Relight (frigate)

The decision to build was made by the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich in early October 1856. It was decided to build a new frigate according to the design of the frigate Ilya Muromets at the Arkhangelsk Admiralty, and in October a contract was signed. On December 5, 1857, the construction drawings were approved by Admiral General . The frigate was laid in the covered boathouse of the Arkhangelsk Admiralty on June 19, 1858 in a ceremonial setting in the presence of Emperor Alexander II . The shipbuilder of the plant, F. T. Zagulyaev , took up the construction, but on October 17, 1858, he suddenly died before he could finish the frigate. In July, by order of Konstantin Nikolayevich, the main mechanisms of the Penn system manufactured by the Baltic Plant, which were intended for the frigate Oleg , were transferred to the frigate under construction, since they installed a machine with a capacity of 800 n. l with. The new car had a capacity of 500 N. l with. and much larger than provided for by the initial project - this delayed the construction of the building for two months due to the need to adjust the project. The keel was lengthened with an insert of 4.6 meters in the bow - the new dimensions of the frigate were: 76.2 meters (length between perpendiculars), 77.7 meters (length on the upper deck), 15.2 meters (width), total length increased by 11.6 meters compared to "Ilya Muromets"; displacement reached 3837 tons, the depth of the intrum was 8.17 meters. The mast and sail were also redesigned. In 1859, Captain-Lieutenant Baron F. J. Brummer was appointed to the post of commander.

The launching was scheduled for June 9, 1860, but it was unsuccessful - the hull unexpectedly separated from the runners during the descent and, gaining speed, ran aground, while the aft was damaged. Repair work was organized on the banks of the Maimaks River, led by the shipbuilding inspector who arrived from St. Petersburg, Colonel Engineer I.S.Dmitriev and Lift Colonel S.A. Mustafiev. To correct the hull, a kylen-bulk was built. Sawing and finishing work in Arkhangelsk lasted until May 24, 1861. Conclusion of the ship to clean water after repair was complicated by the shallow water due to deforestation of the Northern Dvina River . At the end of the work, the frigate’s senior officer, Lieutenant-Captain G. N. Zabudsky, published the article “Sailing of 54-gun screw frigate“ Peresvet ”” in issue No. 11 for 1861. On August 29, the frigate arrived in Kronstadt. In the winter of 1861-1862, the frigate was introduced into the Petrovsky dock of Kronstadt, where the hull was re-caulked and sheathed with copper sheets. After that, a Penna system steam engine manufactured at the Baltic Plant was installed. Sea trials began on October 30, 1862, on which the machine developed power in 1741 and. l with. The frigate "Peresvet" was accepted into the treasury in November 1862. Entered service in 1863.

Armament

The armament for 1862 consisted of one 60-pound gun number 1 on a turntable, two 36-pound guns number 1, sixteen 36-pound guns number 3 on an open battery; ten 60-pound guns number 2, four 36-pound guns number 1, eighteen 36-pound guns number 2 on a closed battery.

The armament for 1873 consisted of one 60-pound gun number 1 on a turntable, twelve 60-pound guns number 1, two 36-pound guns number 1 on the top battery; twenty-four 60-pound guns number 2 and four 36-pound guns number 1 on a closed battery.

On June 25, 1863, Emperor Alexander II signed the highest permission to send two squadrons to the coast of North America - the Pacific and Atlantic. Later, this campaign in history was called the " First expedition of the Russian fleet to the shores of North America . " The Special Atlantic Squadron under the command of Rear Admiral S. S. Lesovsky included sailing ships: frigates Alexander Nevsky - the flagship (51 guns, 1st rank captain M. Ya. Fedorovsky ), Peresvet ( 51 guns, captain-lieutenant N.V. Kopytov ); the Varyag corvettes (17 cannons, captain-lieutenant R. A. Lund ), the “ Knight ” (17 cannons, captain-lieutenant O.K. Kremer ); clipper " Diamond " (7 guns, captain-lieutenant P. A. Zelenaya ) ^[1] .

In the event of the outbreak of hostilities between Russia and England, a secret instruction was developed that Rear Admiral S. S. Lesovsky received from the Commander of the Ministry of the Sea, N. K. Krabbe, on July 14, 1863. According to her, the squadron was supposed to operate on the trade routes of Great Britain and resist the warships of England. Also, if the war would have begun even at the transition, then each ship had a separate order to follow to the cruising area designated to it. So, “Alexander Nevsky” was supposed to cruise in the North Atlantic on the line Liverpool - Nassau ; "Relight" on the way from England to the East Indies ; "Oslyabya" in the area of ​​the Azores ; "Varangian" on the way from England to South America ; “Knight” on the way from Cape of Good Hope to the island of St. Helena ; "Diamond" was supposed to operate in the central part of the Atlantic Ocean ^[2] .

The first to go to the shores of the USA is Oslyabya in solitary voyage from the Mediterranean Sea. On July 18, “Alexander Nevsky” left Kronstadt; on the beam of Revel (now Tallinn ), “Peresvet” joined him. “Varangian” and “Vityaz” joined near the island of Hiium (now Hiiumaa ) ^[3] . On July 23, Almaz approached the squadron in the Small Belt Strait . During the passage, the car on the “Alexander Nevsky” crashed, and “Peresvet” entered the strait under the tug ^[4] . Coal for the squadron was delivered by the Artelshchik and Krasnaya Gorka transport vehicles. It was them who, during this transition, carried out the first in the history of the Russian Navy transfer of coal on the move in bags through the sides of ships ^[5] . Only on July 26, ship commanders informed the team about the purpose of their voyage. On September 12, 1863, Oslyabya was the first to anchor in New York harbor. On September 13, Peresvet and Alexander Nevsky arrived there, and by the evening of the same day Varyag and Vityaz arrived. September 29 came "Diamond" ^[4] .

The squadron remained in New York until November 15, when Oslyabya, Varyag, Vityaz and Almaz went to Atlantic City and Hampton , to Monroe Fortress. On December 17, “Alexander Nevsky” and “Peresvet” approached the fortress, and “Oslyabya” under the flag of S. S. Lesovsky, “Varyag” and “Vityaz” went along the Potomac River to Alexandria - a suburb of Washington ^[6] . January 12, 1864 "Relight" left Hampton Roads and went to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico . During cruising along the Greater Antilles, the frigate visited the southern ports of Cuba - Santiago de Cuba , Cienfuegos , Havana , and also went to the Bahamas and Virgin Islands . Peresvet safely arrived in New York on April 6. A trip to the Potomac Army was organized in honor of the Russian sailors, as well as squadron officers visited Niagara Falls . The squadron remained in New York until the end of the Polish uprising and the normalization of Russian relations with England and France. By that time, the army of northerners had established strong control over a larger territory. “Diamond” and “Varangian” were assigned to the Pacific Ocean, where they went on April 25 and May 19, respectively. "Alexander Nevsky" was left in New York to complete the repair work. Before returning to Russia, Rear Admiral S. S. Lesovsky with the remaining squadron ships decided to visit Boston .

On April 29th he left New York Peresvet, on May 4th the Knight, on May 9th Oslyabya. At the passage, a review was made of all the ships - cannon firing was carried out and the training of personnel was checked. By May 16, ships had gathered in Boston. To receive guests, a special committee was formed to receive guests from the honorary residents of the city and a special marina designed exclusively for Russian rowing vessels was built in the port. On the same day, a large reception was held on board the Oslyabya frigate. The program of the visit of Russian sailors included: excursions to the sights of the city, a visit to Harvard College , a trip to the industrial suburb of Boston- Lawrence , a visit to the Boston admiralties and workshops, a visit to the arms factory and other institutions, a gala dinner and a festive concert in honor of the officers of the Russian Navy hosted by pupils of Boston schools at en: Boston Music Hall , as well as a celebration and refreshments for lower ranks and sailors in Boston Park. When all the celebrations ended and the ships were ready to move to the Baltic, on June 4, Oslyabya, Peresvet and Vityaz left the hospitable Boston. The squadron moored in Kronstadt on July 20. On July 28, Alexander II watched the squadron, and presented the officers to the orders ^{[7] [8]} .

July 30, 1865 "Relight" under the command of Captain Lieutenant N.V. Kopytova left Kronstadt in the Mediterranean Sea . On board were 38 officers, midshipmen, junkers, conductors and 520 lower ranks recruited from the 3rd, 4th and 6th naval crews, as well as the ship priest hieromonk Alexander Nevsky Lavra, father Mitrofan. At the floating lighthouse of Drage, it was noticed that the frigate had donned a stern more than 23 feet, as a result of which, the commander ordered all guns to be bowed and headed for Copenhagen to undergo repairs. At this time, an epidemic of typhus broke out on board. In Copenhagen, at the insistence of the junior ship's doctor S. Ya. Gumilyov , five sick sailors were hospitalized, six people from the frigate General Admiral were taken in their place. Having completed the corrections, from August 26 to September 2, “Peresvet” stayed in Portsmouth , where he met a Russian armored squadron, then went to Brest . On September 4, the frigate arrived at the French port and ten people were sent to the coastal infirmary. On the 7th, news was received that the midshipman Kardo-Sysoev, who had previously been left on shore in serious condition, had died. After the meeting of N.V. Kopytov and the commander of the squadron of US ships in the European waters of Admiral Golsbor, it was decided to postpone access to the Mediterranean Sea, and to disinfect the ships by pouring them with bleach. After the new typhoid patients were sent to the hospital, and the general condition of the team stabilized, the frigate went to sea. September 24, " Relight " went on a Cadic raid. At the junction in the lower skipper cabin, a jet of water was found at the stem, and the outer copper cladding on the stem at this point was torn off. After a hasty repair, it was decided to go to Malta to dock and repair the frigate. Having completed 1102 nautical miles in almost six days, Peresvet arrived on October 9 in Valletta , and on October 12 the frigate was brought into the dock. Work continued until October 23, and on the 25th began the arming of the ship. October 30, "Relight" went to Piraeus , where he arrived on November 9. By order of the Maritime Scientific Committee, on the transition from Malta to Piraeus near the island of Tserigo, Lieutenant Baron F.F. Wrangel tested a new invention - the electric lot of Schneider. Depths of 661 and 663 fathoms were measured. In his report on the work performed, F.F. Wrangel noted the advantages of the new method of measuring depths and offered some comments on the arrangement of the lot. In Piraeus, the captain received an audience with the King of Greece George I ^[9] .

On February 5, 1866, the frigate traveled to the Greek island of Santorini by order of the Russian ambassador to assist locals who were expecting a new earthquake and volcanic eruption. On the night of February 16-17, the frigate hastily set sail, as a new eruption of the volcano began, and N. V. Kopytov was afraid of damage to the ship. In the afternoon, a group of officials and local residents, headed by the prefect of the island, arrived at Peresvet. Together with the captain and frigate officers, they went on a boat to inspect the island and the dying volcanoes. On February 21, a meeting of ship commanders on the island’s roadstead was held at Peresvet. In addition to N.V. Kopytov, the commanders of the Austrian gunboat and the Turkish corvette supported the proposal to stay and provide all possible assistance, and the commander of the French ship decided to leave Greek waters in the morning. On February 23, at the request of the prefect of the island, fifteen local residents, including nine patients, were delivered to the frigate in Piraeus. Then the frigate arrived on the raid of the island of Syrah, where on the main square the sailors of the frigate gave a concert for local residents. After spending less than a day, on the instructions of the Russian ambassador, the frigate moved to Poros to inspect our warehouses and stores to determine the possibility of their further use. In a report dated February 26, N.V. Kopytov wrote: “... if these depots for wartime serve as the basis for cruising, then in peacetime they also make it possible to make huge savings and very significantly reduce the state’s expenses for overseas sailing of its ships ... In case of war or the need for the presence of our squadron in the Mediterranean, warehouses in Poros will be necessary for them to freely replenish their supplies. The Poros Raid is a great place for all surface corrections ... The port of Poros Island is closer to Sevastopol than even Copenhagen from Kronstadt, and therefore the delivery of provisions, uniforms and coal on our military transports of the Black Sea Fleet can be easily performed ... ” ^[9]

On April 5, a Prayer of Thanksgiving was held in honor of the failed assassination attempt on Alexander II. That evening, the frigate set sail in Jaffa . At the transition, tests of the new lot under the leadership of E.H. Schneider and Lieutenant F.F. Wrangel continued. Upon arrival, a group of officers and lower ranks traveled to Jerusalem. On April 23, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the ship hieromonk Father Mitrofan, the Patriarch of Jerusalem Cyril, together with the high Greek confessor of Jerusalem, Archimandrite Antonin, served a grateful prayer "for the happy deliverance of the Emperor from the danger that threatened him . " The next morning, the frigate sailed to Port Said , where he stayed until April 30, making Peresvet the first military vessel to arrive after the construction of the Suez Canal began . The author of the project and the construction manager Mr. de Lesseps met the Russian sailors. To inspect the canal under construction and the future harbor, the Director of Operations, Mr. Voisin, allocated a small steamer and a flat-bottomed vessel. As an entertainment, Russian officers were offered rides on purebred Arabian horses. On April 30, the frigate moved to Alexandria to replenish the coal supply, after which he headed for Cairo, and returned to the island of Santorini. Further, the frigate visited Syr and Piraeus. Novikov, the envoy of the Russian plenipotentiary minister in Greece, delivered the frigate from Piraeus to Corfu, and in the evening he and the Peresvet commander were invited to dinner with the King of Greece George I. In August, the Peresvet replaced the Mediterranean Sea with the frigate General Admiral , and on August 16, Peresvet left Villa Franca to Kronstadt, making a stop on September 26 in Cherbourg to replenish the coal supply. October 12, 1866, the frigate "Relight" came to the Kronstadt raid ^[9] .

In early August 1869, maneuvers of the squadron of Vice Admiral G. I. Butakov ( Petropavlovsk , Kremlin , Firstborn , Oleg , Peresvet, Vityaz ) took place near the Gogland Island. On August 3, while working out elements of joint maneuvering, the Kremlin’s floating battery at 19:30 launched a ram attack on the frigate Oleg, which broke the frigate almost in two, and it sank in less than 15 minutes at a depth of 35 fathoms. At the same time 16 people were killed, and 497 people of the team were rescued from the approaching ships. In the "Kronstadt Herald" of that time, the situation was described as follows:

“On Sunday, August 3, at about seven o’clock in the evening, the squadron was engaged in evolution; a signal was raised on the squadron: change flanks, turning to the right. When a signal was sent to this maneuver, the armored squadron went in front formation in the following order: on the right flank there was a screw - a Vityaz cannon corvette, next to it were the Kremlin and Pervenets armored batteries, then the wooden screw frigates Oleg, Peresvet and the Petropavlovsk armored frigate. With the descent of the signal, all the vessels suddenly turned 8 points to the right except for law the “Vityaz” corvette, which, on the basis of the evolutionary book, described the circulation of 24 rumba, the other ships of the squadron turned sequentially behind it and entered it in the wake, that is, simply in the back of the head. During this movement, the Kremlin armored battery that came out of building and in a hurry to take its place, she poked the frigate "Oleg" with her ram in the underwater part, almost in the middle of the vessel, between the engine room and the coal boxes, in front of the main mast; "Oleg" during the strike turned into the wake of his nearest vessel on the front, the battery "Firstborn". The frigate in the ranks of the front was between the Pervenets battery and the Peresvet frigate.

In 1870 and 1871, the frigate went on practical voyages to the Gulf of Finland with students of the technical school of the marine department.

In the years 1872-1874, "Peresvet" consisted of a detachment of vessels of the practical squadron of the marine school of Rear Admiral G. G. Maidel and was in training voyages in the Gulf of Finland.

On October 19, 1874, the frigate "Peresvet" was removed from the lists of the Russian Imperial Navy and sold for scrap.

Commanders

• ??. ??. 1859 - ??. ?? 1863 captain-lieutenant, since 1860 captain of the 2nd rank Baron Brummer Fyodor Yakovlevich
• ??. ??. 1863 - ??. 07.1867 captain-lieutenant, from March 27, 1866 captain of the 2nd rank Kopytov Nikolay Vasilyevich
• ??. ??. 1867 - ??. ??. 1872 Kruzenshtern Fedor Karlovich

• ??. ??. 1861 - ??. ??. 1862 Captain-Lieutenant Zabudsky Grigory Nikolaevich
• ??. ??. 1865 - ??. ??. 1867 captain-lieutenant Alexey Brovtsyn

Other posts

• ??. ??. 1861 - ??. 12.1861 Lieutenant Rykov Vasily Ivanovich
• ??. 04.1864 - ??. ??. 18 ?? junior ship doctor titular adviser Gumilyov Stepan Yakovlevich
• ??. 05.1865 - ??. 10.1866 the watch commander Lieutenant Wrangel Ferdinand Ferdinandovich
• ??. ??. 186? - ??. ??. 186? Senior doctor, college assessor Arkady Oblochinsky
• ??. ??. 18 ?? - ??. ??. 1872 Lieutenant Lomen Lev Nikolaevich
• ??. ??. 1869 - ??. ??. 1871 midshipman Zagoryansky-Kisel Apollinariy Sergeevich
• ??. ??. 1870 - ??. ??. 1870 watch officer Lieutenant Verkhovsky Mikhail Parfenovich
• 06/11/1870 - 09/02/18870 midshipman Fitingof Bruno Alexandrovich von
• ??. ??. 1870 - ??. ??. 1870 midshipman Zarsarenny Izmail Maximovich
• ??. ??. 1870 - ??. ??. 1871 midshipman Zarsarenny Vasily Maksimovich
• ??. ??. 1871 - ??. ??. 1871 watch officer Lieutenant Verkhovsky Mikhail Parfenovich
• ??. ??. 1873 - ??. ??. 1874 corps of mechanical engineers of the fleet Second Lieutenant Yakobson Leopold Yakovlevich

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