Meeting of the heroes Chemulpo in Odessa

As a result of the battle between the Varyag cruiser and the Koreets gunboat with a Japanese squadron at the exit from the port of Chemulpo , which occurred on January 27 ( February 9 ), 1904 , both Russian ships were forced to return to the port and were destroyed by crews in order not to get to the enemy . The crews of Russian ships switched to warships of neutral powers, which were at that time in the port - the British cruiser HMS Talbot (received 214 sailors and 28 officers), the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian cruiser Elba, the American gunboat Vicksburg . At the same time, the Russian postal ship Sungari was destroyed and its crew also joined the internees. On January 30 ( February 12 ), 1904, the ranks of the Russian mission in Korea and the Cossacks of its protection arrived in Chemulpo, the total number of Russians accepted by neutral ships reached 800 people. The Japanese command did not prevent the return of the crews of Russian ships to their homeland, setting the only condition - the promise not to participate in further hostilities. By February 3 (16), 1904, it was possible to coordinate all the formalities and the warships with the Russian sailors left Chemulpo, taking them to neutral ports, where they were able to transfer to transport ships sailing to the ports of the Russian Empire ^{[1] [2] [3]} .

In all the ports through which the vessels with the crews of the Varyag and the Korean followed, an enthusiastic reception awaited them. In Constantinople, the Malaya steamer, on which the first group of sailors were, was visited by the Russian ambassador, consul general, representatives of the local Russian colony, officers and crews of the Zaporozhets gunboat and the Colchis steamer. When Malaya left the raid, the Zaporozhets and Colchis teams saluted her with shouts of "Hurray." Greetings were joined by the teams of the French stationer Votour and the English mine cruiser Khuzar. The Creame steamer, on which captain V. F. Rudnev and most of the Varyag crew were located, arrived in Constantinople on March 21 ( April 3 ), 1904 . He was expected at the marina by the Adjutant General of the Sultan, the head of the naval corps, Vice Admiral Hussein Gusnipasha. The Russian sailors listened to the personal greeting conveyed by the Sultan, and they were given gifts from him. Then followed the welcoming speech of the Russian ambassador, a meeting with the staff of the Russian embassy, ​​representatives of the Russian and Serbian colonies, enthusiastic seeing off and shouting “cheers” from all the ships in the raid ^{[2] [3]} .

When the first of the steamboats going to Odessa with the crews of Russian ships - "Malaya" - left Port Said , the inhabitants of Odessa began to prepare for the ceremonial meeting of the heroes. Captain of the 2nd rank V.V. Stepanov, warrant officer V.A. Balk, engineers N.V. Zorin and S.S. Spiridonov, doctor M.N. Khrabrostin and 268 sailors were on Malaya. On the morning of March 19 ( April 1 ), 1904, crowds of people blocked the entire area adjacent to the port - Alexandrovsky Park , Nikolaevsky Boulevard , the Giant Stairs and generally all those places in the city that overlooked the Odessa port. The port itself was also filled with members of various official delegations. The city was decorated with national flags and flowers. The day was sunny, but there was a severe swell at sea ^{[1] [3]} .

To meet the Malaya, the steamer ROPiT Saint Nicholas left Odessa. Finding “Malaya” on the horizon, he gave the agreed signal to those in the port - he raised flags of coloring. The guns of the fortress located in Alexander Park gave a salvo of salute. On this command, all ships and ships in the harbor, including foreign ones, raised flags of coloring. As soon as the Malaya approached the port, a crowd of thousands shouted a loud “Hurray!” Which, without ceasing, was repeatedly rolled from the city to the port and back. At sea there was a whole flotilla of small vessels and yachts that surrounded the Malaya and led her to the port like a guard of honor. Even on the way to the port, the head of the Odessa port and several St. George cavaliers boarded the Malaya. On board the Malaya, which was approaching the pier, they handed St. George crosses and medals ^{[1] [3] to the} Varangians.

At 15 ½ hours, the Malaya docked at the pier of the Grocery Embankment. The teams "Varyag" and "Korean" went ashore, where they lined up in long lines. Meeting reporters drew attention to the fact that many sailors were not in uniform caps , but in the headdresses of the ships that gave them shelter in Chemulpo - Talbot, Pascal, Elba — many Russian sailors left the ships without lost capless in battle. The first priest of the port church, Archpriest Father Jonah Ataman, first met the sailors on the pier. Several orchestras played in the port. Welcoming speeches were held by representatives of the urban community and the commander of the troops of the Odessa Military District A.V. Kaulbars . After that, a column of sailors began a march to the city center. All along their pathtroops of the Odessa garrison were lined with trellises . Upon reaching the port gate, the column of sailors was clamped by a ring of enthusiastic inhabitants of Odessa, who literally picked up the sailors in their arms and in this manner took them up the stairs of Nikolaevsky Boulevard, through a specially constructed triumphal arch , all decorated with garlands of fresh flowers, with an inscription made of flowers “To the Heroes of Chemulpo”, to the monument to Duke de Richelieu , where the heroes were expected by the city’s fathers - Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa, His Eminence Justin, the highest hierarchs of other churches, Mayor P. A. Zelenaya, vowels of the City Duma, the highest representatives of all departments and classes ^[1] .

The mayor presented the senior officer in this group with bread and salt on a silver plate, with the coat of arms of Odessa engraved in the center and with the inscription: “Greetings from Odessa to the heroes of the Varyag, who surprised the world. March 19, 1904 ”From the monument to Duke, a crowd in their arms carried the sailors to Birzhevaya Square, where a solemn prayer took place, after which the Odessa mayor, D. B. Neidgardt, delivered a speech. Then the convoy, accompanied by a large crowd, proceeded to the Saban barracks, where lunch was served for the lower ranks from the military department. Here they were again greeted with speeches by A.V. Kaulbars, P.A. Zelenaya, D. B. Neidgard, who recognized the toast:

On behalf of Odessa. From the entire 100,000th crowd that met the heroes and applauded them, on behalf of all the institutions and departments for the health of the heroes of Chemulpo, officers and captain Stepanov

After that, the bosses and officers of the "Varyag" and "Korean" departed for a gala dinner, served for 300 people at the Odessa Cadet School . Lunch began at 6 pm, and ended at 9 pm ^[1] .

By 8 o’clock in the evening, a huge crowd of people began to gather near the City Theater - at this hour, the city authorities staged a combined performance for the lower ranks of Russian ships. The officers arrived at the theater for the intermission, before the show of Ruslan and Lyudmila , and occupied two lodges reserved for them. The orchestra performed “ God Save the Tsar ” several times. A treat was served for the lower ranks in the lobby of the theater ^[1] .

The next morning, at 10 am on March 20 ( April 2 ), 1904, officers departed for the Odessa Cadet Corps to meet with the Cadets. The cadets greeted the officers with shouts of "Hurray!" Officers examined the building of the cadet corps, opened only a few years earlier.

At 11 o’clock in the morning in the premises of the Londonskaya Hotel a meeting of sailors with the Jewish community of the city took place. The sailors were presented with a memorial address in which it was written ^[4] :

To the dear sons of Russia, the glorious brave sailors who defended the Tsar, the Fatherland, the heroes of the "Varyag" and "Korean", who disgraced the enemy - Japan in an unequal battle on January 26, 1904

At 12 o’clock, a gala dinner was served for the officers' officers from the city in the building of the City Duma. Odessa head proclaimed a toast in which he said: "this meeting is nation-wide, enthusiastically cordial from all nationalities, all walks of life." D. B. Neydgard read out the text of the telegram, which he sent to St. Petersburg ^[4] :

... to His Imperial Majesty. I fully inform your Imperial Majesty that the two hundred thousandth crowd brought the heroes of the Varyag to their native land and are happy that Odessa survived such a patriotic event by the sovereign will of yours. The people exult to the sounds of the national anthem.

- Mayor Neidgardt

The lower ranks of the lunch from the city was served in the Saban barracks at 1 pm. At this moment, money donated by Odessa residents to the sailors was distributed. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, sailors and officers proceeded to the port, where they were waiting for the ship "St. Nicholas", on which they departed to Sevastopol . On the way to the port convoy was accompanied by a crowd of Odessa residents, troops were lined up with trellis along the entire route. Already at sea, the ship "Saint Nikolai" was escorted by numerous boats and other small boats of Odessa. Not without incident. Six sailors were missing on board the “Saint Nicholas” on board. 10 minutes after the steamboat departed, one of them rushed into the port, all laden with knots with gifts, which were supplied to it by Odessa relatives. The remaining sailors were late for departure for similar reasons ^[4] .

On March 24 ( April 6 ), 1904, the last (third) group of Varangians arrived in Odessa on the French steamer Creamet to Odessa. Among them were captain 1st rank V. F. Rudnev , lieutenants S. V. Zarubaev and P. G. Stepanov, doctor M. L. Banshchikov, medical assistant from the battleship “Poltava”, 217 sailors from the “Varyag”, 157 from “ Korean ”, 55 - from“ Sevastopol ”, 30 Cossacks of the Trans-Baikal Cossack Division, guarding the Russian mission in Seoul. Odessans met them just as solemnly and cordially ^[3] .

• Our proud "Varangian" does not surrender to the enemy
• Cold waves are splashing
• Medal "For the battle of" Varangian and Korean "January 27, 1904 at Chemulpo" (1904)
• The cruiser "Varangian" (film) ( " Cruiser Varyag " (English) on the Internet Movie Database site)
• Vlas Mikhailovich Doroshevich. "East and war." Meeting with the heroes of "Varyag"

• Malakhov V.P., Stepanenko B.A. Odessa, 1900-1920 / People ... Events ... Facts .... - 1st. - Odessa: Optimum, 2004 .-- S. 68, 69 .-- 448 p. - ISBN 966-8072-85-5 .

• Dotsenko V. D. Dying, but not giving up! // Naval battles of Russia of the XVIIII-XX centuries . - St. Petersburg: Polygon, 2002.