Return of the cruiser "Aurora".
After two years of repairs at the Kronstadt Marine Plant, the legendary cruiser Aurora, ship No. 1 of the Navy, returned to St. Petersburg.
The Aurora was laid down in 1896 and launched in 1900 in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II. The name of the ship was chosen by the autocrat himself. In May 1905, as part of the Russian Imperial Navy, the cruiser took part in the Battle of Tsushima. After the famous battle, the Aurora ended up in Manila, Philippines, where its first repairs took place. The ship met the First World War in the Baltic Sea. In October 1917, the team took part in the revolutionary events in Petrograd. A blank shot from the Aurora served as the signal for the assault on the Winter Palace. Having fired a historic salvo, the cruiser became one of the symbols of the revolution. During the Great Patriotic War, the guns were removed from the ship. Based on them, a battery called “Aurora” was formed.
Large-scale relocation
The cruiser, damaged in battles, was reconstructed several times. After the renovation in the 80s, it was stated that the Aurora had turned into a “remake”. But the ship became part of the Central Naval Museum. In 2014, another renovation began. The cost of the work was estimated at 840 million rubles.
There was a long discussion before the Aurora was sent for repairs. Representatives of the “maritime community” insisted: “The city must see how the cruiser leaves and how it returns.” The ship left Perogradskaya embankment on the morning of September 21, 2014. Thousands of people came to watch the event. The Aurora returned on the night of July 16, 2016 to the applause of thousands of citizens and tourists. The only thing that was puzzling was why they decided to deliver the cruiser to the city under cover of darkness.
It can be assumed that the initiators of the towing wanted to save money from the budget - not to spend money on raising three St. Petersburg bridges during the daytime. It’s hard to believe this, because literally two weeks ago, for the sake of the “tugboat waltz”, as part of the River Carnival, the Blagoveshchensky Bridge was opened during the day.
Cruiser No. 1 walked to its parking lot on Petrogradskaya Embankment in a special order. It was not only the four declared tugboats that pulled the Aurora from Kronstadt to St. Petersburg, but also “the entire royal army.” Those accompanying the cruiser included transport police boats and boats from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, not to mention Navy vessels. This procession was passed by river-sea tankers hauling oil from the Middle Volga.
In this sense, the night return of the Aurora was comparable to the Scarlet Sails holiday. On graduation night, the Neva is also practically closed to transit traffic. Days of downtime waiting for bridges to be erected are expensive. But shipowners have already become accustomed to such force majeure.
But the St. Petersburg residents who met the Aurora were revolutionary. On the Promenade des Anglais, motorists jumped out of their cars and ran to the parapet. They wanted to wave to the legendary ship. However, traffic police representatives were on duty nearby, trying to remind drivers about parking rules. Car owners noticed that today is a special day - the Aurora is returning.
Several quadcopters were circling in the sky - they were trying to capture the historical moment of the return of ship No. 1 of the Russian Navy to its eternal mooring site from the skies. However, some heated St. Petersburg residents called the glowing flying mechanisms White Guard spies and aimed bottles at them.
The Aurora itself passed along the Neva very quickly. She really had cruising speed. In front of the ship, as desired, the Blagoveshchensky, Dvortsovy, and Trinity bridges opened. Onlookers could only manage to wave their hands and take selfies. At the same time, many were surprised by the smoke that came from one of the pipes. Not everyone believed that Aurora decided to remember its past. But many people liked the “historical reconstruction”. People applauded and took photographs. Some even climbed onto cars to get a better view of the cruiser.
Many were surprised that after repairs the ship did not acquire an AIS navigation system - Automatic Information System, which allows you to track the movement of ships in real time. But, probably, the Aurora is precisely the No. 1 cruiser of the Navy, so that no one knows that it is now located on Petrogradskaya Embankment.
The ship arrived at its permanent anchorage at about 5 am.
After repairs, the Aurora will be able to fire again. A salute cannon will be temporarily installed on board. True, for the sake of historical accuracy, it will be removed. Shooting will only take place on special occasions. It was reported that dozens of video cameras were installed on the ship to monitor troublemakers.
The legendary cruiser Aurora, which became a symbol of the October Revolution of 1917, returns to its eternal mooring at Petrovskaya Embankment in St. Petersburg. On the morning of July 16, 2016, St. Petersburg residents and guests of the Northern capital will see the updated Aurora in the center of St. Petersburg.
The ceremonial farewell to the famous cruiser for restoration in Kronstadt took place on September 21, 2014. Then this event was watched by hundreds of thousands of people who had previously chosen the most convenient places on the city embankments. But the city authorities decided to return the Aurora at night, which, however, will not become an obstacle for those who want to be the first to see the updated ship. Taking into account the still ongoing white nights and the fact that Saturday is ahead, there will be many spectators watching the return of the ship.
The path of the Aurora from Kronstadt to St. Petersburg
The final preparations for the passage of the museum ship have been completed (we have already gone through all corners of the ship with a vacuum cleaner), on July 15 at 15:00 a solemn meeting will begin at the plant, and at 21:00 the Aurora will leave the docks of Kronstadt. The cruiser (remember that it cannot move under its own power) will be led by five tugboats at once to its eternal mooring. According to the plan, the ship should pass under city crossings during the so-called first bridge raising. Around midnight, the Aurora will enter the Sea Channel. Passage under the Blagoveshchensky Bridge is scheduled at 01.35-01.45. Next is the Palace Bridge - at 01.42-02.00 and Trinity Bridge - at 01.50-02.15. At approximately 02.00-02.30 hours the ship will begin to be placed on barrels. Discussing the plan to return the Aurora to its eternal mooring site, Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko said: “I hope we will all meet with you at what I think is a beautiful event of moving the cruiser to its mooring site. The white nights will not end yet. Beautiful". By the way, during the passage of the Aurora along the Neva, the illumination will be turned on. But the crew of the ship also asked all St. Petersburg residents who would come to the embankments and watch the return of the legendary cruiser to highlight the return of the Aurora either with flashlights or mobile phones.
If suddenly something goes wrong (for example, the water level begins to fall, which the tugboats also allowed), then an alternative option will be used: the Aurora will reach the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, where it will be temporarily parked on the side of the English Embankment.
After the ship is moored, the installation of the ladder will begin, which, by the way, weighs about 17 tons, and on the morning of July 16, the cruiser-museum will begin to be connected to all communications and prepare for the official grand opening scheduled for the coming days.
Restoration of "Aurora" 2014-2016
The current restoration of the cruiser is far from the first, and, apparently, not the last. The amount spent on restoration work is 840 million rubles. A total of 17 enterprises were involved in the repair, modernization and restoration of the cruiser, and all work was carried out under the control of the selection committee, which included, among other things, the military.
The cruiser "Aurora" has been at the Kronstadt Marine Plant since September 2014, where it was sent to repair and modernize ship systems and update the museum exhibition.
During this time, part of the deck was replaced, the ship's hull itself was examined, cleaned and painted. The crack, which was discovered above the waterline under the porthole, was cleaned and welded, and the lifeboats were restored. The cruiser's diesel generators, located in the engine room, also underwent a major overhaul.
All fittings, mechanisms, tanks and tanks were carefully examined, cleaned, repaired and painted.
During the restoration, the security and fire extinguishing systems were updated, and the interior was refinished.
Among the innovations: a special place for a salute cannon appeared on the deck of the cruiser, which makes it possible to launch fireworks directly from the deck of the ship during the holidays. At other times, the cannon will be removed so as not to spoil the historical appearance of the ship. Another “sign of the times” - Wi-Fi will work on the updated cruiser.
Preparations for the departure of the museum cruiser to Kronstadt for repairs The museum cruiser Aurora must undergo docking every 5-10 years to monitor the thinning of the hull. By the way, experts say that since the last repair in 1984, there has been no wear and tear on the underwater part of the hull.
And with proper maintenance, the ship, and its hull has been strengthened, will last at least another 50 years.
Aurora exposition: what's new
Before the restoration of the Aurora, the exhibition presented on the cruiser in six halls was entirely dedicated to the events of the Great October Revolution of 1917. And after the return of Aurora, there will be nine halls, six thematic blocks, and the number of exhibits on display will double. The exhibition itself will become interactive; the museum has been equipped with multimedia equipment, including a holographic theater. The events of 1917, the history of the cruiser, the participation of the Aurora in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the First World War and the Great Patriotic War, the service and life of personnel, naval medicine - you can now get acquainted with all this by visiting the updated "Aurora".
St. PETERSBURG, July 16 – RIA Novosti. The legendary cruiser "Aurora", which has been under repair since September 2014, has arrived at its eternal mooring near Petrogradskaya Embankment in St. Petersburg.
On the afternoon of July 15, a ceremony was held at the Kronstadt Marine Plant to mark the completion of the cruiser’s repairs, and in the evening its towing to St. Petersburg began. The cruiser left Kronstadt after 21.00 Friday. It was towed by four tugs. To allow the Aurora to pass along the Neva, three bridges were erected - Blagoveshchensky, Dvortsovy and Troitsky.
“Aurora has already arrived at its mooring site on Petrogradskaya Embankment,” a representative of the State Emergency Management Directorate for St. Petersburg told RIA Novosti. GIMS boats participated in ensuring the safety of the cruiser’s passage.
The Aurora passed along the Neva in complete illumination. Thousands of St. Petersburg residents came to the embankments at night to see the return of the legendary cruiser.
Nakhimov students will continue training on the cruiser "Aurora" after its repairStudents of the Nakhimov Naval School will also participate in military-patriotic events held on the Aurora, hopes the representative of the Russian defense department Anton Gubankov.As previously reported, after the Aurora arrives at its mooring site at Petrogradskaya Embankment, the mooring and installation operation will begin, which may take several hours. Then the process of connecting the ship to all communications will begin: water supply, electricity, communications.
It is planned that the grand opening of the updated exhibition at the Aurora will take place on Russian Navy Day - July 31, and the museum will open to visitors on August 3.
At the Kronstadt Marine Plant, a dock repair of the ship's hull was carried out, during which the crack above the waterline was welded. The cruiser is equipped with new fire extinguishing and alarm systems, the hull has been repaired and painted, the historical interior of the ship's interior has been restored, and a new video surveillance system has been installed. The final amount of financing for the repairs did not change and amounted to about 840 million rubles.
The light artillery cruiser of the first rank "Aurora" was built in St. Petersburg in 1903. The previous renovation of the Aurora was carried out in 1984. The cruiser "Aurora" is a cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation, a relic of the Russian Navy and a symbol of the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. The ship itself is part of the Russian Navy, and the museum exhibition on board is managed by the Department of Culture of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
During its service in the navy, the cruiser covered more than 100 thousand nautical miles and participated in the Russo-Japanese, World War I and World War II. An artillery shot from the Aurora's bow gun served as the signal for the start of the revolutionary assault on the Winter Palace in Petrograd on November 7, 1917. Since 1948, the ship has been permanently moored. Until 1956, it served as a training base for students of the Nakhimov Naval School, then it was converted into a museum.
St. PETERSBURG, July 15 – RIA Novosti. On Friday evening, towing of the repaired legendary cruiser Aurora will begin to its eternal mooring at the quay wall opposite the Nakhimov Naval School, Igor Kurdin, chairman of the St. Petersburg Submariners' Club and adviser to the governor of St. Petersburg, told RIA Novosti.
The cruiser "Aurora" has been at the Kronstadt Marine Plant since September 2014 to carry out repairs and modernization of ship systems and update the museum exhibition.
Return to the place of eternal parking
According to Kurdin, a ceremony will be held at the Kronstadt Marine Plant on Friday to mark the completion of repairs to the cruiser Aurora, but it will be closed to the press.
As RIA Novosti clarified at the plant, the ceremony will begin at 15.00. In particular, a meeting is planned, the signing of a symbolic act of transfer, and then a tour will be held for guests.
“The Aurora will leave Kronstadt at 21:00, it will be towed by five tugs... At 1.30 the Aurora should approach the Blagoveshchensky Bridge,” Kurdin said.
According to him, if hydrometeorological conditions are favorable, the cruiser will continue to move, at which time three bridges will be opened - Blagoveshchensky, Dvortsovy and Troitsky. “It is expected that at 1.45 the ship will pass the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, at 2.00 - the Palace Bridge and another 15 minutes later, at 2.15 - the Trinity Bridge. And at approximately 2.30 the ship will approach its anchorage, then the complex operation of installing the Aurora will begin,” he said.
The ship will be moored, then they will begin to install a gangway bridge weighing 17 tons, and in the morning the process of connecting to all communications will begin. The cruiser will then prepare for the official grand opening. Kurdin also said that the cruiser’s illumination will be turned on while moving to the parking lot.
“The crew also asks everyone who comes to the embankment to greet the Aurora either with flashlights or to highlight its return with mobile phone screens,” he added.
It is planned that the grand opening of the updated exhibition at the Aurora will take place on Russian Navy Day on July 31, and the museum will open to visitors on August 3.
All repair work has been completed
At the Kronstadt Marine Plant, a dock repair of the ship's hull was carried out, during which the crack above the waterline was welded. The cruiser is equipped with new fire extinguishing and alarm systems, the hull has been repaired and painted, and the historical interior of the ship's interior has been restored. The final amount of financing for the repairs did not change and amounted to about 840 million rubles.
The light artillery cruiser of the first rank "Aurora" was built in St. Petersburg in 1903. The previous renovation of the Aurora was carried out in 1984. The cruiser "Aurora" is a cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation, a relic of the fleet and a symbol of the October Revolution of 1917. The ship itself is part of the Russian Navy, and the museum exhibition on board is managed by the Department of Culture of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
On the night of July 15-16, Aurora will return to its usual place on Petrogradskaya Embankment. Woman’s Day found out what time the cruiser will pass under the bridges and how to see it. Chairman of the St. Petersburg Club of Submariners Igor Kurdin spoke about this.
“Two years of renovations are behind us! On July 15, a ceremony will take place to hand over the cruiser to the fleet. This will happen at the Kronstadt Marine Plant, where the repairs took place. At nine in the evening, the Aurora will unmoor from the quay wall of the plant and, with the help of four tugs, will proceed to St. Petersburg along the Sea Canal, says Kurdin. – After about two hours, this is around 11 pm, the cruiser should moor in the Neva, on the English Embankment, in front of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge. There, “Aurora” will wait for the planned bridges to be raised before moving on.”
“Of course, Aurora will pass under the bridges individually after the fairway is cleared. Named after the goddess of the dawn, the cruiser will begin moving under the bridges at sunrise at 04:10. By the way, on July 16 it will rise at 04:06. The cruiser is given only 20 minutes to pass under three bridges – Blagoveshchensky, Dvortsovy and Troitsky. Well, then a complex operation from a naval point of view will begin to “unroll” the ship and place it at the berth, which should be completed by 10 am.”
The cruiser will begin moving under the bridges at sunrise - at 04:10
“Thus, the legendary ship will be at its eternal mooring two weeks before Navy Day - this year it is celebrated on July 31. During this time, the cruiser must be securely moored at the parking site and connected to all city communications. By the way, after repairs, meters for water, electricity and heat were installed on the cruiser. So ship No. 1 of the Russian Navy will now regularly pay its bills. Well, “Aurora” will be open to visitors after the holiday dedicated to the Navy,” says the chairman of the St. Petersburg Submariners’ Club.
Postage stamps with “Aurora” were issued even in the Republic of Togo
Do you know that...
- "Aurora" might not have been "Aurora" at all, but “Askold”, “Boyar” or even “Polkan”. Nicholas II chose the final name of the ship from eleven (!) proposed options. As a result, the ship received its name in honor of the sailing frigate "Aurora", which became famous during the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War.
- Construction of the cruiser took six years. The ship was laid down in St. Petersburg on June 4, 1897 at the New Admiralty shipyard. Three years later, the ship was launched in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II, and three years later, on June 16, 1903, it was commissioned into the Russian fleet.
- The total cost of the cruiser was approximately 6.4 million rubles- by the standards of those years, a fortune. But the repair of the legendary cruiser in our time has cost a pretty penny. The cost of the work carried out over two years is estimated at 834 million rubles.
- The Aurora left for repairs in Kronstadt on September 21, 2014. And then the ship escorted almost the entire city. Several tens of thousands of people gathered on the embankments! During the reconstruction, the fire extinguishing system on the cruiser was replaced, the teak deck was restored, and the museum areas were expanded. The cruiser will also have Wi-Fi, so selfies taken on deck can be immediately posted on social networks.
- Images of Aurora have appeared on postage stamps more than once Albania, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Seychelles and even the African state of Togo.
- In 1946, “Aurora” starred in a movie. True, in the role of another cruiser - “Varyag”. For the sake of filming, the Aurora was “made up”: the shields were removed from the guns, a commander’s balcony was built on the bow, and a fourth fake chimney was installed.