Admiral Nakhimov ship wreck. Death Cruise. The wreck of the Admiral Nakhimov became the “Soviet Titanic.” Microwave weapons were used against ships
Two miles from Cape Doob, almost in the waters of Novorossiysk Bay, the passenger ship Admiral Nakhimov sank. There were 1,234 people on board, 423 of whom are considered dead. The bodies of many of them have never been found. The causes of the disaster also remain a mystery, although the “switchmen” were quickly appointed and brought to justice. Nevertheless, several versions have crystallized over the past years.
The switchmen were found quickly
At 22.00 the motor ship "Admiral Nakhimov" departed from the pier of the Novorossiysk sea terminal and headed for Sochi. At 22.20, the bridge received information about the approaching cargo ship “Peter Vasev” on a collision course. According to the Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea (RPSS), the Admiral Nakhimov should have let him through, but the dispatcher of the coastal traffic control post intervened and gave the command to Pyotr Vasev to let the “passenger” through. Bulk cargo captain Victor Tkachenko confirmed to his colleague from “Admiral Nakhimov” Vadim Markov, that will let him through. However, at 23.12, the “Peter Vasev” crashed with its bow at a right angle into the starboard side of the steamer, cutting a hole 8x10 meters in it. After 8 minutes, the liner plunged into the depths of the sea.
Why did the port dispatcher order the captains to violate the PPSS? Why didn’t Viktor Tkachenko give way to “Admiral Nakhimov”? Finally, for what reasons did the liner sink like a stone, although in accordance with international conventions the design of a passenger ship should ensure its buoyancy, even if at least two compartments were flooded? None of these questions were answered by the government commission, which was headed member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee Heydar Aliyev, gave no answers. Long before the completion of the investigation, much less the trial, she determined: the shipwreck occurred as a result of the negligence of the captains. Two months after the tragedy, this conclusion was enshrined in a resolution of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. And in March 1987, a trial was held, which accepted the “insightful” assessment of party officials: the captains received 15 years in prison and 40 thousand rubles in fines in compensation for damages.
The party, as well as the court, did not appreciate the activities Minister of the Navy, member of the CPSU Central Committee Timofey Guzhenko, leaders of the Black Sea Shipping Company. But it was not without their superiors’ knowledge that a 60-year-old ship was transporting passengers, which could not have been allowed to go beyond the port harbor.
On July 8, 1986 (almost two months before the disaster), the shipping company drew up a report: the ship was not suitable for further use. But it was precisely this “old galosh” that, as directed Head of the Black Sea Shipping Company S. Lukyanchenko, who signed the same act, boarded 1,200 passengers and sent them to sea, “satisfying the state’s needs for passenger transportation.”
As already mentioned, a passenger ship must remain afloat even if any two compartments are completely flooded. Contrary to all conventions, “Nakhimov” did not possess these qualities. Theoretically, it could remain afloat with only one flooded compartment (theoretically, because due to old age it completely rotted). The blow of “Peter Vasev” fatally hit the bulkhead separating the two compartments. Therefore, both of them were instantly flooded. The inability to use lifeboats played a killer role (it took up to half an hour to lower just one in ideal conditions, but with a list of only 1-2 degrees, the descent became impossible).
Microwave weapons were used against ships
Not all ends meet in the charges brought against the captains. The trial, and before it the investigation, left without investigation a key fact, in the opinion of many naval experts: during the period of increasing emergency situation, the mark of a third vessel was observed on the screens of radar stations, which was never identified.
Until the very moment of the collision, Tkachenko practically did not leave the SARP (automated radar plotting system). Oddly enough, the device showed a discrepancy with the ship, which Tkachenko considered “Nakhimov”, by 2 miles. In addition, according to the data received, the bearing also increased. The position of the unknown vessel, judging by the instruments, created the illusion of an absolutely safe situation.
Tkachenko’s testimony did not interest lawyers, but it still gives some scientists and practitioners a reason for investigative work. Associate Professor of the Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute Vladimir Chuev put forward such a hypothesis. The collision, as is known, occurred at the end of summer. Often this time coincides with an increase in solar activity. It happened that it was on such days and nights that phantom targets suddenly appeared on radar screens and, conversely, real targets disappeared.
Chuev carefully studied the collection “Solar Data” of the USSR Academy of Sciences. And then it turned out: since August 17, 1986, the readings of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory revealed a sharp jump in electromagnetic radiation from space, equal to twenty percent. However, it was not recorded by reference observatories in Japan and Canada. This discrepancy in the data from the reference observatories and the Crimean observatories lasted until September 1. And then everything returned to normal.
After analyzing these facts, Chuev came to the conclusion: the region of Crimea and the North Caucasus (including Tsemes Bay and Novorossiysk) was affected not by solar radiation, but by unknown directed electromagnetic radiation. It was sent from afar, perhaps hundreds and thousands of miles through an artificial Earth satellite. Or maybe through reconnaissance systems like AWACS, which are equipped with special microprocessors and can work with any radar so that false targets appear on its screen and true ones disappear.
By the way, before the tragedy in Tsemes Bay, on the ships “Heroes of Sevastopol”, “Burgas” and on other ships, navigators several times registered false targets on radars. In four cases, a situation was created where a collision was miraculously avoided.
Chuev does not undertake to judge whose hands this was. But, in his opinion, the shipwreck near Novorossiysk is the result of the use of microwave weapons via satellite.
Alexander Trusov, who then served in the KGB border troops, suggests that microwave weapons were used to eliminate a high-ranking KGB official by his own comrades. Really died that night Head of the KGB Department for the Odessa Region, Major General Krikunov with his family, who, after the Nakhimov left the pier, was taken aboard the ship by boat. However, the circumstances of his death remained unknown. And the appearance of Krikunov on board was quite unexpected. He made the decision about this in Moscow, at the Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, on the day the Nakhimov sailed from Odessa. The fact of his death was connected with everything. They wrote about the revenge of the corrupt party nomenklatura, and about the attempt to transfer a large shipment of contraband, and about the investigation into the facts of the export of military equipment through the Novorossiysk port.
Professor from St. Petersburg Alexey Sinyakov The participation of any special services in the tragedy was taken out of the equation. He put forward the hypothesis of the so-called local geophysical resonance (LGR). A flight safety specialist, he believes that FGR has caused many disasters - in the air, on land, under water (in particular, the fire on the Komsomolets nuclear submarine). On the evening of August 31, 1986, a geophysical resonance could manifest itself in the Black Sea: an unusual glow of the atmosphere was observed, and two hours after the death of the Nakhimov, a strong earthquake occurred in the western part of the sea. During geophysical resonance, a person managing a complex technical object loses the ability to accurately assess the situation and make the right decision. Doesn’t this explain the inappropriate behavior of Captain Tkachenko: after all, it took only a minute and a half to complete the “last moment” maneuver (for example, turning the Vasev to the right of the accepted course).
There are many other versions that explain the strange behavior of the captains at the time of the disaster.
The victims were forgotten
After 1991, justice for the convicted “switchmen” was restored to some extent. They were pardoned and released in 1992. Vadim Markov returned to the Black Sea Shipping Company, where he took the position of captain-mentor. Viktor Tkachenko emigrated to Israel with his family.
Unfortunately, over the past years, no attempts have been made to raise the remains of the dead sailors and passengers of the Admiral Nakhimov. People started talking about the sunken ship only when diesel fuel started leaking from its fuel tanks. However, there is nothing yet available to organize a serious underwater expedition.
But perhaps the most neglected by the state were the living victims of the disaster—the relatives and friends of the victims. They received no compensation or insurance. True, in Odessa, where Admiral Nakhimov was assigned, relatives created a fund to help the families of the victims. But he now drags out a miserable existence, and does not include Russian victims at all, since Odessa now finds itself in another country.
In Moscow I met with Olga Klementyevna Kuzma, whose son Pavel served as a sailor on the Admiral Nakhimov and died heroically during the disaster. There are living witnesses who say that at the time of the collision Pavel Kuzma was on watch on the upper deck and could easily leave the sinking ship. However, the sailor went to save the passengers, diving into the flooded cabins several times until he remained in one of them forever.
“Pavlik was never found,” Olga Klementyevna told me. “I was given a container with sand and silt from the bottom at the site of the ship’s sinking and three hundred rubles for a symbolic funeral. Once every two or three years, when funds allow, I go to Novorossiysk, where on August 31 the relatives of our victims gather. Thanks to the Novorossiysk authorities, who provide cars, a boat, food at the sailor’s club, and housing. But saving money for travel becomes more difficult every year. Shortly before the tragedy, I retired, and Pavlik said: “Nothing, now I will help you.” He died in the line of duty, and now there is no one to help me...
This is the sad fate of not only Olga Klementyevna. The state has forgotten about the families of those who lie at the bottom along with Admiral Nakhimov. Grandiose plans for perestroika, then chaotic Russian reforms, overshadowed this tragedy. But such tragedies have no statute of limitations. By the way, let us remind you that the descendants of those who died on the Titanic still receive benefits.
From the "SP" dossier
The passenger liner "Admiral Nakhimov" was built in Bremen (Germany) in 1925 and was originally named "Berlin".
In 1938 she was transferred to the German Navy and converted into a hospital ship. On January 31, 1945, it was blown up by two mines and on February 1 by another, after which it sank off Swinemünde.
In 1946-1947, it was recovered by Soviet divers and became the property of the USSR as reparations from Germany. In 1951-1957 it was restored and renamed “Admiral Nakhimov”. In 1957, it was transferred from the Baltic to the Black Sea, becoming the largest Black Sea liner.
Displacement: 9000 tons
Length: 174.3 m
Width: 21.1 m
Mechanism power: 12000 hp.
I. Background of the steamship "Admiral Nakhimov". The steamship "Admiral Nakhimov" was built in 1925 in Germany. Previously it was called “Berlin”. Until 1939, Berlin made regular flights across the Atlantic. And from 1939 to 1945 she was part of the German armed forces as a medical ship. In the same year, at the mouth of the Svin River, the ship hit a mine (according to another version, it was torpedoed by a submarine) and sank along the deck. Since 1946, it was transferred to the Soviet Union as part of reparations.
In 1947, the ship received its new name - “Admiral Nakhimov”. The ship made cruise voyages along the Crimean-Caucasian line between the ports of Odessa, Yalta, Novorossiysk, Sochi, Sukhumi, Batumi, and sometimes made trips to Cuba and Africa.
“Admiral Nakhimov” is an Italian-built motor ship, taken as a trophy after World War II. The ship has been working on domestic routes for a long time and has essentially served its day. But, it was probably a pity to part with the beautiful steamship, the interior decoration of which corresponded to the passengers’ ideas about luxury and comfort of the 1930s: mahogany trim, carpet runners, mirrors. However, the design of the steamship itself has long failed to meet the requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, adopted in 1948. And at the beginning of the summer of 1986, the ship was generally declared unfit for use, or even for repair. However, the ship sailed and carried passengers. It was commanded by the experienced captain V.G. Markov, who for thirty years of service in the fleet was awarded the honorary title “Best Captain of the Black Sea Shipping Company.”
II. The day of the tragedy.
On August 31, 1986 at 22.00, the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov" with passengers on board departed from the pier of the port of Novorossiysk and followed the exit from Tsemes Bay, heading to Sochi. There were 1,234 people on board: 888 passengers and 346 crew members. At the same time, the cargo ship “Peter Vasev” was entering Tsemes Bay.
"Peter Vasev" was a specialized ship for transporting grain. It was built in Japan in 1981 and equipped with the most modern navigation instruments, including equipment for automatically processing information related to the divergence of ships. Let us add that such vessels - bulk carriers - are noticeably different from ordinary dry cargo ships due to their higher strength.
On board the ship there were about 30 thousand tons of barley from Canada. The ships approached each other on intersecting courses. Their total speed was over 23 knots, or 43 kilometers per hour. In accordance with the rules, the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov", which discovered the oncoming motor ship "Peter Vasev", had to give way to it (stop or turn to the side). The rule is the same as when driving cars at an unregulated intersection, elementary not only for the captain of the ship, but also for the bus driver. At the same time, “Peter Vasev” in this situation had to go at the same speed without changing course. In addition, ships leaving Tsemes Bay, in accordance with the rules in force here, must adhere to the right (western) part of the bay, and ships entering it - to the left (eastern) side, when viewed from the shore.
However, the steamer “Admiral Nakhimov” did not go straight out to sea and then turn towards the Caucasian coast, but immediately set a course near Cape Doob and further along the coast towards Sochi in an eastern direction, that is, it did not go out on its own side of the bay. Since the “Peter Vasev” did not violate the rules in this sense and entered the bay, correctly adhering to its eastern side, the ships began to approach each other on intersecting courses. In this situation, the steamer “Admiral Nakhimov” only had to turn 25-30 degrees to the right and the ships would move freely on their left sides. But the captain of the Admiral Nakhimov did not want to act by these rules.
He did not change course and preferred to enter into radiotelephone negotiations with the captain of the ship "Peter Vasev". Through the mediation of the coastal ship traffic control post, he agreed that the steamer Admiral Nakhimov would follow the same course at the same speed, and the Pyotr Vasev would give way to him. In other words, one captain proposed to violate the rules of maneuvering, and the other captain and the shore post agreed to this. But the captain of the ship “Admiral Nakhimov” did not limit himself to agreeing to commit an offense. He instructed his watchman, the second mate, to perform the illegal maneuver, and he himself went from the bridge to the cabin and remained there until the collision.
The second assistant, apparently understanding the illegality of this agreement, repeatedly called the motor ship "Peter Vasev" by radiotelephone and again asked to confirm that it would give way to the "Admiral Nakhimov". He received his last confirmation at 23:05, 7 minutes before the collision.
The captain of the ship “Peter Vasev” also played a significant role in creating the dangerous situation. He agreed without hesitation to break the agreement when at 22:47 a radiotelephone conversation took place with the coastal post and Admiral Nakhimov.
If the captain of the motor ship "Peter Vasev" visually observed the situation of the rapid rapprochement of two large ships, he would inevitably feel threatened. But he did not observe the surrounding situation, but looked steadily at the screen of the SDRP (automatic radar plotting system), where real ships are represented as luminous points moving relative to each other. This phenomenon, known as “radar hypnosis,” has played an insidious role with more than one hundred captains. While in such “hypnosis,” the captain loses the ability to connect the picture on the radar screen with reality.
Only at 23:05 the captain of the ship “Peter Vasev”, under the influence of persistent requests from the second mate from the ship “Admiral Nakhimov”, looked away from the SARN screen and ordered the speed to be reduced to medium, although the distance between the ships did not exceed two miles. The motor ship "Petr Vasev", meanwhile, continued to follow the same course, although on the ARPA screen, and it was visually visible that the bearing on the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov" practically did not change. This meant that the ships must converge at one point, where a collision would occur.
The best maneuver in this situation would be to put the rudder to starboard and get out of the way of the Admiral Nakhimov. Less effective, but useful, could have been an immediate “full speed back” at the moment when at 23:05 the captain of the ship “Peter Vasev” saw the real state of affairs. However, instead of full reverse, he reduced it from full to medium forward, although with such a large mass of the ship and cargo it is impossible to reduce speed for several minutes. In other words, a giant ship was moving at high speed towards the ship, where there were hundreds of people.
At 23:07, 5 minutes before the collision, the captain reduced the speed to low, and after another half a minute he gave a “stop”. Only at 23:09 he gave “small back”, then “medium” and then “full back”.
But it was too late. It takes much longer to start the car from full forward to full rear than was available in a real-life situation. The propeller of the motor ship "Peter Vasev" had barely gained momentum in reverse when the collision occurred. The bow of the ship crashed almost at a right angle into the starboard side of the steamer Admiral Nakhimov. The powerful bulb of the Peter Vasev punched a huge hole in the hull of the Admiral Nakhimov, which grew even larger due to the fact that the steamer, under the influence of the machines, was rushing forward, and the bulb that entered its hull tore the skin, spreading the hole to neighboring compartments.
It is worth mentioning one more technical detail that played an important role in the tragedy. Openings are made in the transverse watertight bulkheads that provide buoyancy to the vessel to allow people to move from compartment to compartment. In safe sailing conditions, these openings remain open, but in the event of the slightest threat to safety, in particular the entry and exit of a ship from the port, the openings are closed with a so-called clinket door - a special waterproof shield. And on the Nakhimov, according to some experts, the clinker doors in the transverse bulkheads were open, and the water pouring into the hole could quickly spread from compartment to compartment.
III. Crash.
There was a collision. The lights on the ship immediately went out, and people panicked. The steamer began to fall on the starboard side. None of the passengers could understand anything: pitch darkness, roar, unexpected roll of the ship. However, mechanic V. Belan, who was off duty, managed to start the emergency diesel generator in the aft part of deck A - the emergency lighting started working, which worked for only 2 minutes. These few minutes saved the lives of many passengers. Someone was able to open the door of their cabin and save their children, someone was lucky to find a way out of the confusing labyrinth of passages and corridors of the ship, others at this time managed to put on life jackets and rush to their salvation - up!
Captain Markov gave the order to launch the boats, but the roll turned out to be so strong that many of the craft went under the water. The best position was to jump off the sinking ship. Tragic moments followed: “Admiral Nakhimov” was hiding under water. Six minutes later it disappeared from the surface, taking with it 423 lives - passengers and crew members. At the crash site, about 800 people were simultaneously floundering on the surface of the water, stained with paint and fuel oil, and many objects and debris were floating.
At this time, the pilot boat LK-90 with pilot M. Karpov was coming from the port towards “Peter Vasev” to guide the dry cargo ship to the pier. Seeing the ship tilting to the starboard side, the captain of the boat O. Lyakh immediately shouted into the air: “Nakhimov lay on board!” At 23:35, the LK-90 approached the scene of the disaster and began rescuing people, simultaneously radioing that tugs and rescue boats would be needed.
The ship collision was immediately reported to the captain of the port of Novorossiysk G.L. Popov, who immediately, by telephone, ordered all watercraft to proceed to the area of the accident to save people. The first to arrive at the scene of the disaster were tugboats of the port fleet, raid boats, small passenger boats of the "Rainbow" type, and passenger hydrofoils "Kometa". At the same time, the command to take off and proceed to the disaster area was sent to border boats.
The LK-90 was already performing well at the crash site, carrying about 118 people. Sinking dangerously, the boat began to slowly turn around and pick up speed in the opposite direction. Some of the passengers were later transferred to other ships that had arrived in the area of the accident by that time. In total, 64 floating units took part in the rescue operation in the disaster area.
The command to save people was also given to the cargo ship. Tkachenko ordered to proceed at low speed to the area of the accident. The wind grew stronger and by that time had already accelerated the wave to 2 meters. The wind and current began to carry the injured people directly onto the cargo ship, and after a while several dozen people were floating on both sides. Tkachenko ordered the rowboat and motorboat to be lowered into the water, as well as the front ladder to be lowered to receive the victims on board. Unfortunately, the front ladder jammed and could not be lowered.
Only at 24 hours on August 31, Captain Tkachenko from aboard the Vasev reported to the port captain that the Nakhimov had sunk. In total, during that night the crew of the cargo ship lifted 36 people and 1 corpse.
The alarm also sounded at the Novorossiysk Higher Marine Engineering School (NVIMU). The cadets, having learned about the tragedy, immediately went to sea on yawls, barely rowing against the wind. But by the time they arrived at the crash site, there was no one to save. The injured people were taken to pier 34, to the seaport, where medical teams and police were already present. Everyone who arrived was registered.
However, many of the rescued people still had relatives and friends at sea. The glass wall of the sea terminal turned into a “wailing wall” - unhappy people crowded around it, directing their gaze towards Cape Doob, where the ship sank. Later, when all the people were brought from the disaster area, they were placed in city hotels, in the buildings of NVIMU. A total of 836 people were rescued.
Since September 1, 1986, divers have been working at the disaster site. They penetrated the ship's hull through holes cut into the side. Working inside the ship was difficult and scary. The ship lay on the ground almost completely on the starboard side. Longitudinal corridors turned into narrow manholes, transverse ones into shafts. Furniture was scattered everywhere, and entire rubble of carpeting, furniture and corpses formed in the corridors. Most of the cabin doors were jammed and the diver had to remove the bodies of people from the cabins by breaking the door prematurely with a crowbar.
The second mate A. Chudnovsky locked himself in his cabin and died. The head of the Odessa KGB Directorate, General Krikunov, and his family died: the bodies of the general’s wife and daughter were found in their cabin, and the body of the general in a tracksuit, with a young grandson in his arms, was found near the cabin under the ladder leading to the upper deck. Sailor Fakhretdinov, who was standing on the bridge at the time of the collision, died.
36 female flight attendants died, who fulfilled their official duty to the end and helped remove passengers from the lower decks. In front of the electrician A. Dolinsky, his wife and little son died. The head of the floating practice, M. Brown, and several trainee sailors died. The newlyweds Kot, who went on a honeymoon by boat, died...
In total, according to the official version, 423 passengers and crew members died as a result of the disaster. However, not all of the dead were found and brought to the surface. 64 people remained under water forever.
On September 10, a military diver died while working in the premises of a sunken ship. On September 19, the second diver got into a blockage and was unable to get out on his own. After this, the search work on the sunken p/f "Admiral Nakhimov" was decided by the decision of the Government Commission to stop.
IV. Further developments
In 1987, in Odessa, at the Railway Workers' Palace of Culture, after an almost six-month trial, the trial of captains V. Markov and V. Tkachenko took place. Both were found guilty under Art. 85 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR and sentenced each to 15 years of imprisonment in a correctional labor colony and compensation for material damage in the amount of 40 thousand rubles. 6 years later, in November 1992, by decrees of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, they were pardoned and released.
Captain Viktor Tkachenko, changing his last name to Talor, left for permanent residence in Israel. In September 2003, a yacht under the command of Victor Tallor crashed near Newfoundland. Later, the remains of the yacht and the dead people were found off the Canadian coast. V. Tkachenko was buried in Tel Aviv. Captain Vadim Markov remained to live in Odessa. Immediately after his release, he worked at the Black Sea Shipping Company as a captain-mentor on passenger ships. He died in Odessa in May 2007.
The steamer "Admiral Nakhimov" still lies at a depth of 47 meters in Tsemes Bay. Every year, on August 31, a boat with relatives of the victims comes to this place. They lower a wreath into the water and throw flowers... The organizer of trips to Novorossiysk for relatives from 1987 to 2005 was the Nakhimovets charity foundation, represented by director G.V. Andrievskaya. On December 1, 2005, after a serious illness, Galina Vasilievna died. The management of the foundation, as well as the preparation of mourning events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, was taken over by her daughter, Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya.
After repairs in 1986, the motor ship “Pyotr Vasev” was renamed “Podolsk”. It now flies under the flag of Malta and is called "Orbit". On August 31, 2006, exactly 20 years after the tragedy, the dry cargo ship again called at the port of Novorossiysk.
In 1987, at Cape Doob, the closest to the place of death of the Admiral Nakhimov, a memorial sign was erected in memory of the lost ship and its passengers. Every year, relatives of the victims come here from all over the former USSR to lay a wreath on the mass grave.
The famous Cape Doob in the Black Sea sailing guide is called “noticeable”. Behind it rises Mount Doob, 435 meters high. The cape faces the sea with a steep slope. There is a lighthouse near the cape. The site chosen for the monument rises about a hundred meters above sea level. In good weather, you can see a vast area of the sea from it, as well as a black dot - the place where the Nakhimov died.
The memorial sign is installed on the axis of the access road. A stylized reinforced concrete wave-funnel rises from the flat part of the pedestal. In the center of the floor of the closed part there is a composition of seven pipe-racks of different heights and thicknesses, located inside a cast iron wreath. The top of the pipes has been cut off. The central pipe with a built-in clock symbolizes the memory of the lost steamship.
On August 31, 1986, when leaving Novorossiysk Bay, the steamship Admiral Nakhimov collided with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev and sank after 7-8 minutes.
Location of the disaster: Tsemes Bay, 7 miles from the port of Novorossiysk, 2.2 miles from the nearest shore (Cape Doob)
Time of crash: 23:12-23:20 08/31/1986
Collided vessels:
 |
m/v "Peter Vasev", built 1981 (Japan) Vessel name / years / flag / ship owner: Decommissioned on 09/24/2012, cut into scrap metal in Bangladesh. |
Cruise voyage from August 29 to September 5, 1986 (official data):
Number of passengers on board the ship "Admiral Nakhimov" according to the list: 897 people
Main crew of the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov": 276 people.
OVIMU trainees: 13 people.
OMU trainees: 1 person.
General medical school trainees: 48 people.
Head of practice at general medical school: 1 person.
Accompanying police officer: 1 person.
Relatives of crew members: 6 people.
Total crew members: 346 people
Total people on board by ship's role and passenger list: 1243 people(the total number of rescued and dead is 1259 people. In fact, there were many more people on board)
Total number of people rescued according to coastal registration lists: 836 people.
Official death toll:
Passengers: 359 people.
Crew:
- full-time crew: 53 people.
- trainees: 6 people.
- practice manager: 1 person.
- kiosk "Soyuzpechat": 1 person.
- Kinoprokat projectionist: 1 person. - crew family members: 2 people.
Total crew members killed: 64 people.
Total official death toll: 423 people (according to unofficial data, the death toll is more than 500 people)
Of these: 79 people. taken from the surface of the water;
279 people found in the hull of a sunken ship and raised from the ground;
67 bodies were not found (of which: passengers - 53 people, crew members - 14 people).
Rescue operation:
Leaders:
G.L. Popov - captain of the port of Novorossiysk
A.N. Kaminsky - deputy port captain of Novorossiysk
The rescue operation and search work were carried out: vessels of the Novorossiysk port fleet, naval base "Novorossiysk", Gelendzhik settlement, Kerch, Ilichevsk, Odessa, as well as ships on the roadstead and the crew of the m/v "Petr Vasev".
Historical reference
The original name of the vessel is BERLIN (III) (port of registry - Bremen. Shipowner - Norddeutscher Lloyd). Date of construction: September 17, 1925. The builder is the company "Bremer Vulkan" (Lobbendorf). The first flight with passengers took place on September 26, 1925 on the route Bremerhaven - New York.
s.s. "Berlin" took part in the rescue of people during the shipwreck of the ship "Vestris" in the Atlantic Ocean in November 1928.
Since September 1939 - as part of the German Navy as a hospital ship.
On January 31, 1945, as a result of a mine explosion, she sank at a depth of 13 meters at the mouth of the Swin River. Transferred to the Soviet Union in 1946 as war reparations and renamed Admiral Nakhimov. After repairs in the GDR from 1949 to 1957. transferred to the balance sheet of the Black Sea Shipping Company (Odessa). Since 1957, the p/v "Admiral Nakhimov" has been making cruises with Soviet tourists along the shores of the Black Sea under the command of Captain N.A. Soboleva. Participated in transporting military personnel to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. 
He made flights with the Cuban military to Ethiopia in 1978, with a pilgrim from Algeria to Havana in July 1978. In 1977, the crew of the steamer "Admiral Nakhimov", led by its permanent captain, celebrated the 20th anniversary of accident-free navigation. However, in fact, the ship did not meet the requirements of the 1974 SOLAS Convention for the safety of navigation, so its further operation was limited to cruises along the Crimean-Caucasian line between the ports of Odessa-Yalta-Novorossiysk-Sochi-Sukhumi-Batumi. The vessel's seaworthiness registration documents were extended year after year. This was the case in the summer of 1986, when the management of the Black Sea Shipping Company, as always, released it on a voyage with more than 1000 people on board.
This cruise turned out to be the last for the ship. Having departed on August 29, 1986 from the port of Odessa, the ship was never destined to return...
Acknowledgments
The site uses materials from newspaper and magazine publications dating back to 1986.
I would like to express my gratitude for the materials provided and for their assistance in creating the site:
G. Andrievskaya - former director of the Nakhimovets charity foundation
N. Rozhdestvenskaya - director of the Nakhimovets charity foundation
F. Lebedev
O. Barkovskaya
D. Volkov
S. Gurenko
E. Rozhansky
A. Aleshin
A. Shirokov
V. Gvozdev
Z. Marchuk
T. Zhornyak
R. Halfin
A. Talamanov
Materials from the documentaries "Russian Titanic" (author O. Barkovskaya, 2001), "The Death of Admiral Nakhimov" (author A. Gabnis, 2001), "Dreams of Admiral Nakhimov" (produced by ANNPO "Underwater Expeditions", 2005) were used. , photographic materials from the documentary film “The Search Course” (author E. Rozhansky, 1997), materials from underwater filming by D. Volkov (2001).
The idea of interactive diagrams of the decks of the steamship in the section "Admiral Nakhimov" was borrowed from the website "K.P.P. "Titanic" (currently does not exist), author Alexey Shirokov.
Stories of people in the section Eyewitness accounts from the books by N. Cherkashin “The Last Flight of Nakhimov” (M., 1988), N. Koptyukh “German “Berlin” - Soviet “Admiral Nakhimov” (Stavropol, 2005)
The year 1986 was rich in disasters and added several tragic pages to the history of the USSR. This is not just about Chernobyl. On February 16, 1986, the Soviet cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov crashed. Then one person died, but six months later another tragedy occurred, which claimed the lives of 423 people. On August 31, 1986, the motor ship “Admiral Nakhimov” received a hole as a result of a collision with the dry cargo ship “Peter Vasev” and sank within 7 minutes. The mysterious causes of this disaster are still debated, because many are confident that the tragedy could have been avoided.
On August 29, 1986, the liner began its next flight on the route Odessa - Batumi - Odessa with calls to Yalta, Novorossiysk and Sochi. The cruise lasted only a week, passengers were due to return on September 5th. Having safely completed part of the route, “Admiral Nakhimov” arrived in Novorossiysk on August 31 at 14:00. Departure was scheduled for 22:00. However, after the ship left the port, it was unexpectedly stopped and delayed for 10 minutes - because Major General Krikunov and his family were late. These 10 minutes became fatal.
*Admiral Nakhimov* in Novorossiysk, 1981
The ship headed towards the exit from Tsemes Bay, at the same time, the dry cargo ship “Peter Vasev”, transporting grain, was following the liner into the bay. Since the ships were approaching each other on intersecting courses, the one on the left, that is, the Admiral Nakhimov, had to give way. But the captain of the cargo ship was offered to let the ship through, to which he gave his consent. Both ships contacted each other and confirmed the maneuver.
Restaurant on the ship *Admiral Nakhimov*
Bar on the ship *Admiral Nakhimov*
The captain of the cargo ship, Viktor Tkachenko, saw no reason to worry - he relied on the SARP (automatic radar plotting system). These devices did not show a dangerous approach, while it was already visible to the naked eye (as it later turned out, the locator could distort the distance up to hundreds of meters). Captain Tkachenko gave the command to reduce speed and then “full reverse” too late.
The last hours of *Admiral Nakhimov* before the disaster, August 31, 1986
At 23:12 the ships collided almost at a right angle. The cargo ship rammed the starboard side of the ship, creating a hole about 10 meters in size. At the same time, the liner continued to move by inertia, which is why the hole increased in size. Water filled the engine room in a few seconds, and the ship sank. All that the team members managed to do in these 7 minutes was to launch several inflatable rafts. Many in the water fell under the propellers of the cargo ship, which continued to operate. Of the 897 passengers and 346 crew members, 423 people died.
The liner that repeated the fate of all ships with the same name
Later, experts came to the conclusion that only 6 seconds were not enough for the two ships to separate. There were many strange circumstances in this disaster. Visibility was one hundred percent. Both captains were considered experienced sailors. But Markov did not sound the alarm, and Tkachenko reported the collision to the port manager only at 24:31, and help arrived 2 hours after the disaster. In addition, due to the heat, the portholes in the cabins near the waterline were open, and before leaving the port, contrary to the rules, the clinker doors in the transverse bulkheads were left open, and water poured into the hole, filling one compartment after another. All this accelerated the sinking of the ship.
Cruise ship *Admiral Nakhimov*
Model of the ship *Admiral Nakhimov*
Those who did not believe rational explanations looked for mystical reasons. The fact is that this was not the first ship with this name. In 1897, the cargo ship Admiral Nakhimov sank off the coast of Turkey during a storm. The name went to one of the armored cruisers, which was sunk during hostilities in 1905. In 1925, the steamship Berlin was built in Germany, first carrying passengers and cargo, and during World War II serving as a hospital ship. In 1945, it was blown up by a mine and sank; in 1946, it was raised to the surface and restored; it was transferred to the USSR as reparations. In 1957, the liner set sail under the name “Admiral Nakhimov”. They said that he was doomed - all the ships bearing the name of the deceased admiral sank to the bottom.
Trophy *Berlin*, who later became *Admiral Nakhimov*
Both captains went to trial. Vadim Markov was accused of being, contrary to the rules, not on the bridge of the Admiral Nakhimov during the divergence of the ships, but in the cabin, having transferred control to the second mate Chudnovsky. And the captain of the dry cargo ship Tkachenko was found guilty of relying on instrument readings, but did not assess the situation visually and ignored the danger. Both were sentenced to 15 years in prison, but after 6 years both were pardoned. Tkachenko took his wife’s surname and moved with his family to Israel. In 2003, he died, ironically, in a yacht accident. In 2007, Captain Markov died of cancer.
The liner that repeated the fate of all ships with the same name
Monument to those killed on the ship *Admiral Nakhimov*, Cape Doob
Since then, the liner has been called the Soviet “Titanic”: little-known facts of the most famous shipwreck
In September 1986, the Soviet Union was shocked by the disaster that occurred in the Black Sea. On the night of August 31, 1986, the large cruise passenger ship Admiral Nakhimov, once owned by Germany and transferred to the USSR after the Great Patriotic War in the form of a huge heap of metal, crashed near the port city of Novorossiysk.
On the Admiral Nakhimov, repaired and supplied for passenger and lightning transportation to the Black Sea Fleet, there were 12 waterproof partitions, huge tanks for filling with water in such an order that the ship remained afloat for the maximum amount of time, hundreds of boats and life jackets.
Steamship "Admiral Nakhimov" at the Batumi pier
Relying on the reliability and strength of the ship, its captain and crew eventually stopped paying attention to safety, paying minimal attention to it, devoting all their time to the convenience of passengers accommodated in beautiful, comfortable cabins.
On the evening of August 31, the ship moored from the pier in Novorossiysk and headed, with more than 1,000 passengers on board, towards Sochi. As soon as the ship approached the exit from Tsemes Bay, an icon appeared on its radar about an approaching ship, following in relation to « Admiral Nakhimov » , as they say, nose to nose.
The captain of the Nakhimov immediately radioed the captain of the oncoming ship, which turned out to be the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev, which was en route to the port of arrival with a cargo of grain. According to the rules of navigation, the oncoming ship in this situation had the right of primacy when passing into the bay, while the Admiral Nakhimov was obliged, without slowing down, to pass towards it on the port side, while turning to the right. But for some reason the captain of the Nakhimov decided not to follow the rules of navigation and entered into negotiations with the captain of the Peter Vasev about changing the maneuver, inviting him to give up the palm to him and let the passenger ship pass. A coast guard officer, who actually authorized the dangerous maneuver, entered the discussion.
The negotiations took a long time, the second officer on the Nakhimov, trying to understand whether the cargo bulk carrier was really ready to give way, asked the captain of the Peter Vasev several times on the radio about his confidence in the decision, and only after receiving repeated confirmation did he begin the maneuver.
Steamship "Admiral Nakhimov" at night lights At 5 minutes past 12 pm the ships began to carry out their plans, but for unknown reasons « Petre Vasev » There was a hitch, observing which the second mate on the Admiral Nakhimov decided to slightly change the course, first by 5, and after several minutes by 10 degrees. As a result of this maneuver, the danger for the passenger liner not only did not decrease, but also became practically obvious; these actions were strictly prohibited by the maritime regulations, which state that any change in the ship's course must be clearly noticeable to the ship approaching. Wanting to avoid a possible collision, the second officer should have sharply turned the rudder to the left, and with this action avoided the powerful blow that followed the collision of the ships.
The Pyotr Vasev, which had huge metal bulbs on its bow, crashed into a passenger steamer at a speed of 23 knots. Until the last moment, its captain believed that the oncoming ship would undertake some kind of maneuver and did not monitor the real situation, since he believed that monitoring the automatic radar plotting system, on the screen of which the ships were listed as small dots, would be quite sufficient. It should be noted that this system was not perfect, since quite often it misled the captains into the so-called radar hypnosis, due to which the real proximity of the ship was distorted, which is what happened with the point that indicated “Admiral Nakhimov” on the radar.
Only at the last moment before the collision, the captain of the Petra Vaseva ordered the speed to be reduced to medium, again making a mistake, because of which he became responsible for the death of hundreds of children, women and men - passengers of the ill-fated ship.
From the severe blow, the Nakhimov received damage incompatible with its being afloat, the plating cracked in several places, water flooded three compartments at once, including the engine compartment, the lights went out on the entire ship and it began to tilt sharply to the right.
"Peter Vasev" after a collision with "Admiral Nakhimov" The Nakhimov crew did not have time to evacuate; many passengers found themselves in the water without life belts and vests, while others were unable to leave the rapidly flooded lower decks. After 7 minutes it was all over, and the ship and the passengers who did not know how to swim, or who did not have time to get out of the cabins, sank to the bottom.
Approaching rescue boats and helicopters managed to save just over 800 people, almost 6 hundred passengers and crew members died. The trial that began recognized the actions of the ship captains and their assistants as unlawful. Captains V.I. Tkachenko and V.G. Markov were stripped of their titles and ranks and sentenced to 15 years each.