On the way to Antarctica

The bridge over the strait of Great Belt in Denmark
The bridge over the strait of Great Belt in Denmark

Port Kronstadt - port Algeria

In the morning of the 17th of November the oceanographic research ship «Admiral Vladimirsky» of the Hydrographic Service of the Russian Navy, came out of Kronstadt the 6th of November, moored in the port of Algeria. This has been the first time of entering the port during the far voyage to Antarctica. There have been more than 3000 miles left astern after going on Baltic, North, Mediterranean seas and Atlantic ocean.

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The oceanographic research ship «Admiral Vladimirsky»
The oceanographic research ship «Admiral Vladimirsky»

 

In 1982 – 1983 years navy hydrographers were working on the shores of the «sixth continent» during around the globe voyage of the Antarctic expedition, in which «Admiral Vladimirsky» and «The hydrographic vessel «Thaddeus Bellingshausen» took part. That is significantly that the Russian flag is coming back to Antarctica on the eve of 200-years jubilee of the date when it was discovered by Russian sailors – the expedition of Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on the «Vostok» and «Mirniy» sloops, which is going to be celebrated in 2020.

 

Research is being conducted in full swing

From the moment of taking the sea, there is scientific work being conducted by the officers and engineering and technical personnel  of the sixth Atlantic oceanographic expedition of Hydrographic Service of the Baltic Fleet on the board of the vessel.

The Captain of the 2nd Rank Dmitry Puntus, the chief of the of Hydrographic Service of the Baltic Fleet is in charge of the campaign. There have been achieved about 6 hydrological stations by the staff of the hydrometeorological group, being headed by lieutenant Denis Kudryavtsev.

The station – is the geographical point, where one or the other oceanographic observations are being conducted.

With the help of the probes – special complexes of instruments and devices – there have been got the data on temperature, salinity of water and other parameters at various depths. More than 5000 kilometers of the example of trip have been achieved during the cruise by the hydrographic group under the leadership of Senior Lieutenant Pavel Kirilenko.

In this work is actively being used the sounder NEL – 1000M, having been installed before the campaign. The other scientific groups, which are on the vessel are actively working as well.

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Setting hydrological station
Setting hydrological station

 

«To remember ...»

Memorial activities are being a very important component of the campaign besides the scientific objectives.The man-of-war's men of Russia have always treated the memory of their glorious ancestors with great respect. The cemeteries where the Russian tombs and memorials are located are traditionally being visited during the long campaigns, the meetings with the compatriots and the diplomats are being held. And this unique cruise has not been an exception.

The 6th of November of 2015, when passing lighthouse of the Moshny island (Lavensaary) the wreath was put on the water in honor of the victory of the Russian sailors in the Hogland battle in the year of 1788 and in memory of paratroopers, who died heroically at the Merekyula village in 1944.

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The wreath in the honor of the victory of Russian sailors in the Hogland battle in the year of 1788, and in the memory of the paratroopers who heroically dead next to the Meryukl village in 1944
The wreath in the honor of the victory of Russian sailors in the Hogland battle in the year of 1788, and in the memory of the paratroopers who heroically dead next to the Meryukl village in 1944

  

The priest of the Russian Orthodox Church – the Holy father Oleg (Artemov) is taking part in the campaign. This has not been his first time of coming out to the sea. He used to serve in the 25th Division of nuclear submarines on Kamchatka, and is being the only one Orthodox priest who has been taking part in autonomous campaigns. The 8th of November the hiking church, consecrated in honor of the patron saint of sailors - Nicholas the Wonderworker, - started its work on the board of the vessel «Admiral Vladimirsky». The Holy father Oleg not only ministers to the flock during the campaign, but holds memorial services, praying for the repose of the sailors who dead in various years (including the places where the ship was coming through) as well.

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The priest of the oceanographic campaign – Holy father Oleg (Artemov) and the captain of the oceanographic research vessel «Admiral Vladimirsky» Alexander Pyshkin
The priest of the oceanographic campaign – Holy father Oleg (Artemov) and the captain of the oceanographic research vessel «Admiral Vladimirsky» Alexander Pyshkin

 

The Festival «Nautical Russia»

On the board of the «Admiral Vladimirsky» there is unique project – the international festival «Nautical Russia» is being held. The head of the campaign is taking part in it – Anatoly Vasilyev, the captain of the 2nd Rank of reserve, hydrographer, famous traveler, the seascape photographer, the chairman of the public organization named «Marine Art Club».

The Festival «Nautical Russia» started in the year of 2015 in Moscow. The Festival moves through the cities of the country (in September – October of 2015 Arkhangelsk was getting the «Nautical Russia»), and also through the ships and the vessels of the Russian Navy, Russian training sailing ships and the foreign ports.

Within the frames of the Festival there was held the series of thematic evenings, dedicated to the events of the history of the Navy, connected with the route of the campaign. There was remembered the dead sailors of the nuclear submarines K-19 and K-8 and the Commander of the sailboat «Sedov» - the Captain of the 1st Rank Petr Mitrofanov.

The library on the board of the ship

In the beginning of the campaign the ship library was replenished. The Moscow House of Russian abroad named after Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Marine Art Club, the publishing house «Paulsen», publishing and arts center «Shtandart», the All-Russian movement to the support of the Navy.

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The Deputy Commander of the campaign for the work with the personnel, the Captain of the 1st Rank S.Polyakov gets the participants of the campaign acquainted with the work of electronic information science and educational center «The Russian Navy»
The Deputy Commander of the campaign for the work with the personnel, the Captain of the 1st Rank S.Polyakov gets the participants of the campaign acquainted with the work of electronic information science and educational center «The Russian Navy»

 

On «Admiral Vladimirsky» there was launched one more wonderful project the electronic reading room of the Presidential Library (the Information Education and Research Center «The Russian Navy»), which was created by the publishing and artistic center «Shtandart» (the Chairman of the Board of Directors is the Captain of the 1st Rank Retired Anatoly Razdolgin). The digital collections with which any visitor can get acquainted with, consist of the unique books, documents, cartographic materials of the XIX - XXI centuries from the funds of the Presidential Library, Central Naval Library and other largest archive and book collections, and interactive projects and videos as well.

The guests of «Admiral Vladimirsky»

The delegation of the Embassy of the Russian Federation headed by theExtraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia Alexander Zolotov arrived to the board of «Admiral Vladimirsky» in Algeria. After the appointment the delegation headed by the Captain Alexander Pyshkin, and by the Captain of the 2nd Rank and the commander of the campaign, Dmitry Puntus, visited the headquarters of the naval district «Centralny» on the board of the vessel.

After the reception on the board of the vessel the delegation headed by the Captain Alexander Pyshkin and the commander of the campaign, the Captain of the 2nd Rank Dmitry Puntus visited the headquarters of the naval district «Centralny». Then the command of the district headed by the General Zinedine Samah paid a return visit. The Algerian sailors got acquainted with the vessel and with its navigation equipment. The Captain told about the last year`s circumnavigation campaign of the «Admiral Vladimirsky», during that campaign the Yaya island was discovered. The General noticed the activity of Russia in mastering of high latitudes which has increased for the last years. After the inspection of the vessel the guests tasted the real navy soup in saloon.

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The members of the Russian diplomatic organization are going up on board of the «Admiral Vladimirsky»
The members of the Russian diplomatic organization are going up on board of the «Admiral Vladimirsky»

 

The naval cooperation of Russia and Algeria is being conducted in the area of the shipbuilding, preparing of the specialists of the appropriate field. One of the members of Algerian naval delegation – is the hydrographic detachment commander, the First Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Necib, the graduate of the Naval Corps of Peter the Great of the year of 2013, met his classmate Senior Lieutenant Pavel Kirilenko on board with great pleasure.

 

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The meeting of the governance of the vessel and the Algerian naval officers` campaign
The meeting of the governance of the vessel and the Algerian naval officers` campaign

The governance of the Navy of Algeria organized autobus excursions for the crew. The 18th of November there took place a comradely football match between the teams of sailors of Russia and Algeria and visit to the vessel of the Algerian naval officers. «Admiral Vladimirsky» left the port on the 19th of November and continued its campaign to the shores of Antarctica.

Text by: Nikita Kuznetsov, special correspondent of the «Krasnaya Zvezda» from the board of the OIC «Admiral Vladimirsky».

Photo by Anatoly Vasilyev.