The second half of the 19th century was marked by the further development of shipping in the Black Sea, the Crimean War, which was difficult for Russia, which ultimately led to the death of the military Black Sea Fleet.
It is known that from ancient times to the Crimean War of 1853-1856. all ships and vessels were built of wood and were sailing. The war lasted from October 1853 to March 1856. Russia suffered a crushing defeat, having spent 800 million rubles on the war. and losing more than half a million of its citizens.

There were huge losses of ships - both during the hostilities, and under the influence of severe weather conditions and navigational errors made. In the fire of the war, the entire Black Sea Fleet of Russia perished. Huge were the losses of the Allied countries - England, France and Turkey. The Black Sea has turned into a real cemetery of ships.
The Crimean War ended the centuries-old history of wooden shipbuilding.
The era of the sailing fleet is over, armored ships with a displacement of up to 8,000 tons, battleships with a displacement of up to 25,000 tons and a length of up to 180 m have appeared.
On the eve of the First World War, the Black Sea was a maritime region of intensive merchant shipping. The powerful Russian Black Sea Fleet, the military fleets of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania were concentrated here.
Before World War I 1914–1918 58 warships and more than 600 sailing and motor wooden ships sank in the Black Sea.
During the civil war, 35 warships sank (flooded) in the Black Sea, 14 of them - in the Novorossiysk Bay, 11 - in the Sevastopol outer roadstead. The places where the other ships sank are unknown.
The Second World War inflicted enormous catastrophic damage not only on the navies, but also on merchant shipping. Losses of ships and vessels were measured in many hundreds.
During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The Black Sea Fleet lost 1151 units of warships and auxiliary vessels, including 2 cruisers (Chervona Ukraine and Comintern, transferred to the class of minelayers), 3 leaders (Moscow, Kharkov, Tashkent), 11 destroyers, 28 submarines, 28 minesweepers, 97 raid and boat minesweepers, 81 torpedo boats, 84 sea hunters, 168 patrol boats, 11 gunboats, 85 landing boats, 48 ​​armored boats, 5 minelayers, 22 hydrographic vessels, 60 schooners, 28 scows, 112 seiners, 70 boats, 24 floating workshops, floating cranes and floating docks. During the war, 39 sunken ships were raised. 78 boats of the Azov military flotilla sank (flooded) in the Don and Kuban rivers.
Germany and its allies in the war 1941–1945 lost 455 ships and vessels, of which 238 were combat, 217 were transports and ships of the merchant fleet. Germany lost 6 submarines, 2 destroyers, 114 fast landing barges, 28 anti-submarine ships, 33 minesweepers and minesweepers, 8 artillery boats, 18 torpedo boats, 8 patrol boats, 3 military transports, 2 minelayers, 2 monitors, 14 lighters . Romania - 13 warships: destroyer, minesweeper, minelayer, 2 monitors, 4 torpedo boats, 2 cutter minesweepers, 2 patrol boats.
Italy lost 12 ships: a small submarine, 11 torpedo boats.
During the war, the USSR Navy lost 93 ships in the Black Sea theater, 35 were raised after the war, 58 remained on the ground. More than a thousand aircraft were shot down in air battles over the sea. In ports Soviet Union after the war, 578 ships and vessels were raised.
According to the Hydrographic Service of the Black Sea Fleet, in the waters of Ukraine, Russia and Georgia, there are 566 sunken ships and 478 underwater obstacles and places with unclean soil, a total of 1044 objects. All of them are located at depths up to 100–120 m. Of these, 440 have been surveyed by divers. Many wrecks have already sank into the silt, they are not found during the survey by sounding, echo-trawling and divers, they are removed from the register.
For 1985–1995 deregistered 19% of wrecks and 22% of underwater obstacles.
The ammunition available on sunken ships and ships, from time and prolonged contact with sea water, came into an explosive state. The degree of explosiveness is such that it can explode from shocks during ship-lifting operations and even when anchored. In especially large quantities (from 500 to 1000 tons) ammunition is on the transports "Jean-Jores", "Chapaev", "Varna".
The approximate total weight of ammunition on all sunken ships and vessels exceeds 20 thousand tons. On most sunken ships, liquid fuel residues in quantities from a few to tens of tons have been preserved in tanks, compartments and air cushions. There is a real danger of spilling this fuel due to metal corrosion and when working on a sunken ship. The estimated amount of liquid fuel on sunken ships and vessels is 100 thousand tons. It is possible that some of it has already entered the water.
An analysis of the state of sunken ships, ammunition and liquid fuel residues available on them allows us to conclude that most of the sunken ships in the Black and Azov Seas are of historical and material interest. Many of them have a harmful effect on the marine environment.
Undoubtedly, all sunken objects in the territorial waters and economic zone of Ukraine must be registered with the state in order to prevent unauthorized work both on the sunken ships themselves and in their immediate vicinity.
It seems necessary to carry out a systematic survey of sunken objects to determine the feasibility of their recovery, lifting cargo and documents, and developing measures to reduce the harmful impact on the environment.
In order to perpetuate the memory of the dead sailors, it would be advisable to declare sunken ships and ships, on which there are the remains of the dead, military graves by special government decrees.

Mass graves at the bottom of the Black Sea (Nominal list of losses)

Undoubtedly, the chronicle and chronology of maritime disasters associated with the death of ships, submarines, vessels and other watercraft during the period of civilization on the Black Sea will take more than one volume. At the same time, the author of this book in the series “Secrets of Sevastopol”, together with the marine explorer Anatoly Tavrichesky (the author of the map of sunken ships in the Black Sea), made an attempt to sum up some results of the death of ships at each historical stage and create a list of names.
The legends of ancient Greece tell that the Phoenicians were the first to penetrate the Black Sea, then the Greeks. In the XIII century. BC e. the Greeks on the ship "Argo" came to Colchis for the "Golden Fleece". In the XII century. BC e. Odysseus visited the Balaklava Bay, then the Kerch Strait, where, according to legend, there is an entrance to the underworld of Hades.
Ancient navigators, as a rule, made their way along the coastal shores. At night and during storms, their ships often ran aground or crashed against the coastal rocks. Therefore, in the coastal regions of the Black Sea, near capes and islands, hundreds of remains of the ships of ancient seafarers are buried.
IN Lately archaeologists examined several ancient Greek ships. Well-preserved amphorae still lie on some of them, in which there were wines, incense, oils and various goods. There is written evidence of the transportation of gold and silver coins on ancient ships. Demosthenes tells that in the 4th c. BC e. in the area of ​​Cape Opuk, the ship of the merchant Larita sank with a cargo of gold and silver. Most often, ancient Greek ships were found off the coast of Bulgaria, in the areas of the Kerch Strait, the Feodosia Gulf, the New World, the capes Ayu-Dag, Aya, Lukull, Tarkhankut and the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Ships carrying tribute collected by the Byzantines in Russia sank.
Under Ptolemy IV, 220–204 BC e., ships were built reaching a length of 120 m and a height of 22 m from the keel. The crew of such ships amounted to several thousand rowers, 400 sailors and 300 soldiers.
Several ancient vessels were discovered by the underwater laboratories "Bentos-300", "Reef", "Langust", "Tinro-2" during numerous dives in the Black Sea.
Submarine "Bentos-300" when searching for the missing aircraft, to the south-west of Cape Khersones at a depth of 100 m, an ancient Greek vessel with 2000 amphoras was found. The Rif submersible, while searching for the missing Saor-3 seiner, found a vessel with more than 1,000 amphorae on it. South of the lake Donuzlav found a galley of the 4th century. BC e., on which more than 300 amphoras.
In 1992, in the area of ​​Cape Kaliakra, Bulgarian divers discovered an ancient Greek ship, on which many gold and silver coins were preserved.
Two ancient Greek ships with a cargo of amphorae were found by specially trained dolphins in the area of ​​\u200b\u200babout. Serpentine ("Levka").
In the 17th century Russia received access to the Black Sea, the first ship "Fortress" entered it through the Kerch Strait. The whole 18th century took place in Russian-Turkish naval battles.
Between 1770 and 1853 perished: frigates: "John Chrysostom" - Dnieper Estuary; "Tsar Constantine", "Fyodor Stratilat" - the mouth of the Danube; "Hasty" - Rumeli; "Vezul" - Chersonese lighthouse; "Varna" - Sukhum-Kale, corvettes: "Alexander" - Cape Tarkhankut, "Crimea" - Kale; "Messemria" - Sochi region; there are also seven fortress ships, brigs: "Dion" - the Danube arm, "Yazon" - Tarkhankut; "Tsar Constantine" - Anapa; "Themistocles" - Tuapse, "Foma" - the northwestern region of the Black Sea; "Three saints" - the mouth of the Danube; "Achilles" - Alma; "Joseph" - Sevastopol Bay; "Kichkasy" - Rumeli. Schooner "Branlov" - Akkerman, luger "Gelendzhik" - Novorossiysk, tenders: "Strua" - Enikale; "Ray", "Fast" - Tuapse; transport: "Tarantula", "Rak", Akhtapol" - Azov; "Berezan" - Sevastopol, "Prut" - the mouth of the Danube; "Duck" - the Danube; "Hope" - Sevastopol; "Seagull" - Ak-Mosque; "Snake" - Ineada; "Ingulets" - Gelendzhik; "Langeron" - Abkhazia; "Nikola" - girl Sulina; "Sukhum-Kale" - Pitsunda; "Adler", "Abin" - the Caucasus; guillots: "Donets" - Yalta; "Swan" - Ackerman. "Wave", the cruiser "Panagia Popandi" - Azov; Archangel Michael - Fr. Berezan; "Kiliya" - Rumeli.
Crimean War 1853–1856
On November 30, 1853, during the Battle of Sinop, the Russian squadron under the command of PS Nakhimov defeated the Turkish fleet. On that day, 15 Turkish ships were sunk, only the Taif steamer managed to escape.
The losses of the Turks at Sinop amounted to 2000 people, the losses of the Russians - 38 people.
The defeat of the Turks at Sinop prompted the Western powers to take action.
On March 28, England and on April 8, 1854, France declare war on Russia. The allied fleet at that time consisted of 34 battleships, 55 frigates and 300 transports. The Russian fleet included 45 ships. Of these, 11 paddle steamers and not a single propeller.
In the period of September 10–16, 1854, the following ships were flooded across the Sevastopol Bay: the ships Three Saints, Varna, Selafail, Uriel, Silistria, the frigates Sizopol and Flora. Thus, an artificial barrier was created against the penetration of enemy ships into the bay.
The second stage of flooding took place at the end of the winter of 1855. On the night of February 12-13, between the Nikolaevskaya and Mikhailovskaya batteries (second line), the ships "Twelve Apostles", "Svyatoslav" and "Rostislav", the frigates "Cahul" and "Messemvria", and on February 16 - the frigate "Midiya" were sunk.
On August 27–28, 1855, west of Sukharnaya Balka, almost in the middle of the bay, the ships Grand Duke Konstantin, Paris, Empress Maria, Brave, Yagudiel, Chesma were sunk; the frigate "Kulevchi" and the steam frigate "Vladimir". Smaller ships, mainly brigs and schooners, were sunk in the South Bay and Kilen Bay. Finally, on August 30, all the remaining steam frigates, steamers and other watercraft were flooded off the northern shore of the Sevastopol Bay.
In total, 95 units were sunk in the Sevastopol Bay: 15 warships, 7 frigates, 4 corvettes, 8 brigs, 4 artillery schooners, 4 tenders, 2 yachts, 6 steam frigates, 12 steam ships, 4 transports, 18 merchant ships and 11 auxiliary ships, including collectors , excavators, etc. ( full list see "Secrets of Sevastopol" book 3).
On November 14, 1854, a severe storm broke out on the Black Sea. Never before in such a short period of time has a storm brought so much damage to the fleet. Of the British sailing ships anchored in Balaklava Bay, most were badly damaged, some were flooded. The results of the storm for the allied fleet were catastrophic, the American transports Progress, Wanderer and Kenilworth, the British Prince, Resolute, Rip Van Winkle, Panola, Wild Wave, Peltoma died. ", "Maltese".
In the area of ​​the Kacha River, 13 merchant ships were lost among them: London, Lord Raglen, Ganges, Woodvell, Tahren, Pirenus, Clendalough, Georgianna, Malta, Weldevoven ".
Near the Chersonese lighthouse sank: "Yeenimple", "Brente", "Danube", "Mina".
Between Sevastopol and Evpatoria, a number of ships and vessels were lost: "Duchess Clendalough", "Harbinger", "Macester"; 100-gun ships: "Henry-IV", "Pluton", "Gollodene"; leased vessels: "Rodwel", "Fejeme"; transports: 3, 53, 55, 61, 81.
In the Varna area, the following sank: the French Nouvelle, Jallieta, the English steamer Trand London, the Australian brig Lilpida, the Sardinian steamers Lacrapamilia and Lt-Trancesco. Rumeli - "Bahire", "Muphtahi Djehat". The French brig Courrier sank near Balchik.
The Turkish fleet lost the ships "Muftan Jagat" and "Bagheera"; more than 970 people died, led by Admiral Gasan Pasha. In just one day on November 14, 60 ships and vessels were lost.
During the Crimean War, the Russian fleet lost 40 battleships, 15 frigates, 24 corvettes, 15 steam frigates and many others, including merchant ships. In practice, the Russian Black Sea sailing fleet ceased to exist.
In the autumn of 1996, an examination of sunken objects in the area of ​​the Balaklava raid began with the help of underwater vehicle"Langouste". During diving at a depth of 80 meters, a sailing ship was found standing on an even keel. The steering wheel is visible at the stern. Well-preserved masts with broken spars lie across the deck.
To the right of the entrance to the bay, at a depth of 60 m, a ship was found lying keel up. In the fall of 2006, a well-preserved British ship from the Crimean War period was found by a Ukrainian-Russian underwater expedition near Balaklava Bay at a depth of 70 meters.
Second half of the 18th century. After the Crimean War in the period from 1789 to 1860. 56 different ships and vessels perished in the Black Sea.
In 1862, the passenger-and-freight ship Khersones, which was going from Feodosia to the Caucasus, ran aground near the Ak-Burun cape. Passengers and baggage removed. In the winter of the same year, the Ores passenger steamer, sailing from Sukhumi to Kerch, ran aground on the northeastern side of Cape Chauda due to a navigator's mistake. Passengers and crew landed on the shore, 27 people died from frost.
In 1877 the Russian-Turkish war began. January 14, 1878 mineboat steamer " Grand Duke Konstantin" - "Chesma" and "Sinop" - for the first time used torpedoes and sank the Turkish steamer "Intibah" in the Batumi roadstead, and the monitor "Selfie" in the Danube River. In 1787, four Turkish ships sank near Kinburn. In 1788, two large and three small ships sank near Ochakov. Kinburn has three ships, five frigates and five other ships. In 1790, the Kapudaniya ship sank near Tendera. From 1862 to 1875, 156 ships were shipwrecked in the Sea of ​​Azov.
From 1873 to 1900, more than 600 ships and vessels were lost in various areas of the Black Sea. During the naval exercises on May 29, 1909, near Sevastopol, the battleship "Rostislav" rammed the submarine "Kambala", which was subsequently raised.
The cabin of the boat is installed as a monument to the dead at the city cemetery of Sevastopol.

World War I.
During the First World War, more than 60 transports and over 3 thousand various ships and ships perished in the Black Sea.
Near Odessa, the Germans sank the gunboat "Donets". In 1915, the German submarine I-33 sank the hospital ship Portugal. On April 25, 1916, on the beam of Kamyshovaya Bay, the destroyer Zhivuchy was blown up by a mine laid by the German underwater minelayer Iv-15.
October 7, 1916 at 7 o'clock in the morning, the battleship "Empress Maria" standing on the inner roads of Sevastopol exploded. They worked to save - led by the commander of the fleet, Vice Admiral Kolchak. At 8 o'clock in the morning the ship sank. 215 people died. In May 1917, the submarine Morzh was blown up by a mine near the Bosporus, coordinates (41°22`45`` N 29°15`41`` E).
In the southern part near Cape Tarkhankut, at a depth of 42 m, lies the Tsesarevich Alexei transport (45°11`50`` N, 32°31`21`` E). The divers who were on board the transport picked up porcelain dishes with the royal coat of arms and a bag of well-preserved flour from it. Pancakes were even baked from this flour. Many divers who visited the Tsesarevich Alexei felt mystical horror: it seemed to them that someone was constantly watching them.
The ship "Kara-Kermen" was found in Feodosia (45°03`28`` N 35°23`53`` E).

Civil War. On June 18, 1918, a decision was made to destroy the Black Sea Fleet. Tugs took the battleship "Free Russia" out of Novorossiysk (44°36`38`` N 37°53`50`` E). The destroyer "Kerch" fired 5 torpedoes at the battleship. She was subsequently sunk by her crew (44°05`16`` N 39°00`36`` E). Lined up on the outer roadstead: destroyers and destroyers Kaliakria, Gadzhibey, Piercing, Fidonisi, Captain-Lieutenant Baranov, Lieutenant Shestakov, Sharp-witted, Swift, numbered destroyer and several transports, on which the kingstones were opened. The destroyer "Gromky" (44°37`18`` N, L°37°49`49`` E). The battleship "Will" and several destroyers did not obey the Bolsheviks, and went to Sevastopol, where they fell under the control of the Germans.
In April 1919, the British sank submarines in the outer roadstead of Sevastopol - "Orlan", "Karas", "Gagara", "Karp", "Pike", "Salmon", "Burbot", "Sperm Whale", "Kit", Narwhal, Skat, AG-21 and Crab. In Odessa, the submarines "Swan" and "Pelican" were flooded.
In 1926, the Orlan submarine was raised, in 1928 the AG-21, in 1932 the Sudak, Kit, in 1935 the Crab.
In 1920, near the Obitochnaya Spit, the Reds sank the gunboat Salgir. The Italian destroyer Rakkiya was sunk in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The battleship Rostislav was sunk in the Kerch Strait (45°25`2``N 36°37`8``E).
At the end of the Civil War, Wrangel's troops took 157 ships and vessels of the Black Sea Fleet to Bizerte.
On June 8, 1931, the Metallist submarine (former AG-21) sank during exercises in the Nikolaevka area in a collision with the Frunze destroyer. (44°56`8``N 33°26`8``E) 10.06.1931 raised and put into operation.

The Second World War.
Ships. In the first days of the war, the leader of Moskva (44°01`47``N 28°50`08``E) died near Constanta. On the Sevastopol roadstead, the destroyer "Fast", the scow "Dnepr", a tugboat and a floating crane were blown up by magnetic mines.
In October 1941, the destroyer Frunze sailed from Sevastopol to Odessa. In the area of ​​the southern part of the Tendra Spit, after a German air raid, the destroyer was sunk 4 miles from the gunboat "Red Armenia" (46°13`23``N, 31°36`28``E). Part of the crew was saved by a tugboat, but then it was also sunk. The survivors, together with Rear Admiral A. A. Vladimirsky, swam to the shore. On October 24, 1941, diver Spiridonov retrieved secret documents from the SK-128 patrol boat from the destroyer.
Near Sevastopol sank: destroyers "Dzerzhinsky" (44°26`5``N 33°19`0``E),
"Free", "Watchful". The fate of the destroyer Dzerzhinsky is interesting. In 1917 it was called "Kaliakria". In 1918, together with other ships, she was sunk in Novorossiysk. In 1925, it was raised by EPRON, restored and named Dzerzhinsky. 158 people died.
The cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" sank on November 13, 1941 at 4 am opposite the Grafskaya pier. He was attacked by 20 aircraft, 6 bombs hit the cruiser. A week later, in the same place, also during a German air raid, the destroyer Svobodny was killed.
In 1956, the cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" was raised and towed to the Bahal Bay.
On March 7, 1942, the destroyer "Smysliy" (45°01`5``N 36°46`0``E) was lost near the Iron Horn cape in the Krechensky Strait. On June 26, 1942, the destroyer Bezuprechny (44°15`0``N°36°00`0``E) sank 70 miles southeast of the Kherson lighthouse.
The leader of the "Tashkent" died in the Novorossiysk Bay in early July 1942. It was the fastest ship capable of speeds of 44 knots (80 km / h). The leader was the last ship that was able to break through to Sevastopol. On it, 2,300 people and a canvas of the Sevastopol panorama were taken out of the besieged city.
On September 30, 1942, the destroyer "Perfect" was blown up by a mine on the Chersonesos measuring line. In October 1943, she sank near Feodosia: the leader of the "Kharkov" (44 ° 15`0`` N.L.
36°00`0``E), destroyers "Merciless" and "Able". In 1992, they were found and examined by the GISC "Hydrologist".

Submarines.
Most of the submarines were lost off the coast of Romania and Bulgaria.
On July 26, 1941, during the raid operation of Soviet ships on the port of Constanta, Shch-206 (Nelma) mistakenly torpedoed its leader Moskva, which split in half and sank. Then Shch-216 was also mistakenly sunk by depth charges from the destroyer Soobrazitelny. (43°51`5``N 28°45`E) On December 6, 1941, the Shch-204 submarine (Lamprey) was sunk in the area of ​​Cape St. Atanas by depth charges from a German aircraft (42° 53`15``N 28°03`54``E).
During the war, Soviet submarines were lost: "M-58" on 10/21/41 on a mine in the Constanta region, "M-59" on 10/28/41 on a Romanian mine in the Sulina region, "M-34" on 11/03/41 on a mine in the Constanta region , "S-34" 14.11.41 in the area of ​​Cape Emine on a Bulgarian mine, "Shch-211" 16.11.41 on a Bulgarian mine near Varna, "Sch-210" 15.02.42 on a Bulgarian mine in the area of ​​Cape Shabler, " Shch-214 on June 19, 1942 south of Cape Ai-Todor was sunk by an Italian torpedo boat; S-32 was sunk on June 26, 1942 by a German aircraft south of Cape Sarych; 42 died in the Odessa region on the Romanian minefield, "Sch-208" 08/26/42 southwest of about. Snake on a Romanian mine, "M-60" 02/26/42 died in the Odessa region on a Romanian mine, "M-118" 01/10/42 was sunk by a German aircraft in the area of ​​Cape Burnas, "Shch-213" 15/10/42 was blown up by a mine in sea, "Sch-212" 10.12.42 was blown up near about. Snake on a mine, "L-24" on 12/15/42 near Cape Kaliakri was blown up by a Romanian mine, "M-31" on 12/17/42 was sunk by depth charges of the German hunter UJ 116 "Xanten".
July 26, 1943 submarine "Shch-203" ("Flounder") was sunk in the Kalamitsky Bay by the Italian midget submarine SV-4, "M-51" sank in the Ochamchire area, "A-3" died on 10.28.43 west of Evpatoria, hitting a mine. "D-4" 2.12.43 was sunk in the area of ​​Cape Tarkhankut by German sea hunters.
In 1944, the M-36, L-23, Shch-216, L-6 submarines and the captured TS-2 were killed. "TS-2" - the former Romanian "Marsuinul" - sank in Poti as a result of the explosion of her own torpedoes.
In 1974, the sunken submarine Shch-204 was found. In 1982, she was examined by divers, the remains of the crew were raised to the surface and buried in Sevastopol.
In 1980, the underwater laboratory "Bentos-300", on the outer roads of Sevastopol at a depth of 78 m, discovered a submarine (44°38`04``N 33°25`36``E). In 1992, a video filming was made from the Rif PA.
Transport. During the three years of the war in the Black Sea, 95 ships of the Ministry of the Navy were lost. The transport "Arcadia" and the passenger-and-freight ship "Lenin" were the first to die. In the northwestern region of the Black Sea sank: "Polina Osipenko", "Ladoga 5", "Bryansk" (46°32`16``N 30°52`42``E), "Moldavia" , "Soviet Bessarabia", "Bolshevik" (45°50`06``N 32°13`09``E), tugboats Typhoon and Solombala.
During the withdrawal of the Red Army units from Odessa, the ships Peter the Great, Pskov, Eagle, Plekhanov, Voikov, Sacco and Vanzetti were flooded to block the entrance to the Odessa harbor. (44°30`998``N 38°02`34``E)
On August 29, 1941, the Kamenets-Podolsky transport was sunk by enemy aircraft south of the Kerch Strait. On September 30, 1942, the Pugachev transport was sunk there. (44°51`06``N 36°08`56``E).
On October 16, 1941, the Bolshevik transport (45°50`06``N 32°13`09``E) was destroyed near Odessa - it was sunk by 50 bombers and 6 torpedo bombers.
On November 7, 1941, south of Yalta (44°17`00``N 34°10`00``E), the passenger-and-freight ship "Armenia" with a displacement of 5805 tons, built in 1931, sank. On board were the wounded, hospital workers and evacuated residents of the besieged Sevastopol. On November 6, he left Sevastopol and on November 7 arrived in Yalta, where the evacuees, the wounded and the medical staff of hospitals were loaded onto him. Contrary to the order of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky, to go out at night, the ship went to sea in the morning. At 11:25 in the area of ​​Cape Ai-Todor, it was torpedoed by a German aircraft and sank 4 minutes later. More than 5,000 people died. Only 8 people survived.
On November 9, 1941, on the beam of Cape Sarych, a mine was blown up (according to other sources - torpedoed by the German submarine "Delphinium") the cargo-and-passenger steamer "Lenin" (44°20`14``N 33°45`17`` v.d.), who went from Odessa to the Caucasus. More than 1200 passengers died. The captain of the ship, I. S. Borisenko, and the pilot, I. I. Svistun, were saved, but later, by the verdict of a military tribunal, they were shot.
In October 1941, the tanker "Absheron" (44°18`4``N 32°29`6``E) sank near Sevastopol, blown up by mines.
In November 1941, several ships were lost: the ambulance transport "Armenia", the transport "Ingul", "Absheron", the icebreaker "Stepan Makarov", the steamer "Maikop", the motor ship "Rot-Front".
Icebreaker "S. Makarov" went missing in November 1941 (in 1917 he was called "Prince Pozharsky", in 1920 - "Lieutenant Schmidt"). On November 17, he left Tuapse for Sevastopol, with 120 people on board. Currently, there are several versions of the death of the icebreaker.
Motor ship "Rot-Front" was lost on November 4, 1941 at the Takil cape. The fate of his captain is interesting. The captain of the ship, V.K. Subbotin, escaped and was appointed captain of the Ingul ambulance transport, who died in the same month. The captain was transferred to the cargo ship "Tbilisi", which sank in the Kara Sea. In 1943, the captain was assigned to another Tbilisi transport, which died in 1944 in the Barents Sea and was already together with his captain.
In February 1942, the Kommunist transport was lost at the crossing from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol. Transport "Chapaev" with 200 fighters, 240 horses and 1000 tons of ammunition, went to the besieged Sevastopol from Tuapse. Due to a mistake by the navigator in the area of ​​Cape Fiolent, he entered our minefield and hit a mine. The cargo-passenger ship "Vasily Chapaev" sank near Sevastopol. There were 102 people on it.
The sanitary transport "Svanetia" sank in the eastern part of the Black Sea on April 17, 1942. There were wounded defenders of Sevastopol on board. More than 800 people died. On June 10, 1942, the transport "Abkhazia" was sunk by enemy aircraft at the pier of Sukharnaya Balka in Sevastopol.
On April 2, the tanker "Valery Kuibyshev" was lost in the Kerch Strait, on April 14, the transport "Anton Chekhov" was sunk there, 200 people died.
On May 14, 1942, the Potemkin steamer sank in the Kerch Strait. The ship "Vostok" also perished there. Transports were sunk in the Sea of ​​Azov: "Chernomorets" (500 people); "Red Sailor", "Red Fleet".
In June 1942, four ambulances were killed, taking out the wounded from Sevastopol. On June 2, 40 miles south of Yalta, a torpedo thrown from an aircraft sank the tanker Mikhail Gromov. On June 13, in the Sevastopol Bay, German aircraft sank the Georgia ambulance transport, which carried 4,000 replenishment people. Many died. In the same month, the Bialystok (Foros) ambulance transport sank with 375 wounded on board.
In the following days of the defense of Sevastopol in the Kerch region, the destroyer Bezuprechny was killed. Two days after the death of the destroyer, our submarine M-118 surfaced in this area and picked up only one survivor.
From March to August 1942, the following died in the Black Sea:
- transport: Chapaev (44°23`8``N 32°25`8``E), Fabricius (44°42`28``N 37°27` 08``E), "Vasily Chapaev", "Red Sailor", "Potemkin", "Vostok", "Chernomorets", "Temryuk", "Red Fleet", "Kuban", "Ukraine", "Proletarian ”, “Elbrus”, “Sevastopol” (43°56`35``N 39°14`24``E), Jan Tomp (43°46`55``N 39°26`55``E);
- tankers: "Valery Kuibyshev", "Mikhail Gromov";
- ambulance transport: "A. Chekhov" (45°10`32``N 36°24`15``E), Svaneti, Soviet Abkhazia, Georgia, Bialystok;
- Icebreaker "Znamya Socialism" and many other named and unnamed watercraft.
During the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation in December 1941, the following died:
dredger "Voroshilo" (450 people), tug "Fanagoria" (160 people), transports "Panay" (113 people), "Yeisk", "Krasnogvardeets", "Tashkent", "Zymyanin", "Nogin", "Batyr-Dag", "Spartakovets", "Bataysk", "Jean Zhores" (45°02`21``N 27°58`31``E), tanker Varlaam Avansov. 19 seiners were damaged. A landing force of 11,225 people was landed on the Crimean coast.
In October-December 1943, during the Eltigen landing operation, the following died:
- sea hunters: "MO-04", "MO-05", "MO-0412";
- armored boats: "BKA-303", "BKA-112", "BKA-423";
- minesweepers: "KTShch-182", "KTShch-62", "KTShch-111";
- seiner "Putin" and a number of other ships and boats.
In 1943, 10 transport ships were lost in the coastal zone of the Black Sea: Mius (44°37`04``N 37°48`24``E), Chervoniy Kozak (44°37 `52``N °37°47`30``E), towing
ry "Ritsa", "Pervansh", the tanker "Elba", the schooner "Panais".

They suffered heavy losses at sea and the fleets of foreign states. During operations in the Black Sea, Germany and its allies lost 455 ships and vessels. The largest German sunk transports: "Santa Fe" (45°06`22`` N 33°16`52`` E), "Totila" (near Cape Chersonese), "Teia"; Romanian: "Peles" (42°49`54``N 27°55`52``E) near Cape Emine, Kavarna, Volga-Don (45°13`54` `N 33°02`14``E).
In April 1944, Soviet bombers sank in the village. Sudak five barges, in the south-west of Cape Khersones - 2 tankers, 3 transports and 3 submarine hunters.
During this period, submarines of the Black Sea Fleet sank 2 enemy transports and 2 landing barges.
In the area of ​​​​Lake Donuzlav, Soviet bombers sank 3 German transports. After they sank, local residents found a lot of gold-embroidered clothes and various wooden items on the shore, which were later identified as museum exhibits. As it turned out, there were various valuables from the palaces and museums of Crimea on the transports. In our time, military divers have examined these vessels and found that oversized boxes are on the decks. We started lifting one of the boxes, but the cable broke on the surface of the water. Further work was banned, because. transports carry a lot of ammunition. One of them, "Varna", rests on the bottom with coordinates (45°12`05``N 32°53`22``E).
Transport "Teya" was sunk by Soviet aircraft. 3500 people died. On the same day, the Totila transport was sunk, on which there were about 4,000 German soldiers and officers.
On May 11, the transports Danibius, Helga, Geiserich, and the tanker Frideriks were sunk. On May 12, the transport "Romania" was sunk.
During the evacuation of troops from the Crimea, a total of 102 ships were sunk. 42,000 German-Romanian soldiers and officers died. Leaving the Black Sea, the Germans sank 76 ships and vessels of the fleet in the region of Varna and Constanta, as well as submarines V-18, V-19, V-20, V-23, V-24 ".

Aviation losses. Most of the planes lying at the bottom of the sea were discovered quite by accident. In 1996, a fishing seiner hooked a German plane with a trawl in the area of ​​Cape Aya. The fishermen lifted him out of the water, then the trawl broke off, and only one machine gun remained in the nets. In 1997, this plane was searched with the help of the Langust submersible, but so far it has not been found. In 2000, the seiner "Sevastopol Rybak" near the village of Lyubimovka pulled the Junkers-88 aircraft out of the water. The boatswain, on the orders of the captain, threw him in the same place. Our divers found several planes in the area of ​​Kacha, capes Lukull, Chauda and in the Kerch Strait. In 1943, the American and British aircraft Boston A-20, Kittyhawk, Airacobra, etc. entered service. but never found. In the Cossack Bay (44°35`050``N 33°24`352``E), at a depth of 20 meters, a German Dornier-26 aircraft was found.
In October 2006, at the anchorage near the b. Cossack found second, okay
preserved German aircraft. In good condition on the seabed is located
"Boston-A20". (44°34`15``N 33°04`21``E).
Second half of the XX century. After the end of World War II, ships and ships of the fleet continued to die. In 1949, the motor ship Anatoly Serov was blown up by a mine near Sevastopol. In 1951, the Baku Komsomolets sank near Novorossiysk. In 1959, the ship "Krasnodon" sank abeam Sochi. In 1972, the Bulgarian transport Lom and the ship of the Black Sea Shipping Company Mozdok collided near Odessa, both ships sank.
On October 29, 1955, the battleship Novorossiysk, the former Giulio Caesar, built in 1910, exploded and sank in the Sevastopol Bay. 611 people died. In 1956, as a result of an accident in Poti, the S-201 submarine sank. In 1957, the Pervomaisk and Zaporozhye ships sank. In January 1970, the Pioneer seiner was lost near the Kamenny metro station.
In November 1968, the lighter "Roksha" (46°27`34``N 37°07`35``E) sank near the Berdyansk Spit. More than 20 people died, led by a female captain A. I. Shibaeva. In 1973, the Greek cargo ship Agios Nikoleos (46°25`51``N 37°03`32``E) crashed into the Roksha hull. The buoys protecting the Roksha did not burn, the Greek ship sank three miles from the Roksha (47°28`57``N 37°04`33``E). The crew was rescued by the Enakievo vessel.
On August 30, 1974, a large anti-submarine ship "Very" (44°44`42``N 32°59`32``E) sank 20 miles from the Kherson lighthouse. After a strong fire, the ship went into the water astern and sank at a depth of 127 meters. 24 people died.
In January 1982, in the area of ​​the Zyuk cape, "ChS-151", "ChS-1239" were killed, on the Khroni metro station "ChS-1148".
On August 31, 1986, on the beam of Cape Doob near Novorossiysk (44°35`35``N 37°52`19``E), the passenger ship "Admiral Nakhimov" and the cargo ship "Pyotr Vasev" collided. The liner "Admiral Nakhimov" sank. 423 people died. In 1995, the Greek motor ship Doge sank in the Kerch Strait. Our divers pulled out a safe containing $7,000.
In 1995, in the area of ​​Cape Lukull, the Sevastopol seiner "SAOR-3" went missing, which has not yet been found. When searching for a seiner with the help of the Reef underwater vehicle, a sunken ship was found and there are a lot of amphoras on it. In 1997, in the same area, a seiner SChS "Walrus" exploded on a mine raised by nets.
The beginning of the XXI century. The chronicle of maritime disasters in the Black Sea in the 21st century was opened by the Ukrainian cargo-and-passenger ship "Memory" Mercury ", which sank on January 21, 2001 during a storm 97 miles from Cape Sarych.
In December 2001, the seiner "Achkuevsky" washed ashore, and 2 transports ran aground in the Kerch Strait.
On December 4, 2001, the Chernomorets ship sank near the Turkish city of Sinop. On the same day, two more Turkish ships were lost.
On September 6, 2002, the Turkish cargo ship Mustafa Tepal collided with the oil tanker Lydia.
In a relatively short time, the Russian fishing trawler Bosphorus, the Ukrainian motor ship Sagittarius, the fishing seiner Istok, the Ukrainian cargo ship Slavutich-7 and the Turkish car ferry Selchuk ended up on the seabed.
On February 1, 2003 at 04:50, the Yuzhny tanker washed ashore. At 11:00 a.m., the motor ship Dgarwic ran aground and 2 Philippine ships went missing. On the same day, an American spaceship"Colombia".
On January 9, 2003, the Tunisian bulk carrier Amir-1 crashed.
On February 13, 2004, a ship under the flag of Cambodia sank with a Ukrainian-Bulgarian team on board, and on March 10, a fishing seiner disappeared near Cape Tarkhankut. During the search, another unknown sunken ship was discovered.
On March 12, 2004, in the area of ​​Chernomorskoye, the seiner "Bug" went missing. A few days later, a life raft was found on the shore, on which there were 2 people from this seiner.
On January 17, 2005, the Ukrainian ship "Fiandora" sank, and on February 28, 2005, transport ("Alushta") washed ashore at exactly the same place where the tanker ("Southern") had previously stood. On the same day, the Sirius transport landed on the stones of Cape Tarkhankut.
On July 1, 2005, the Russian dry cargo ship Volgo-Don collided with the Georgian ship Sunrise, and on July 15, 2005, the cargo ship Idrona sank under the flag of Panama. During a storm, the Russian cargo ship Voznesensk washed up on the rocks near Sevastopol.
On August 21, 2005, the Berta yacht sank near the Sujuk lighthouse, and on August 27, the Turkish ferry Ufuk sank. On September 9, the dry cargo ship Melissa sank under the flag of the DPRK. On September 12, 2005, the Russian yacht Mir sank in the central part of the Black Sea.
And already in March 2006, the Turkish ore carrier "Kalnavan" and the Cambodian dry cargo ship "Lady Amar" were at the bottom.
In May 2013, Russian scientists of the Russian Geographical Society, exploring the seabed near Sevastopol, discovered a ship at a depth of 100 meters, enough large object about 100 meters long. The research vessel "Nikolaev", carrying special equipment with ultra-sensitive technology, is conducting prospecting work on the Black Sea shelf under the program of the Russian Geographical Society. With the help of this equipment, a three-dimensional model of a large underwater object was created. Presumably, this is the German ship "Totila". "Totila" ("Totila") - the new Hungarian motor ship "Magyar Vitez" (2773 brt.) in 1942 was launched, confiscated by the German side and transferred to the German transport fleet. On May 10, 1944, the transport "Totila" arrived in the area southwest of Cape Chersonese, to evacuate the remnants of the German army, pressed against the steep banks of the Chersonese Peninsula. Taking on board about 4000 people. tried to go out to sea. It was attacked by Soviet aircraft, hit by three 100-kilogram aerial bombs, presumably sank at a distance of 4-4.5 miles southwest of Cape Khersones.
Hydrography specialists of the Black Sea Fleet claim that over 50,000 different ships, vessels, submarines and other watercraft have perished in the entire history of navigation in the Black Sea, of which more than 10,000 sailing ships. It is known that wooden ships are much better preserved than iron ones. According to hydrography, more than 500 ships and vessels have already been found at the bottom of the Black and Azov Seas. However, most of the sunken ships have not yet been found and examined.
According to the Merchant Shipping Code, the owner of the ship has the right to the ship and the property sunk with it within 2 years from the date of sinking. After 2 years, the ship and the property on it are transferred to the state in whose territorial waters it sank. At the same time, the property raised from the seabed must be transferred to the seaport of Ukraine, in whose area of ​​responsibility this property is located. In this case, the person who delivered the property at the disposal of the port is paid a reward in the amount of one third of the value of this property.

In total, according to the calculations of historians and oceanographers, the remains of at least a million ships of all eras rest on the seabed. Most of the "drowned" found their end under the abyss of the upper waters, far from the sun's rays and the storms raging from above. However, rare lucky ones managed to sink in shallow water. They lie like a dead spot in the turquoise glow of the depth, reminding us of the omnipotence of the ocean.

To access such objects, scuba gear and other special equipment are not needed. It is enough just to sail above them to see the silhouettes of sunken ships.

The ghostly remains of the yacht Mar Sem Fin("Endless Sea")

A Brazilian research yacht iced over and sunk at a depth of about 10 meters in Maxwell Bay in Antarctica.

The last parade of the cruiser "Prinz Eugen"

A participant in the Bikini nuclear tests, he found his last refuge on the reefs of Kwajalein Atoll, 10,000 miles from his historical homeland.

After the surrender of Germany, the cruiser was captured by the Americans, who used the Eugen as a target. The ship withstood the nuclear fire and was towed to nearby Kwajalein to await another round of explosions. For the next six months, the cruiser slowly, compartment by compartment, filled with water and listed on the LB. At the last moment, the Yankees tried to save him, but before reaching the shore, the Eugen capsized and sank in shallow water. Where it remains to this day, with its propellers shamelessly raised above the water.

The picturesque remains of the schooner Sweepstakes

An old Canadian schooner that sank on the lake. Ontario in 1885. The remains of Sweepstakes rest under six meters of clear water. This made it possible to turn the schooner into a popular tourist attraction, making Sweepstakes part of the national natural park. Currently, work is underway at the bottom of the lake to restore and preserve the remains of a 19th-century schooner.

Lies really well!

The wreck of the brig "James McBride", sunk on the lake. Michigan in 1857.

A pile of debris at the site of the sinking of the Rising Sun. The ship was lost in a storm in 1917.

An unknown sunken ship, whose photo was found on the Internet.

The British armored steamer Vixen, scuttled as a barrage in Bermuda.

Tears of the battleship Arizona

Battleship station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands. Further comments are probably unnecessary.

Arizona is one of two American battleships that died that day (the remaining six were returned to service). It was hit by four 800-kg bombs made from 356-mm armor-piercing shells. The first three did not cause harm to the battleship, but the last one led to the detonation of the gunpowder magazines of the main main gun turrets. The ship, destroyed by the explosion, sank to the bottom of the harbor, forever locking 1,177 people in its compartments.

A memorial was erected at the site of the death of the battleship. The deck of the battleship lies literally a few meters below it. Engine oil slowly seeping to the surface spreads over the water in a lilac-scarlet spot, supposedly depicting “battleship tears” for its dead crew.

Supercarrier Utah

Near the "Arizona", at the bottom of the Pearl Bay, another remarkable object rests. Sunken target ship (decommissioned battleship) "Utah". The smooth wooden flooring in place of the dismantled main battery towers was mistaken by Japanese pilots for the deck of an aircraft carrier. The samurai took out all their anger on the target instead of flying to bomb the oil base, docks and other strategic objects of Pearl Harbor.

The last feat of "Ochakov"

The large anti-submarine ship "Ochakov" was used as a barrier at the exit from the lake. Donuzlav, during the “Crimean events” the year before last. Being in an incapacitated state, the old BOD found the strength to complete the last task in the interests of the Fatherland.

Unlike other ships on this list, the BOD hull did not completely disappear under water. But the epic nature of such an event is impressive!

Some ships managed to die without water. In the photo - an abandoned ship at the bottom of the dried-up Aral Sea.

Minesweeper T-413
and patrol boat No. 092

Minesweeper T-413 was laid down on 10/29/1939 according to project 58. Launched in 1940. Commissioned in April 1941.
Displacement: 476 tons
Speed: 18 knots.
Armament: 1 100 mm and 1 45 mm guns, trawls.
Crew: 53 people.

Patrol boat No. 092 - type MO-IV, a former border patrol boat, entered service in 1939, from 06/22/1941 in operational, and from 07/19/1941 and in organizational subordination of the Black Sea Fleet, until 09/04/1941 city ​​- PK-136.
Displacement: 56.5 tons
Speed: 25.5 knots
Armament: 2 45 mm guns, 2 machine guns,
2 bombers.
Crew: 21 people.

On June 13, 1942, at 1145 hours, in the area of ​​Cape Fiolent, 15 enemy bombers attacked the minesweeper T-413 and patrol boat No. 092. About 80 bombs were dropped on the ships. From three direct hits (on cockpit No. 2, bow engine room and wardroom) and explosions a large number bombs in the immediate vicinity of the ship, the minesweeper received numerous holes. Gradually filling with water, the T-413 began to slowly list, lay down on the starboard side, then abruptly turned upside down with a keel and at 11.55 a.m. disappeared under water at a distance of 15 cables from Cape Fiolent along a bearing of 310 °. The bombs also sank patrol boat No. 092. There are no coordinates of death.

According to the sonar data of this area, at a distance of 11-14 cables from Cape Fiolent, along bearing 311 ° there are two underwater obstacles with coordinates 44 ° 30 "5" N 33 ° 28 "3" E and 44 ° 30 "4" N 33 ° 28"2"E. Depths are 50 and 27 meters, elevation above the ground is 8 and 3 meters, respectively. It is possible that these obstacles are minesweeper T-413 and patrol boat No. 092.

"Bialystok"
Sanitary transport. Former cargo-passenger ship of the Black Sea State Shipping Company. As part of the Black Sea Fleet from 08/12/1941 as a floating base for submarines. From 09/19/1941 ambulance transport. Capacity 2048 brt. Medical staff 15 people. Regular evacuation capacity of 200 people.

The sanitary transport "Bialystok" (commander senior lieutenant T. P. Rymkus) literally broke through to Sevastopol on the night of June 17-18, 1942 with a cargo of ammunition and food. The ship moored to the berth in Yuzhnaya Bay. "Bialystok" became the last transport ship that was able to break through to Sevastopol before it was abandoned in early July 1942. By the evening of June 18, several hundred wounded and evacuees were taken on board the ship. According to various sources, there were over 800 people on this small ship.

At 21:30, 06/18/1942, "Bialystok", guarding the base minesweeper "Anchor" and five patrol boats, left Sevastopol for Tuapse. On the night of June 19, at the exit from fairway No. 3, 20 miles south of Cape Fiolent, a minesweeper saw the silhouette of a torpedo boat, which was mistaken for its own, and fire was not opened on it, which allowed the enemy to approach the convoy. At 01:48 on June 19, 1942, the convoy of ships as part of the motor ship "Bialystok" was attacked by torpedo boats of the Italian Navy. As a result of hitting one of the torpedoes, "Bialystok" received a large hole and quickly sank. When they began to pick up people in the water on the escort ships, machine-gun fire was opened on the escaping from the Italian boats, but this attack was repulsed (from the escort ships). It was possible to save and raise 157 people on the escort vessels. According to various sources, more than 680 people died.
The depth at the place of death is about 250 meters. The remains of the ship lie in the hydrogen sulfide layer. Not examined.

"Romania" ("Romania")
Minelayer. Belonged to Germany. Former Romanian steamer, launched in 1904, transferred to the German Navy in 1942.
Capacity: 3152 GRT
Length: 108 m
Armament: 4 20-mm anti-aircraft guns,
80 anchor minutes

On May 11, 1944, the minelayer "Romania" followed from Sevastopol as part of the high-speed convoy "Ovidiu" guarding the destroyer "Regele Ferdinand" and hunters for submarines Uj-110, Uj-301, Uj-305. The convoy was attacked by Soviet top-masts. At 0952 hours, after being hit by bombs, the mine layer caught fire and lost its course. The command decided not to risk the rest of the convoy ships, removed people from the damaged Romania and left it to be torn to pieces by Soviet aviation. After several air raids, only the charred skeleton remained of the ship. At 2346 hours, Soviet torpedo boats No. 353 and No. 301 torpedoed the Romania mine zag. From the damage received at dawn on May 12, the ship sank. According to another version, the ship damaged by aircraft died from the detonation of ammunition. According to sources, the point of death is located in the area of ​​Cape Fiolent. The coordinates are not specified. At a distance of 10 kilometers to the west of Cape Fiolent, there is an object on the ground that is similar in size to the Romania minzag.

Object coordinates 44°30"N 33°21"E. Depth is about 96 meters. Elevation above the ground 14 meters. With a small degree of probability, it can be argued that this object is the Romania mine layer.

"AGNES BLAIKIE"
Belonging to England. Sailing ship, launched 1841 at Aberdeen. Displacement 381 tons. She worked under the pennant of the company "Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line" on the England-Australia line.

Discovered in the 70s of the last century, during the testing of sonar systems.
A three-masted sailboat, about 40 meters long, lies on an even keel.

On the port side, in the area of ​​the waterline, a breach was found, probably from a collision with a ship. In the stern there is a bell with the inscription AGNES BLAIKIE.
The Ukrainian authorities decided to raise it to the surface. This failed due to the fact that the mount of the ship's bell passes through the ship's hull.

A garden vase, an ornamented steering wheel trim, and a flintlock gun were raised from the side.

Coordinates
Depth 86 meters.

"Prince" ("Prince")
English paddle steamer.
November 14, 1854 steamship "Prince" sank as a result of a storm in the area of ​​Balaklava Bay.

Enough, the legendary ship, covered with legends and legends. The ship for the middle of the XIX century was a very large ship with a displacement of 2710 tons. The main dimensions of the frigate - 300 feet long and 43 wide - is about three football fields. The ship was fast enough, sailing speed reached 13-14 knots. The crew - 150 people, the frigate could take 200 passengers. The ship had comfortable first and second class cabins with bedrooms and bathrooms! English newspapers of the time wrote that the Prince's cargo mainly consisted of clothes - shirts, sheepskin coats, hats, underwear, as well as sheets, blankets, sleeping bags and the like. But as soon as the Crimean War ended, sensational reports began to appear in the European press. It turns out that along with the soldier's underpants and socks, on board the ship were money intended to pay salaries to the expeditionary British troops in the Crimea - dozens of barrels filled to the brim with gold coins. Regarding the value of the cargo, information differed: 200 thousand pounds, a million pounds, 500 thousand francs, 5-6 million rubles, etc. But the figure of 60 million francs began to occur most often.

Another popular rumor added the word "Black" to the main name. Today, in most publications, the ship is called the "Black Prince".
During various expeditions, in order to find gold, a telescope, a rifle, a box of bullets and a lot of metal parts rusted beyond recognition were raised to the surface. As well as an old hand grenade, a washstand, hospital shoes, a porcelain mortar, several unexploded shells, boot soles, lead bullets, a rusty lock, a galosh, two forks and a spoon, a wheel hub and several horseshoes.

In October 1924, during the training of young divers, near the ruins of the Genoese tower to the east of the entrance to the bay, one of the divers found a rusty object of impressive size at the bottom, in which the expedition leaders identified the ship's steam boiler (later it was raised), as well as a mass of metal objects and a fragment of the board with portholes.

If we try to determine specific place the death of the ship, there is a difficulty with depth. In some descriptions, the ship was found at a depth of 80 meters, in others 54 meters. Personal opinion of the author of the publication, the depth at the site of the death of the "Prince" is no more than 30 meters. It is known that the ship was damaged by hitting a coastal cliff. Secondly, it is unlikely that young divers trained at a depth of more than 30 meters.

U-18
German submarine II B series. Launched in 1935.
Displacement: 250 t
Length: 42.7 m
Width: 4 m
working - 80 m

Submarine U-18 on August 20, 1944 was heavily damaged by Soviet aircraft in Constanta and 08/23/1944 was scuttled by her crew in the outer roadstead, at the end of 1944 she was raised by the Emergency and Rescue Service of the Black Sea Fleet. 02/14/1945 was laid up. 05/26/1947 was sunk by artillery fire of the Soviet submarine M-120 during exercises.
According to sources, the flood point is 44°20"N 33°20"E.
Depth over 1000 meters.

U-24
German submarine II B series.
Launched in 1936
Displacement: 250 t
Length: 42.7 m
Width: 4 m
Immersion depth: maximum - 150 m,
working - 80 m
Armament: 2 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, 3 533-mm torpedo tubes (5 torpedoes); it is possible to take on board 18 mines instead of torpedoes.

Submarine U-24 on August 20, 1944 was badly damaged by Soviet aircraft in Constanta and 08/23/1944 was scuttled by her crew in the outer roadstead, at the end of 1944 she was raised by the Emergency and Rescue Service of the Black Sea Fleet. 02/14/1945 was laid up. 05/26/1947 was sunk by torpedoes of the Soviet submarine M-120 during exercises.
According to sources, the flood point is 44°20"N 33°20"E. Depth over 1000 meters.

S-32
Submarine IX-bis series. Laid down on 10/5/1937 at the plant number 198 in Nikolaev. 04/27/1939 launched
to the water. 04/21/1941 became part of the Black Sea Fleet.
Displacement, t 837/1073
Dimensions, m 77.7 x 6.4 x 4
Diesels, hp 4000
Email Motors, hp 1100 Speed, knots 19.5/9 Range, miles 8200/135
Immersion depth, m 100 Armament: Torpedo tubes, pieces 6x 533 mm
Gun 100 mm, pcs 1
Gun 45 mm, piece 1
Crew 45 people.

In terms of architecture, these "C" type submarines were one and a half hull submarines of mixed construction, in which the strong hull was riveted and the light hull was welded. "Eska" had seven compartments; three of them were shelter compartments and were separated by spherical watertight bulkheads designed for a pressure of 10 atmospheres. The design of the pressure body was distinguished by high manufacturability - mainly due to the rejection of the spacing of joints and grooves and the simplified shape of cylindrical and conical sections. The strong felling was oval, due to which its width and, accordingly, the water resistance decreased when moving under water.

The submarine's ascent system, with its simplicity, was highly efficient. Ballast tanks were drained not by pumps, but by exhaust gases of diesel engines or compressed air of an emergency blowdown system. All tanks of the main ballast, except for the stern, were equipped with kingstones of the original scheme.
Laid down on 10/15/1937 at plant No. 198 named after A. Marty (Chernomorsky shipbuilding) in Nikolaev, launched on 04/27/1939, entered into service on 06/19/1940 and 06/25/1940, raising the Naval flag , became part of the Black Sea Fleet.

Participated in the Great Patriotic War. In its first combat campaign, the S-32 (commander - Lieutenant Commander S.K. Pavlenko) carried out sentinel service in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bCape Sarych (15.7-5.8.1941). Shortly after returning, she was sent to Cape Emine (25.8-8.9.1941), where a group of Bulgarian communists was landed from her on enemy territory. On the afternoon of the 31st, the "eska" tried to attack a small convoy, but it was discovered and attacked by a seaplane. On the night of September 6, she almost collided with the escort of the Tampico and Superga tankers. Finding smoke, Pavlenko announced a combat alert, deciding to shoot from the surface. The foreman, who was on duty in the central post, did not understand the command and opened the kingstones and the ventilation of the main ballast tanks. The commander noticed the submersion of the boat late and ordered to surface when the water had already risen to the wheelhouse hatch. At the last moment, Pavlenko managed to jump down and batten down the hatch, leaving four people of the upper watch on the bridge. A minute and a half later, S-32 surfaced again, but there were no watchmen on the surface.

In the third campaign (10-19.10.1941), Pavlenko observed how the Romanian ships laid mines near Cape Emine (subsequently, S-34 was killed on them), but could not go on the attack due to an unfavorable heading angle. Then the S-32 was involved in the shelling of the Crimean coast, and after the repair made one unsuccessful trip to the Akhtebol region (7-25.3.1942). In April, the submarine was again repaired, and from the end of May it became part of the forces allocated to supply Sevastopol. Having started its transport flights simultaneously with Belorukov's S-31 boat; S-32 managed to make one trip more before June 20. The secret was this: she left the bases in dark time days and, thanks to the high speed of the course, managed to move far from the coast before dawn. During the day, she also continued to follow in the surface position, in connection with which she spent from 17 to 22 hours on the flight - an average of a third less than other submarines. In total, S-32 delivered 320 tons of ammunition, 160 tons of food and gasoline to the besieged city, and also took out 140 people.

In your last hike the boat departed from Novorossiysk on June 26 at 9.18. She did not come to Sevastopol.
There are two versions of the death of the S-32 submarine (commander captain 3rd rank S. K. Pavlenko). According to the first, S-32 became a victim of an attack by the Italian midget submarine SV-3 (commander Lieutenant Commander Russo) on June 26, 1942 in the area of ​​Cape Sarych (or Ai-Todor). Some sources indicate that the SV-3 unsuccessfully attacked an unknown submarine not on June 26, but on June 15, 1942. According to another version, Pavlenko's ship became the victim of a sudden air raid, and on 06/26/1942 was attacked in the area of ​​Cape Ai-Todor aircraft of the German 100th bomber aviation squadron at the transition from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol, and the cargo transported by the "escoy" (40 tons of ammunition and 30 tons of gasoline) contributed to its quick death. There were 55 people on board the C-32.

On July 1, 1942, S-32 was expelled from the Navy.
The coordinates of death, according to historical sources, are 44 ° 12 "N 33 ° 48" E.
Depth is about 140 meters. There are no sonar data for the area where the submarine was killed.
According to unverified data, the submarine after war time found on the ground.

Aircraft "Boston-A20"
USSR belonging. American-made Douglas "Boston" A-20 twin-engine front-line bomber of the Boston Ill series ("Havoc" - "Destroyer").

The date of death is unknown. In all likelihood, the plane crashed or was shot down by German aircraft during the Great Patriotic War.

There was practically nothing left of the aircraft (a fragment of a wing, an engine). Discovered by accident. One radial engine was raised. An imported machine gun was also raised.

The object is not of great interest due to the availability and lack of trophies.
Depth is about 8 meters.

"Lenin"
Cargo-passenger ship. The original name was Simbirsk, built in Danzig in 1909.
Capacity: 2713 GRT
Length: 94.8 m
Width: 12.6 m
Draft: 5.7 m
Speed: 16.5 knots.

70 years ago, on July 27, 1941, the defending Odessa was stirred up by terrible rumors - thousands of Odessans, yesterday still considered lucky, who got a boarding pass for the Lenin steamship, the most comfortable steamship of the shipping company, suddenly began to be considered "missing".
There was a war, there were no official messages. There were only rumors. And for the spread of panic rumors, according to the laws of wartime, one could get a bullet from a patrol in the nearest gateway - without trial or investigation. People remained in the dark and waited ...

According to eyewitnesses, after the first rumors about the death of the Lenin steamer, the number of people wishing to evacuate from Odessa fell sharply. Moreover, already in August, ships of the Black Sea Fleet, transports with replenishment and shells began to arrive at the port. The front near Odessa stabilized, and the Odessans took it in such a way that the city would not be surrendered to the enemy on the move, a long-term defense was ahead.

Shortly after the troops of the Odessa defensive region left Odessa (from October 15 to October 16, 1941) and its occupation, some time later, the first witnesses of the disaster on the Lenin steamer appeared in the city. Those who returned brought with them a terrible truth - almost all the women and children drowned along with the ship. Among the survivors, mostly strong and able to swim men - from the mobilized and crew members, professional sailors. The rumors were reinforced by malicious reports in the newspapers, describing the details of the perfidy of the Bolsheviks, who threw their own citizens and a steamer with the "great name of the leader" on their own mines.

The sinking of the Lenin steamship is one of the largest maritime disasters of the 20th century (only the sinking of the sanitary ship Armenia in November 1941 can be compared with this tragedy).

The path of the steamer Lenin in his last campaign

So, here is what eyewitnesses of that tragedy testify.
... The third day after the steamer "Lenin" departed from the Odessa pier, Captain Borisenko was waiting for the "go-ahead" to go to sea. The ship "Gruzia" approached Sevastopol, leaving Odessa two days later.

“On the ship, people are like herring in a barrel,” testifies passenger M.A. Chazova, “they were mobilized side by side on the decks, who, instead of pillows, put cork life belts under their heads. Someone saw this as a “disorder.” On the third day, all the life belts gathered and locked up under a huge castle, which then could not even knock down with an ax.

Everyone understood that the ship would have been in Yalta long ago, but for some reason it was returned halfway to Sevastopol, and it again anchored in Cossack Bay. The sailors took this as a bad omen. The time passed slowly and anxiously...
Finally, on the evening of July 27 at 7:15 p.m. received a radiogram: "Transports to withdraw and proceed to Yalta."
"Lenin" and "Voroshilov", accompanied by the patrol boat "SKA-026", went to sea, but the convoy was severely limited in speed: "Voroshilov" could not make more than 5 knots ...

Already at the investigation, the second assistant to captain G.A. Bendersky testified: "The caravan was compiled absolutely incorrectly. I consider such a selection of ships to be criminal!"

But in this case, the question is appropriate: why, then, was everyone silent? The captain was silent, his assistants were silent... Finally, one more unforgivable oversight of Captain Borisenko must be mentioned. As it was later found out, in Odessa, two anti-aircraft guns were installed on the bow and stern to repel enemy attacks. This is, as sailors say, "extra metal" - therefore, it was necessary to "eliminate the deviation" in order to make the compass readings more accurate.

In addition, metal was also loaded into the holds as a necessary cargo (450 tons) to be transported to Mariupol.
And finally, the last, also important: for some reason there was no echo sounder for measuring the depth on the steamer "Lenin", and the log for calculating the speed of the ship was not verified ...

So, a whole series of omissions, plus errors and criminal negligence before embarking on a night cruise on a ship overloaded with people along a narrow fairway surrounded by minefields. At the same time, only one SKA-026 patrol boat was allocated to protect the "Lenin", "Voroshilov" and "Georgia", where in total there were about 10,000 people.

The southern night came quickly. Total darkness enveloped the "Lenin", "Georgia", "Voroshilov" and the patrol boat, following in the wake of each other. On the left, the bank was only guessed, not a single light was visible (blackout). Captain Borisenko, the young pilot Svistun, and the helmsman of the watch, Kiselyov, peered into the darkness. Pilot Whistler was nervous. As it moved from the shore, the "manipulator service", at the direction of the operational duty officer, was to a short time to light conditional fires. But there were still no lights, and there was no way to clarify the course by bearing. A north wind was blowing, causing the ships to drift. He was helped by the current beyond Cape Fiolent... Captain Borisenko was also nervous. In Sevastopol, there was no briefing of the convoy officials, there was no written order, even a senior convoy was not appointed, the specifics of navigation in this area and security issues were not clarified. There is confusion all around. There was no "naval order" at all! ... The speed was minimal. Time 23 h 30 min. Soon Yalta.

At 23:33 a strong explosion made the entire Lenin steamer shudder. It exploded between holds No. 1 and No. 2. The ship began to sink with its bow and list to starboard. People ran in, shouts were heard: "We are sinking!"

Captain Borisenko gave the command: "Left rudder!" - and then - "Full speed ahead!" - in the hope of getting closer to the Crimean coast.

Eyewitness Kolodyazhnaya: “At the time of the explosion, I was sleeping in the cabin ... When I woke up, I went down to the second deck, the ship was rapidly falling to starboard. Passengers were running towards me from the main deck, screaming. At that moment, the list of the ship was about 15-20 ° "I realized that it would not be possible to lower the boats and ran to my cabin. I took a bib (life belt), a briefcase with money, grabbed my mother by the hands and began to go out. There was a lot of water in the corridor. The list of the vessel increased. My mother dragged me to to starboard, and I to port. At that time, someone fell on me, I missed my mother's hand ...

Something pulled me. I found myself in the sea and saw that a pipe was falling on me. I swam aside and watched the ship sink all the time. I saw the ship's stern rise, the propellers continued to work. Then he stood upright and quickly went under the water. There was an amazing silence, and then there were screams of horror from people who were in the water. I began to swim towards the shore...
I stayed on the water for three hours, then they took me aboard the Georgia.

It has long been noted that extreme situations few people manage to act logically, coolly and purposefully. Panicked, people often doom themselves and others to death. Fear of death makes them "abnormal". The famous team "Women and Children - Forward!" in the entire history of disasters at sea has saved a large number of lives.

Eyewitness M.A. Chazova (she was then 16 years old):
"I woke up from a cry: "Water!" It was my neighbors shouting - a family with two children. I quickly jumped up, pulled myself up to the porthole and climbed out onto the deck. Then I began to ask the parents of this family to give me the boys - I would pull them out ...
But their mother decided to get out first. A plump, flabby woman, it turned out to be beyond her power. She was stuck tightly in the porthole, and it was impossible for me to pull her out ...

I made my way to the top deck. Jumped into the water. By inertia, the ship was still moving forward and fell to the starboard side. It seemed to me that it would tip over and hit me with the mast. Starting from the side, I swam to the stern.

The ship was already sinking. People rushed about the decks, screaming terribly. Someone else lifted the children above the water, plunging into the dark abyss. A man, apparently, who did not know how to swim, offered money for a circle (the whole nightmare I then dreamed about, and I screamed in my sleep). The dress bothered me - I took it off.
Several boats passed close by. Somewhere shouted: "On the boat!" I screamed too. It was a shame that we were not picked up. Dark all around..."

The steamer "Lenin" plunged into the waters of the sea in 7-10 minutes. The "Georgia" in its wake approached the place of death. The captain gave the broadcast command: "Launch the boats!" Not understanding what was the matter, people in a panic rushed to the boats. The team tried to fight back with oars and fists. “The boats are being lowered to help the passengers of the Lenin,” the broadcast was hoarse, but it didn’t help much. A lot of precious time was lost. The boats were launched only after 30 minutes.

Of course, many members of the crew of the steamer "Lenin" behaved selflessly, saving people's lives, but the quickly sunken ship carried them to the bottom. Captain Borisenko, his three assistants and the pilot were the last to leave the ship. Only two lifeboats were launched. "Georgia", "Voroshilov" and the boats that came to the rescue managed to save only about 600 people in the sea boiling from human heads. Basically, these were those who got cork belts, life buoys and who were in boats. Those who could not swim drowned instantly. Many were carried away into the abyss by wet clothes ... According to various sources, from 650 to 2500 people died.

There were many rumors about the inglorious death of "Lenin". Judgment was fast. It was found that due to the approximate and inaccurate laying of the course, "Lenin" could "touch" the very edge of the minefields near Cape Sarych and be blown up. This was seen as the fault of the pilot and his inexperience. However, it was strange that the Voroshilov, which passed to the right and seaward, remained unharmed. Consequently, "Lenin" could run into a floating mine torn off the minrep. Quite a lot of such mines floated even after the war, which is why passenger ships on the Black Sea for a long time went only during the day.

A torpedo attack by a Romanian submarine was unlikely. For her, the minefield was a big obstacle. In addition, such a submarine called "Dolphin", according to intelligence, at that time was in another area of ​​the Black Sea.

Captain Borisenko and his assistants found it difficult to name not only the number of dead, but also the total number of passengers. It was clear that children, women and old people died the most...

The former pilot, Lieutenant Ivan Svistun, was demoted and sentenced to death. On August 24, 1941, the sentence was carried out. He was later posthumously acquitted for lack of corpus delicti.

The ship sank according to archive data at the point 44°20"N 33°44"5"E at a depth of 94 meters. The hull is in excellent condition. The bow hold is open.

There is a complete absence of cargo inside the hold.

"Hydrograph"
hydrographic vessel. Entered service in 1892, until 1924 - mine layer. Until 12/31/1922 it was called "Danube", then until 01/01/1932 - "May 1".
Displacement: 1380 t
Speed: 10.5 knots
Armament: 1 76 mm gun
Crew: 59 people.

On November 4, 1941, the hydrographic vessel "Hydrograph" in tow of the patrol ship "Petrash" left Sevastopol for Tuapse. At 1508 hours the ships entered Yalta. After leaving Yalta, the ships were attacked by enemy aircraft. As a result of damage received from explosions of bombs, the Hydrograph developed a leak, the flow of water could not be stopped, and it sank 19 miles east of Yalta. There were no casualties among the personnel. Death coordinates are missing. At a distance of 19 miles east of Yalta, the depth of the Black Sea is about 1000 meters.

"Armenia"
USSR belonging. Sanitary transport. Former cargo-passenger ship. Launched in 1928. As part of the Black Sea Fleet from 08/08/1941.
Capacity: 4727 brt. Speed: 14 knots
Length 81.7 meters.

One of the most terrible in the history of mankind and mysterious disasters at sea. She claimed approximately 7 thousand human lives, several times more than the tragic death of the Titanic and Lusitania combined. Paradoxical in this tragedy is that "Armenia" had every opportunity to make this transition at night and with a 100% guarantee safe and sound to arrive in Tuapse. However, due to completely incomprehensible and inexplicable orders from the command of the Black Sea Fleet, the ship went to sea on the morning of November 7 and died.

Motor ship "Armenia" was launched in Leningrad in 1928 and is designed to carry 980 passengers and 1000 tons of cargo. "Armenia" was one of the six best passenger ships in the Black Sea. These beautiful high-speed motor ships were popularly called "trotters". They served the line Odessa - Batumi - Odessa and regularly transported thousands of passengers until 1941.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, "Armenia" was urgently converted into a medical transport ship. Luxurious salons and restaurants were turned into operating rooms and dressing rooms. Huge crosses were painted on the sides and deck in bright red paint, and the flag of the international Red Cross was raised on the mast. Looking at him, the captain of the ship, Vladimir Yakovlevich Plaushevsky, remarked to the first mate: “I don’t think this will help us!”
Indeed, from the first days of the war, hospital ships were attacked by German aircraft. In July 1941, the Kotovsky and Anton Chekhov ambulances were damaged, and the Adzharia, engulfed in flames, ran aground near Odessa. In August, the ship "Kuban" sank. After that, four 45-mm guns were installed on the "Armenia".

Meanwhile, the Red Army defended Odessa in stubborn and bloody battles, and the main front retreated east, to the Crimea. There were a lot of wounded. Day and night, in any weather, on board the "Armenia" there was a struggle for the life and health of our soldiers and officers. Captain Plaushevsky managed to make fifteen incredibly difficult and dangerous flights from Odessa to the ports of the Caucasian coast, evacuating about 16 thousand wounded and civilians.

The offensive of the 11th army of Manstein to the Crimea was swift. Under powerful blows from superior enemy forces, on October 26-27, Soviet troops began a disorderly retreat from Perekop. Only on the outskirts of Sevastopol, the units of the Red Army, which suffered heavy losses, were able to organize defenses and offer serious resistance to the enemy. Two days later, on October 29, a state of siege was introduced in the city. However, this did not save from the terrible confusion. They tried to evacuate everything in a row, without thinking about the future.

On the morning of November 6, in Sevastopol, boarding of the ship "Armenia" began. It took place spontaneously, and no one even knew the number of people taken on board. Another November 5 to all naval medical organizations it was ordered to evacuate, although there was still a heavy and bloody defense of the city ahead. Several naval hospitals, along with the wounded, medical staff and equipment, ended up on "Armenia".

Suddenly, a message came to the fleet headquarters that a large group of leading workers and party activists had gathered in Yalta, who had to be evacuated. There were enough small ships in Sevastopol that could well fulfill this task, but they decided to send the "Armenia", although there was no need to risk such a valuable ship. To accomplish this task, the ship was ordered to go to sea at 17:00, i.e. two hours before dark.

The exit from Sevastopol during daylight hours was associated with a great risk, since the ship could well have been sunk on the way to Yalta, but this time it was lucky. Immediately after leaving Sevastopol, a new order followed - to go to Balaklava. There, several boats approached the "Armenia", and the NKVD officers loaded wooden boxes onto the ship. The day before, on November 6, Stalin signed an order for the urgent evacuation of the most valuable property from Crimea. In this regard, it is assumed that the boxes contained gold and valuables from the Crimean museums. After that, the ship again headed for Yalta and arrived there only at about 2 am. The loading of evacuees, the wounded and hospital personnel began again. Thus, on one ambulance transport there were 23 hospitals - almost the entire medical staff of the Black Sea Fleet.

In Yalta, an order was received from the commander of the fleet that the exit of "Armenia" was prohibited until 19:00, that is, until dark. The captain of the ship Plaushevsky violated this order and went to sea on November 7 at 8.00.

Here, history asks the question: what was the captain of "Armenia" Vladimir Plaushevsky guided by when he took the ship out to sea during daylight hours in violation of the order of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Philip Oktyabrsky? According to some, Plaushevsky, believing that the city was not sufficiently equipped with air defense systems, simply saw no reason to stay in the port of Yalta, where the stationary ship was an excellent target for Nazi pilots - especially since the German troops were already on the way (the Soviet units left Yalta November 9). Others believe that the captain had to submit to pressure from the NKVD officers who were on board and tried to leave the Crimea as soon as possible in order to save themselves and prevent the Germans from seizing the mentioned valuable cargo.

The weather deteriorated, a storm began, the sky was covered with low ragged clouds. At 11:25 a.m., the ship was discovered by a reconnaissance aircraft of the German Air Force and then attacked by a German bomber. According to the official version, the Heinkel He 111, which happened to be over this part of the sea, dropped two torpedoes onto the ship, one of which reached the target.

Other sources, citing eyewitnesses, say that eight Junkers Ju 87s bombed Armenia at once. Enemy bombers allegedly purposefully went to the hospital ship, on the board and deck of which red crosses were painted, and methodically bombarded it. That the Germans did not hesitate to bomb hospital ships is a historical fact, but it is still doubtful that a whole squadron was specifically sent to destroy the transport clogged with wounded.

One way or another, overloaded with passengers, many of whom were bedridden wounded, the ship sank in four minutes. Of the 5-7 thousand people on board, according to some sources, eight people survived, according to others - seven (even on the Titanic there were three to four times fewer victims). The ship was escorted by two Soviet patrol boats and two I-153 fighters at the time of her death, although this statement is also disputed.
The main reason for the death of the ship was the criminal orders of the command and the actions of the ship's captain, as a result of which "Armenia" went to sea during daylight hours. In 1941, not a single of our ships on the Black Sea was attacked by enemy surface ships or submarines, and German aviation did not then have radar sights for delivering night attacks on ships at sea.

For more than half a century, documents relating to the sinking of the "Armenia" were kept under the heading "Top Secret". Attempts to lift the vessel or its cargo in Soviet time not undertaken. Apparently, the authorities believed that the moral costs of divulging the secrets of the deaths of thousands of people would cost much more than the cost of valuables. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Department of Maritime Heritage of Ukraine carried out search work in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe death of the "Armenia" in order, according to official statements, to turn the ship into an "International Maritime Memorial".

Scientists from Russia and Germany assisted them in the search for the place of death of "Armenia". Russian FSB gave Ukrainian researchers the opportunity to work with secret documents. However, it was not possible to find reliable archival materials about the death of "Armenia". In May 2006, the American researcher Robert Ballard, head of the Institute of Oceanography and Oceanology, who is closely associated with the US Navy, began searching for "Armenia". Previously, he managed to find the Titanic and a number of other mysteriously missing ships, but this time he failed.

However, even before Ballard was involved in the search for “Armenia” (who, by the way, was more interested in searching for evidence of the theory of the Great Flood off the coast of Crimea), according to some reports, traces of “Armenia” were discovered by other researchers. At least, this was mentioned in the article “Armenia is found!”, published in the sixth issue of the magazine “Neptune” for 2008. The article, in particular, talked about the fact that, thanks to a unique search complex, a group of Russian and Ukrainian scientists managed to find three sunken ships of various sizes in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe death of the "Armenia" (15 kilometers from the coast between Yalta and Gurzuf). One of them, according to the results of remote sensing, was identified as "Armenia".

It was also claimed that on the submerged ship, which lies under a seven-meter layer of silt at a depth of 520 meters, scientists "remotely detected signs of finding a significant amount of precious metal products." The article mentioned many indirect signs by which scientists identified the ship, such as: a large number of human remains in the form of bones, the location of the hull with its bow to the southeast (that is, in the direction where the "Armenia" went before death) and so on.

It would seem that the search for the lost ship has come to an end. However, later, the head of the Center for Underwater Research at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sergey Voronov, said that after receiving a report on the aforementioned expedition, the Langust underwater vehicle was sent to the place where “Armenia” was supposed to be (diving depth - up to 600 meters) who found nothing. On the other hand, experts noted, Langust did not have the equipment to detect an object under a thick layer of sea silt.

One way or another, the section of the seabed, where the remains of the vessel are supposedly located, has already been studied quite thoroughly - as Voronov admits, only two small squares remain. Previously, they were inaccessible due to the depth to which the Ukrainian remote-controlled underwater vehicle Sofokl, which replaced the Langust, could not descend - the most advanced device of this kind that local scientists still had. Now the Center is counting on the French apparatus "Archimedes", capable of diving to an incredible depth of 11 kilometers.

The search for "Armenia" is complicated by the fact that the remains of the vessel, apparently, lie in a layer of hydrogen sulfide, the concentration of which increases sharply in the Black Sea starting from an average depth of 150 meters. At the same time, paper is well preserved in hydrogen sulfide, and this gives us a chance to find intact documents from the “Armenia” captain's safe, which can shed light on one of the biggest mysteries of the Second World War. One way or another, today this secret is safely hidden in the depths of the Black Sea. Thus, even today we know almost nothing about this one of the largest and most tragic disasters at sea!

The archival coordinates of the ship's wreck are 44°15.5"N 34°17"E. There is no object according to the given coordinates.
Estimated depth ranges from 250 to 1200 meters.

These were the most tragic moments in the history of the Black Sea disasters. Of course, there are still large-scale deaths of warships and no less exciting stories of human tragedies at sea. However, in terms of the number of civilian casualties, this region of the Black Sea bears a mournful lead. Next time we will go further east and, among other lost ships from Gurzuf to the Kerch Peninsula, I will tell you about the largest losses among the warships of the Black Sea Fleet in its entire history. All the best!

"Uralles"
USSR belonging. Transport. Former cargo ship. Launched in 1926, original name - "Dore". As part of the Black Sea Fleet from 07/27/1941.
Capacity: 1975 brt. Speed: 9 knots
On October 30, 1941, the Uralles transport (Captain I.F. Korotky) participated in the evacuation of Evpatoria. At 1325 hours, during the bombing of the port by 35 enemy planes, the transport sank. When examining the object by scuba divers of the club "Neptun-Pro" in Togliatti and Evpatoria, the following picture appeared. The ship's hull is completely destroyed and consists of scattered metal fragments.

Everywhere you can see fresh saw cuts of bronze pipes, probably made by local non-ferrous metal lovers. Fragments of the cargo, copper bars with a diameter of 70 mm and a length of 500 mm are visible under the fragment of the starboard side.

Lifetime photos of the vessel could not be found.
Coordinates 45°09"N 33°23"E. Depth 12 meters. Elevation above the ground 2-5 meters.

T-405 "Fuse"
USSR belonging. Project 53 minesweeper. Laid down in Sevastopol in 1936. Launched in 1937. Commissioned on May 9, 1938.
Displacement: standard - 447 tons,
full - 490 t
Length: 62 m
Width: 7.62 m
Draft: 2.37 m
Diesel power: 2 x 1400 hp
Speed: 18 knots
Armament: 1 100 mm B-24-BM gun,
1 45 mm gun in 21-K mount,
1 20 mm "Rheinmetall"
2 2x 12.7 mm Colt
2 12.7 mm DShK
28 mines of the 1926 model, 2 trawls.
Crew: 52 people.

January 4, 1942 at 11:30 p.m. a detachment of ships consisting of the base minesweeper T-405 "Vzryvatel" (commander lieutenant commander V.G. Tryastsin), 7 patrol boats and a sea tug SP-14 left the Streletskaya Bay of Sevastopol with the task of landing an advanced landing detachment in Evpatoria. During the transition, the sea waves reached 3-4 points, the strength of the northwest wind reached 4-5 points. January 5 at 02:41. the ships approached the tactical deployment point and, on a signal from the flagship, headed for pre-established landing points. In the period from 03:00 to 06:00, an amphibious landing was made as part of a reinforced battalion of marines (577 people, 3 tankettes and 3 anti-tank guns). During the landing, the "Fuse" moored to the passenger pier. The landing as a whole was successful and the landing, supported by naval artillery fire, advanced deep into the city. Realizing where the main threat comes from, the enemy concentrated artillery and mortar fire on the port area. Shells and mines burst around the ships. "Fuse" received a number of damages. Shrapnel killed the commander of the landing, Captain 2nd Rank N.V. Buslaev. The command was taken over by the military commissar of the detachment, regimental commissar A.S. Boyko. It became impossible to stay further in the port, and the ships entered the outer roadstead, where they began to maneuver, continuing to provide fire support for the landing. Patrol boats repeatedly approached the shore and took away the wounded. At dawn on January 5, air attacks began, which continued throughout the day. The connection of patrol boats with the flagship and landing on the shore was interrupted. In the afternoon, the boats managed to contact Sevastopol by radio and they were given an order to return to the base. In the afternoon, the weather deteriorated sharply. The wind increased with sleet and rain. By evening, only one "Fuse" remained in the Evpatoria region. By this time, the ship had received serious damage to the hull and heavy losses in personnel. During another air attack, two bombs exploded near the ship. The explosion threw the stern up. From the impact, the sheets of the outer skin were dispersed. The flow of water into the engine room and aft rooms began. All drainage facilities were launched. Propeller shafts bent. Diesels failed and stopped. A 45-mm gun was torn off its mounts and thrown overboard. The gun crew was completely disabled by shrapnel. Steering failed and the unmanaged ship ran aground. Anchors were dropped, but because of the sandy ground, they did not hold the ship. At about 21 o'clock, the minesweeper was thrown ashore by the wave, which was occupied by the enemy in the area of ​​​​the Salt fields.

At 9:15 p.m. patrol boat No. 0102 received a report from the minesweeper for the fleet headquarters: "I am aground." Enemy aircraft continued to attack the stationary "Fuse". Another anti-aircraft gun failed. The bridge and masts were destroyed. New casualties among the personnel. On the night of January 6, the last radiogram was transmitted from the minesweeper: "The ship cannot be removed. Save the crew and the ship, it will be too late at dawn." By order of the fleet commander, torpedo boats with ammunition were sent to help the minesweeper twice, but they could not approach the shore due to enemy opposition, boats No. 91 and No. 111 died, and No. 101 and No. 121 returned to the base.
The command of the ship, gathered the survivors and ordered to destroy the secret documents. And also take up defense on the ship, and on the shore around it. Soon the enemy tanks approached the water's edge and began shooting at the ship point-blank. Several shells pierced the hull. Around 14h00. The "fuse" shot the entire ammunition of the 100-mm gun, and it failed. A.S. Boyko and V.G. Shaking. The survivors made an attempt to break through by land, but it failed due to the intensive shelling of the enemy, and the personnel continued to fight from the ship.

According to local rescuers, the remains of the ship are still at the place of death.

"Ignatius Prokhorov"
Belonging to Russia. Steamboat, ex "Wearmounth". Built in 1886 in England at the shipyard "Stand Slipway Co". In 1891 the ship was sold to S. Tourcoul. And it received a new name "Ignatius Prokhorov" with registration in Odessa. In 1903, the ship changed its owner again, it was S.L. Karapatnitsky. In 1915, the ship was requisitioned by the imperial navy as transport number 27.
Displacement 1265 (1369) brt.
Length approximately 70 meters.
In November 1918, "Ignatiy Prokhorov" (Transport No. 27) sank as a result of an explosion on a floating mine.
Discovered by representatives of the Sevastopol club "Alpha". Here is how one of the Sevastopol scuba divers, Andrey Bykov, describes the dive to the object. “Already after the first minutes of being on the ship, we had no doubts - this is a perfectly preserved old steamer. The ship is not silted up at all. .

Steel hull, well-preserved railing. Right at the stern hatches are open, leading somewhere down.

Closer to the holds lie the remains of a large ship's steering wheel.

Empty davits hung over the sides. From the open stern holds, it becomes clear that the ship is a cargo ship. Swimming to the center of the ship, we descend into the first hold. The holds are interconnected and they can be dived through. The hold is striking in its size. At the bottom of one of them lies a huge propeller. Rusted ladders descend from the deck down to the very bottom. Such rusty icicles hang from the stairs and along the sides - similar ones I saw in photographs from the Titanic. Behind the holds is a long superstructure, two ladders rise to it from the deck. At the top of the superstructure there is a ship's galley and entrances to the interior of the steamer. Behind the galley is a wide open hatch leading to the engine room.

Immediately behind it begins a small "waiting room", right from above through the entrance you can see a huge valve on the steam pipe of the machine and a blackening passage to the lower deck, where, in fact, the machine itself is located. At the very beginning of the superstructure, where it should be, there is a captain's bridge. The huge eye sockets of the windows are without glass, and through any of them you can freely get inside without removing the cylinders.

Inside the bridge are the remains of furniture, ship utensils and something else. A heap of rubble, in which something familiar is definitely guessed. Although there is a completely whole cabinet, apparently for documents. There is a bottle on the shelves, and the remains of some papers. To the left of the cabinet on the wall hangs a ship's barometer. The bow holds are also open, and you can freely dive from one to the other. At the bottom of the holds lie the remains of the ship's cargo, boards and some rubbish, cargo beams with overgrown ropes hang over the holds. We rise from the hold and swim to the bow - it is already perfectly visible. The bow of the ship is broken to the top, apparently from hitting the bottom. There is a superstructure on the bow and there are two doorways in it.
For all the dives that we made on the object, we did not find any traces of the destruction of the hull or anything like that. The cause of the death of the ship today remains a mystery. In the ship's wheelhouse, right on the desktop, we found the remains of a logbook, as well as a fragment of a reference book of marine semaphore commands with their detailed description. Personally, as for me, learning Japanese is much easier. In the logbook, you can read fragments of entries about the routes and stops of the vessel. Fortunately for us, the captain made notes with a pencil, in combination with the excellent quality of the paper of that time, these artifacts, having lain in the water for 100 (!) years, have survived to this day. In the engine room on the boiler, we found a plate with the year and the name of the manufacturer. It is engraved with the year of construction - 1886 and the name "SUNDERLAND ENGINE WORKS".

Subsequently, during a second dive, the name of this vessel "Ignatius Prokhorov" was found on the stern.
Coordinates
Depth 96 meters.

Submarine type "M" - Series XII

The submarine was used as a target. It was sunk in 1957 while testing the Pug system by the military. Probable submarine number "M-28".
The hull of the submarine is washed out along the waterline. There are no visible damage or holes. There is no gun on the deck, not even an anchor in its place. The object is often visited by amateur scuba divers.

Coordinates 44°47"N 33°28"E.
Depth is about 45 meters.
Elevation above the ground 5 meters.

Submarine type "Narwhal"
Belonging to Russia.
Submarine.
Displacement, t 620/912
Dimensions, m 70.2 x 6.5 x 3.5
Diesels, hp 4x160
Email Motors, hp 2x245 Speed, knots 13/11.5 Range, miles 3000
Armament: Torpedo tubes, pcs 8x 456 mm
Gun 75 mm, piece 1
Gun 57 mm, piece 1
Crew 41 people.

In 1980, a submarine was discovered in the roadstead of Sevastopol. The submarine was examined from the board of the underwater laboratory "Bentos-300". In 1992, film photography was made from the Rif submersible.

The boat lies with a list of 10-15 degrees to the port side and a trim of 25 degrees aft. The upper deck near the bow was destroyed. In the aft part, on the deck, there is a structure similar to a torpedo tube.

A naval historian from the city of Sevastopol, Vakar.V, is of the opinion that this submarine belongs to the Narwhal type. The compilers of the Atlas agree with Waqar's opinion. Q. There are some points confirming the correctness of these conclusions.
a) The absence of deck artillery weapons once again confirms that the submarine did not sink in battle.
b) Dzhevetsky’s torpedo tubes are not visible, it also explains everything; they were simply brewed in 1916, so as not to interfere.
c) On boats of the "Narwhal" type, deck tubular torpedo tubes were installed in the stern and in the bow.
Perhaps this submarine is a submarine "Narwhal", or the same type "Sperm Whale", scuttled by the English interventionists on 04/26/1919 in the outer roadstead of Sevastopol. The copper telegraph and the peroscope were perfectly preserved on the boat.

Penetrations into the boat are unlikely, because. all compartments are closed, faults and other entry points were not found. A funnel 3-4 meters in diameter and also 3-4 meters deep was found in the ground near the stern. The origin and purpose are not clear.
Coordinates 44°38"N 33°25"E.
Depth 78 meters, elevation above the ground 6 meters.

Minelayer "Prut"
Belonging to Russia. Launched in 1879. The former steamer of the Volunteer Fleet "Moskva". Acquired by the Russian Navy in 1895. Used as a training ship.
Displacement: 5959 tons Speed: 13.5 knots
Armament: 8 47 mm and 2 37 mm guns,
3 machine guns, 900 min.
Crew: 306 people.

On October 29, 1914, at about 7 o'clock in the morning, returning from a mission, 14 miles from Cape Khersones, the Prut minelayer (commander Captain 2nd Rank G. A. Bykov) met the German-Turkish battlecruiser Goeben (commander captain zur see Ackerman). "Prut" sent a message to Sevastopol about the meeting and its place - 44 ° 34 "N 33 ° 01" E, but did not receive a response. The cruiser raised the signal to surrender.
In response, the minzag raised flags on all masts and went to the shore. The commander, seeing the hopelessness of the situation, decided to flood the ship. A water alarm was announced and the kingstones were opened. Bykov began the destruction of ciphers and secret documents. The boats were lowered, but since there was not enough room for everyone in them, the personnel threw themselves overboard with life belts and berths.
At 0735 hours the cruiser came in from the starboard side of the minzag and opened artillery fire from 150-mm guns from a distance of about 25 cables. Under the fire of an enemy ship, a fire started on the Prut, the forecastle was broken. Wanting to speed up the flooding of the Prut, the commander ordered the bottom to be blown up. For this purpose, on the ship, as well as on other Black Sea minelayers, explosive cartridges were laid in advance, the wires from which were brought together in one place on the living deck. The undermining of the bottom was carried out by the mine officer of the ship, Lieutenant Rogussky, and the mine conductor. 10-15 minutes after the opening of fire, the Goeben set in motion and left towards Cape Sarych. The Turkish destroyers "Samsun" and "Tashos" who were with the cruiser remained in place for some time, continuing to fire on the "Prut".
At about 0840 hours the "Prut" stood up almost vertically and, with flags fluttering on the masts, sank 10 miles west of Cape Fiolent. Hieromonk Anthony, 70, was blessing the sailors from the bottom step of the gangway until the last second. The personnel of the ship tried to escape on boats, berths and life belts. But part of it (3 officers, including the commander, ship's doctor, 2 conductors and 69 sailors) was removed from the boat and raised from the water by Turkish destroyers and taken prisoner. The rest (3 officers and 199 sailors) were taken aboard the Sudak submarine that left Balaklava and then transferred on board the hospital ship Colchis, which delivered them to Sevastopol. Lieutenant Rogussky, midshipman Smirnov, hieromonk Anthony, boatswain Kolyuzhny and 25 sailors were killed in the battle.
If we take the coordinates transmitted from the Prut minzag and lay its way to the nearest shore (Cape Khersones), on the condition that at least 30 minutes the ship went with maximum speed 13.5 knots, it can be assumed that the "Prut" sank in the region of 44 ° 37 "N 33 ° 12" E.
According to the latest detection data, the coordinates of the object are 44°38"N 33°12"E
The depth is 124 meters, which is why it is virtually inaccessible for diving.
Elevation above the ground 14 meters.

Mine layer "Doob"
It was built in 1926. It was converted into a mine layer, and on 07/06/1941 it became part of the Black Sea Fleet.
Displacement, t 150
Length, m 24.4
Width, m 5.3
Draft, m 2.9
Diesel, HP 120
Speed, knots 9
Range, miles 300
Armament: 2 x 45 mm guns, 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns

The minelayer "Doob" died on February 11, 1942, near the entrance to the Kamyshev Bay of Sevastopol, from a mine explosion. According to sources, the coordinates of the death of the ship are 44°35"9"N 33°25"3"E. According to the given coordinates, there is no object on the ground. During the survey of this area, hydrographers found two objects at a distance of 730 meters and 1300 meters from the previously obtained coordinates. The first object is marked as "underwater obstacle". "Obstacle" coordinates 44°35.916"N 33°24.767"E . Depth about 25 meters elevation 8 meters. The second object is a "wreck" with coordinates 44 ° 36 "N 33 ° 25" E Depth about 50 meters, elevation 8 meters. There is evidence that in 2002 the remains of the minzag were discovered by scuba divers. According to their description, "Doob" was found at a depth of about 25 meters lying with a slight roll. Strong destruction in the central part of the vessel.

"Helga" ("Helga")
Freight ship. Belonged to Germany. Former Norwegian steamship "Hvardian". Captured by the Germans during the occupation of Southern France. Launched in 1919. Tonnage: 1620 brt.

May 11, 1944 transport "Helga" followed in the convoy "Profetul" with a load of ammunition. During unloading at 1230 hours, it was damaged by fire from Soviet coastal batteries (the rudder was broken). At 1330 hours it was attacked by Soviet aircraft. A unique photograph of one of the attacks that caused the flood has been preserved.

The vessel lost its course and was abandoned by the crew. At 1830 hours the steamer was shot at by German BDBs and sank. According to sources, the point of death is located 14.5 km west of Cape Khersones. The coordinates are not specified. At a distance of 14 kilometers west of Cape Khersones, there is an object on the ground that is similar in size to the Helga transport. Object coordinates 44°37"N 33°12"E. The depth is about 110 meters, the elevation above the ground is 14 meters. With some degree of probability, it can be argued that this object is the "Helga" transport. For obvious reasons, the rack was not examined.

Aircraft Dornier Do.26
Belonged to the German Air Force.
Speed, km.h 320
Flight range, km 7000
Maximum height, m ​​4500
Armament:
Gun 20 mm, piece 1
Machine gun 7.9 mm, pcs 3

Possible time of death December 1943. According to the wreckage of the aircraft, it can be assumed that it crashed during landing, since no visible damage from the explosion is observed. Two wings lie separately from the fuselage at a distance of 50-100m.
The fuselage is heavily silted up, practically intact. You can only get into the fuselage from the nose, through a narrow passage.

The aircraft has been inspected several times. A large number of various objects were raised to the surface, including the remains of the pilot's helm.

Quite a lot of human bones and personal belongings were found.

The actual coordinates are 44°35"N 33°24"E. Depth 24 meters, elevation above the ground about 1 meter.

Large anti-submarine ship "Courageous"
Large anti-submarine ship of the "Komsomolets Ukrainy" type (project 61). Built in 1963-1965.
Displacement: standard - 3550 tons, full - 4510 tons.
Length: 144.0 m
Width: 15.8 m
Draft: 4.6 m
Gas turbine power: 4 x 18000 hp
Speed: maximum - 35 knots,
economic - 18 knots.
Cruising range: 3640 miles
Armament: 2 launchers of the Volna-M anti-aircraft missile system (32 missiles), 2 twin 76-mm artillery mounts, 2 RBU-6000 12-barrel rocket launchers, 2 RBU-1000 6-barrel rocket launchers, 1x5 533 -mm torpedo tube, 1 Ka-25 helicopter.
Crew: 266 people.

On August 30, 1974, the ship went to sea for exercises. At 1001 hours, after voltage was applied to the launcher's turning mechanisms and to the firing circuit as a result of a malfunction electrical circuits there was a spontaneous launch of the main engine of one of the anti-aircraft missiles in the aft cellar. Following the propulsion engine of the rocket, the engine of its launch stage fired, and then the launch of several launch engines of other rockets followed.

As a result of a sharp increase in temperature and pressure in the cellar, an explosion occurred, the force of which tore off the roof of the cellar, a fire started (fuel in fuel tanks caught fire), two holes formed in the side skin, water flooded four compartments.

With their own forces and the forces of other ships and rescue ships that came to the rescue, a huge fire was localized, but almost half of the ship burned out. They began to tow the "Brave" to the shore, to a shallow place, but did not have time.
At 1447 hours there was another strong explosion aft, igniting kerosene (helicopter fuel) and detonating helicopter anti-submarine bombs. Water flooded two more compartments, the ship's buoyancy was exhausted. At 1505 hours the stern of the Brave began to sink into the water.

At 1524 hours all the personnel left the ship, at 1557 hours the "Brave" sank.

As a result of the disaster, 24 people died. On the sunken ship were weapons, secret radar devices, etc. To ensure secrecy, it was decided to destroy the ship's hull remaining at the bottom. 80 tons of TNT were placed in the hull. December 26, 1977 there was a powerful underwater explosion. As a result of the inspection, it was established that the hull of the ship, as it were, “opened up” from the explosion and turned into a shapeless heap of metal scattered over a large area. "Brave" ceased to exist as a physically integral object.
In April - June 1978, an artillery mount, part of the aft superstructure and several shapeless pieces of metal were raised from the ground, then all work was stopped. The work of divers in the chaos of twisted metal with sharp edges was very risky. Now the place of the "Brave" flooding cannot be of any interest, and given the great depth and condition of the object, it is even dangerous for underwater researchers.
Coordinates of the wreckage of the "Brave"
44°44.420"N 32°59.870"E.
Depth 127 meters.
Elevation above the ground 15 meters.

As you can see, tragedies at sea occur not only in wartime. Unfortunately, due to the great depths of the Black Sea, only a few sunken objects located on the shallow shelf can be examined. However, even those objects that are not accessible to divers can be extremely interesting in the history of their existence and death.

Series of messages " ":
Part 1 - Sunken objects of the Black Sea (Crimean coast)

"ARMENIA":

Rarities from the Crimean museums
The huge ambulance ship was sunk by German aircraft on November 7, 1941. More than 7,000 people died with him - almost five times more than on the Titanic! People were evacuated from the Crimea surrounded by the Nazis, they stood on the deck of the "Armenia" with a wall, some broke into the sea - it was so crowded. But the red crosses on the ship did not stop the German fighters...

There are serious reasons to believe that in Sevastopol, Balaklava and Yalta, many boxes of rarities from Crimean museums were loaded onto the “Armenia,” says Sergey Voronov, director of the Crimean Republican Black Sea Center for Underwater Research. - They were supposed to be evacuated to the ports of the Caucasus. The length of the vessel is 114.5 meters, there are huge cargo compartments.

Crimean researchers have already conducted five expeditions, but "Armenia" has not yet been found. There was a lack of special equipment - robots capable of working at a depth of two kilometers. Ukraine was in no hurry with the supply of equipment.

Now Russian colleagues with " mainland» will help the Black Sea researchers. - It remains to explore two more points: 1700 meters from the "Artek" and 400 meters from the coast opposite the Swallow's Nest, - says Sergey Voronov. We hope that this year we will be lucky.

"LENIN":

Tons of precious ingots
- The steamer "Lenin" in July 1941 evacuated the civilian population from the encircled Odessa, - says Sergei Voronov. - People even climbed into the windows, just to get on board. Then a small ship that could take about a thousand passengers, according to unofficial data, took about 2,500 people. Only 272 survived. The ship had already reached the Crimea when it hit a mine. Now it stands on an even keel at a depth of 96 meters near Cape Sarych.

It is believed that “Lenin” also evacuated the assets of the National Odessa Bank from Odessa. There is no exact data on the size of the transported valuables, but, according to researchers, we are talking about tons of non-ferrous metals in ingots. However, scientists are not going to conduct research there. After all, this is a fraternal cemetery, and it is blasphemous to look for valuables there.

Whole art gallery
In the winter of 1944, the German ship "Laris" exported from Sevastopol to Romania the valuables looted by the Wehrmacht from the museums of the Crimea, the Stavropol Territory and the Rostov Region.
“The Red Army managed to evacuate some of the valuables,” says Sergei Voronov. - But the lion's share still went to the Nazis. The Germans loaded everything onto the Laris.

It is highly likely that the holds of the Laris are filled with paintings from galleries, church utensils, rare exhibits and ancient ceramics. On the way, the ship was blown up by Soviet aircraft. There are no exact coordinates where Laris can rest. Scientists made a request to the Institute military history Germany, but the answer did not shed any light on his whereabouts.

OLD GREEK SHIP:

A ship about 50 meters long was found several years ago opposite Cape Foros. Thanks to a natural preservative, a layer of hydrogen sulfide, not only the outer part of the ship, which sank around the 11th-12th centuries, but the entire cargo was preserved.

Even the tree on it is not damaged, - says Voronov. - The cargo is still on board. The ship looks like a mountain of silt, but in the holds and cabins there may be weapons, goods of merchants. - There we hope to find primary sources related to the documentation of that era, - Sergey Voronov shares his plans. - Without exaggeration, we may even come across one of the first editions of the Bible.

10 thousand euros for a coin

For Crimean archaeologists and historians, black divers are a real headache. These guys, who have modern equipment and technology, are too quick to get artifacts from the bottom of the sea, depriving the Crimean museums of valuable exhibits.

Who drags the finds to their dacha, who to the garage, then to brag to their friends, - told KP in one of the Sevastopol dive centers. - Some people want to earn extra money by selling anchors, old coins, amphoras via the Internet. For valuable items, for example, for an antique Greek or Bosporan coin, you can get about 10 thousand euros.
Sometimes hunters are punished.
- Not so long ago, a resident of Sevastopol found a Soviet Yak-1 fighter from the Great Patriotic War at the bottom, - Sevastopol divers say. - He managed to lift it from the bottom, placed it in a garage and tried to sell it via the Internet to a foreign collector for 165 thousand euros. Not only collectors became interested in the rarity, but also the power structures of Sevastopol. The plane was confiscated, and the diver was fined a large amount. The plane was handed over to the Sevastopol Naval Museum.

The intrigues of the "Black Prince"

In 1854, the British propeller-sailing ship "Black Prince" went to the Crimea to deliver medicines, winter uniforms, and salaries to soldiers and officers to the British army, which besieged Sevastopol during the Crimean War. The amount was 500 thousand pounds sterling in gold and silver.

The ship did not reach the shore - it sank during a storm in Balaklava Bay. Since then, hundreds of treasure hunters have been scouring the seabed. Expeditions from France, the USA, Norway, Germany and Spain were equipped to search for gold. Only the British themselves sarcastically watched all this. And for good reason!

Scientists have established the exact place of the death of the ship. But it turned out that the gold and silver were unloaded in Istanbul, where there was a quartermaster's headquarters. However, Crimean divers with maniacal persistence continue to comb the bottom of the Balaklava Bay...