The last yacht of the emperor (part 1)
This material is in some sense anniversary. According to the account at VO, it is the 800th, that is, the next “round number". As always, for the "holiday" I want to write about something unusual, leaving aside Tanks - the next publishing house again demands a book about them, supposedly, “there are never too many tanks”, rifles, knights (according to them the book in a gift version is already ready and handed over to the publishing house!), All the same samurai (Samurai-2 is on the line, continuation of the first book), and the Bronze Age. Thought it was necessary to write ... about the ships. Not mine, in general, this is a topic, but I love ships. Back in five years, he loved to consider pictures in Rafael Sabatini’s novel “Captain Blood Odyssey”, which had very spectacular images of galleons, then was read by Lawrence Olivier’s book “The Viking Campaign,” and other marine literature, including historical series MK and TM. He made models: the same galleons and Viking ships, and those and others from plasticine, including sails. It’s a pity, I didn’t know how to take pictures - the models were impressive, and so that the masts and yards did not bend, straws were inserted into them. He made floating models of battleships from plasticine and shot them in duels with fellow cannons. He even wrote about these models in his books “From Everything That Is at Hand” and “When the Lessons Are Done”, but ... especially somehow he didn’t deal with ships anymore. But they are still interesting to me, that's just time to delve into this topic, alas, no.
Imperial yacht "Standart"
But here I can say lucky. One of my students was an external correspondence from St. Petersburg, who brought me a book of memoirs by Captain Sablin about his service on the imperial yacht "Standart". It was assumed that he would write my thesis "PR of the imperial yacht" Standart ". The topic was, of course, very interesting and, as a result, it even pulled out a candidate's dissertation for the degree of candidate of historical sciences, but “something didn’t grow together”. Nevertheless, the materials contained in it seemed to me interesting and worthy of taking up this topic and giving it material on VO, which responded to secret interests in the marine theme and a clear interest in the sea, in which we all love to swim!
Yacht "Standart" in Toulon.
So, what was she like - the last yacht of the emperor Nicholas II?
However, here it must be said that - firstly, the fashion to have a yacht to royal ladies went from Holland, to Russia, like many other things, it was brought by Peter the Great, that yachts were first sailing, and then steam ones, in the family of Russian kings XIX there were quite a few, not the only one, but it was the “Standard” that turned out to be the last Russian ship of this type, and at the same time the most beautiful, causing the legitimate envy of Kaiser Wilhelm, and even of the British royal family!
Imperial yacht "Standart". In Sevastopol, 1914 year.
Well, this masterpiece of shipbuilding was built (which was recognized by all specialists!) Was not in Russia, but in Denmark, where the yacht was laid in Copenhagen in the year 1893 for Emperor Alexander III. She intended to sail the Black Sea, but the emperor did not have time to use her, and she went to his son. Its hull was made of shipbuilding steel, and the displacement was almost 6000 tons, that is, like a small cruiser. That is, “Standart” turned out to be the largest such yacht in the world, not counting commercial steamers converted to yachts. The yacht possessed excellent seaworthiness and could sail even in the ocean. The presence of powerful steam engines allowed "Standart" to develop a high speed and easily overcome significant distances. He often went round Europe in his voyages and always successfully moved from the Baltic to the Black Sea and back. Well, since it was the emperor's yacht, then everything else was a real “floating palace with offices, offices, headquarters and a lot of court servants,” he recalled what he saw on the yacht Shtandart, officer N.V. . Sablin, who served on it for years.
Schematic sections of the yacht "Standart".
And it is not surprising that the yacht became the favorite ship of Emperor Nicholas II, well, and its name had a deep meaning. The standard is the flag of the head of state, which is hung over the place where he is located. In Europe, this custom originated in the Middle Ages. Standards were notable for their pomp, which once again emphasized the significance of its crowned owner. Well, at the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian standard rising above the yacht of Emperor Nicholas II looked like this: a panel of golden silk depicting a black double-headed eagle against the background of marine geographical maps. As soon as the emperor stepped onto the deck of the yacht, this standard immediately hoisted over her.
The characteristic clipper stem of the yacht and the bow figure.
Shtandart had three inclined masts, which imparted its silhouette to swiftness, as well as two inclined pipes, a displacement of 5480 tons, a length of 112,8 m, a width of 15,4 m, a draft of 6,6 m and a design speed of up to 22 nodes, provided by 24 coal boilers and two rowing screw. The crew of the yacht consisted of 373 people. The sharp stem of the "Standard", borrowed from the clipper, was decorated with a gilded nasal figure flying over the waves of a two-headed eagle.
Engine room.
The name of the yacht was given again with the one existing in Russian navy traditions, that is, even under Peter the Great, one of the frigates of the Russian fleet was so called. It was launched on March 21, 1895, and put into operation in 1896. And then it was like this: on August 29, 1893, Alexander III, together with Empress Maria Fedorovna and Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, arrived in Copenhagen on the yacht "Polar Star". Here the ceremony of transferring the yacht to its owner took place. But on October 20 (November 1), 1894, Alexander the Third died, and the completed yacht passed to his son.
Dining room on the main deck.
Already 8 of September 1896 of the "Standard", without completing the end of the entire test run cycle, took on board Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and accompanied by the yacht "Polar Star" went to England. Then came an official visit to France, and this is how the twenty-year honorary service of this yacht began.
Gallery on the lower deck.
And she had to swim a lot. So, already in the summer of 1897, they visited Kronstadt on a new imperial yacht: the King of Siam, the German emperor and Felix Faure, the president of the French Republic. By the way, Wilhelm II visited the yacht twice: in July 1902 of the year during the maneuvers of the training artillery detachment of the Baltic Fleet in the Baltic and then in June 1912 of the year when he arrived in Revel at the foundation of the new port of Peter the Great on his yacht Hohenzollern. In August of the same 1912, Nicholas II hosted French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré at the Standart and conducted diplomatic negotiations with him. In addition, Nicholas the Second, almost every year, aboard the "Standart" either made long or short voyages with his whole family, enjoying the sea air and the nature of the Baltic skerries.
Cabin-company.
Since there is not much left of that time, it makes sense to consider the decoration and finishing of this yacht in more detail, since this largely speaks of the tastes of its owners, which are of course interesting to us.
Buffet crew on the lower deck.
So, the entire interior decoration of the ship was designed in strict English taste. There was no gilding, unnecessary jewelry or stucco on the yacht. But everybody noted the good taste shown at the same time, so that the premises of the yacht looked much richer than any ostentatious and deliberate luxury and brilliance. ” In 1905, the yacht "Standart" was assigned to the Marine Guards crew. The crew for the service was chosen carefully. The selected members of the team before the start of their service must be presented to the imperial couple.
Wardrobe room for staff.
It is interesting that much less valuable types of wood were used for the decoration of the emperor’s apartments, than on the old yacht Polaris. The rooms of the sovereign were decorated with cherry wood and walnuts, the rooms of the widowed empress, as well as the rooms of the grand dukes and princesses - ordinary birch, the dining room - with ash, the corridors - with oak and maple wood “under the bird's eye”, as well as white beech. In the imperial dwellings, wall claddings were used with embossed leather or covered with cretones. The premises of the crew got off with oak and pine, which were painted in white paint. A large cabin was located on the aft deck on the upper deck, which was a tradition for Russian imperial yachts. It had a large dining room for official receptions, as well as a study and reception room of the emperor. In the bow section on the upper deck, directly in front of the first pipe, there was a navigational wheelhouse, two wheelhouses for the commanding personnel, and above them also a navigating bridge with a spacious wheelhouse.
Iconostasis on the gallery.
The imperial apartments were located on the main deck, directly above the engine room. Among the cabins that belonged to the emperor, the empress and the widow empress included a living room, bedroom and bathroom. Here on the deck was the dining room, salon, separate cabins for the grand dukes and princesses, as well as officers of the yacht and officer cabin. Cabins of children of the imperial family, servants' rooms, crew quarters and shower cabins were located on the lower deck. It also housed a radio room, rooms for dynamos, ship workshops and some of the storerooms.
In the bow of the yacht, below this deck, there was a cargo hold and a crooch chamber, and at the stern - refrigerators-refrigerators for storage of perishable goods. It should be noted that for the lower ranks of the team and service personnel (355 people), the living conditions were much better than on all previous imperial yachts.
To be continued ...
Imperial yacht "Standart"
But here I can say lucky. One of my students was an external correspondence from St. Petersburg, who brought me a book of memoirs by Captain Sablin about his service on the imperial yacht "Standart". It was assumed that he would write my thesis "PR of the imperial yacht" Standart ". The topic was, of course, very interesting and, as a result, it even pulled out a candidate's dissertation for the degree of candidate of historical sciences, but “something didn’t grow together”. Nevertheless, the materials contained in it seemed to me interesting and worthy of taking up this topic and giving it material on VO, which responded to secret interests in the marine theme and a clear interest in the sea, in which we all love to swim!
Yacht "Standart" in Toulon.
So, what was she like - the last yacht of the emperor Nicholas II?
However, here it must be said that - firstly, the fashion to have a yacht to royal ladies went from Holland, to Russia, like many other things, it was brought by Peter the Great, that yachts were first sailing, and then steam ones, in the family of Russian kings XIX there were quite a few, not the only one, but it was the “Standard” that turned out to be the last Russian ship of this type, and at the same time the most beautiful, causing the legitimate envy of Kaiser Wilhelm, and even of the British royal family!
Imperial yacht "Standart". In Sevastopol, 1914 year.
Well, this masterpiece of shipbuilding was built (which was recognized by all specialists!) Was not in Russia, but in Denmark, where the yacht was laid in Copenhagen in the year 1893 for Emperor Alexander III. She intended to sail the Black Sea, but the emperor did not have time to use her, and she went to his son. Its hull was made of shipbuilding steel, and the displacement was almost 6000 tons, that is, like a small cruiser. That is, “Standart” turned out to be the largest such yacht in the world, not counting commercial steamers converted to yachts. The yacht possessed excellent seaworthiness and could sail even in the ocean. The presence of powerful steam engines allowed "Standart" to develop a high speed and easily overcome significant distances. He often went round Europe in his voyages and always successfully moved from the Baltic to the Black Sea and back. Well, since it was the emperor's yacht, then everything else was a real “floating palace with offices, offices, headquarters and a lot of court servants,” he recalled what he saw on the yacht Shtandart, officer N.V. . Sablin, who served on it for years.
Schematic sections of the yacht "Standart".
And it is not surprising that the yacht became the favorite ship of Emperor Nicholas II, well, and its name had a deep meaning. The standard is the flag of the head of state, which is hung over the place where he is located. In Europe, this custom originated in the Middle Ages. Standards were notable for their pomp, which once again emphasized the significance of its crowned owner. Well, at the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian standard rising above the yacht of Emperor Nicholas II looked like this: a panel of golden silk depicting a black double-headed eagle against the background of marine geographical maps. As soon as the emperor stepped onto the deck of the yacht, this standard immediately hoisted over her.
The characteristic clipper stem of the yacht and the bow figure.
Shtandart had three inclined masts, which imparted its silhouette to swiftness, as well as two inclined pipes, a displacement of 5480 tons, a length of 112,8 m, a width of 15,4 m, a draft of 6,6 m and a design speed of up to 22 nodes, provided by 24 coal boilers and two rowing screw. The crew of the yacht consisted of 373 people. The sharp stem of the "Standard", borrowed from the clipper, was decorated with a gilded nasal figure flying over the waves of a two-headed eagle.
Engine room.
The name of the yacht was given again with the one existing in Russian navy traditions, that is, even under Peter the Great, one of the frigates of the Russian fleet was so called. It was launched on March 21, 1895, and put into operation in 1896. And then it was like this: on August 29, 1893, Alexander III, together with Empress Maria Fedorovna and Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, arrived in Copenhagen on the yacht "Polar Star". Here the ceremony of transferring the yacht to its owner took place. But on October 20 (November 1), 1894, Alexander the Third died, and the completed yacht passed to his son.
Dining room on the main deck.
Already 8 of September 1896 of the "Standard", without completing the end of the entire test run cycle, took on board Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and accompanied by the yacht "Polar Star" went to England. Then came an official visit to France, and this is how the twenty-year honorary service of this yacht began.
Gallery on the lower deck.
And she had to swim a lot. So, already in the summer of 1897, they visited Kronstadt on a new imperial yacht: the King of Siam, the German emperor and Felix Faure, the president of the French Republic. By the way, Wilhelm II visited the yacht twice: in July 1902 of the year during the maneuvers of the training artillery detachment of the Baltic Fleet in the Baltic and then in June 1912 of the year when he arrived in Revel at the foundation of the new port of Peter the Great on his yacht Hohenzollern. In August of the same 1912, Nicholas II hosted French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré at the Standart and conducted diplomatic negotiations with him. In addition, Nicholas the Second, almost every year, aboard the "Standart" either made long or short voyages with his whole family, enjoying the sea air and the nature of the Baltic skerries.
Cabin-company.
Since there is not much left of that time, it makes sense to consider the decoration and finishing of this yacht in more detail, since this largely speaks of the tastes of its owners, which are of course interesting to us.
Buffet crew on the lower deck.
So, the entire interior decoration of the ship was designed in strict English taste. There was no gilding, unnecessary jewelry or stucco on the yacht. But everybody noted the good taste shown at the same time, so that the premises of the yacht looked much richer than any ostentatious and deliberate luxury and brilliance. ” In 1905, the yacht "Standart" was assigned to the Marine Guards crew. The crew for the service was chosen carefully. The selected members of the team before the start of their service must be presented to the imperial couple.
Wardrobe room for staff.
It is interesting that much less valuable types of wood were used for the decoration of the emperor’s apartments, than on the old yacht Polaris. The rooms of the sovereign were decorated with cherry wood and walnuts, the rooms of the widowed empress, as well as the rooms of the grand dukes and princesses - ordinary birch, the dining room - with ash, the corridors - with oak and maple wood “under the bird's eye”, as well as white beech. In the imperial dwellings, wall claddings were used with embossed leather or covered with cretones. The premises of the crew got off with oak and pine, which were painted in white paint. A large cabin was located on the aft deck on the upper deck, which was a tradition for Russian imperial yachts. It had a large dining room for official receptions, as well as a study and reception room of the emperor. In the bow section on the upper deck, directly in front of the first pipe, there was a navigational wheelhouse, two wheelhouses for the commanding personnel, and above them also a navigating bridge with a spacious wheelhouse.
Iconostasis on the gallery.
The imperial apartments were located on the main deck, directly above the engine room. Among the cabins that belonged to the emperor, the empress and the widow empress included a living room, bedroom and bathroom. Here on the deck was the dining room, salon, separate cabins for the grand dukes and princesses, as well as officers of the yacht and officer cabin. Cabins of children of the imperial family, servants' rooms, crew quarters and shower cabins were located on the lower deck. It also housed a radio room, rooms for dynamos, ship workshops and some of the storerooms.
In the bow of the yacht, below this deck, there was a cargo hold and a crooch chamber, and at the stern - refrigerators-refrigerators for storage of perishable goods. It should be noted that for the lower ranks of the team and service personnel (355 people), the living conditions were much better than on all previous imperial yachts.
To be continued ...
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