Translated material
Children of Lieutenant Schmidt
Russia celebrated Navy Day
Yesterday, Russian sailors celebrated their professional holiday - Navy Day. The holiday began with a naval parade in Vladivostok, in which seven surface ships of various classes and a submarine took part. The naval parade was hosted by Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov. He presented awards to distinguished officers and said pleasant words for the sailors.“The country’s leadership and the Ministry of Defense understand well: without a modern and powerful fleet, we cannot count on a decent future,” said Mr. Ivanov. “And therefore, maintaining the potential of naval strategic nuclear forces, updating the ship’s composition and weapons, improving conditions basing the fleet, improving the system of social protection of military sailors are among our most important priorities." The solution to all these problems, according to the Russian Minister of Defense, “is subordinated to the main goal - ensuring national interests in the World Ocean and preserving Russia’s status as a great power.”
The role and importance of the Pacific Fleet, according to the Minister of Defense, can hardly be overestimated. After all, “only in the fleet’s zone of responsibility on Russian territory, the distance from Vladivostok to the Bering Strait is about 13 thousand km.”
After the pleasant words, the Minister of Defense went on the boat of the commander of the Pacific Fleet, Viktor Fedorov, to inspect the parade formation in the waters of the Amur Bay. At this time, helicopters carried the flag of the Russian Federation past the guest stands. Seven warships and a diesel submarine set off in ceremonial formation. After the parade, at the fleet's water sports station, a large theatrical performance was held about the participation of Pacific soldiers in the battles of the Second World War, which ended with a landing in the center of Vladivostok. Several hundred people took part in this performance, which lasted more than three hours. The crews of torpedo boats, small and large anti-submarine ships, and naval paratroopers demonstrated their combat skills. For the first time in the last ten years, long-range aircraft, fighter jets and helicopters took part in the celebrations.
Celebrations dedicated to Navy Day took place yesterday in St. Petersburg. In the city on the Neva, the naval parade was hosted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Fleet Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov. The parade was headed by the commander of the Baltic Fleet, Admiral Vladimir Valuev. The admiral's boats departed from the legendary cruiser "Aurora" and proceeded along the waters of the Neva to another "veteran" of the Russian fleet - the icebreaker "Krasin". The fleet commander walked around the ships and congratulated the sailors on the holiday.
Nine ships of the Baltic Fleet and the Italian training sailing ship Amerigo Vespucci lined up on the Neva roadstead. Together with Russian sailors, its crew took part in a water sports festival and sailing boat races. After the salvo from the Peter and Paul Fortress on the embankment near the Bronze Horseman, the ceremonial part of the holiday began with the participation of the Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, the command of the Navy and honorary citizens of the city. After the parade, St. Petersburg residents and guests of the sea capital of Russia could visit all the ships docked at two embankments - the English and Lieutenant Schmidt.
The only thing that somewhat overshadowed the holiday was that the patrol ship "Indomitable", which was supposed to lead the naval parade, was unable to take part in it due to an accident. On Saturday, a seam on the ship's hull burst due to the explosion of a simulated shell, and water began to flow into the engine room. The Indomitable is now docked for repairs. Yesterday there was no time for a holiday for the St. Petersburg divers who examined the underwater parts of the Trinity Bridge, into the support of which the Irkutsk tanker crashed on Saturday.
This is the fifth such accident during the current navigation. The shipping inspectorate believes that the reason for such an unprecedented number of accidents on the water may be geological in nature. Due to shifts in the earth's crust under Lake Ladoga, the speed of the Neva's flow has increased, and the crews of the ships have not yet had time to get used to the new conditions of navigation under the bridges.
Celebrations in honor of Russian Navy Day in Baltiysk, the main naval base of the Baltic Fleet, opened with a parade of troops from the local garrison. A large parade concert of the Baltic Fleet Headquarters Orchestra took place on the Baltic Glory Square. It is noteworthy that yesterday all warships and vessels based in Baltiysk were open to visits by residents and guests of the city. Celebrations in honor of Russian Navy Day in the westernmost Russian region ended with a festive evening fireworks display in Kaliningrad.
As always, Navy Day was celebrated on a grand scale in Sevastopol. According to established tradition, warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy take part in the naval parade. In total, 28 ships entered the Sevastopol roadstead, skillfully maneuvering in a small bay. Numerous spectators witnessed the amphibious landing on the shore.