur and Da-lian-wan and what if we do not capture these ports , then the British will capture them."
At first it was announced to the Chinese that Russian ships with troops “came to defend China from the Germans and as soon as the Germans leave, we will leave... But soon the Chinese government learned from its ambassador in Berlin that we were acting under an agreement with Germany and therefore began to treat us extremely incredulous." The Chinese government at first did not agree to the transfer of the Kwantung region to Russia, but did not have the strength to prevent this.
This is what A.V. Shishov writes in his book:
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Ilya Kramnik, military observer for RIA Novosti.
On May 24, 1955, the USSR transferred to China military base Port Arthur. Thus ended the almost 60-year history of conflicts around this city, and the transition of Port Arthur between China, Russia and Japan.
City wearing Chinese name Lushun (Lyushunkou), was built on the site of a fishing village of the same name in the 1880s. This village received the name Port Arthur in August 1860, when the ship of English Lieutenant William K. Arthur was being repaired in the harbor. This English name was later adopted in Russia and other European countries.
The reason for the construction of the city was the convenience of the bays of Port Arthur, which, with some deepening of the fairways and the basin, represent an ideal, very spacious harbor, including a Western basin practically closed from wind and waves, connected to the sea through a less spacious but deeper Eastern basin, and open external raid.
The newly built Port Arthur soon changed its owner. In 1894, during the Sino-Japanese War, it was occupied by Japan. In 1895, after the end of the war, under pressure from the great powers, Japan returned the port and city to China, and in December 1897, Russian ships appeared there. China, and especially the Chinese coast, at that time became an arena of rivalry between Russia, Germany, Great Britain and Japan, and the appearance in Port Arthur of Rear Admiral Dubasov’s squadron, on the personal orders of Emperor Nicholas II, was caused by the desire to obtain Port Arthur as a military -naval base before the Germans or British do it. Near Port Arthur, the construction of another city and commercial port began, called Dalny (Dalian).
The Port Arthur base was supposed to provide sea protection for the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula, which the following year, 1898, was leased by Russia for 25 years under the Russian-Chinese convention concluded in Beijing.
On the territory received by Russia, the Kwantung Region was formed, which began to develop rapidly. Dalian, perfectly built and equipped, in a short time became one of largest ports China, and took second place (after Shanghai) in terms of cargo turnover among all continental ports of Asia from the Sea of Okhotsk to the South China Sea.
In 1904, accumulated contradictions between Russia and Japan, which was supported by Great Britain, led to war. Japan started fighting from an attack on Russian ships in Port Arthur, where destroyers damaged the squadron battleships "Tsesarevich", "Retvizan" and the cruiser "Pallada", and in Chemulpo, where, after an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron, the cruiser "Varyag" was scuttled by its own crew and blown up gunboat"Korean".
Having landed troops on the continent, Japan began to move north towards Russian-controlled Manchuria, and south towards Port Arthur.
Summer 1904 Japanese troops, who approached Port Arthur, took the city under siege. On December 23, 1904, Port Arthur was surrendered to the enemy. The court that followed in 1907 found that the commander of the defense, Lieutenant General Stessel, deliberately prepared the fortress for surrender, which took place “on unfavorable and humiliating conditions for Russia, contrary to the opinion of the military council, without exhausting all available means of defense.”
The next 40 years, Port Arthur, and the entire Kwantung Peninsula, received by to Portsmouth peace, owned by Japan. The city remained largely outside the war zone during both world wars until the Soviets airborne troops did not occupy Port Arthur, capturing the Japanese garrison.
According to the Soviet-Chinese treaty concluded in the same month, Port Arthur was leased to the USSR for 30 years as a naval base. There was no longer any talk about the transfer of Dalny and all of Kwantung. October 12, 1954 after graduation Korean War an agreement was signed on the return transfer of Port Arthur to China and the withdrawal from there Soviet troops.
The transfer of Port Arthur to China was a natural step - completed civil war, a united and sharply strengthened China did not want the presence of foreign, albeit friendly, troops on its territory. But the history of the struggle for Port Arthur and, more broadly, for influence in the Asia-Pacific region, gives us certain historical lessons.
The current importance of the Asia-Pacific region in the global balance of power, the role of local ports and military bases, best proves the justification of Russia's desire to increase its influence in this region. Unfortunately, after the fall of Port Arthur and the end of the Russo-Japanese War, the entire history of the Russian/Soviet presence in the region comes down only to the defense of its borders and the return of seized territories - southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. At the same time, the economic development of the Russian Far Eastern territories is still at an embryonic level, except for the exploitation biological resources ocean and oil production on the Sakhalin shelf.
In addition, the last 20 years have seen an outflow of population from the Russian Far East and a weakening of Russia's military presence in the region.
However, this situation cannot last forever. Russia must develop the lands and waters of the Far East that belong to it and take care of their protection. IN otherwise the history of Port Arthur may repeat itself again - this time on Russian territories. It should be noted that at the start of the Russo-Japanese War, the balance of power between Russia and its main rivals in the region was not nearly as alarming as it is now.
Port Arthur: our glory and shame
The most powerful naval base of the People's Republic of China is located in the town of Lushunkou, which is currently administratively a district of Dalian.
However, this city, closed to foreigners and therefore provincial (compared to Dalian), is famous in the rest of the world for its former name Port Arthur.
Located at the western tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the harbor with a narrow entrance, surrounded on all sides by hills, as if specially created to shelter military ships from the enemy, has long been used for its intended purpose since the Han Dynasty. At the end of the 19th century, when China decided to acquire a normal armored fleet, Lushun became the main base for the northern naval group. Captured by the Japanese during the war of 1894-95, it was rented by them under the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Japan's behavior did not please Germany, Russia and France, who convincingly asked to return the peninsula to China.
Developing its presence in the Far East, Russian government took a number of steps to acquire the lease of the Liaodong Peninsula (the steps, alas, included bribes to Chinese officials at the local and government level). An agreement was reached in 1898. From that time on, Port Arthur began to rapidly develop as the main base of the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean.
Needless to say, Japan did not like this state of affairs. On February 8, 1904, the Japanese armed forces played their favorite national game, known after 1941 as Pearl Harbor, against the Port Arthur squadron. Results due to absence at that time military aviation were not as deafening as in '41. Thus began the Russo-Japanese War. You can read about the course of hostilities in the Russo-Japanese War section on a website called “How our grandfathers fought.” The description is much more detailed than I could do, so I will not retell it.
I will only say that in this war, Russian soldiers and sailors showed traditional heroism. However, life is arranged in such a way that the feat of one is the crime of another. The military command made all the mistakes that could be made.
The biggest mistake, however, was made at the very top. The government and military establishment considered it likely that Japan would resort to military force to restore its influence in Manchuria. The development of Port Arthur and measures to qualitatively and quantitatively improve the Pacific squadron were actually preparations for a possible attack by Japan. However, according to some historians, it was assumed that it would happen no earlier than 1910.
The retribution for the narrow-mindedness of the military-political leadership was terrifying. In addition to human and material losses during the fighting, Russia also had to accept the terms of the Portsmouth Treaty. Along it, Japan withdrew: the Liaodong Peninsula, the South Manchurian Railway, plus half of Sakhalin to boot. And the shameful defeat caused a series of riots, into which the revolutionaries readily intervened. We are still dealing with the consequences.
Satisfaction for the shameful surrender of Port Arthur had to wait forty years.
On the night of August 9, 1945, forces concentrated in advance in the Far East and Transbaikalia (Transbaikal, 1st and 2nd Far Eastern fronts, Pacific Fleet) began military operations against Japan. And war was declared according to Moscow time.
By the way, the Americans and the British fought the Japanese for years ground forces on the atolls of the Pacific Ocean and in South-East Asia. Based on the effectiveness of their actions, they concluded that the war would last at least until 1947. And the Kwantung Army was the most powerful and combat-ready military group in Japan.
However, the troops who opposed Kwantung Army, were somewhat different from the Port Arthur garrison. Soldiers Transbaikalians and Far Easterners with knowledge of the area inherent in genetic level, abundantly reinforced by front-line soldiers who managed to survive and win in the bloody meat grinder of the Great Patriotic War. Commanders who acquired the most modern experience of warfare at that time not on an academic bench, but on the seat of a Willys with a multiple-shot canopy. Not generals Kuropatkin and Stessel, but marshals Vasilevsky, Malinovsky and Meretskov. Fast, well-armored and heavily armed T-34 tanks, all-wheel drive American M3 armored personnel carriers, the same Willys and Studebakers. Il-2 attack aircraft, Pe-2 and Il-4 bombers, Bell P-63 “Kingcobra” fighters (developed according to the specifications of the Soviet Air Force; they were not in service in other countries).
The Japanese resisted skillfully and fiercely. However, after our troops broke into the Hailar fortified area and overcame the seemingly impregnable Greater Khingan, their morale went downhill. The Japanese perceived the landing of Russian soldiers by parachute and landing (from seaplanes) in Port Arthur and Dalny on August 23 as a logical consequence of the offensive that swept from the north through fortified positions, and gave up the ports without a fight.
Undeservedly little is written about the August War of 1945. But this is probably the only time in recent history when Russian military leaders showed how to fight. Probably because it never occurred to anyone to time the capture of Chinese cities occupied by the Japanese to coincide with some holidays, and therefore there was no pressure from above, our marshals organized the actions as they should, and not as the party ordered. Maybe someone knows other examples, but it seems to me that this is the only large-scale operation that was carried out brilliantly from start to finish, against a real and not a nominal enemy. Unfortunately, we love to suck away defeats too much and because of this we do not notice that we also had victories.
In 1945, the Soviet Union entered into an agreement with the Kuomintang government under which the Port Arthur naval base was leased for 30 years. But a few years later, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, and some comrades from the leadership of the CPSU, so as not to offend comrades from the fraternal CPC, in 1955 withdrew all troops from Port Arthur.
Who knows how relations with China would have developed if the lease agreement for Port Arthur had not been changed. For example, I think that if in the sixties missile ships and bombers were based less than an hour's flight from Beijing, Mao Zedong would hardly have dared to start a quarrel on Damansky. When the British dispersed the Red Guards in Hong Kong, Chinese officials chose not to notice this, since the border with China was guarded by Gurkhas, and in addition to British ships, American aircraft carriers from the Vietnam War also visited the port.
Now in Port Arthur foreign citizens They don't let me in. Access is open only to the Russian cemetery and height 203.
The graves in the cemetery vary in date. The crosses of the Russian-Japanese war stand separately, and the crosses of the Second World War stand separately, there are not many of them. But a lot of people died in 1950-53. I daresay these are victims of the Korean War.
In addition to the graves, there are two monuments in the cemetery. Cross to the defenders of Port Arthur and obelisk to the liberators. A large monument was erected in front of the entrance in 1999 Soviet soldiers, which was dragged from Dalny.
The Chinese have organized paid access to height 203, also known as Vysokaya Mountain. While I was there, two buses of Japanese arrived. For them, this is a shrine; many Japanese soldiers sprinkled blood on its slopes. At the top there is a monument to the fallen Japanese in the form of a cartridge. Near him stands a twin Japanese anti-aircraft gun. It did not fulfill its purpose; in 1945, not a single shot was fired at the Catalinas of the Pacific Fleet. There is no monument to Russian soldiers. But on the slope facing the harbor there is a Soviet radar antenna. Nearby is a concrete barracks that housed the radar crew. Now there is a shop where an elderly Chinese man sells souvenirs.
This Chinese man glared unkindly at the Japanese tourists, but started talking to me. He said that in the fifties he served in Port Arthur and studied with Soviet instructors. He spoke enthusiastically about Russian weapons thought; he poked his finger into the shirt of an F-1 grenade and assured that the Japanese had not thought of such a brilliant thing. In general, he is right: hand grenades were invented by the defenders of Port Arthur. And he had his own opinion about the siege of Port Arthur: they say, the Russians did not expect an attack (this is true), and there were only sailors at the base (this is not entirely true), but against ground army The Japanese held out for a long time.
I was able to photograph Port Arthur only from a height of 203. The device is a simple point-and-shoot camera, so you won’t have to worry about the quality of the image. In fact, city residents are waiting for the government to open Port Arthur to foreigners. Then, perhaps, we will be able to see the buildings built by our ancestors before 1904 and after 1945.
About copyright:
© Dmitry Alemasov
I wrote all the texts on the site myself - with the exception of the "Just Jokes" section. If it is not my text that appears, the author's name will be indicated.
Currently, this small Chinese city on the coast of the Yellow Sea is called Lushun. What is remarkable about this city? Starting in 1898, according to a convention between the Chinese Emperor and Nicholas II, this area passed into the use of Russia for 25 years. Afterwards the city became the main base of the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean and received current name. Where is Port Arthur, the city of Russian sailors? What's his story? More on this later in the article.
Where is Port Arthur located? How to get there?
Tourists wishing to visit the fortress museum should prepare for the fact that the road will not be easy. This refers to time costs.
For residents of Vladivostok, the journey will not take long, only five to six hours. A flight with a transfer in Seoul from Vladivostok will take travelers to Dalian in four hours. From there you should take a regular bus to Lushun, the journey takes one hour. You can take a taxi, but it will be more expensive.
The same route, but by car it will take almost the whole day. To travel around China, you should prepare your route in advance or use local online maps.
Residents of central Russia will first have to fly to Beijing, which is about eight hours. Then you can also continue your journey by plane. Flight "Beijing - Dalian", travel time will be 1.5 hours. The journey by bus or car will take at least nine hours, plus another hour to where Port Arthur is located.
And you will need at least three to four days for sightseeing. The city stretches along the coast, monuments and historical places are located far from each other, it’s impossible to get around in a couple of days.
City `s history
On the site of the Chinese fishing village of Lushunkou, construction of a city with the same name began in the 1880s. Twenty years earlier, the village received the name Port Arthur after repairs were made to the ship of the English lieutenant William K. Arthur. This is an English name and was subsequently adopted by Russia and European countries.
The decision to build the city was dictated by China's desire to protect its approaches from the sea from European powers, who were keenly interested in the place where Port Arthur was located.
During the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, the city was occupied by Japan. A year later, thanks to pressure from Russia, France and Germany, Port Arthur was returned to China.
At the end of 1897, the first Russian ships appeared in the Yellow Sea. A year later, an agreement was concluded between China and Russia that two port cities, Lushun and Dalian (Port Arthur and Dalniy), would be leased for 25 years to the Russian state. However, Japan did not tolerate the Russian fleet at its side and in 1904, without warning, attacked Port Arthur.
Where Port Arthur is located, history preserves the memory of the heroism of Russian soldiers.
The courage of Russian sailors in the Japanese-Russian war
Port Arthur is truly a Chinese city of Russian glory. In count memorable places associated with Russia, this place can be considered unique. In this war, Russian soldiers and officers showed unprecedented courage, heroism and devotion to their homeland. After the end, in 1905 the convention ceased to exist. Then Russia was defeated, and the city was reoccupied by the Japanese.
The siege of Port Arthur lasted almost whole year. More than fourteen thousand Soviet soldiers died in this war. Their courage was admired by their enemies, who suffered several times more losses. The enemy's losses amounted to more than one hundred thousand people. In 1908, the grand opening of a memorial dedicated to the courage of those who fell in that war was held. The Russian cemetery and memorial chapel arose thanks to the Japanese authorities. They decided to bury Russian soldiers with honors and preserve the memory of their exploits in history. There are twelve mass graves on the territory of the cemetery, officer graves are decorated with white stone crosses, and soldiers' graves are decorated with cast iron crosses. The Japanese worked hard to collect the remains of Russian soldiers throughout the entire battle area. Five years later, in 1913, they examined the battleship Petropavlovsk, which had sunk in battle. The remains of dead sailors were found on it. They were also buried at the Russian Cemetery.
Later, graves appeared in the cemetery Soviet soldiers, monuments that are crowned with red stars. Some tombstones have inscriptions in two languages, Russian and Chinese, in hieroglyphs. There are children's graves in the same cemetery. An outbreak of plague in Port Arthur claimed the lives of an entire generation born from mixed marriages of Russian soldiers with local women.
A monument was erected on the territory of the cemetery Soviet pilots, who died during the liberation of the city in 1945.
In the same place where Port Arthur is located, on Quail Mountain a complex was created in honor of Japanese soldiers. A monument-mausoleum and a temple were erected on the hills of the mountain.
Fight for the fort
Port Arthur, according to the Treaty of Pittsmouth, was given to Japan for 40 years on a lease basis, just as it once was to Russia. At the end of the period, Japan occupied this territory, unwilling to leave the fort. In 1945, the Red Army expelled the occupiers from Port Arthur. A Soviet-Chinese agreement was signed, according to which the city was leased Soviet Union for thirty years as a naval base. But ten years later, under Western influence Russian government returned the city to China.
At the Russian Cemetery in 1955, residents of the country built a monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators from the Japanese occupiers. Chinese craftsmen created sculptures of soldiers with banners based on real participants in hostilities.
Port Arthur Fortress Museum
This city was not a Russian colony for long. However, the Russian presence is felt until today. The city has preserved buildings from the times pre-revolutionary Russia and the times of the USSR. Some quarters of the city are completely reminiscent of Russian ones. There is also a railway station built in 1903 in this place. It is currently inactive. Launched ten years ago new branch metro, which takes you from Dalian to Port Arthur.
There is a prison building in the city. Its construction was started by the Russians in 1902, and completed in 1905 by the victorious Japanese. Currently, the prison complex houses a museum. The prison was called Russian-Japanese. Russian prisoners, the local Chinese population and even Japanese military personnel were sent there for imprisonment.
The most prominent place in Port Arthur is a memorial erected in honor of Japanese military glory on Quail Mountain. The monument is made in the form of an artillery shell.
"Big Eagle's Nest"
The "Big Eagle's Nest" hill is one of the main defense points of Port Arthur. Here you can see destroyed military buildings, Japanese monuments and a museum. Russian cannons are installed at the top of the hill. They were removed from one of the battleships in preparation for the defense of the fortress.
On the slopes of the Big Eagle's Nest hill there are dilapidated buildings of the fort. The walls and fortifications have been preserved as they were after the first war with the Japanese. Lots of marks from shells and bullets. In some places of the fort, the remains of casemates have been preserved.
From the top of this hill there is an excellent view of the city of Lushun. It becomes clear what Port Arthur is. This area was of great importance in the defense of the coast.
Russian cemetery. Description of the memorial place
The main historical place in Lushun is the Russian Cemetery. The largest burial place of Russian soldiers outside the state. Seventeen thousand people are buried in the cemetery. At the entrance to the cemetery there is a monument to the Russian soldiers who liberated China from the Japanese occupiers. There is a museum inside the memorial. It was opened through the efforts of Chinese citizens. The museum has many photographs and exhibitions dedicated to the post-war period. Russia helped China recover after the occupation. All texts in the museum are written in Russian and Chinese.
The total area of the cemetery is 4.8 hectares. There are 1,600 sculptures and monuments on its territory. This cemetery is recognized as the largest Russian memorial in China. The entire complex is recognized as an object of great historical meaning. In 1988, the Chinese government decided that the memorial would be preserved as a provincial monument.
Most significant landmarks
Previously, the city of Lushun was closed to foreigners. Nowadays, visiting the historical area where Port Arthur is located will not be difficult.
Tourists should definitely visit:
- Russian 15th battery of the Electric Cliff.
- Fort on the hill "Big Eagle's Nest".
- Mountain High, legendary height 203.
- Russian cemetery with a chapel.
- Railway station built by the Russians in 1903.
Separately, I would like to say about Hill 203. It was after it was taken in 1905 that the Russian troops capitulated. Then the victory remained with Japan. Desperate battles were fought for this height for six months. Soldiers on both sides showed incredible courage and dedication to their cause.
Buildings of that time. Have they survived or not? Peculiarities
The city has preserved buildings, houses, and estates from the early twentieth century. Is it true, most of Of these, it has not been restored and is in a state of disrepair, with the exception of rare buildings favored by modern Chinese.
Some neighborhoods in the Chinese city look just like in Russia: Stalinist and Khrushchev-era residential buildings, administrative buildings in the Soviet style. Lenin and Stalin streets were not renamed after the Soviet Union ceased to exist. It's rather the opposite. Here, far from Russia, these streets have retained their historical names. Please note that they are in excellent condition.
A little conclusion
Now you know that Port Arthur is a Chinese city of Russian glory. We hope that the information about him was interesting and useful to you.
Port Arthur- Berezenskogo village rural settlement Chesme district Chelyabinsk region(originally Mikhailovsky). Population 319 people (2002), 270 (2010).
Organized by the Cossacks during the planned resettlement at the beginning of the 20th century. and named after the heroic defense Chinese city Port Arthur by Cossacks during the Russo-Japanese War.
Port Arthur received its English name due to the fact that in August 1860, the ship of English Lieutenant William K. Arthur was repaired in this harbor. This English name was later adopted in Russia and other European countries.
During the defense of Port Arthur in 1904-1905, the Cossacks of the village of Sanar-2 (now the village of Nizhnyaya Sanarka, Troitsk region) distinguished themselves.
In total, 35 Cossacks went from this village to the theater of military operations, many of them were awarded. Cossack Tikhon Igumentsev especially distinguished himself (awarded St. George's Cross and the medal “For the Defense of Port Arthur”). He was allowed to take a photo with a Japanese prisoner (at that time this was considered a reward and proof of bravery).
Lushunkou District (Chinese: 旅順口区), until 1980 - Lushun City, in historical context Port Arthur (English: Port Arthur), under Japanese rule Ryojun - seaport(an ice-free port, naval base) in China on the Yellow Sea, since 1950 - an area of urban subordination of the sub-provincial city of Dalian.
The settlement on the site of Lushunkou, which existed since the Jin Dynasty (266-420), was called Mashijin. During the Tang period (618-907) it was renamed Dulizhen. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the city was called Shizikou (lit. "lion's mouth"), presumably after a statue now located in a park adjacent to the military port. During the Ming period (1368-1644), the settlement was subordinate to the coastal defense department of Jinzhou Wei, and in the territory modern city the left and central ones were located from this direction. Then it appeared modern name- in 1371 future emperor China, Zhu Di, who headed the defense of the northeastern borders, sent 2 envoys to these places to familiarize himself with the area. Since their path was calm and convenient, by order of Zhu Di this area was named Lushunkou (literally “bay of calm travel”).
Near Port Arthur on the night of January 27, 1904, the first military clashes of the Russo-Japanese War began, when Japanese ships fired torpedoes at Russian warships stationed on external roadstead Port Arthur. At the same time, the battleships Retvizan and Tsesarevich, as well as the cruiser Pallada, were seriously damaged. The remaining ships made two attempts to escape from the port, but both were unsuccessful. The Japanese attack was carried out without a declaration of war and was condemned by most countries in the world community. Only Britain, then an ally of Japan, celebrated the attack as a “great deed.”
The commander of the fleet from February 9 was Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov until his death on March 31, 1904. After the death of Makarov, he was in direct command until April 22, 1904 Pacific Fleet Admiral Alekseev Evgeniy Ivanovich Commander-in-Chief of all land and naval forces in the Far East. On April 22, 1904, Vitgeft Wilhelm Karlovich, who died in the battle with the Japanese fleet on July 28 (August 10), 1904 in the Yellow Sea, was appointed acting senior flagship and commander of the 1st Pacific Squadron.
The feat of the crew of the cruiser "Varyag" is widely known, after the battle in the harbor of Chemulpo (now Incheon, South Korea) they sank their ship so that it would not fall to the Japanese.
During the war, the Japanese army under the leadership of General Maresuke Nogi, supported by the Japanese fleet under the command of Admiral Togo, began a siege of the fortress of Port Arthur, which lasted for five months, despite the fact that the Japanese used the most modern 280 mm howitzers at that time.
On December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905), after the death of General R.I. Kondratenko, the fortress was surrendered to the Japanese on the 329th day after the start of the war by General Stessel, contrary to the decision of the Military Council and the wishes of the soldiers defending the fortress.
During Soviet-Japanese war In 1945, Soviet troops liberated the city from Japanese military forces by landing on August 22, 1945. According to the Soviet-Chinese agreement of August 14, 1945, the Port Arthur area was transferred by China to the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years as a naval base. According to other sources, joint Soviet-Chinese use of the base was envisaged.
On February 14, 1950, simultaneously with the conclusion of a treaty of friendship, alliance and mutual assistance An agreement on Port Arthur was concluded between the USSR and the PRC, providing for sharing the indicated base of the USSR and China until the end of 1952. At the end of 1952, the government of the People's Republic of China, taking into account the aggravation of the situation in the Far East, turned to the Soviet government with a proposal to extend the stay of Soviet troops in Port Arthur. An agreement on this issue was formalized on September 15, 1952.
On October 12, 1954, the government of the USSR and the government of the People's Republic of China entered into an agreement that Soviet military units would be withdrawn from Port Arthur. The withdrawal of Soviet troops and the transfer of structures to the Chinese government was completed in May 1955.
Lushun is no longer a closed city for foreigners. The most significant attractions are:
- Russian 15th battery of Electric Cliff
- Fort No. 2 - place of death of General R.I. Kondratenko
- height 203 - memorial museum and Russian positions on Mount Vysokaya
- Memorial Russian military cemetery with a chapel (15 thousand soldiers, sailors and officers of the Port Arthur garrison and fleet; dedication: “Here lie the mortal remains of the valiant Russian soldiers who died defending the fortress of Port Arthur”)
- railway station (built 1901-03)
- Russian battery on Mount Vantai (Eagle's Nest).
In addition, a significant portion of Russian houses built in 1901-04 have been preserved. and most of the Russian fortifications: forts, batteries and trenches.
D. A. Medvedev visits memorial cemetery Russian and Soviet soldiers in Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Russian 150 mm cannons on Mount Vysokaya
In September 2010, in the presence of Russian President D. A. Medvedev, the opening of a restored memorial to Russian and Soviet soldiers in Port Arthur took place. From June to September 2009, at the memorial to Russian and Soviet soldiers, research papers Russian restorers. For the first time since 1955 (the time of the departure of Soviet troops) Russian side Professional research and filming at the memorial were permitted. During the research, small “discoveries” were made around the myths that had accumulated around the memorial since the beginning of the 20th century: around the so-called. “Japanese chapel”, so-called "Russian chapel", burial place of Admiral Makarov.
The project is public, non-profit. From the state side, the project is supervised by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Defense, but there is no state money in the project.
Lushunkou District is divided into 8 street committees and 5 townships.
Upon arrival, an icon shop was set up, and residents of Port Arthur had the opportunity to order services for their loved ones. In addition, they brought for the villagers Orthodox books and images of saints.
For many of them, this is the only opportunity to purchase something in an icon shop - after all, the village is located far from the regional center.
A prayer service with an akathist to the Port Arthur Icon of the Mother of God was served at the worship cross. After this, the priest served a litany for the deceased soldiers and all Orthodox Christians. The service was attended not only by adult residents of the village, but also by many children and youth, including young football players from both teams.
After the prayer service, the first friendly football match in the history of the district took place between the teams of St. Nicholas Church and the village of Port Arthur. The Chesme team included the rector of the church, Priest Artemy, altar servers Alexander and Nikolai, as well as senior Sunday school students.
The organizers of the match were employees of the St. Nicholas Church and caring parishioners from Port Arthur (Tatyana Burzaikina and Anastasia Bazarkina). By the way, Tatyana Viktorovna is the keeper of ancient icons from the destroyed local church in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
St. Nicholas Church
To begin with, the players warmed up a little on the football field. And at this time, competitions in jumping rope and spinning a hoop were organized for fans. A table with refreshments was set for the elderly residents of the village under the birch trees.
The match turned out to be very tense: the players' emotions literally overflowed.
The players from the Port Arthur team were a little upset about the defeat, but immediately challenged the Chesme team for a rematch.
After the game and the awards ceremony, everyone was invited to have a meal together. Then the Chesme residents went to the local cemetery, where they long years stands the dome of the destroyed Port Arthur Church. Tatyana Viktorovna, the keeper of the icons of the old temple, told the guests the history of this dome, and then invited them to her home to venerate the ancient Kazan icon of the Mother of God.
dome old church at Port Arthur Cemetery
Port Arthur icon Mother of God(“The Triumph of the Most Holy Theotokos”) is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revered in the Russian Church. The icon depicts the Virgin Mary without the baby Jesus.
The celebration in honor of the Port Arthur icon takes place on August 29 (August 16 to Julian calendar) - on the day of the Third Savior.
The Port Arthur Icon of the Mother of God is the first to be revealed in the 20th century. The old sailor Theodore, a participant in the defense of Sevastopol, who came to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on December 11, 1903, said that the Mother of God had recently appeared to him, standing on the shore of the bay, holding in her hands a large plaque with the image of the Savior’s face not made by hands. The Mother of God trampled swords with her feet, and the angels held a crown above her head; Above in the clouds sat the Lord of Hosts and above Him shone the inscription: “Let there be one flock and one Shepherd.” The Mother of God told the sailor that a difficult war would soon await Russia, ordered that the revealed image be made and sent the icon to the Port Arthur Church, promising victory, help and protection in battles if the image was established within the walls of the city.
With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904, voluntary donations were collected for the production of the icon. The icon was in St. Petersburg, in the summer of 1904 it was delivered to Far East, at the beginning of August the icon was placed in the Vladivostok Cathedral. Due to state of siege Fortress, it was extremely difficult to fulfill the commandment of the Mother of God and safely deliver the icon to Port Arthur.
In October, having learned about the fate of the icon, the 50-year-old clerk of the Imperial Hunt, retired captain of Her Majesty’s Life Guards Uhlan Regiment, participant Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878, Nikolai Nikolaevich Fedorov took it upon himself to deliver the icon to Port Arthur. At the beginning of November he arrived in Vladivostok. November 21, the day of the Entry into the Temple celebration Holy Mother of God a prayer service was performed, the icon was placed in a case and delivered to the ship, and a list was left in Vladivostok. At the beginning of January, the first telegram was received from Fedorov, which reported that the icon had not been delivered to Port Arthur, and by that time the fortress had already been surrendered to the Japanese. The icon was transported to the commander-in-chief's headquarters and was kept in his camp church. After the war, the icon returned to the Assumption Cathedral in Vladivostok. In 1932 the cathedral was closed, in 1938 it was blown up, and the further fate of the icon remained unknown for a long time. In February 1998, pilgrims to Jerusalem discovered the Port Arthur icon in an antique store. The money for the ransom was lent by the nuns of the Gornensky Monastery. The examination found that this is not modern list. May 6, 1998, after all necessary documents for export, the icon returned to Russia. After restoration, the icon was sent to St. Nicholas Cathedral Vladivostok.
In the 80s, the iconographer Mikhail Osipenko, working in the temple of the city of Kirzhach on the restoration of paintings together with his brother Sergei, discovered an unusual icon, a copy of the miraculous Port Arthur icon. He began to prepare the list, but then did not complete his work. Later, in the year of the centenary of the appearance of the icon, Mikhail Osipenko, along with his wife and children, resumed work, and in February 2003 the icon was ready. Then the idea arose, albeit a century later, to fulfill the covenant - to deliver the icon to Port Arthur (Lüshun). The icon was solemnly escorted to the Leushinsky courtyard in St. Petersburg. In two weeks, a private car traveled from Kronstadt to Khabarovsk to the border with China, where a month-long delay arose, since Hieromonk Georgy was part of the group, and according to the laws of the PRC, entry into the country Orthodox priests prohibited. The clergyman had to change into secular clothes, the icon was transported in packaged form, and the religious procession was allowed in only to commemorate the defenders of the Port Arthur fortress. At the cemetery, where, by order of Emperor Nicholas II, a six-meter stone memorial cross was installed, a memorial service and a short prayer service for the salvation of Russia were performed in front of the icon. The icon case of the cross once housed a mosaic Kazan icon of the Mother of God, which was later dismantled. The Port Arthur Icon, a specially made and consecrated copy, was placed in this place, and the icon was delivered by plane to Russia, where on May 18, 2003 it was solemnly welcomed in the church of the Leushinsky Metochion. The icon was transferred to the Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral.