Destroyer "Steregushchy": main characteristics, commanders, history of destruction, memory. The feat of the “guard” in the Russo-Japanese War and pre-revolutionary propaganda

The destroyer Steregushchy was laid down in 1900 at the Nevsky Shipyard. Initially it was called "Kulik". In 1902, the ship was launched in Port Arthur. The ship was delivered to the Far East in parts by railway. The Russo-Japanese War began precisely in Port Arthur, on the outer roadstead of which the Japanese fleet suddenly attacked the 1st Pacific Squadron.

A month later, on the morning of February 26 (March 10), 1904, returning from reconnaissance near the Elliot Islands, Steregushchiy and Resolute met four Japanese destroyers, which were then joined by two more cruisers. The enemy had the advantage in artillery and speed. Rushing to Port Arthur, the Russian ships tried to fire back, but the forces of the parties were unequal.

The commander of the Resolute saved the ship after his eardrums ruptured

The commander of the Resolute was shell-shocked, but even with a ruptured eardrum he was able to take the ship to Port Arthur. The Guardian, on which the Japanese concentrated the main fire, fared worse. One of the shells exploded in a coal pit and damaged two boilers. After this, the destroyer began to lose speed. The next shell disabled the remaining boilers, and the ship finally stopped. His guns fell silent.

Commander of the "Steregushchy" Alexander Sergeev

The Japanese stopped the battle and took the ship in tow. When the enemy boat approached the destroyed wreck, water had already filled the living deck. Due to the holes, the destroyer began to sink to the bottom. While the Japanese were busy with towing (they managed to raise their flag over the ship), the cruisers Novik and Boyan approached the battlefield. Reinforcements opened fire on the enemy destroyers, and they retreated. The “Guardian,” however, could no longer be helped. The smoking pile of metal sank 7 miles from Liaoteshan.

In March 1904, in the English newspaper The Times, citing Japanese sources, a story appeared about two Russian sailors who opened the seams to prevent the surrender of the ship. This version was first published in the newspaper “Novoye Vremya”. In 1911, in the presence of Nicholas II, a monument dedicated to the heroic death of the destroyer and depicting these sailors was unveiled in St. Petersburg.

Russian destroyers were sent on reconnaissance without reinforcements

The Historical Commission at the Naval General Staff, which studied the details of all the battles of the Russo-Japanese War, could not confirm the version about the Kingstons. It was noted that the testimony of the surviving participants in the battle was too contradictory and confusing to be considered reliable. The commission concluded: “Let the legend live and give birth to new heroes for future unparalleled exploits, but admit that on February 26, 1904, in the fight against the strongest enemy, the destroyer Steregushchy, after an hour-long battle, until the last shell, went to the bottom, amazing the enemy with valor his crew."

Monument to the “Guardian” in St. Petersburg

The ship's crew consisted of 52 people (48 died, 4 survived). Commander Alexander Sergeev also died (the destroyer Lieutenant Sergeev was laid in his memory). In the same way, Russian and Soviet ships were given the name of “Guardian” himself.

“Akebano” and “Sazanami” were seriously damaged in the battle. The Japanese delivered the wounded Russian sailors to Sasebo. A letter from the Minister of the Navy was read to the prisoners: “You, gentlemen, fought bravely for your Fatherland and defended it perfectly. You have fulfilled your difficult duty as sailors. I sincerely praise you - you are great.” After returning home, the survivors were awarded the Cross of St. George.

The heroism of the crew might not have been required if two destroyers had not been sent on reconnaissance without support, while it was known that Japanese ships were cruising near Port Arthur. Admiral Makarov learned a lesson from the death of the Steregushchy and subsequently sent destroyers for reconnaissance only under cover. He also commanded the cruisers that came to the aid of the sinking ship. Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Semenov noted that “from now on the admiral could boldly say: “my squadron.” From now on, all these people belonged to him, both soul and body.” March 31 (April 13) Stepan Makarov died during the defense of Port Arthur on the battleship Petropavlovsk.

Steregushchiy

Falcon-class destroyer

Steregushchiy

Historical data

Total information

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Booking

Armament

Same type ships

“Nimble” (“Falcon”) “Obedient” (“Kite”) “Ardent” (“Gyrfalcon”) “Durable” (“Hawk”) “Striking” (“Dive”) “Piercing” (“ Golden Eagle") · "Mobile" ("Albatross") · "Clever" ("Loon") · "Frisky" ("Raven") · "Zealous" ("Owl") · "Zealous" ("Owl") · " Decisive" ("Condor", "Cormorant") · "Angry" ("Snipe") · "Brave" ("Dove") "Watchman" ("Rook") · "Swift" ("Quail") · "Terrible" "("Starling") · "Slender" ("Swift") · "Stately" ("Goldfinch") · "Smashing" ("Drozd") · "Efficient" ("Woodpecker") · "Strong" ("Cormorant" , "Condor") · "Strict" ("Swan") · "Sharp-witted" ("Pelican") · "Fierce" ("Peacock") · "Swift" ("Pheasant")

After dismantling, 12 collapsible destroyers of the Nevsky and Izhora plant in March - November 1900 were delivered on Volunteer Fleet steamships to the base of the Pacific squadron - Port Arthur. The assembly was carried out on the Tiger Tail spit by specialists from the Nevsky Plant. "Steregushchy" was launched on June 9, 1902. After testing was completed on August 30, 1903, "Steregushchy" was accepted into the 2nd destroyer detachment of the Pacific squadron.

He died in an unequal battle with superior Japanese forces on March 10 (February 26), 1904, during the Russian-Japanese War. Four Japanese destroyers operated against the destroyers “Steregushchy” and “Resolute”, which were significantly superior to the Russian destroyers in terms of armament, displacement and number of crew.

Description of design

Frame

The hull was made with a very high elongation (10.9:1) and was lightened to the limit: the plating, deck flooring, and waterproof bulkheads were made of nickel steel sheets no more than 5 mm thick, which sagged even under the weight of a person. For domestically built fighters, the thickness of the plating in the middle part was increased to 6-7.5 mm, and the deck flooring to 4.5-7.5 mm. All this somewhat reduced the “fragility” of the hull, but led to an increase in displacement and reduced the speed. The hull is riveted with a transverse framing system (spacing 0.53 m), divided by ten transverse waterproof bulkheads. Longitudinal strength was provided by the keel and two bottom stringers made of angle steel. The stern post and ram stem are forged.

Power plant and driving performance

The destroyer's power plant consisted of two vertical steam engines triple expansion and eight water tube boilers of the Yarrow system. The estimated power of each machine is 1900 hp. at 400 rpm. Eight boilers were placed in pairs in a transverse plane, each pair had its own chimney. The vapor distribution time was about an hour. The total supply of coal was 60 tons and was stored in side coal pits located along the boiler rooms and in one transverse pit located behind the galley

Armament

Armed with one 75-mm Kane cannon with a barrel length of 50 klb., installed on the platform above the conning tower, and three 47-mm Hotchkiss cannons (on the upper deck: two on the forecastle and one on the poop). The ammunition capacity of the 75-mm cannon was 180 armor-piercing shells, and the 47-mm cannon's ammunition was 800 rounds with a steel or cast-iron grenade. The supply of ammunition was carried out manually. The destroyer's mine armament consisted of two single-tube mines with a caliber of 381 mm, located along the longitudinal axis of the ship. The mine ammunition consisted of six 17-foot self-propelled Whitehead mines mod. 1898, of which two were constantly in mine vehicles, and four were stored disassembled in the bow cockpit (hulls in the locker, and warheads in the hold).

Steregushchiy

Steregushchiy

Service history

With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War on January 27, 1904, “Steregushchiy” was used in patrols and guard duty on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, as well as in the passage at the Golden Mountain, and during the month of hostilities it made 13 trips to sea. On January 28, at the Steregushchy roadstead, he collided with the destroyer Boevoy, and on February 11, he participated in a firefight with Japanese destroyers.

Death

Having taken command of the fleet, he decided to strengthen reconnaissance, for which he organized almost daily trips to the sea for destroyers. The very next day after his arrival in Port Arthur, he summoned the commanders of the destroyers “Resolute” and “Guardian” captain. 2nd rank F.E. Bosse and Lieutenant A.S. Sergeev, entrusting them with a detailed inspection of the coast.

Having completed preparations for the campaign, both destroyers set out to sea on February 25, 1904 at about 7 p.m. According to the instructions they received, they were to “in case of meeting with enemy cruisers or transports” carry out “ surprise attack" Do not engage in battle with enemy destroyers “unnecessarily”, “trying to avoid collisions in order to complete the main task - reconnaissance”*.

During reconnaissance, "Resolute" and "Steregushchiy" discovered superior enemy forces at the entrance to Talivan Bay. Captain Bosse avoided the fight...

The next morning, upon returning, when about 20 miles remained to Port Arthur, our destroyers in the morning fog immediately noticed four enemy ships moving on an intersecting course. These were the Japanese destroyers Usugumo, Sinonome, Sazanami and Akebono. All night they cruised unsuccessfully at the entrance to the Port Arthur roadstead, hoping to torpedo some Russian ship. The Russian ships tried to break through with a fight, but only the “Resolute” succeeded, exchanging point-blank shots with the “Akebono” and “Sazans”, he was able to get through. The Japanese ships did not pursue the Resolute and concentrated their fire on the Steregushchy, which was sailing second, whose position quickly became hopeless.

One can only guess what kind of hell was going on on the deck of the Russian destroyer, showered with enemy shells. But even being left alone against four, he continued the battle for almost an hour. Having pierced the side of the Akebono, a Russian shell exploded in the commander's cabin, dangerously close to the aft cartridge magazine. Finding out the nature of the damage, the Japanese destroyer did not leave the battle for long, and soon returned to duty, taking a place between the Sinonome and Usugumo. There was still hope of breaking through to Port Arthur, but at 6:40 a Japanese shell, exploding in a coal pit, damaged two adjacent boilers. "Steregushchy" began to quickly lose momentum. Fireman Ivan Khirinsky jumped out onto the upper deck with a report. Following him, the driver of the 2nd article, Vasily Novikov, went upstairs. The stoker's quartermaster Pyotr Khasanov and fireman Alexey Osinin who remained below tried to repair the damage, but another shell that exploded in stoker room No. 2 wounded Osinin. The water gushing through the hole flooded the fireboxes. Having battened down their necks behind them, the stokers climbed to the upper deck, where they witnessed last minutes unequal battle.

One by one, the Guardian's guns fell silent. The commander of the destroyer, Lieutenant A.S. Sergeev and midshipman K.V. Kudrevich, died at their posts; Lieutenant N.S. Goloviznin, who was in charge of the launching of the whaleboat, was killed. Mechanical engineer V.S. Anastasov was thrown overboard by a shell explosion.

At 7:10 a.m. the Guardian's guns fell silent. Only the destroyed shell of the destroyer swayed on the water, without pipes and mast, with twisted sides and a deck strewn with the bodies of its heroic defenders.

The Japanese ships, having ceased fire, gathered around the flagship destroyer Usugumo. The reports received by the detachment commander completed the picture of the battle. While the Usugumo and Sinonome escaped with minor damage, the Sazanami was hit by eight shells, and the Akebono by about thirty; there were killed and wounded on the destroyers.

The commander of the Sazanami, Lieutenant Commander Tsunematsu Kondo, proposed to capture the enemy destroyer as a trophy and asked to entrust this operation to him. Since the familiar silhouettes of the Japanese cruisers of the 3rd combat detachment had already appeared on the horizon, and the Port Arthur coastal batteries continued to remain silent, the head of the detachment, Captain 2nd Rank Mikikan Tsutsiya, agreed, and the Sazanami headed towards the Guardian...

Meanwhile, as soon as the Golden Mountain signal station reported that a battle was taking place at sea between destroyers, Admiral S. O. Makarov ordered the cruisers to prepare to go to sea. The “Resolute”, which broke through to Port Arthur, reported the plight of the “Guardian”. It was impossible to hesitate, and the admiral transferred his flag to the Novik, which was already turning around to leave the harbor...

Having stopped not far from the Steregushchy, Sazanami lowered the whaleboat to prepare the Russian destroyer for towing.

At 8:10 a.m., the Japanese started a tug, and the Sazanami, gradually increasing its speed, dragged the Steregushchy out to sea, towards the approaching ships of the Japanese fleet. Three other destroyers formed a sort of honorary escort.

However, the towing was unsuccessful - after 18 minutes the tug burst. Then, having unfastened the steel cable of the right anchor, the Japanese prepared to transport it to the Sazanami, which returned to the Guardian and had already lowered the whaleboat. But then the Novik and Bayan, approaching from the direction of Port Arthur, opened fire at the motionless Japanese destroyers from a maximum distance. At the same time, the hitherto silent coastal batteries opened fire.

Russian shells falling around, a steep wave and the gradual filling of the Guardian with water - all this forced Kondo to abandon further towing. The correctness of this decision was confirmed by the order that followed from the flagship cruiser Chitose: abandon the captured destroyer!

The abandoned "Guardian" stayed on the water for about half an hour, until finally, at 9:20 a.m., the waves of the Yellow Sea closed over it. In the “Description of the military operations of the Japanese fleet at sea in 37-38” compiled by the Naval General Staff in Tokyo. Meiji (in 1904-1905)” it is said that it sank 7 miles by OSO from the Liaoteshan lighthouse.

At 10:45 a.m., the Sazanami approached the Tokiwa, and four Russian sailors found alive on board the Steregushchy were transported to the Japanese cruiser. On it they were taken to Sasebo, where a letter from the Japanese Minister of the Navy, Admiral Yamamoto, was already waiting for them. “You, gentlemen, fought bravely for your Fatherland,” it said, “and defended it perfectly. You have fulfilled your difficult duty as sailors. I sincerely praise you, you are great.” This was followed by wishes for a full recovery and a safe return to their homeland after the end of the war.

How sincere the enemy’s admiration was is confirmed by the response received by N.P. Sergeeva, the wife of the commander of the Guardian, to a request about the fate of her husband (she sent him to the Naval Ministry in Tokyo a month after the death of the destroyer). In it, on behalf of Admiral Yamamoto, it was stated: “I express my deep sympathy to the entire crew of the Russian destroyer Steregushchiy, who showed courage and determination in the battle against our stronger detachment.”

Commanders

xx.xx.xxxx-xx.xx.1904 - Lieutenant B.L. Kuzmin-Karavaev 2nd

02/17/1904-02/26/1904 - Lieutenant A. S. Sergeev

Memory

Nicholas II at the opening of the monument

On April 26, 1911, in a solemn ceremony, the monument to the “Guardian” was unveiled in Alexander Park near Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. Nicholas II was also present at the celebrations. The four surviving sailors of the Guardian received awards. On May 10, 1913, by “highest command,” the monument was transferred to the city of St. Petersburg “with an inventory and a special act,” and a plaster model of the monument was transferred to the Kronstadt port. To this day, this magnificent monument with the laconic inscription “GUARD” adorns one of the most beautiful avenues of the city on the Neva.

On March 10, 1904, not far from Port Arthur, the Russian destroyer Steregushchy was killed in an unequal battle with Japanese ships.
Destroyers are small ships, and their destruction in naval battles is by no means uncommon. Perhaps this incident would have remained only in the memory of witnesses to the battle, and in staff documents, but fate decreed otherwise.

A few days after the battle, the London Times published an article that made the whole world marvel at the resilience and dedication of Russian sailors. It is noteworthy that a few weeks before this, newspapers in many countries described the feat of the “Varyag”, and now the “Guardian” performs a similar feat, confirming that Russian sailors prefer to die in battle rather than surrender their ship to the enemy. The correspondent, referring to the stories of Japanese sailors, wrote that the Guardian, deprived of power, had an unequal battle with the Japanese ships, but refused to lower the flag. Soon the deck of the destroyer was a pile of twisted metal, among which lay the bodies of dead sailors.

The Japanese, approaching the destroyer in a whaleboat to take it in tow, saw that “35 killed and wounded were lying on the deck of the Russian destroyer. But two sailors of the Guardian locked themselves in the hold and did not give up, despite all the exhortations. They not only did not surrender to the enemy, but snatched from him the booty that he considered his own: opening the kingstons, they filled the destroyer with water and buried themselves with it in the depths of the sea.” Naturally, the article was reprinted and Russian newspapers, who often drew information from foreign colleagues. “Guardian” and his commander, Lieutenant Alexander Sergeev, became known throughout the country.
The sailors' feat made a great impression on Russian society, newspapers wrote about him for a long time, poems were dedicated to him, and charity events were held to raise funds for the families of dead sailors. Artist N.S. Samokish painted a picture in which he depicted sailors opening the seacock on a sinking ship. After the war, the sculptor K.V. Izenberg, based on this painting, created a project for the monument “Two Unknown Sailor Heroes.”
The emperor liked the monument, and a contract for its construction was signed. It was then that they decided to clarify all the details of the legendary battle in order to place the corresponding inscription on the pedestal.

It turned out that in reality events developed a little differently from how the newspapers described them. At dawn on March 10, the destroyers “Steregushchy” and “Resolute”, returning from reconnaissance, blocked their path to Port Arthur by 4 Japanese destroyers, which had more powerful weapons. The Russian ships tried to break through in battle, but only the Resolute succeeded. The Steregushchy's boilers were damaged from a direct hit from a shell, and it continued the battle, practically losing momentum. Despite the significant superiority of the enemy, "Guardian" fought for almost an hour.
Even at the beginning of the battle, St. Andrew's flag was nailed to the mast so that it would not be accidentally torn off by the explosion. The composure with which the sailors acted in battle is striking. The ship's commander, Lieutenant Sergeev, led the battle while lying on the deck with his legs broken. When he died, Lieutenant N. Goloviznin took command, but he too was soon hit by shrapnel. The sailors not only fired at the enemy with four guns (one 75 mm caliber and three 47 mm caliber), but also tried to fight for the survivability of the ship, which had received multiple damage and holes. There was nowhere to hide on the deck of the Guardian, even its guns had no shields, but those who were still able to fight immediately took the place of the dead. According to the testimony of the survivors, midshipman K. Kudrevich, who had received several wounds, fired the longest from the bow cannon. Firemen and drivers carried shells and put out fires. By the end of the battle, the ship was commanded by a seriously wounded mechanical engineer V. Anastasov.

When the last gun fell silent, the dying signalman Kruzhkov, with the help of fireman Osinin, was able to throw the signal books overboard, tying a load to them. The commander, all the officers and 45 of the 49 sailors died on the ship, who carried out the last order of the commander at the cost of their lives: “Fulfill your duty to the Motherland to the end, without thinking about the shameful surrender of your native ship to the enemy”. Actually, there was nothing left for the Japanese to capture. This is confirmed by a midshipman from a Japanese ship: “ The living deck was completely in the water, and it was impossible to enter there. In general, the position of the destroyer was so terrible that it defies description...”.

By the time the Japanese whaleboat "Steregushchy" approached, it was half-submerged; only two living sailors could be removed from it, and two more were picked up from the water, where they had been thrown by the explosion. The Japanese tried to tow the Guardian, but the ship continued to sink and the cable broke.
The cruisers sent by Admiral Makarov were already rushing from Port Arthur to help the destroyer, and the Japanese ships chose to leave without taking the fight, especially since they too were damaged and had killed and wounded. The destroyer Akebono suffered the most, as it was hit by about thirty shells. The English correspondent described the death of the Russian ship very truthfully, except for one thing: no one opened the seacocks on the Steregushchy. This was no longer necessary, and they are not on ships of this class. By by and large, the feat of the sailors did not require additional glorification, but the legend of the Kingstons turned out to be tenacious. The Japanese were amazed by the resilience of the Russian sailors, and perhaps this was the birth of the legend.
Since samurai times, Japan has been able to respect the courage of its opponents. It’s not for nothing that they kept the Russian name on the “Varyag” raised from the bottom, and even erected a monument to the sailors of the “Guarding” with a laconic inscription - “To those who honored their Motherland more than their lives”.

But let's return to the monument in St. Petersburg. The Emperor was presented with a report in which the details of the battle were outlined and the version about two unknown heroes who discovered Kingston was refuted. The monarch imposed a resolution on it: “To consider that the monument was built in memory of the heroic death in battle of the destroyer “Guarding”" Naturally, the previously proposed inscription was not made, but the monument itself was left unchanged. The monument was solemnly opened in the presence of the emperor on April 26, 1911 in Alexander Park. When the 50th anniversary of the Guardian's feat was celebrated, a bronze plaque with a list of its crew and an image of the legendary battle was fixed on the pedestal of the monument. The feat of the sailors of the Steregushchy was immortalized not only in monuments (even today another one is installed in Kronstadt), in April 1905, the Russian military fleet was replenished with two destroyers - Lieutenant Sergeev and Mechanical Engineer Anastasov, and was laid down at the Nevsky Plant mine cruiser "Steregushchiy". Since that time, the ship with the proud name “Guarding” has always been part of the fleet.

And the legend of the Kingstons continues own life, even today it can be found in publications about the feat of the “Guardian” crew; apparently, the monument itself contributes to this. Back in 1910, foreseeing such a development of events, the head of the Historical Section of the Naval General Staff, E. Kvashin-Samarin, said: “Let the legend live and inspire future heroes to new unprecedented feats.” And similar feats Russian fleet knows a lot. Thus, in 1915, the gunboat “Sivuch” died in an unequal battle, and at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the patrol ship “Tuman” fought until the last battle with three German destroyers.

See also:

To the 110th anniversary of the feat of the sailors of the Russian destroyer

At dawn on February 26 (March 10), 1904, the destroyers Steregushchiy and Reshetelny were returning from a night reconnaissance to the Elliot Islands in Port Arthur. Suddenly, in the thick morning fog, they came across four Japanese ships.

These were the destroyers Usugumo, Sinonome, Sazanami and Akebono, which were soon approached by two more Japanese cruisers. An unequal battle ensued. "Decisive", who had more powerful engine, managed to break through to Port Arthur, and the entire power of enemy gunfire fell on the Guardian.

The result was 64 guns versus four! It was real hell: Japanese shells demolished all the masts and pipes on the Russian destroyer, the hull was broken. While the machine was still working, there was still hope of breaking through to Port Arthur, but at 6:40 a.m. a Japanese shell exploded in a coal pit and damaged two adjacent boilers. The destroyer began to quickly lose speed. Soon his guns fell silent.

The mortally wounded commander of the Guardian, Lieutenant Alexander Sergeev, gave the last order: “Fight so that everyone fulfills his duty to the Motherland to the end, without thinking about the shameful surrender of his own ship to the enemy.”

The sailors nailed the riddled St. Andrew's flag to the gaff and continued to fire even with rifles. The entire deck was covered in blood and strewn with the bodies of dead Russian sailors...

Seeing that the Guardian had stopped showing signs of life, the Japanese ceased fire, deciding to take it in tow and capture it as prey. A boat was lowered from the destroyer Sazanami. This is the picture revealed to the Japanese sailors who boarded the Russian ship, described in the report by midshipman Hitara Yamazaki: “Three shells hit the forecastle, the deck was pierced, one shell hit the starboard anchor. On both sides outside there are traces of hits from dozens of large and small shells, including holes near the waterline through which water penetrated into the destroyer when rolling. On the barrel of the bow gun there is a trace of a hit shell, near the gun there is the corpse of a gunner with his right leg torn off and blood oozing from the wound. The foremast fell to starboard. The bridge is broken into pieces. The entire front half of the ship is completely destroyed with fragments of objects scattered. In the space up to the front chimney lay about twenty corpses, disfigured, part of the body without limbs, part of the torn off legs and arms - a terrible picture, including one, apparently an officer, with binoculars on his neck. In the middle part of the destroyer, on the starboard side, one 47-mm gun was thrown from the machine and the deck was mangled. The stern mine apparatus was turned across, apparently ready to fire. There were few killed in the stern - only one corpse lay at the very stern. The living deck was completely in the water, and it was impossible to enter there.” In conclusion, Yamazaki concluded: “In general, the position of the destroyer was so terrible that it defies description.”

In the unequal battle, the commander of the Guardian, three officers and forty-five members of his crew died. The Japanese, having picked up four miraculously surviving Russian sailors, tied a steel cable to the mutilated ship, but had barely begun to drag it behind them when the tug broke. The Guardian began to list on board and soon disappeared under the waves.

Meanwhile, the Resolute reached Port Arthur. Its seriously wounded captain Fyodor Bosei reported to the fleet commander, Admiral Stepan Makarov: “I lost the destroyer, I don’t hear anything.” And fell unconscious. Two Russian cruisers, Bayan and Novik, hurried to the battle site. The sailors saw the sinking Steregushchy and Japanese ships circling around, including their heavy cruisers that arrived in time. When the Russian destroyer sank, Makarov ordered to return to Port Arthur: it was useless for the light cruisers Bayan and Novik to fight the Japanese armada.

The admiration of the Japanese for the feat of the Russian sailors was so great that when the four captured sailors were taken to Sasebo, an enthusiastic letter from the Japanese Minister of Navy Yamamoto was already waiting for them.

It said: “You, gentlemen, fought bravely for your Fatherland, and defended it perfectly. You have done your duty as sailors. I sincerely praise you, you are great!”

The unprecedented battle received wide international resonance. The correspondent of the English newspaper The Times, citing Japanese reports, was the first to tell the whole world the version that, not wanting to surrender to the enemy, two Russian sailors locked themselves in the hold, opened the seacocks and sank their ship themselves. The article was reprinted by the Russian newspaper “Novoye Vremya”, and the English version of the “heroic flooding” went for a walk across Russia. Postcards were printed about the feat, and reproductions of a painting by the artist Samokish-Sudkovsky, depicting the moment when “two unknown sailors” opened the kingstons and the porthole on the sinking Steregushchy, were widely distributed. Poems were also written:

The two sons of the “Guardian” sleep in the depths of the sea,

Their names are unknown, hidden by evil fate.

But glory and bright memory will remain forever,

About those for whom deep water is a grave...

The version seemed to be confirmed later by the surviving sailors themselves. Returning home from Japanese captivity, bilge operator Vasily Novikov stated that it was he who opened the seacocks and sank the destroyer...

In April 1911, a monument to the heroic feat of the sailors of the Steregushchy was erected in Alexander Park on the Petrogradskaya side. A skillfully composed bronze composition against the backdrop of a cross consists of two sailors: one forcefully opens the porthole, from which water gushes, and the other opens the seacocks. It was designed by the famous sculptor Konstantin Izenberg. The monument, five meters high, is located on a block of gray granite. The base is a mound with three staircases. On its sides rise granite pillars-lanterns, reminiscent of lighthouses. The opening of the monument took place on April 26, 1911 with great solemnity. Nicholas II was present, dressed in naval uniform with St. Andrew's ribbon, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, grand dukes, including Grand Duke Kirill, who miraculously escaped during the explosion of the cruiser Petropavlovsk, on which the famous admiral Stepan Makarov and the painter Vasily Vereshchagin died. As a contemporary wrote, “the sounds of a prayer service and the singing of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” alternated with the gallant, rolling “Hurray!” Inspired by the success, K. Izenberg later wanted to erect a monument to the sailors of the cruiser “Varyag” nearby, but did not have time; in the same 1911, the talented sculptor died.

In 1930, to give the sculptural composition a greater effect, pipes were installed to it, and water began to pour out of the porthole. real water. However, later the water was turned off, as it turned out that the monument began to quickly rust. In addition, the sculptor’s original plan did not include “living” water at all. In 1954, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the feat, a memorial bronze plaque with a bas-relief image of the battle and a list of the Guardian’s crew was strengthened on the back side of the monument.

The historical paradox is that exactly such an episode, masterfully cast in bronze by the sculptor, never actually happened.

Immediately after the Russo-Japanese War, a special commission investigated the cause of the death of the Guardian. Senior Lieutenant E. Kvashnin-Samarin, who conducted the research, tried to stop the construction of the monument to “two unknown heroes.”

"It's sad to see great Russia“that someone is randomly promoting the erection of a monument to non-existent naval heroes, when the entire history of our fleet is full of real exploits,” he wrote, believing that the Kingstons were discovered by Novikov. However, the version about “two unknown sailors” had already been reported to the emperor. They began to collect information again. Who discovered them: “two unknown sailors” or Novikov? But in the testimony of Novikov, who claimed that it was he who went down to the engine room and opened the seams while the destroyer was being towed by the Japanese, and other surviving sailors, obvious contradictions and “inconsistencies” were revealed. The Naval General Staff considered that the version of “two unknown sailors” is a fiction, and “as a fiction, cannot be immortalized in a monument.” However, in 1910 the monument was already cast and completely ready for opening. Proposals began to be put forward to remake it.

Then the General Staff addressed a report to the “highest name”, asking “whether the monument proposed for opening should be considered built in memory of the heroic self-sacrifice of the two remaining unknown lower ranks of the destroyer Steregushchy crew, or should this monument be opened in memory of the heroic death in battle of the destroyer "Guardian"?

Meanwhile, the debate about the “Guardian” case continued. The version about the discovery of Kingston by Novikov raised increasing doubts. The commission spent a long time sorting out the drawings of the destroyer, and then came to the final conclusion that “there were no flooding kingstones in the engine room.” That’s why neither Novikov nor anyone else could open them. Moreover, the Japanese, as it turned out, before taking the Guardian in tow, carefully checked the holds, and there was no one left there.

But what then to do with the testimony of a “living witness”? Novikov was also interviewed by the commission, and he could not confirm his story. Probably, during Japanese captivity, the sailor heard about the English version of the “open Kingstons” and decided, upon returning to his homeland, to attribute it all to himself. By the way, the fate of Novikov himself was also tragic. After the war he returned to native village Elovka, and in 1921 he was shot by his fellow villagers for helping Kolchak’s people.

The story of the mythical Kingstons does not detract from the greatness of the feat of the Russian sailors of the Guardian, which has forever gone down in the history of wars as an example of brilliant valor and heroism. The Japanese never ceased to be amazed at the unprecedented feat of the Russian sailors. Admiral Togo himself reported this in his report to the emperor, noting the courage of the enemies. It was decided to especially honor the memory of the dead: a black granite stele was erected in Japan, dedicated to Russian sailors, with the inscription: “To those who honored the Motherland more than their lives.”

E. Kvashnin-Samarin wrote in 1910: “Anyone who would read and compare all the materials and documents collected on the case of “Guard”, it would be absolutely clear how great the feat of “Guard” was, even without the unspoken myth... Let the legend live and awakens future heroes to new unprecedented feats, but admit that on February 26, 1904, in the fight against the strongest enemy, the destroyer Steregushchy, having lost its commander, all the officers, 45 of 49 sailors, after an hour, until the last shell of the battle, went to to the bottom, astonishing the enemy with the valor of his crew.”

However, the story of the mythical Kingstons still turned out to be tenacious. Even much later, when all the circumstances of the death of the Guardian had long been established, they talked about it again, wrote books, Kingstons are still mentioned in some modern guides to St. Petersburg, and the Leningrad poet Leonid Khaustov wrote:

You ended the battle with Russian sailors.

The last one saluted the Motherland:

Kingstons opened with their own hands

With the same iron will as here,

On this steep granite pedestal...

Almost immediately after the death of the Guardian, in 1905 a destroyer with the same name was launched in Revel.

The third "Steregushchy" was built in the USSR in 1939. He took part in the Great Patriotic War and died in an unequal battle with Nazi aircraft.

The fourth Steregushchy was launched in 1966 and served in the Pacific Fleet. And in 2008, the fifth was built - the Steregushchy corvette.

So glory and bright memory will remain forever...

Special for the Centenary

The monument to the destroyer Steregushchy, which in February 1904 entered into an unequal battle with the ships of the Japanese squadron, is installed in the eastern part of the Alexander Park (do not confuse it with the Alexander Garden, which is near the Admiralty).

How to get there?

How to get to the monument to the destroyer Steregushchaya? It is located in St. Petersburg on the Petrogradskaya side, you need to get to the Gorkovskaya metro station, and when leaving it, walk a little forward along Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt towards Petropavlovka. Less than three minutes of walking at a leisurely pace and you are there.

History of the monument

The Monument to the Guardian in St. Petersburg is one of the most amazing monuments in the city. Made in the style of northern modernism - this is quite complex engineering structure is one of the most memorable attractions of the Northern Capital.
A little about the history of its creation and the event to which it is dedicated.
On February 9, 1904 (January 27, old style), the Russo-Japanese War begins. It begins with a sudden attack by a Japanese squadron on Russian ships stationed in the roadstead of the city of Port Arthur. On February 26, the destroyers “Steregushchy” and “Resolute”, returning from night reconnaissance, met with a detachment of Japanese ships. The commanders of the Russian ships decide to avoid a battle with the ships of the Japanese Navy, but only the Resolute succeeds in breaking through to Port Arthur, and Steregushchy enters into an unequal battle with four Japanese destroyers. Almost the entire crew of the ship dies, and the ship itself is in critical condition, but while afloat the Japanese are trying to take it in tow and at that moment the ship is sinking due to the huge number of holes. According to a household legend, the two surviving sailors opened the seams, sank the ship and died heroically with it. Later, General Staff specialists found out that the ship died as a result of the damage it received, and the open Kingston was nothing more than a legend invented by journalists to maintain patriotic sentiments. This ship simply did not have outboard kingstons... In fact, the author of this “bullet” was not the Russian media, but an English correspondent who observed the progress of the battle and was so admired by the courage of the Russian sailors that he was not too lazy to invent this legend, citing how and in such cases relies on “reliable Japanese sources”. Next this beautiful fairy tale circulated by all newspapers in the world.
But, nevertheless, this became clear later, and while the decision was made to erect a monument to the heroic ship, no one denied the courage of the Russian sailors from the destroyer Steregushchy. On the contrary, in Japan, even during the war, a stele was erected in memory of the Russian military, who preferred a heroic death to shameful captivity.
The creation of the monument began in 1905 according to the design of sculptor K.V. Izenberg, October 28, 1908 Nicholas II claims general project. The architect was A.I. von Gauguin. In view of the special complexity of the foundation of the monument, professor of the Institute of Civil Engineers V.N. Sokolovsky. The casting was performed by foundry worker V.Z. Gavrilov, as evidenced by the inscription on the back of the monument.
Two and a half years later, the monument to the destroyer Steregushchy was inaugurated on May 10, 1911.
On the honor guard was one of the few sailors who survived that battle, fireman of the 1st article Alexey Osinin. The opening ceremony was attended by Emperor Nicholas II and Chairman of the Council of Ministers P.A. Stolypin, Grand Duke Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who survived the explosion of the battleship Petropavlovsk, widow of Admiral S.O. Makarov, as well as the highest ranks of the navy and army.
The multi-figure composition of the monument was designed as decorative waterfall. Water entered the monument through a hidden pipe system and then flowed into a granite pool at the base. After the revolution, 30s, to back side pipes were installed on the monument to supply water directly to Kingston. After this, the monument began to look even more spectacular, but streams of water began to destroy the surface of the monument and in 1935 the water supply was stopped. But, after the war, the monument was tampered with, the pipes were restored and in 1947 they began to supply water to Kingston again, but in 1971 the water supply was finally stopped and, at the same time, the supply pipe system was dismantled.
Externally, the monument is made in the form of a fragment of a compartment carved in the form of a grave cross and the figure of two sailors - one opens the porthole through which a stream of water rushes in, and the other turns the seacock valve. There are no Kingstons in compartments with portholes. Just as there were no outboard seacocks on this ship - the figure at the porthole was required solely to effectively show the flow of sea water into the hull.

The inscription on the back side of the monument to Steregushchy

« On the night of February 26, 1904, a detachment of destroyers was sent out to sea from Port Arthur for reconnaissance. During the night the destroyers separated and at dawn the destroyer STEREGUSCHY found itself close to four Japanese destroyers. And in the distance other enemy ships were visible.

The GUARD turned towards Port Arthur, and the Japanese, firing, pursued him. Soon one of the enemy shells hit the GUARD'S car. And the destroyer remained motionless, among the enemies, showered with a hail of shells. The GUARD fired from his cannons until the last opportunity.
One of the first to be mortally wounded was commander Lieutenant Sergeev. Dying, he reminded the remaining sailors what great glory it would be for them if they died, but did not allow the enemy to take possession of the destroyer. These words of the dying commander were deeply etched in the hearts of the sailors: their consequence was the immortal feat that the destroyer GUARDING accomplished. Soon all the officers were killed: lieutenant Goloviznin, midshipman Kudrevich and mechanical engineer Anastasov; the entire deck of the destroyer was covered with dead and wounded, who rolled helplessly overboard as they rolled.
Then the Japanese lowered boats to approach the GUARDING tug and take it away. Along the way, they picked up four wounded from the water who were holding on to the wreckage: mine-machine quartermaster Fyodor Yuryev, driver of the 2nd article Vasily Novikov, fireman of the 1st article Alexey Osinin and fireman of the 2nd article Ivan Khirinsky. At the end of the war they returned to Russia.
At the very GUARD, of the entire team, only two people remained alive. Seeing the approach of the Japanese, these two sailors went down and, battening down their necks behind them, opened the seams to sink the destroyer.
They preferred a heroic death to Japanese captivity.
THE GUARD, already in tow by the Japanese, began to sink and soon sank to the bottom of the sea, along with two heroes...”