More than 300 years ago, by decree of Peter the Great, the St. Andrew's flag was first raised on Russian ships. Since then, many heroic pages have been written in the history of the fleet, but cruiser « Varangian“who refused to lower the banner in front of a huge enemy squadron in 1904 will forever remain in the memory of people as the most striking symbol of fearlessness, self-sacrifice and military valor.
history of the cruiser "Varyag"
The history of this ship began more than 100 years ago in 1898 in the American city of Philadelphia. Easy armored cruiser « Varangian"was built in the USA by order of the Russian Navy Ministry. The shipyard of the company was chosen as the site for the construction of the ship. American Company William Cramp & Sons"in the city of Philadelphia on the Delaware River. The parties signed a contract on April 11, 1898. The choice of this shipbuilding company was not accidental. The plant was well known in Russia. Cruisers purchased in America for the Russian Navy were also repaired and refitted here. In addition, the company promised to deliver ship in 20 months. This was much faster than the pace of ship construction at Russian state-owned factories. For example, at the Baltic Shipyard it took about 7 years to build a ready-made project.
authentic photographs of the cruiser "Varyag"
cruiser "Varyag" in the Philadelphia dock
"Varyag" in Philadelphia before leaving for Russia
raid of Algiers, September 1901
cruiser "Varyag", 1916
However, all weapons " Varangian"was made in Russia. Guns at the Obukhov plant, torpedo tubes at the Metal plant in St. Petersburg. The Izhevsk plant manufactured equipment for the galley, and the anchors were ordered from England.
On October 19, 1899, after illumination and a prayer service, it was solemnly launched. " Varangian" amazed contemporaries not only with the beauty of its forms and perfect proportions, but also with the many technical innovations used during its construction. Compared to ships created earlier, it had significantly more electrically powered devices; boat winches, windlasses, elevators for feeding shells, and even dough mixers in the ship's bakery were equipped with electric drives. For the first time in the history of shipbuilding, all furniture cruisers « Varangian"was made of metal and painted to resemble wood. This increased the survivability of the ship in battle and during a fire. Cruiser « Varangian"became the first Russian ship on which telephone sets were installed in almost all service areas, including posts at the guns.
One of the weak points cruisers there were new steam boilers " Nickolas“They made it possible to reach high speeds, sometimes up to 24 knots, but were extremely unreliable in operation. Due to some deficiencies found when receiving the ship, “ Varangian"was commissioned at the beginning of 1901. During the construction of the cruiser, 6,500 people worked at the shipyard. Simultaneously with the construction of " Varangian"Russian leadership ordered the construction armadillo « Retvizan"for the Russian Pacific squadron. It was being built on a nearby slipway.
St. Andrew's flag and pennant were raised on cruiser « Varangian"January 2, 1901. In March of that year, the ship left Philadelphia for good. On the morning of May 3, 1901 " Varangian» dropped anchor in the Great Kronstadt roadstead. Two weeks later, a review took place, which was attended by Emperor Nicholas II himself. Ship The king liked it so much that he was included in the squad heading to Europe. After official visits to Germany, Denmark and France cruiser « Varangian"Departed for his permanent base in the Far East. On February 25, 1902, the warship arrived at the Port Arthur roadstead. Before cruiser « Varangian»managed to visit the Persian Gulf, Singapore, Hong Kong and Nagasaki. Everywhere the appearance of a new spectacular Russian ship made a huge impression.
Port Arthur on the map
Japan, not happy with the strengthening of Russian influence in the Far East, was feverishly preparing for war with Russia. Its fleet was practically rebuilt in English shipyards. The army was increased by 2.5 times. The most advanced developments of the type of weapons were taken for equipment. The Land of the Rising Sun, just like Russia, considered the Far East a zone of its vital interests. The result of the coming war, according to the Japanese, was to be the expulsion of the Russians from China and Korea, the separation of Sakhalin Island and the establishment of Japanese dominance in the Pacific Ocean. Clouds were gathering over Port Arthur.
heroic battle of the cruiser "Varyag"
December 27, 1903 commander cruisers « Varangian» Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev received an order from the Russian governor to go to the Korean international port of Chemulpo (the current port of Inchhon, South Korea). According to the command's plan, the cruiser was supposed to establish reliable communications between Port Arthur and our envoy in Seoul, as well as indicate the Russian military presence in Korea. It was forbidden to leave the port of Chemulpo without an order from senior command. Due to the difficult fairway and shallow water " Varangian» dropped anchor in the outer roadstead. A few days later he was joined by “ Korean" Very soon it became clear that the Japanese were preparing for a major landing operation. On January 25, the commander of the cruiser V.F. Rudnev personally went to the Russian ambassador to pick him up and go home with the entire mission. But Ambassador Pavlov did not dare to leave the embassy without an order from his department. A day later, the port was blocked by an armada of a Japanese squadron consisting of 14 ships. The flagship was an armored cruiser « Osama».
January 27 commander cruisers « Varangian"received an ultimatum from Admiral Urio. The Japanese commander offered to leave the port and surrender to the mercy of the victors, otherwise he threatened to attack Russian ships right in the roadstead. Having learned about this, the ships of foreign states sent a protest - to go into battle in a neutral roadstead, at the same time they refused to accompany the Russians to the sea, where they would have more opportunities to maneuver and repel an attack.
On cruiser « Varangian"and gunboat" Korean"We began to prepare for battle. According to tradition, all sailors and officers changed into clean shirts. At 10:45 V. F. Rudnev addressed the crew with a speech. The ship's priest blessed the sailors before the battle.
At 11:20 cruiser « Varangian"and gunboat" Korean"weighed anchor and went towards the Japanese squadron. As a sign of the sailors' admiration, the French, British, and Italians lined up the crews of their ships on the decks. On " Varangian“The orchestra played the anthems of the states, in response, the anthem of the Russian Empire sounded on the Italian ship. When Russian ships appeared in the roadstead, the Japanese raised a signal offering to surrender, commander cruisers ordered not to respond to enemy signals. Admiral Urio waited in vain for several minutes for an answer. At first, he could not believe that the Russians were not coming to surrender, but to attack his squadron. At 11:45 the flagship " Osama"opened fire on the cruiser" Varangian" One of the first shells hit the upper bow bridge and destroyed the rangefinder station, the navigator's combat unit was killed. In two minutes " Varangian" opened strong return fire from the starboard side.
It was especially hard for the gunners who were on the upper deck. The Japanese used new tactics for the first time in this battle - they literally fell asleep cruiser « Varangian» high-explosive projectiles with a strong explosive effect, even when hitting the water such a projectile would scatter into hundreds of pieces.
The Russian fleet used powerful armor-piercing shells. They pierced the sides of enemy ships without exploding.
paintings with the cruiser "Varyag"
Battle of the cruiser "Varyag"
There was blood and gore everywhere, burnt arms and legs, torn bodies and exposed flesh. The wounded refused to leave their places; only those who could no longer stand on their feet were taken to the infirmary. The upper deck was broken in several places, all fans and grilles cruisers turned into a sieve. When the stern flag was torn off by another explosion, the boatswain raised a new one, risking his life. At 12:15 Rudnev decided to bring the left side gun into battle. When ship began to turn around and was simultaneously hit by two large shells. The first hit the room where all the steering gears were located, fragments of the second flew into the conning tower, three people standing next to Rudnev were killed on the spot. The commander himself cruisers « Varangian"was wounded in the head, but, despite the concussion, remained at his post and continued to lead the battle. When the distance between the opponents was reduced to 5 km, a gunboat entered the battle " Korean».
It is curious that not a single Japanese shell hit it. The day before, the commander ordered the masts to be shortened, which prevented the Japanese from accurately determining the distance and adjusting the shooting.
At 12:25 " Varangian"opened fire from the left side. The Osama's aft bridge was destroyed by a direct hit, after which a severe fire broke out on the flagship. By this time, the second Japanese cruiser " Takatiha", having received serious damage, was forced to withdraw from the battle. One of the destroyers sank. At 12:30 two shells pierced the side of the cruiser " Varangian" under the water. Cruiser began to list to the left side. While the team was sealing the holes, Rudnev decided to return to the port of Chemulpo. At the raid, he planned to repair the damage and put out the fires, so that he could then return to battle again.
At 12:45, as the raid approached, the general fire stopped. During the battle " Varangian"managed to fire 1,105 shells at the enemy. At 13:15, wounded and smoking " Varangian» dropped anchor in the roadstead. According to eyewitnesses, its entire deck was covered in blood. There were 130 wounded sailors lying in the charred premises of the cruiser. 22 people died during the battle. Of the 12 six-inch guns, two remained in working order. Further resistance was not possible. And then the military council of the cruiser decided to prevent the Japanese from sinking the ships, and to place the crew on foreign ships by agreement. Having received Rudnev’s appeal, the commanders of European ships immediately sent boats with orderlies. Several sailors died during the evacuation. Most of all - 352 people - took French cruiser « Pascal", the British took 235 people, the Italians - 178. At 15:30 on " Varangian" opened the kingstons and flood valves, " Korean" was blown up.
February 9, 1904 at 18:10 light armored deck cruiser « Varangian"lay down on the left side and disappeared under the water.
Not a single officer or sailor was captured after the battle. Respecting the courage shown in that battle, Admiral Urio agreed to let them pass through the combat zone to return to their homeland.
Two months later with the sailors " Varangian" And " Korean"arrived in Odessa. The heroes of Chemulpo were greeted with the thunder of orchestras and demonstrations of thousands. The sailors were showered with flowers and an unprecedented explosion of patriotic feelings. All participants in the battle were awarded St. George's crosses. Each sailor received a personalized watch from the emperor. Then the first songs dedicated to the cruiser appeared “ Varangian"and gunboat" Korean».
second life of the cruiser "Varyag"
after battle
after the rise in August 1905
Japanese cruiser "SOYA" ("Varyag")
However, on this history of the legendary cruiser didn't end. Soon after the battle it became clear that " Varangian"It didn't sink very deep. During low tides, the water level in Chemulpo Bay dropped to 9 meters. Having learned about this, the Japanese began work on raising the cruiser " Varangian" Within a month, divers and special equipment were delivered to Chemulpo from Japan. The cruiser's guns, masts and pipes were removed, coal was unloaded, but all attempts to raise it in 1904 ended in failure. Only on August 8, 1905, after the creation of special caissons, was it possible to tear off cruiser from the muddy bottom. In November 1905 " Varangian» reached Japan under its own power. Almost two years cruiser « Varangian"was in the city of Yokosuka undergoing major repairs. The work to raise and restore it cost the Japanese treasury 1 million yen. In 1907, he was enlisted in the Japanese Navy under the name " Soya" At the stern, as a sign of respect for the enemy, an inscription of the cruiser's former name was left. For nine years cruiser was a training ship for a cadet school. It taught how to defend the honor of your homeland.
There is probably not a single person in Russia who has not heard about the suicidal feat of the cruiser Varyag. Despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the events described below, the memory of unheard-of heroism still lives in the hearts and memories of people. But at the same time, knowing in general terms the history of this legendary ship, we lose sight of many amazing details with which its fate is rich. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a clash of interests of two rapidly developing empires - Russian and Japanese. The stumbling block was the Russian-owned territories in the Far East, which the Japanese emperor slept and saw as belonging to his country. On February 6, 1904, Japan broke off all diplomatic relations with Russia, and already on February 9, it blocked the port of Chemulpo, where the then unknown Varyag was located.
Made in USA
The 1st rank armored cruiser was laid down in 1898. Construction was carried out at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards in Philadelphia. In 1900, the cruiser was transferred to the Navy of the Russian Empire. According to the commander of the cruiser Rudnev, the ship was delivered with many construction defects, due to which it was expected that it would not be able to reach speeds above 14 knots. “Varyag” was even going to be returned back for repairs. However, during tests in the fall of 1903, the cruiser developed a speed almost equal to that shown in the initial tests.
Diplomatic mission "Varyag"
Since January 1904, the famous cruiser was at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul, stood in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo and did not take any military action. By an evil irony of fate, the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets had to engage in an obviously losing battle, the first in an ingloriously lost war.
Before the fight
On the night of February 8, the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda secretly sailed from the port of Chemulpo. His departure did not go unnoticed by Russian sailors. On the same day, the “Korean” set off for Port Arthur, but at the exit from Chemulpo it was subject to a torpedo attack and was forced to return back to the roadstead. On the morning of February 9, Captain First Rank Rudnev received an official ultimatum from Japanese Admiral Uriu: surrender and leave Chemulpo before noon. The exit from the port was blocked by a Japanese squadron, so the Russian ships were trapped, from which there was no chance of getting out.
"No talk about giving up"
At about 11 o'clock in the morning, its commander addressed the cruiser's crew with a speech. From his words it followed that he did not intend to surrender to the enemy so easily. The sailors fully supported their captain. Soon after, the Varyag and Koreets pulled out of the raid to set off for their final battle, while the crews of the foreign warships saluted the Russian sailors and sang the national anthems. As a sign of respect, brass bands on Allied ships played the national anthem of the Russian Empire.
Battle of Chemulpo
“Varyag” almost alone (a short-range gunboat doesn’t count) went up against a Japanese squadron consisting of 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers, equipped with more powerful and modern weapons. The very first hits showed all the vulnerabilities of the Varyag: due to the lack of armored turrets, the gun crews suffered heavy losses, and explosions caused the guns to malfunction. During the hour of battle, the Varyag received 5 underwater holes, countless surface holes and lost almost all its guns. In a narrow fairway, the cruiser ran aground, presenting itself as a tempting motionless target, but then, by some miracle, to the surprise of the Japanese, it managed to get off it. During this hour, the Varyag fired 1,105 shells at the enemy, sank one destroyer and damaged 4 Japanese cruisers. However, as the Japanese authorities subsequently claimed, not a single shell from the Russian cruiser reached its target, and there was no damage or loss at all. On the Varyag, losses among the crew were heavy: one officer and 30 sailors were killed, about two hundred people were wounded or shell-shocked. According to Rudnev, there was not a single opportunity left to continue the battle in such conditions, so it was decided to return to the port and scuttle the ships so that they would not go to the enemy as trophies. The teams of Russian ships were sent to neutral ships, after which the Varyag was sunk by opening the kingstons, and the Koreets was blown up. This did not stop the Japanese from getting the cruiser from the bottom of the sea, repairing it and including it in the squadron called “Soya”.
Medal for defeat
In the homeland of the Chemulpo heroes, great honors awaited them, despite the fact that the battle was actually lost. The crew of the "Varyag" was given a ceremonial reception by Emperor Nicholas II and received many awards. The crews of the French, German and English ships stationed in the roadstead during the battle in Chemulpo also responded enthusiastically to the brave Russians. Another thing is surprising: the act of the Russian sailors was also considered heroic by their opponents, the Japanese. In 1907, Vsevolod Rudnev (who had by then fallen out of favor with Nicholas II) was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Emperor as a tribute to the courage and fortitude of Russian sailors.
The further fate of the "Varyag"
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a memorial museum for the heroes of the Varyag in Seoul. After ten years of captivity, the Varyag was bought from Japan in 1916, along with other Russian ships captured as war trophies. After the October Revolution, the British government ordered the arrest of all Russian ships in its ports, among which was the Varyag. In 1920, it was decided to scrap the cruiser to pay off the debts of Tsarist Russia, but on the way to the plant, it was caught in a storm and hit rocks near the Scottish coast. Everything looked as if the “Varyag” had its own will and, wanting to complete its destiny with honor, committed hara-kiri. Which is not surprising, given that he spent 10 years in Japanese captivity. They tried to get the tightly stuck ship off the rocks more than once, but all attempts ended in failure, and now the remains of the legendary cruiser rest at the bottom of the Irish Sea. On July 30, 2006, a memorial plaque appeared on the Scottish coast near the site of the sinking of the Varyag, perpetuating the memory of the most famous ship in the history of the Russian Navy.Cruiser "Varyag" 1901
Today in Russia you can hardly find a person who does not know about the heroic feat of the crews of the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets. Hundreds of books and articles have been written about this, films have been made... The battle and the fate of the cruiser and its crew are described down to the smallest detail. However, the conclusions and assessments are very biased! Why did the commander of the Varyag, Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev, who received the Order of St. George, 4th degree and the rank of adjutant for the battle, soon find himself retired and live out his life on a family estate in the Tula province? It would seem that the folk hero, especially with an aiguillette and St. George on his chest, should have literally “flyed up” the career ladder, but this did not happen.
In 1911, a historical commission to describe the actions of the fleet in the war of 1904-1905. at the Naval General Staff released another volume of documents, which published materials about the battle at Chemulpo. Until 1922, documents were kept with the stamp “Not subject to disclosure.” One of the volumes contains two reports from V.F. Rudnev - one to the emperor’s viceroy in the Far East, dated February 6, 1904, and the other (more complete) to the manager of the Naval Ministry, dated March 5, 1905. The reports contain a detailed description of the battle at Chemulpo.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the battleship "Poltava" in the western basin of Port Arthur, 1902-1903
Let us quote the first document as more emotional, since it was written immediately after the battle:
“On January 26, 1904, the seaworthy gunboat “Korean” set off with papers from our envoy to Port Arthur, but the Japanese squadron encountered by three mines fired from destroyers forced the boat to return. The boat anchored near the cruiser, and part of the Japanese squadron with transports entered to a raid to bring troops ashore. Not knowing whether hostilities had begun, I went to the English cruiser Talbot to negotiate with the commander regarding further orders.
.....
Continuation of the official document and the official version
And the cruisers. But that’s not what we’re talking about. Let's discuss something that is not customary to talk about...
Gunboat "Korean" in Chemulpo. February 1904
Thus, the battle, which began at 11 hours 45 minutes, ended at 12 hours 45 minutes. The Varyag fired 425 6-inch, 470 75-mm and 210 47-mm shells, for a total of 1,105 shells. At 13:15, the “Varyag” dropped anchor at the place where it had left 2 hours ago. There was no damage on the gunboat "Koreyets", and there were no killed or wounded.
In 1907, in the brochure “The Battle of the Varyag at Chemulpo,” V. F. Rudnev repeated word for word the story of the battle with the Japanese detachment. The retired commander of the Varyag did not say anything new, but he had to say it. Taking into account the current situation, at the council of the officers of the Varyag and the Korean, they decided to destroy the cruiser and the gunboat, and take the crews to foreign ships. The gunboat "Koreets" was blown up, and the cruiser "Varyag" was sunk, opening all the valves and seacocks. At 18:20 he went on board. At low tide, the cruiser was exposed to more than 4 meters. Somewhat later, the Japanese raised a cruiser, which made the transition from Chemulpo to Sasebo, where it was commissioned and sailed in the Japanese fleet under the name Soya for more than 10 years until it was bought by the Russians.
The reaction to the death of the Varyag was not clear. Some naval officers did not approve of the actions of the Varyag commander, considering them illiterate both from a tactical and technical point of view. But officials at higher levels thought differently: why start the war with failures (especially since Port Arthur was a complete failure), isn’t it better to use the battle of Chemulpo to raise the national feelings of Russians and try to turn the war with Japan into a people’s war. We developed a scenario for the meeting of the heroes of Chemulpo. Everyone was silent about the miscalculations.
The cruiser's senior navigator officer E. A. Behrens, who became the first Soviet chief of the Naval General Staff after the October Revolution of 1917, later recalled that he expected arrest and a naval trial on his native shore. On the first day of the war, the Pacific fleet decreased by one combat unit, and the enemy forces increased by the same amount. The news that the Japanese had begun raising the Varyag spread quickly.
By the summer of 1904, sculptor K. Kazbek made a model of a monument dedicated to the battle of Chemulpo, and called it “Rudnev’s Farewell to the Varyag.” On the model, the sculptor depicted V.F. Rudnev standing at the railings, to the right of whom was a sailor with a bandaged hand, and an officer with his head down sat behind him. Then the model was made by the author of the monument to the Guardian, K.V. Izenberg. A song about “Varyag” appeared, which became popular. Soon the painting “The Death of the Varyag” was painted. View from the French cruiser Pascal. Photo cards with portraits of commanders and images of the “Varyag” and “Korean” were issued. But the ceremony of welcoming the heroes of Chemulpo was especially carefully developed. Apparently, it should be said in more detail about it, especially since almost nothing was written about it in Soviet literature.
The first group of Varangians arrived in Odessa on March 19, 1904. The day was sunny, but there was a strong swell in the sea. From the very morning the city was decorated with flags and flowers. The sailors arrived at the Tsar's pier on the ship "Malaya". The steamer "St. Nicholas" came out to meet them, which, when spotted on the horizon, "Malaya" was decorated with colorful flags. This signal was followed by a salvo from the salute cannons of the coastal battery. A whole flotilla of ships and yachts left the harbor for the sea.
On one of the ships were the head of the Odessa port and several St. George cavaliers. Having boarded the Malaya, the head of the port presented the Varangians with St. George's awards. The first group included captain 2nd rank V.V. Stepanov, midshipman V.A. Balk, engineers N.V. Zorin and S.S. Spiridonov, doctor M.N. Khrabrostin and 268 lower ranks. At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon the Malaya began to enter the harbor. Several regimental bands played on the shore, and a crowd of thousands greeted the ship with shouts of “hurray.”
Japanese aboard the sunken Varyag, 1904
The first to go ashore was Captain 2nd Rank V.V. Stepanov. He was met by the priest of the seaside church, Father Atamansky, who presented the senior officer of the Varyag with the image of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. Then the crew went ashore. Along the famous Potemkin Stairs leading to Nikolaevsky Boulevard, the sailors went up and passed through the triumphal arch with the inscription of flowers “To the Heroes of Chemulpo”.
Representatives of the city government met the sailors on the boulevard. The mayor presented Stepanov with bread and salt on a silver platter with the city’s coat of arms and the inscription: “Greetings from Odessa to the heroes of Varyag who surprised the world.” A prayer service was served on the square in front of the Duma building. Then the sailors went to the Saban barracks, where a festive table was laid for them. The officers were invited to the cadet school for a banquet hosted by the military department. In the evening, the Varangians were shown a performance in the city theater. At 15:00 on March 20, the Varangians set off from Odessa for Sevastopol on the steamer "St. Nicholas". A crowd of thousands again came out onto the embankments.
On the approaches to Sevastopol, the steamer was met by a destroyer with a raised signal “Greetings to the brave.” The steamship "Saint Nicholas", decorated with colorful flags, entered the Sevastopol roadstead. On the battleship "Rostislav" his arrival was greeted with a 7-shot salute. The first to board the ship was the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral N.I. Skrydlov.
Having walked around the line, he addressed the Varangians with a speech: “Great, dear ones, congratulations on your brilliant feat, in which you proved that Russians know how to die; you, like truly Russian sailors, surprised the whole world with your selfless courage, defending the honor of Russia and the St. Andrew’s flag, ready to die rather than give up the ship to the enemy. I am happy to greet you from the Black Sea Fleet and especially here in long-suffering Sevastopol, witness and keeper of the glorious military traditions of our native fleet. Here every piece of land is stained with Russian blood. Here are monuments to Russian heroes: they have me for you I bow deeply on behalf of all the Black Sea residents. At the same time, I cannot resist saying my heartfelt thanks to you as your former admiral for the fact that you so gloriously applied all my instructions during the exercises you conducted in battle! Be our welcome guests! "Varyag" was lost , but the memory of your exploits is alive and will live for many years. Hurray!"
The sunken Varyag at low tide, 1904
A solemn prayer service was served at the monument to Admiral P. S. Nakhimov. Then the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet handed over to the officers the highest diplomas for the awarded St. George Crosses. It is noteworthy that for the first time doctors and mechanics were awarded the Cross of St. George along with combat officers. Having taken off the St. George Cross, the admiral pinned it to the uniform of Captain 2nd Rank V.V. Stepanov. The Varangians were placed in the barracks of the 36th naval crew.
The Tauride governor asked the chief commander of the port that the teams of the “Varyag” and “Korean”, when en route to St. Petersburg, would stop for a while in Simferopol to honor the heroes of Chemulpo. The governor also motivated his request by the fact that his nephew Count A.M. Nirod died in the battle.
Japanese cruiser "Soya" (formerly "Varyag") at the parade
At this time, preparations were being made for the meeting in St. Petersburg. The Duma adopted the following order of honoring the Varangians:
1) at the Nikolaevsky station, representatives of the city public administration, led by the city mayor and the chairman of the Duma, met the heroes, presented the commanders of the “Varyag” and “Korean” with bread and salt on artistic dishes, invited commanders, officers and class officials to the Duma meeting to announce greetings from cities;
2) presenting an address, artistically executed during the expedition of procuring state papers, setting out in it the resolution of the City Duma on the honor; presenting gifts to all officers totaling 5 thousand rubles;
3) treating lower ranks to lunch at the People's House of Emperor Nicholas II; issuing to each lower rank a silver watch with the inscription “To the Hero of Chemulpo”, embossed with the date of the battle and the name of the recipient (from 5 to 6 thousand rubles were allocated for the purchase of watches, and 1 thousand rubles for treating lower ranks);
4) arrangement of performances for the lower ranks in the People's House;
5) the establishment of two scholarships in memory of the heroic feat, which will be awarded to students of maritime schools - St. Petersburg and Kronstadt.
On April 6, 1904, the third and last group of Varangians arrived in Odessa on the French steamship Crimea. Among them were captain 1st rank V.F. Rudnev, captain 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev, lieutenants S.V. Zarubaev and P.G. Stepanov, doctor M.L. Banshchikov, paramedic from the battleship "Poltava", 217 sailors from the "Varyag", 157 - from the "Koreyets", 55 sailors from the "Sevastopol" and 30 Cossacks of the Trans-Baikal Cossack Division, guarding the Russian mission in Seoul. The meeting was as solemn as the first time. On the same day, on the steamer "St. Nicholas", the heroes of Chemulpo went to Sevastopol, and from there on April 10, by an emergency train of the Kursk Railway - to St. Petersburg via Moscow.
On April 14, residents of Moscow greeted the sailors on a huge square near the Kursk station. Bands of the Rostov and Astrakhan regiments played on the platform. V.F. Rudnev and G.P. Belyaev were presented with laurel wreaths with inscriptions on white-blue-red ribbons: “Hurray for the brave and glorious hero - the commander of the Varyag” and “Hurray for the brave and glorious hero - the commander of the Koreyets”. All officers were presented with laurel wreaths without inscriptions, and the lower ranks were presented with bouquets of flowers. From the station the sailors headed to the Spassky barracks. The mayor presented the officers with golden badges, and the ship's priest of the Varyag, Father Mikhail Rudnev, with a golden neck icon.
On April 16 at ten o'clock in the morning they arrived in St. Petersburg. The platform was filled with welcoming relatives, military personnel, representatives of the administration, nobility, zemstvo and townspeople. Among those greeting were the head of the Maritime Ministry, Vice Admiral F.K. Avelan, the head of the Main Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Z. P. Rozhestvensky, his assistant A.G. Niedermiller, the chief commander of the Kronstadt port, Vice Admiral A.A. Birilev, the chief medical inspector of the fleet, life surgeon V. S. Kudrin, St. Petersburg governor horseman O. D. Zinoviev, provincial leader of the nobility Count V. B. Gudovich and many others. Grand Duke Admiral General Alexey Alexandrovich arrived to meet the heroes of Chemulpo.
The special train arrived at the platform exactly at 10 o'clock. A triumphal arch was erected on the station platform, decorated with the state coat of arms, flags, anchors, St. George ribbons, etc. After the meeting and tour of the formation by the Admiral General, at 10:30 a.m., to the incessant sounds of orchestras, a procession of sailors began from the Nikolaevsky Station along Nevsky Prospekt to Zimny palace. The ranks of soldiers, a huge number of gendarmes and mounted policemen barely held back the onslaught of the crowd. The officers walked ahead, followed by the lower ranks. Flowers fell from windows, balconies and roofs. Through the arch of the General Staff Building, the heroes of Chemulpo entered the square near the Winter Palace, where they lined up opposite the royal entrance. On the right flank stood the Grand Duke, Admiral General Alexei Alexandrovich, and Adjutant General F.K. Avelan, the head of the Naval Ministry. Emperor Nicholas II came out to the Varangians.
He accepted the report, walked around the formation and greeted the sailors of the Varyag and Koreyets. After this, they marched solemnly and proceeded to St. George's Hall, where the service took place. Tables were set for the lower ranks in the Nicholas Hall. All the dishes were with the image of St. George's crosses. In the concert hall, a table with gold service was set for the highest persons.
Nicholas II addressed the heroes of Chemulpo with a speech: “I am happy, brothers, to see you all healthy and safely returned. 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 performed them on the Azov " and "Mercury"; now with your feat you have added a new page to the history of our fleet, adding to them the names "Varyag" and "Korean". They will also become immortal. I am sure that each of you will remain worthy of that award until the end of your service , which I gave to you. 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 the Great Holy Rus'. I drink to the further victories of our glorious fleet To your health, brothers!"
At the officers' table, the emperor announced the establishment of a medal in memory of the battle at Chemulpo for wearing by officers and lower ranks. Then a reception took place in the Alexander Hall of the City Duma. In the evening, everyone gathered at the People's House of Emperor Nicholas II, where a festive concert was given. The lower ranks were given gold and silver watches, and spoons with silver handles were distributed. The sailors received a brochure "Peter the Great" and a copy of the address from the St. Petersburg nobility. The next day the teams went to their respective crews. The whole country learned about such a magnificent celebration of the heroes of Chemulpo, and therefore about the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean”. The people could not have even a shadow of doubt about the plausibility of the accomplished feat. True, some naval officers doubted the authenticity of the description of the battle.
Fulfilling the last will of the heroes of Chemulpo, the Russian government in 1911 turned to the Korean authorities with a request to allow the ashes of the dead Russian sailors to be transferred to Russia. On December 9, 1911, the funeral cortege headed from Chemulpo to Seoul, and then by rail to the Russian border. Throughout the entire route, the Koreans showered the platform with the remains of the sailors with fresh flowers. On December 17, the funeral cortege arrived in Vladivostok. The burial of the remains took place at the city's Marine Cemetery. In the summer of 1912, an obelisk made of gray granite with the St. George Cross appeared over the mass grave. The names of the victims were engraved on its four sides. As expected, the monument was built with public money.
Then the “Varyag” and the Varangians were forgotten for a long time. They remembered only 50 years later. On February 8, 1954, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On awarding the medal “For Courage” to the sailors of the cruiser “Varyag”” was issued. At first, only 15 people were found. Here are their names: V. F. Bakalov, A. D. Voitsekhovsky, D. S. Zalideev, S. D. Krylov, P. M. Kuznetsov, V. I. Krutyakov, I. E. Kaplenkov, M. E. Ka-linkin, A. I. Kuznetsov, L. G. Mazurets, P. E. Polikov, F. F. Semenov, T. P. Chibisov, A. I. Shketnek and I. F. Yaroslavtsev. The oldest of the Varangians, Fedor Fedorovich Semenov, turned 80 years old. Then they found the others. Total in 1954-1955. 50 sailors from the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" received medals. In September 1956, a monument to V.F. Rudnev was unveiled in Tula. In the Pravda newspaper, Fleet Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov wrote these days: “The feat of the Varyag and the Korean entered the heroic history of our people, into the golden fund of the military traditions of the Soviet fleet.”
Now I will try to answer a number of questions. The first question: for what merit were they so generously awarded to everyone without exception? Moreover, the officers of the gunboat "Korean" first received regular orders with swords, and then, simultaneously with the Varangians (at the request of the public), they also received the Order of St. George, 4th degree, that is, they were awarded twice for one feat! The lower ranks received the insignia of the Military Order - St. George's Crosses. The answer is simple: Emperor Nicholas II really did not want to start the war with Japan with defeats.
Even before the war, the admirals of the Naval Ministry reported that they could destroy the Japanese fleet without much difficulty, and if necessary, they could “arrange” a second Sinop. The emperor believed them, and then suddenly such bad luck! At Chemulpo, the newest cruiser was lost, and at Port Arthur, 3 ships were damaged - the squadron battleships "Tsesarevich", "Retvizan" and the cruiser "Pallada". Both the emperor and the Naval Ministry “covered up” their mistakes and failures with this heroic hype. It turned out believable and, most importantly, pompous and effective.
The second question: who “organized” the feat of “Varyag” and “Korean”? The first to call the battle heroic were two people - the Emperor's viceroy in the Far East, Adjutant General Admiral E. A. Alekseev and the senior flagship of the Pacific squadron, Vice Admiral O. A. Stark. The whole situation indicated that war with Japan was about to begin. But instead of preparing to repel a sudden enemy attack, they showed complete carelessness, or, more precisely, criminal negligence.
The fleet's readiness was low. They themselves drove the cruiser "Varyag" into a trap. To carry out the tasks that they assigned to the stationary ships in Chemulpo, it was enough to send the old gunboat "Korean", which was not of particular combat value, and not use a cruiser. When the Japanese occupation of Korea began, they did not draw any conclusions for themselves. V.F. Rudnev also did not have the courage to decide to leave Chemulpo. As you know, initiative in the navy has always been punishable.
Through the fault of Alekseev and Stark, the Varyag and the Korean were abandoned in Chemulpo. An interesting detail. When conducting a strategic game in the 1902/03 academic year at the Nikolaev Naval Academy, exactly this situation was played out: in the event of a sudden Japanese attack on Russia in Chemulpo, a cruiser and a gunboat remain unrecalled. In the game, destroyers sent to Chemulpo will report the beginning of the war. The cruiser and gunboat manage to connect with the Port Arthur squadron. However, in reality this did not happen.
Question three: why did the Varyag commander refuse to break out from Chemulpo and did he have such an opportunity? A false sense of camaraderie was triggered - “perish yourself, but help your comrade.” Rudnev, in the full sense of the word, began to depend on the slow-moving "Korean", which could reach a speed of no more than 13 knots. "Varyag" had a speed of more than 23 knots, which is 3-5 knots more than the Japanese ships, and 10 knots more than the "Korean". So Rudnev had opportunities for an independent breakthrough, and good ones at that. Back on January 24, Rudnev learned of the severance of diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan. But on January 26, on the morning train, Rudnev went to Seoul to see the envoy for advice.
Having returned, he only sent the gunboat “Koreets” with a report to Port Arthur on January 26 at 15:40. Again the question: why was the boat sent to Port Arthur so late? This remains unclear. The Japanese did not release the gunboat from Chemulpo. This war has already begun! Rudnev had one more night in reserve, but did not use it either. Subsequently, Rudnev explained the refusal to make an independent breakthrough from Chemulpo due to navigational difficulties: the fairway in the port of Chemulpo was very narrow, winding, and the outer roadstead was replete with dangers. Everyone knows this. Indeed, entering Chemulpo in low water, that is, at low tide, is very difficult.
Rudnev seemed not to know that the height of the tides in Chemulpo reaches 8-9 meters (the maximum tide height is up to 10 meters). With the cruiser's draft of 6.5 meters in full evening water, there was still an opportunity to break through the Japanese blockade, but Rudnev did not take advantage of it. He settled on the worst option - to break through during the day at low tide and together with the "Korean". Everyone knows what this decision led to.
Now about the fight itself. There is reason to believe that the artillery used on the cruiser Varyag was not entirely competent. The Japanese had a huge superiority in forces, which they successfully implemented. This can be seen from the damage that the Varyag received.
According to the Japanese themselves, their ships remained unharmed in the battle of Chemulpo. In the official publication of the Japanese Naval General Staff “Description of military operations at sea in 37-38 Meiji (in 1904-1905)” (vol. I, 1909) we read: “In this battle, enemy shells never hit into our ships and we did not suffer the slightest loss."
Finally, the last question: why didn’t Rudnev disable the ship, but sank it by simply opening the kingstons? The cruiser was essentially "donated" to the Japanese fleet. Rudnev's argument that the explosion could have damaged foreign ships is untenable. Now it becomes clear why Rudnev resigned. In Soviet publications, the resignation is explained by Rudnev’s involvement in revolutionary affairs, but this is fiction. In such cases, in the Russian Navy, people were not fired with promotion to rear admiral and the right to wear a uniform. Everything can be explained much more simply: for mistakes made in the battle of Chemulpo, naval officers did not accept Rudnev into their corps. Rudnev himself was aware of this. At first, he was temporarily in the position of commander of the battleship "Andrei Pervozvanny" under construction, then he submitted his resignation. Now, it seems, everything has fallen into place.
The cruiser "Varyag" was considered one of the best ships of the Russian fleet. Built at an American plant in Philadelphia, it was launched in 1899 and entered service with the Russian fleet in 1901, arriving in Kronstadt. In 1902, "Varyag" became part of the Port Arthur squadron.
It was a four-pipe, two-masted, armored cruiser of the 1st rank with a displacement of 6,500 tons. The cruiser's main caliber artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship had twelve 75 mm guns, eight 47 mm rapid-fire cannons and two 37 mm cannons. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. It could reach speeds of up to 23 knots. However, the Varyag also had a number of serious disadvantages: the steam boilers were very difficult to operate, the actual speed was significantly lower than the design speed, and there was no protection for the gun personnel from shell fragments. These shortcomings affected during the transition from Kronstadt to Port Arthur, and then during the battle at Chemulpo.
The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.
Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a native of the nobility of the Tula province, an experienced naval officer, took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903. It was a difficult and tense time. Japan was intensively preparing for war with Russia, creating a significant superiority in forces here.
A month before the start of the war, the Tsar's governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev sent the cruiser "Varyag" from Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon).
On January 26, 1904, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers approached Chemulpo Bay and stopped at the outer roadstead: In the inner roadstead at that time there were Russian ships - the cruiser "Varyag" and the seaworthy gunboat "Koreets", as well as a cargo and passenger steamship "Sungari". There were also foreign warships.
Early in the morning of January 27, 1904, V.F. Rudnev received an ultimatum from Japanese Rear Admiral S. Uriu demanding that he leave Chemulpo before 12 noon, otherwise the Japanese threatened to open fire on Russian ships in a neutral port, which was a gross violation of international law.
V.F. Rudnev announced to the crew that Japan had begun military operations against Russia. "Varyag" weighed anchor and headed towards the exit from the bay. In the wake was the gunboat "Koreets" (commanded by Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev). The ships sounded the combat alarm.
At the exit from the bay, the Japanese squadron, superior to the Varyag in artillery weapons by more than five times and torpedoes by seven times, blocked the Russian ships' path to the open sea. Six Japanese cruisers - Asama, Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Akashi and Chiyoda - took their starting positions in the bearing formation. Eight destroyers loomed behind the cruisers. The Japanese invited the Russian ships to surrender. V.F. Rudnev ordered that this signal be left unanswered.
The first shot was fired from the armored cruiser Asama, and after it the entire enemy squadron opened fire. "Varyag" did not answer, he was moving closer. And only when the distance was reduced to a sure shot, V.F. Rudnev ordered to open fire.
The fight was brutal. The Japanese concentrated all the force of their fire on the Varyag. The sea boiled with explosions, showering the deck with shell fragments and cascades of water. Every now and then fires broke out and holes opened. Under hurricane fire from the enemy, sailors and officers fired at the enemy, applied plaster, sealed holes, and put out fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle. Many sailors fought heroically in this battle, among whom were our fellow countrymen A.I. Kuznetsov, P.E. Polikov, T.P. Chibisov and others, as well as the ship’s priest M.I. Rudnev.
Accurate fire from the Varyag brought results: the Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, and Takachiho received serious damage. When the Japanese destroyers rushed towards the Varyag, the Russian cruiser concentrated its fire on them and sank one destroyer.
Wounded but not defeated, the Varyag returned to the port to make the necessary repairs and again go for a breakthrough. However, the cruiser tilted to the side, the vehicles were out of order, and most of the guns were broken. V.F. Rudnev made a decision: remove the crews from the ships, sink the cruiser, and blow up the gunboat so that they do not fall to the enemy. The council of officers supported their commander.
During the battle, which lasted for one hour, the Varyag fired 1,105 shells at the enemy, and the Koreets - 52 shells. After the battle, the losses were counted. On the Varyag, out of a crew of 570 people, there were 122 killed and wounded (1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded). In addition, more than 100 people were slightly injured.
The sailors of the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" returned to their homeland in several echelons, where they were enthusiastically greeted by the Russian people. The sailors were warmly greeted by the residents of Tula, who filled the station square late at night. Large celebrations in honor of the sailor heroes took place in St. Petersburg.
The crews of the "Varyag" and "Korean" were awarded high awards: the sailors were awarded the Cross of St. George, and the officers were awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, the rank of adjutant, and was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the squadron battleship "Andrei Pervozvanny" being built in St. Petersburg. A medal was established “For the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean””, which awarded all participants in the battle.
In November 1905, for refusing to take disciplinary measures against the revolutionary-minded sailors of his crew, V.F. Rudnev was dismissed and promoted to rear admiral. He went to the Tula province, where he settled in a small estate near the village of Myshenki, three miles from Tarusskaya station.
July 7, 1913 V.F. Rudnev died and was buried in the village of Savina (now Zaoksky district of the Tula region).
On September 30, 1956, a monument to the commander of the legendary cruiser was unveiled in Tula. And on February 9, 1984, in the village of Rusyatine, Zaoksky district, the opening of the V.F. Museum took place. Rudneva.
On August 9, 1992, a monument to V.F. was unveiled in the village of Savina. Rudnev. In the summer of 1997, a monument to the commander of the “Varyag” was erected in the city of Novomoskovsk, not far from which the Rudnev family estate was located near the village of Yatskaya.
The guards missile cruiser with the proud name "Varyag" is serving as part of the Russian Pacific Fleet.