Cruiser "Aurora" - the messenger of the revolution

For the Soviet people, the cruiser Aurora was a kind of symbol. After all, this legendary ship with its salvo ushered in a new era. Therefore, he was often called the messenger of the October Revolution.

But the cruiser Aurora, apart from these high-flown epithets, has a certain history. At the end of the century before last, the Russian navy was constantly replenished. If to speak classification of that time, this legendary ship belonged to the subclass of armored deckhouses. They laid it in May 1897, and the place of his birth was Petersburg. Cruiser "Aurora" was built six years and immediately after the launch it was in the Northern Fleet.

The unique uniqueness of their combat qualities this ship did not stand out. The speed of his turn was only nineteen knots, on board there were eight main six-inch guns.

However, its direct purpose - reconnaissance and destruction of enemy ships, as well as the patrol service, the cruiser "Aurora" corresponded quite well. In addition, he had a solid displacement at that time - about seven thousand tons, and, therefore, a good seaworthiness and autonomy. When the coal was fully charged, the ship could swim without bunkering from Vladivostok to Port Arthur and back.

The cruiser "Aurora" was intended for the Pacific Ocean, in which the conflict with Japan was brewing. There were already several ships, when the legendary battleship took the course to the Far East.

A month later, in the waters of the Mediterranean, the ship joined a detachment of several destroyers and battleships, but was late to the destination. In the port of Djibouti, the squadron commander was informed that the Japanese had already attacked the Pacific fleet. The war began. Sailing further was dangerous, since Port Arthur was blocked, and meeting with a powerful opponent was very risky. In the end, the commanders ordered to go to the port of Vladivostok.

After the war, the cruiser Aurora was modernized. He took on board minesweepers and anti-aircraft cannons.

In the civil war, the cruiser Aurora did not participate. Many of us saw it only in the photo. The cruiser "Aurora" for our great-grandfathers and grandfathers was a symbol of the revolution, because it was his volley that signaled the storming of the Winter Palace.

The shortage of fuel led to a reduction in the Baltic fleet to the size of an "active detachment," which had only a few combat units left. The legendary ship was put into reserve, and in 1918 some of its guns were dismantled from it for installation on gunboats, as well as river and lake flotillas.

In 1922, the Aurora, the only ship left over from the Imperial Navy, was decided to be restored and used as an educational one. The ship was repaired by installing antiaircraft guns and machine guns. For ten years the cruiser took on board its cadets for practice. However, the years did their job. And after another repair it became clear that the cruiser turned into a non-self-propelled boat.

During the Great Patriotic War the legendary cruiser was moored in Oranienbaum. And today he stands on the Petrograd embankment in St. Petersburg and takes on board his excursions.