The year was 1829. The Russian-Turkish war was coming to an end. After the defeat of Turkey in the Battle of Navarino, the Ottoman fleet avoided open battle with Russian sailors, spending most of its time in the Bosphorus, under the cover of coastal batteries. On May 14, three Russian ships (the frigate "Standart", the brigs "Orpheus" and "Mercury"), while on patrol 13 miles from the entrance to the Bosphorus, unexpectedly collided with a Turkish squadron that had gone to sea. The forces were not equal. An order was received from the flagship ship "Standard" - to leave, choosing the optimal direction for better speed progress. It was necessary to urgently inform the command (the main forces of the Russian fleet were based in Sizopol - Bulgaria) about the presence on the high seas Turkish fleet. The high-speed "Standart" and "Orpheus" broke away from the pursuit. Mercury, which had a lower speed, had almost no chance to escape. It seemed that the fate of the brig, left alone against the Turkish squadron, was predetermined...
| A little history
"Mercury" was built at the Sevastopol shipyard and launched in May 1820. The construction was supervised by the famous shipbuilder Osminin. Material – Crimean oak. It was named after the Mercury boat, which became famous in the 1788-1790 war with the Swedes. The brig was intended to guard the coast and conduct reconnaissance operations. The bow of the ship was decorated with a waist-length figure of the fleet-footed Roman god of trade and travelers. It was a two-masted sailing ship, armed with 18 carronades (short-barreled close-quarters guns), there were also two longer-range portable cannons. The peculiarity of the ship was its low draft and the presence of oars - seven on each side. Standing rowing. Design features ports for onboard artillery and holes for oars did not allow rowing and shooting at the same time. The brig had good stability, but did not have a high speed. The number of crew in May 1829 was 115 people, of which only 5 officers along with the commander. |
The collision of the Russian brig with two Turkish battleships, which were many times superior in firepower, ended with the Turks withdrawing from the battle, and the wounded brig continued sailing. This story seemed so incredible that it became overgrown with myths and legends. The most reliable source remains the report of the commander of the brig Kazarsky to Admiral Greig. This document served as the basis for subsequent descriptions of the feat of Russian sailors.
Ivan Aivazovsky. Brig "Mercury", attacked by two Turkish ships. 1892
After the signal was received to evade pursuit on its own, the brig changed course, leaving two Turkish ships to the south of itself. In pursuit of the Russian ship, the 110-gun three-deck (three closed decks with ports for guns) “Selimiye” under the flag of Kapudan Pasha (commander of the Turkish fleet) and the two-deck ship of the junior flagship, equipped with 74 guns, went. 20 guns against 184! The best walkers of the Turkish fleet! The situation was hopeless. Kazarsky gathered the officers. The first to give the floor was to the youngest in rank - Lieutenant Ivan Prokofiev. He offered to take the fight, and if it was impossible to get close to one of the Turkish ships and blow up the brig. Whichever officer remains alive at this point must shoot into the kruyt chamber (powder magazine), for which a pistol was left on the spire. The rest of the officers supported the lieutenant. Kazarsky turned to the sailors, and they assured him that they would remain faithful to their duty and oath.
The ship's commander gives orders to put down the oars and prepare to fire the onboard guns. Fire was opened on the Turks who were overtaking the brig from the stern cannons. Soon the Selimiye made a maneuver, trying to come in from the right in order to fire a longitudinal salvo with its side guns. "Mercury" evaded, forcing the enemy to use only running (bow) guns. The moment came when the Turkish ships almost managed to take the brig in pincers, and they fired two salvos and, shouting in Russian, offered to lower the flag. The brig's sailors responded with artillery and rifle fire. Cannonballs, incendiary shells, and nipples fell on the Mercury. The latter are two cast iron cores or half-cores, fastened together, used to disable rigging (cables, ropes that control the sails). The brig continued to skillfully maneuver, Russian artillerymen fired at the Turkish ships. They managed to break the water stays (ropes holding the bowsprit - an inclined beam extended from the bow of the ship to improve maneuverability) and damage the main mast (horizontal yards of the tallest main mast on the ship) of one of them. "Selimiye" lost speed and left the battle. The second ship continued the pursuit until another accurate shot from the Russian sailors interrupted the knock-for-mars-yard (a horizontal log carrying a sail on the front mast), the fall of which led to the end of the chase...
Ivan Aivazovsky. The brig Mercury, after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron (1848) The Russian ship, which they had lost all hope of seeing, left the Turkish battleships idle, managed to break away from pursuit and return to base. Its losses were four killed, six wounded, 22 holes in the hull and numerous damage to the rigging.
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In 12 years, the bicentenary of this memorable event will be celebrated. And all this time, people of various professions are trying to find the answer to this question. The outcome of the confrontation looked too fantastic. Among the reasons, one can highlight the tactical skill of the brig commander Alexander Kazarsky, whose maneuvering of the Mercury deprived the Turks of the opportunity to take a position for delivering a decisive blow, and, of course, the high training, courage of the sailors and their determination to blow up the brig along with the Turks. Level of training and morale The Turkish fleet at this moment was at a low level due to heavy defeats at sea. There were also suggestions that perhaps the Turks did not want to sink the ship, but to calmly capture it, like the Russian frigate Raphael three days earlier. This was natural in the current situation, and therefore they did not expect such courage from the Russian sailors.
Nikolai Krasovsky. Battle of the brig "Mercury" The crew's feat was duly appreciated. All officers were awarded orders, the sailors were awarded awards for lower ranks - insignia of a military order. All were given a lifetime pension. The officers were given the right to include in the family coat of arms the image of a pistol, the purpose of which had already been mentioned. The brig received the St. George's flag. Nicholas I, by his decree, ordered that from now on the fleet would always have a ship "Mercury", similar to the legendary brig.
The brig's sailors became national heroes. Poems were written about the feat (Denis Davydov), books were written (Trenev, Cherkashin), films were made. Famous artists embodied various moments of the battle on their canvases. The most famous of them was the marine painter Aivazovsky, to whose painting “The Brig Mercury Attacked by Two Turkish Ships” some researchers even made “claims”. The artist was reproached for the unreliability of the location of the brig, sandwiched by Turkish ships. As this often happens (assault Winter Palace, mutiny on the battleship "Potemkin"), " great power art" leads to the fact that the event begins to be interpreted based on works of art...
Two ships, two destinies
Three days before the events described, the newest Russian frigate Rafail found itself in a similar situation. The Russian ship lowered its flag and surrendered to the enemy. It was commanded by Captain-Lieutenant Stroynikov. Strange zigzags of fate... Both commanders, Stroynikov and Kazarsky, knew each other, Kazarsky replaced Stroynikov on the Mercury, both were awarded for the courage shown in current company. The officers competed with each other and even sought recognition of one woman. One covered himself with shame, the other became an example of courage for many generations.
Monument to the brig "Mercury" in Sevastopol | The feat of the Russian sailors was that in a hopeless situation they made their choice - they preferred death to shameful captivity and thanks to “the spirit of the crew and the grace of God” (A.I. Kazarsky) they emerged from the battle as winners. Not everyone can do this - “Raphael” is proof of this. "Mercury" will forever remain a symbol of the valor and glory of the Russian fleet.
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The 20-gun brig Mercury was laid down in Sevastopol on January 28 (February 9), 1819. It was built from Crimean oak and launched on May 7 (19), 1820. The ship's master, Colonel I. Ya. Osminin, conceived the Mercury as a special ship to guard the Caucasian coast and perform patrol duty. Unlike other brigs of the Russian fleet, it had a shallow draft and was equipped with oars. The Mercury's shallow draft resulted in a shallower interior depth than other brigs and worsened its performance. At the end Russian-Turkish war 1828-1829 three Russian ships: the 44-gun frigate "Standart" (commander-lieutenant-commander P. Ya. Sakhnovsky), the 20-gun brig "Orpheus" (commander-lieutenant-commander E. I. Koltovsky), and the 20-gun brig "Mercury" (commander captain-lieutenant A.I. Kazarsky) received orders to cruise at the exit from the Bosporus Strait. Overall command of the detachment was entrusted to Lieutenant-Commander Sakhnovsky. On May 12 (24), 1829, the ships weighed anchor and headed for the Bosphorus.
At dawn on May 14 (26), 13 miles from the strait, the detachment noticed a Turkish squadron, among 14 ships, sailing from the shores of Anatolia. Sakhnovsky really wanted to take a closer look at the enemy in order to determine with what forces Kapudan Pasha came out this time. A signal fluttered on the halyards of the “Standart”: “Mercury” - to drift.” Sakhnovsky Coast is the slowest ship of its squadron. Having counted the Turkish pennants, “Standard” and “Orpheus” turned back. The enemy squadron rushed in pursuit of the Russian ships. Seeing the returning scouts, Kazarsky independently ordered to take off the drift and raise the sails. Very soon the high-speed "Standard" caught up with the "Mercury". Soared on his mast new signal: “Everyone should choose the course that the ship has a preferential course.”
Kazarsky chose NNW, "Standard" and "Orpheus", taking a course NW, sharply took the lead and quickly turned into two fluffy clouds on the horizon. And behind the stern of the Mercury, which carried all possible sails, a forest of masts of Turkish ships grew inexorably. The wind was WSW; the enemy was moving due north. The best Turkish walkers - the 110-gun Selimiye under the flag of Kapudan Pasha and the 74-gun Real Bey under the flag of the junior flagship - gradually overtook the Mercury. The rest of the Turkish squadron drifted, waiting for the admirals to capture or drown the obstinate Russian brig. The Mercury's chances of salvation were negligible (184 guns versus 20, not even taking into account the calibers of the guns), leaving almost no hope for a successful outcome of the battle, the inevitability of which no one doubted.
Around two o'clock in the afternoon the wind died down and the speed of the pursuing ships decreased. Taking advantage of this circumstance, Kazarsky, using the oars of the brig, wanted to increase the distance separating him from the enemy, but less than half an hour had passed when the wind freshened again and the Turkish ships began to reduce the distance. At the end of the third hour of the day, the Turks opened fire from running guns.
After the first Turkish shots, a council of war took place on the brig.
According to a long-standing military tradition, the youngest in rank had the privilege of expressing his opinion first. “We cannot escape the enemy,” said Lieutenant of the Corps of Naval Navigators I.P. Prokofiev. “We will fight.” The Russian brig should not fall to the enemy. The last one alive will blow it up." The commander of the brig "Mercury", 28-year-old captain-lieutenant Alexander Ivanovich Kazarsky, who was awarded a golden saber for the battles near Varna in 1828 and was considered one of the bravest officers of the Black Sea Fleet, wrote in his report to Admiral A.S. Greig: “...We unanimously decided fight to the last extreme, and if the spar is knocked down or the water in the hold becomes impossible to pump out, then, having fallen with some ship, the one who is still alive among the officers must light the cruise chamber with a pistol shot.”
Having completed the officers' council, the brig commander addressed the sailors and gunners with an appeal not to disgrace the honor of St. Andrew's flag. Everyone unanimously declared that they would be faithful to their duty and oath to the end. The Turks faced an enemy who preferred death to surrender and battle to lowering the flag. Having stopped using the oars, the team quickly prepared the brig for battle: the gunners took their places at the guns; a sentry took up post at the flag halyard with Kazarsky’s categorical order to shoot at anyone who tried to lower the flag; the yawl hanging behind the stern was thrown into the sea and return fire was opened on the enemy from two 3-pound cannons, dragged to the retreat ports.
Kazarsky knew very well the weak and strengths his brig. Despite its nine-year age (not old, but respectable), the Mercury was strong, although a little heavy on the move. Held perfectly high wave, but in the calm he became completely overweight. Only the art of maneuver and the accuracy of the gunners could save him. The real battle began when the Selimiye tried to bypass the brig on the right and fired a salvo with its port side, which Kazarsky managed to successfully evade. Then, for half an hour, the Mercury, using oars and skillfully maneuvering, forced the enemy to act only with its guns, but was then placed between both ships. A dense swarm of cannonballs, nipples and firebrands flew into the Mercury. Kazarsky responded to demands to “surrender and remove sails” with volleys of carronades and friendly rifle fire.
Rigging and spars are the “Achilles heel” of even such giants as these multi-gun giants. Finally, the well-aimed 24-pound cannonballs of the Mercury broke the water stay and damaged the Selimiye's main topmast, which completely destroyed the ship's main mast and forced it to drift. But before that, he sent a farewell salvo into the brig from all over the board. “Real Bey” persistently continued the fight. For an hour, changing tacks, he hit the brig with brutal longitudinal salvos. "Mercury" stubbornly fought back until another successful shot broke the left leg of the fore-mars-yard of the Turkish ship, which, falling, carried the foxes with it. These damages deprived Real Bay of the opportunity to continue the pursuit and at half past five he stopped the fight.
Since the artillery cannonade coming from the south fell silent, the "Standard" and "Orpheus", considering the "Mercury" dead, lowered their flags as a sign of mourning for it. While the wounded brig was approaching Sizopol (Sozopol, Bulgaria), where the main forces of the Black Sea Fleet were based, shell-shocked, with a bandaged head, A. I. Kazarsky counted the losses: four killed, six wounded, 22 holes in the hull, 133 in the sails, 16 damage in the spars, 148 - in the rigging, all rowing ships were broken.
Krasovsky, Nikolai Pavlovich. Battle of the brig "Mercury" with two Turkish ships, 1829. 1867. The picture frame is made from the wood of the Mercury body
From a letter from the navigator of the Turkish battleship Real Bey:
“On Tuesday at dawn, approaching the Bosphorus, we noticed three Russian ships. We chased them, but we could only catch up with one brig. Kapudan Pasha's ship and ours then opened strong fire... An unheard of thing! We couldn't make him give up. He fought, retreating and maneuvering according to all the rules of naval science so skillfully that it is a shame to say: we stopped the battle, and he continued his path with glory. During the battle, we realized that the captain of this brig would never surrender and would rather blow himself up into the air. If any name is worthy to be inscribed in letters of gold on the temple of glory, it is the name of the captain of this brig. It is called captain-lieutenant Kazarsky, and the brig is called “Mercury”. With no more than 20 guns, he fought against 220 in view of the enemy fleet, which was in his wind.»
Three Russian warships - the frigate "Standart" and the brigs "Orpheus" and "Mercury" - were cruising abeam Penderaklia when they saw a Turkish squadron approaching them on the horizon, significantly superior in strength. Since there was no need to accept an unequal battle, the commander of the Shtandart, Lieutenant-Commander Pavel Yakovlevich Sakhnovsky, gave the signal “Take the course at which the ship has the best speed.” The Russian ships turned towards Sevastopol. However, that day at sea the low wind was weak, and therefore the Mercury, which had the worst driving performance, was unable to escape pursuit: despite the fact that bombs, staysails, and foxes were set and oars were used, it was overtaken by the two largest and fastest ships in the Turkish squadron - the 110-gun Selimiye and the 74-gun Real Bey. On one ship there was an admiral (kapudan pasha) of the Turkish fleet, and the other was sailing under the pennant of the rear admiral.
I. Aivazovsky “The brig “Mercury” is fighting with two Turkish ships”
The Mercury commander, having gone through all the officers in turn, became convinced of their unanimous desire to take the fight, despite the obvious inequality of forces. According to naval tradition, the youngest in rank, navigator lieutenant I. Prokofiev, spoke first. He spoke out in favor of engaging in battle with the enemy, and when the spar was knocked down, a strong leak would open or the brig would be deprived of the opportunity to resist and blow it up by engaging with one of the enemy ships. As a result, all officers unanimously accepted this proposal. To carry out this decision, the captain of the brig Kazarsky placed a loaded pistol on the spire in front of the entrance to the gunpowder warehouse.
Later, in his report to Admiral Greig, Kazarsky wrote:
... We unanimously decided to fight to the last extreme, and if the spar is knocked down or the water in the hold becomes impossible to pump out, then, having fallen with some ship, the one who is still alive among the officers must light the hook chamber with a pistol shot.
I. Aivazovsky Brig "Mercury", attacked by two Turkish ships, 1892
At 2 hours 30 minutes the Turks approached within shooting distance, and their shells began to hit the sails and rigging of the Mercury, and one hit the oars, knocking the rowers out of the cans. At this time, Kazarsky was sitting on the poop for observation, not allowing shooting, so as not to waste charges, which caused confusion for the crew. Seeing this, he immediately calmed the sailors, saying: “What are you guys? It’s okay, let them scare us - they are bringing us Georgiy...” Then the captain ordered the retreat ports to be opened and he himself, together with other officers, so as not to remove the oars and not distract the sailors from work, opened fire from the retreat gun.
The first to attack was the three-deck Selimiye, which had 110 guns. The Turkish ship wanted to go astern in order to decide the outcome of the battle with a single longitudinal salvo. Only then did Kazarsky sound the combat alarm and the Mercury, skillfully maneuvering, dodged the first salvo and itself fired a full salvo with its starboard side at the enemy.
A few minutes later, the two-deck Real Bay approached the port side of the Mercury, and the Russian brig found itself sandwiched between two enemy ships. Then the Selimiye crew shouted in Russian: “Surrender, remove the sails!” In response to this, the brig with a loud “hurray” opened fire from all guns and rifles. As a result, the Turks had to remove ready-made boarding teams from the tops and yards. In addition to the cannonballs, knipples and firebrands flew into the brig. However, the masts remained intact and the Mercury remained mobile. Due to the shelling, fires periodically broke out on the brig, but the sailors, without stopping the shooting for a minute, doused them with water in a matter of minutes.
Robert Barry "Battle of the brig "Mercury" with two Turkish ships"
At the beginning of the sixth hour, the successful shots of gunner Ivan Lisenko managed to damage the water stay and the mainsail mainsail of the Selimiye, after which its topsail and topsail were washed out and hung. Thanks to this hit, the enemy ship fell a little behind and was brought to the wind for repairs. However, a full salvo was fired after the Mercury, knocking one of the cannons off the machine.
At about six o'clock, serious damage was caused to the second ship - the Mercury managed to destroy its fore-frame and fore-top yard, which, falling, carried the foxes with it. Having fallen, the foxes closed the ports of the bow guns, and the collapse of the topsail deprived the ship of the ability to maneuver. "Real Bay" came into close-hauled position and began to drift.
"Mercury", which received very serious damage and lost 10 of the 115 crew members killed and wounded, at about 17 hours next day joined the fleet that left Sizopol.
As a result of the battle, Mercury lost 4 people killed and 6 wounded (some sources say eight wounded). According to Kazarsky’s report, six lower ranks were wounded, while Kazarsky himself received a head concussion.
The ship received the following damage:
- 22 holes in the hull
- 133 holes in the sails
- 16 damage to spar
- 148 damage to rigging
- all rowing ships on the rostra were broken
- one carronade was damaged.
According to official data, there were no casualties on the Turkish side - the Mercury team set as its main goal damage to the enemy's mast and rigging, where the shots were aimed.
Beggrov Alexander Karlovich. Frigate "Mercury". 1878.
It is noteworthy that during the battle, the previous commander of the Mercury, the captured captain 2nd rank Stroynikov, who surrendered the frigate Raphael without a fight a few days earlier, was on the Real Bay with his team.
The Mercury's victory seemed so fantastic that some experts in naval art refused to believe in it. The English historian F. Jane, for example, said: “It is absolutely impossible to allow such a small ship as the Mercury to put two battleships out of action.”
The newspaper “Odessa Herald” wrote about the battle:
This feat is such that there is no other similar to it in the history of navigation; he is so amazing that one can hardly believe him. The courage, fearlessness and self-sacrifice shown by the commander and crew of the Mercury are more glorious than a thousand ordinary victories.
Partisan poet, hero Patriotic War In 1812, Denis Davydov dedicated sublime lines to Kazarsky:
Take heart! - Kazarsky, living Leonid,
Waiting for a friend for a new feast of glory...
Oh, be both of you a shield of the fatherland,
Perun eternal power!
And hymns of victory from the flocked rooks
Let sparks fly from inspired strings!
Admiral Istomin succinctly said about the Mercury sailors: “ Let them look for such selflessness, such heroic fortitude in other nations with a candle... »
The brig "Mercury" was awarded the stern St. George flag and a pennant - the second, after the battleship "Azov". In addition, the emperor's decree required that the Black Sea Fleet always have a brig built according to the drawings of the Mercury.
Captain Kazarsky and Lieutenant Prokofiev received the Order of St. George, IV class, the rest of the officers received the Order of St. Vladimir, IV class with a bow, and the lower ranks received insignia of the military order. All officers were promoted to the following ranks and received the right to add to their family coats of arms the image of a Tula pistol, which Kazarsky placed on the spire near the cruise chamber.
According to the emperor's resolution, captain-lieutenant Kazarsky, among other things, was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank and appointed aide-de-camp.
The commander of the Black Sea squadron, Admiral M.P. Lazarev, was the first to propose perpetuating the brig’s feat. On his initiative, funds were collected for the construction of the monument.
The monument looks like this. On a high rectangular pedestal, slightly tapering at the top, there is a symbolic warship of antiquity cast from metal - a trireme. The upper part of the pedestal is decorated with bronze staffs of the god Mercury, after whom the brig is named. The cast-iron plinth is decorated with reliefs depicting in an allegorical form the event to which the monument is dedicated. On three sides of the plinth are depicted the god of the seas Neptune, the patron saint of navigation and trade Mercury, the winged goddess of victory Nike; on the western side there is a bas-relief portrait of the captain of the Mercury, Kazarsky.
The monument was founded on Matrossky Boulevard in 1834, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the feat, and opened in 1839. The author of the project is academician of architecture A.P. Bryullov, brother of the famous artist.
The monument to A.I. Kazarsky and the feat of the brig "Mercury" became the first monument erected in Sevastopol.
The monument has been restored several times, but its current appearance is almost no different from the original. The total height of the monument is 5.5 m. The pedestal is built from local Krymbal stone. The laconic inscription made on the pedestal reads: “To the Kazar. An example for posterity."
The decree of Nicholas I ordered that the Black Sea Fleet always have a brig similar to the Mercury with its flag and crew:
We wish that the memory of this unparalleled deed be preserved until later times, therefore we command you to order: when this brig becomes unable to continue serving at sea, build another similar vessel according to the same drawing and perfect resemblance to it in everything, naming his “Mercury” was assigned to the same crew, to which the awarded flag and pennant was transferred; when this ship begins to fall into disrepair, replace it with another new one, built according to the same drawing, continuing this way until later times. We wish that the memory of the famous merits of the crew of the brig "Mercury" and it never disappear in the fleet and, passing from generation to generation for eternity, serve as an example to posterity .
AIVAZOVSKY Ivan Konstantinovich (1817-1900)"The brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships." 1892
Canvas, oil. 221 x 339 cm.
National Art Gallery named after. I.K. Aivazovsky, Feodosiya.
“The brig Mercury, after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron.” 1848
Canvas, oil. 123 x 190 cm.
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
"Brig Mercury on a moonlit night." 1874
Wood, oil. 15 x 21 cm.
Private collection.
One of the most striking episodes of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829, demonstrating the fortitude, courage and skill of Russian sailors. Everyone who learned about this victory found it hard to believe that a small brig was capable of winning a battle with two enemy battleships.
The military brig "Mercury" was laid down at the Sevastopol shipyard on January 28 (February 9), 1819 and launched on May 7 (19), 1820. Unlike other brigs of the Russian fleet, it had a shallow draft and was equipped with 14 oars (rowing with large oars while standing). Also, the brig "Mercury" became one of the first Russian brigs, during the construction of which a system of framing was used according to the Sepings method - with diagonal fastenings, which significantly increased the strength of the hull. On the bow of the brig was the figure of the god Mercury. Construction was carried out under the leadership of the shipwright Ivan Yakovlevich OSMININA (? -1838).
The brig was armed with eighteen 24-pounder carronades for close combat, mounted on the upper deck, and two portable three-pounder cannons for long-range combat. The latter could be used as both stern and bow guns.
The commander of the brig, Lieutenant-Commander Alexander Ivanovich KAZARSKY (1797-1833), managed to organize a close-knit team of people of different beliefs, position, origin and temperament. Thus, Navy Lieutenant Fyodor NOVOSILSKY came from an aristocratic environment, was a liberal, but at the same time a very demanding officer. Fleet Lieutenant Sergei SKARYATIN was a hereditary sailor and tried to instill skill, efficiency and diligence in his subordinates. Midshipman Dmitry PRITUPOV came from a noble family and had an appropriate upbringing. He specially ordered a serf from the village to sail with him as an orderly, since a midshipman was not supposed to have an official orderly. Lieutenant of the navigator corps Ivan PROKOFIEV came from the people, so the lower ranks considered him their patron. Ivan Petrovich managed to obtain an education and the rank of officer only thanks to perseverance and talent.
On May 14 (26), 1829, the brig under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Alexander KAZARSKY won an unequal battle with two Turkish battleships - the 110-gun Selimiye and the 74-gun Real Bey, which perpetuated its name and was awarded the stern St. George's flag. Kazarsky’s words: “What are you guys? It’s okay, let them scare us - they’re bringing us Georgiy...”
While patrolling the Turkish Bosphorus Strait in the Black Sea, due to weak winds, the Mercury was unable to escape pursuit and was overtaken by the two largest and fastest ships in the Turkish squadron. On one of the ships there was an admiral (kapudan pasha) of the fleet Ottoman Empire. The Russian brig was forced into battle, having 20 guns on board against 184 enemy guns.
The decision to engage in battle was made at the officers' council and was supported by the sailors of the brig. According to tradition, the youngest in rank, Lieutenant of the Corps of Naval Navigators I.P., spoke first. PROKOFIEV: “Battle cannot be avoided, and the brig should not fall to the enemy under any circumstances.” After the military council, the commander addressed the team with a speech, urging them not to disgrace their honor and the honor of St. Andrew’s flag. The team unanimously chose death over surrender and captivity. It was decided that the last survivor would blow up the ship. To do this, they placed a loaded pistol in front of the entrance to the powder magazine.
"Mercury" was strong, but a little heavy on the move; He held the high waves well, but in the calm he became completely overweight. Only the art of maneuver and the accuracy of the gunners could save him. During the confrontation, which lasted two hours, the “Mercury” managed to damage the masts of the “Real Bey” and “Selimiye” with its fire; one after another, the Turkish ships lost their speed, the ability to maneuver and fight. The Mercury received very heavy damage (22 holes in the hull, 133 in the sails, 16 damage in the mast, 148 in the rigging), but lost only 4 crew members. Losses on the Turkish side are unknown. During the battle, on board the Real Bey there was a captive captain of the 2nd rank STROYNIKOV, who had surrendered his ship, the frigate Raphael, without a fight a few days earlier.
The brig returned safely to Sevastopol. “Mercury” served on the Black Sea until November 9, 1857, when an order was received “to dismantle it due to complete disrepair.” However, his name was ordered to be retained in the Russian fleet with the transfer of the St. George flag to the corresponding ship. Three ships of the Black Sea Fleet alternately bore the name “Memory of Mercury”: in 1865 - a corvette, and in 1883 and 1907 - cruisers. The Baltic brig “Kazarsky” and the Black Sea mine cruiser of the same name sailed under the St. Andrew’s flag.
AIVAZOVSKY knew about naval battles not by hearsay - he took a direct part in military operations in the Black Sea off the coast of the Caucasus in 1839. The exceptional bravery and courage of Russian sailors has always attracted the artist. Hence the brightness of the images and the expressed patriotic pathos of his works.
The canvas is very laconic in its compositional design. The artist placed the ships diagonally on the canvas, which makes it possible to completely take in the battlefield.
The brig is sandwiched between two Turkish ships, and the ships are heading jibe, which is a definite plus for battleships with their predominantly straight sails. This situation hardly leaves Mercury any chance of survival, and therefore, according to a number of opinions, it cannot be historically reliable. However, it is possible that this situation was chosen by the artist to add tragedy to the situation, to emphasize the hopelessness of the brig’s situation. In the paintings of other artists, the same ships are depicted going to the backstay, which gives the brig with a larger percentage of slanting sails an advantage in maneuverability.
The color scheme of the picture is distinguished by restraint. The blue-blue shades of the sea are in perfect harmony with the silver-gray tones that are used to paint the clouds. The pearl sails of warships stand out beautifully against this background. Inclusions of red (the image of crescents on Turkish flags) enliven the picture, which has a rather cold color.
TKACHENKO Mikhail Stepanovich (1860-1916) “The battle of the brig “Mercury” with Turkish ships on May 14, 1829.” 1907
Canvas, oil. 120 x 174 cm.
Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg.
KOZHIN Semyon Leonidovich (b. 1979) “The battle of the brig “Mercury” with two Turkish ships.” 2004
Canvas, oil. 40 x 50 cm.
Author's collection.
Alexander Ivanovich Kazarsky
The 20-gun brig Mercury was laid down in Sevastopol on January 28 (February 9), 1819. It was built from Crimean oak and launched on May 7 (19), 1820. The ship's master, Colonel I. Ya. Osminin, conceived the Mercury as a special ship to guard the Caucasian coast and perform patrol duty. Unlike other brigs of the Russian fleet, it had a shallow draft and was equipped with oars. The Mercury's shallow draft resulted in a shallower interior depth than other brigs and worsened its performance. At the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. three Russian ships: the 44-gun frigate "Standart" (commander-lieutenant-commander P. Ya. Sakhnovsky), the 20-gun brig "Orpheus" (commander-lieutenant-commander E. I. Koltovsky), and the 20-gun brig "Mercury" (commander captain-lieutenant A.I. Kazarsky) received orders to cruise at the exit from the Bosporus Strait. Overall command of the detachment was entrusted to Lieutenant-Commander Sakhnovsky. On May 12 (24), 1829, the ships weighed anchor and headed for the Bosphorus.
Painting by Nikolai Krasovsky
At dawn on May 14 (26), 13 miles from the strait, the detachment noticed a Turkish squadron, among 14 ships, sailing from the shores of Anatolia. Sakhnovsky really wanted to take a closer look at the enemy in order to determine with what forces Kapudan Pasha came out this time. A signal fluttered on the halyards of the “Standard”: “Mercury” - to drift.” Sakhnovsky Coast is the slowest ship of its squadron. Having counted the Turkish pennants, “Standard” and “Orpheus” turned back. The enemy squadron rushed in pursuit of the Russian ships. Seeing the returning scouts, Kazarsky independently ordered to take off the drift and raise the sails. Very soon the high-speed "Standard" caught up with the "Mercury". A new signal went up on its mast: “Everyone should choose the course that the ship has a preferential course.” Kazarsky chose NNW, "Standard" and "Orpheus", taking a course NW, sharply took the lead and quickly turned into two fluffy clouds on the horizon. And behind the stern of the Mercury, which carried all possible sails, a forest of masts of Turkish ships grew inexorably. The wind was WSW; the enemy was moving due north. The best Turkish walkers - the 110-gun Selimiye under the flag of Kapudan Pasha and the 74-gun Real Bey under the flag of the junior flagship - gradually overtook the Mercury. The rest of the Turkish squadron drifted, waiting for the admirals to capture or drown the obstinate Russian brig. The Mercury's chances of salvation were negligible (184 guns versus 20, not even taking into account the calibers of the guns), leaving almost no hope for a successful outcome of the battle, the inevitability of which no one doubted. Around two o'clock in the afternoon the wind died down and the speed of the pursuing ships decreased. Taking advantage of this circumstance, Kazarsky, using the oars of the brig, wanted to increase the distance separating him from the enemy, but less than half an hour had passed when the wind freshened again and the Turkish ships began to reduce the distance. At the end of the third hour of the day, the Turks opened fire from running guns.
Ivan Aivazovsky. The brig Mercury, attacked by two Turkish ships. 1892
After the first Turkish shots, a council of war took place on the brig. According to a long-standing military tradition, the youngest in rank had the privilege of expressing his opinion first. “We cannot escape the enemy,” said Lieutenant of the Corps of Navigators I.P. Prokofiev. “We will fight.” The Russian brig should not fall to the enemy. The last one alive will blow it up." The commander of the brig "Mercury", 28-year-old captain-lieutenant Alexander Ivanovich Kazarsky, who was awarded a golden saber for the battles near Varna in 1828 and was considered one of the bravest officers of the Black Sea Fleet, wrote in his report to Admiral A.S. Greig: “...We unanimously decided fight to the last extreme, and if the spar is knocked down or the water in the hold becomes impossible to pump out, then, having fallen with some ship, the one who is still alive among the officers must light the cruise chamber with a pistol shot.” Having completed the officers' council, the brig commander addressed the sailors and gunners with an appeal not to disgrace the honor of St. Andrew's flag. Everyone unanimously declared that they would be faithful to their duty and oath to the end. The Turks faced an enemy who preferred death to surrender and battle to lowering the flag. Having stopped using the oars, the team quickly prepared the brig for battle: the gunners took their places at the guns; a sentry took up post at the flag halyard with Kazarsky’s categorical order to shoot at anyone who tried to lower the flag; the yawl hanging behind the stern was thrown into the sea and return fire was opened on the enemy from two 3-pound cannons, dragged to the retreat ports. Kazarsky knew perfectly well the strengths and weaknesses of his brig. Despite its nine-year age (not old, but respectable), the Mercury was strong, although a little heavy on the move. He handled the high waves perfectly, but in the calm he became completely overweight. Only the art of maneuver and the accuracy of the gunners could save him. The real battle began when the Selimiye tried to bypass the brig on the right and fired a salvo with its port side, which Kazarsky managed to successfully evade. Then, for half an hour, the Mercury, using oars and skillfully maneuvering, forced the enemy to act only with its guns, but was then placed between both ships. A dense swarm of cannonballs, nipples and firebrands flew into the Mercury. Kazarsky responded to demands to “surrender and remove sails” with volleys of carronades and friendly rifle fire. Rigging and spars are the “Achilles heel” of even such giants as these multi-gun giants. Finally, the well-aimed 24-pound cannonballs of the Mercury broke the water stay and damaged the Selimiye's main topmast, which completely destroyed the ship's main mast and forced it to drift. But before that, he sent a farewell salvo into the brig from all over the board. “Real Bey” persistently continued the fight. For an hour, changing tacks, he hit the brig with brutal longitudinal salvos. "Mercury" stubbornly fought back until another successful shot broke the left leg of the fore-mars-yard of the Turkish ship, which, falling, carried the foxes with it. These damages deprived Real Bay of the opportunity to continue the pursuit and at half past five he stopped the fight. Since the artillery cannonade coming from the south fell silent, the "Standard" and "Orpheus", considering the "Mercury" dead, lowered their flags as a sign of mourning for it. While the wounded brig was approaching Sizopol (Sozopol, Bulgaria), where the main forces of the Black Sea Fleet were based, shell-shocked, with a bandaged head, A. I. Kazarsky counted the losses: four killed, six wounded, 22 holes in the hull, 133 in the sails, 16 damage in the spars, 148 - in the rigging, all rowing ships were broken.
Painting by Mikhail Tkachenko, 1907.
The next day, May 15, "Mercury" joined the fleet, which, notified by the "Standart", went to sea in full force at 14:30.
The brig's feat was highly praised by the enemy. After the battle, one of the navigators of the Turkish ship Real Bay noted: “If in the great deeds of ancient and modern times there are feats of courage, then this act should eclipse all others, and the name of the hero is worthy of being inscribed in golden letters in the temple of glory: this captain was Kazarsky, and the name of the brig is “Mercury”. The Mercury crew who entered new page in the book of Russian naval glory, was generously awarded and treated kindly. A. I. Kazarsky and I. P. Prokofiev received IV degree each, the remaining officers received the Order of Vladimir IV degree with a bow, all sailors received insignia of the military order. The officers were promoted to the following ranks, and Kazarsky also received the rank of aide-de-camp. All officers and sailors were assigned a lifelong pension in the amount of double salary. The Department of Heraldry of the Senate included an image of a Tula pistol in the officers' coats of arms, the same one that lay on the spire of the brig in front of the hatch of the cruise chamber, and sailor fines were excluded from the registration lists. The brig was the second of the Russian ships to receive the commemorative St. George flag and pennant.
Ivan Aivazovsky. The brig Mercury, after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron (1848)
“Mercury” served on the Black Sea until November 9, 1857, when an order was received “to dismantle it due to complete disrepair.” However, his name was ordered to be retained in the Russian fleet with the transfer of the St. George flag to the corresponding ship. Three ships of the Black Sea Fleet alternately bore the name “Memory of Mercury”: in 1865 - a corvette, and in 1883 and 1907 - cruisers. The Baltic brig “Kazarsky” and the Black Sea mine cruiser of the same name sailed under the St. Andrew’s flag.
In 1834, in Sevastopol, on the initiative of the commander of the Black Sea squadron M.P. Lazarev, with funds raised by the sailors, a monument was erected, designed by the architect A.P. Bryullov. A high pedestal on which is engraved the inscription: “To Kazar. An example for posterity,” is crowned with a bronze trireme.
The monument to A.I. Kazarsky and the feat of the brig "Mercury" is the first monument erected in Sevastopol.