Sinop battle of the Nakhims. How the Russian fleet destroyed the Turkish squadron in the battle of Sinop. Western myths about the victory of the Russian fleet

The spirit in the troops is beyond description. In the days of ancient Greece, there was not so much heroism. I have not been able to be in business a single time, but I thank God that I have seen these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The battle of Sinop on November 18 (30), 1853 is a naval battle between the Russian and Ottoman empires as part of the Crimean War. The Russian fleet, under the command of Nakhimov, won, but it was a victory in battle, Russia itself lost the war. A lot of rumors and myths have been created around the Sinop naval battle today, so I want to analyze this page of Russian history.

The balance of forces and means

The Russian squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, consisted of 11 ships with 734 guns. The squadron was divided into 3 classes of ships:

• Frigates: " Kulevchi" (60 guns) and " Cahul» (44 guns)
• Battleships: " Three Saints" and " Grand Duke Konstantin"(both 120 guns each)," Paris"(Novosilsky's flagship with 120 guns)," Rostislav" and " Chesma"(about 84 guns each)," Empress Maria"(Nakhimov's flagship with 84 guns).
• Steamboats: " Chersonese», « Odessa" and " Crimea».

The Turkish squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, consisted of 12 ships with 476 guns, which were additionally given 2 brigs and 2 military transports. The warships of the Turkish squadron were also divided into three classes:

• Sailing corvettes: « Feizi-Meabud" and " Nejmi Feshan"(about 24 guns each)," Gyuli -Sefid"(22 guns).
• Sailing frigates: " Nizamiye"(64 guns)," Navek-Bahri" and " Nesimi-Zefer"(60 guns each)," Damiad"(56 guns)," Kaidi Zefer"(54 guns)," Fazli-Allah" and " Avni Allah"(44 guns each). The flagship was Avni Allah».
• Steam frigates: " Taif"(22 guns)," Erekli"(2 guns).

We see an unambiguous superiority of the Russian squadron, but here it is important to understand that the Turkish side had the support of coastal artillery, and the Russian ships were late for the start of the Sinop battle. They reached the shores of Sinop at a time when the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, even if we do not take into account the steamers of the Russian squadron, the superiority of the Russian side over the Turkish side is obvious. Why, under such conditions, did the Ottoman Empire declare war on Russia and was ready to conduct a naval battle off the coast of Sinop? The main reason is the hope for the promised support from England and France. This support was refused, but only after the Ottoman Empire had lost the battle of Sinop, and when there was a real reason for England and France to enter the war against Russia. As has happened more than once in world history, the British sacrifice their allies in order to get a plausible pretext for entering the war.

The course of the battle

The chronology of the Sinop naval battle on November 18, 1853 can be presented as follows:

• 12:00 - The Russian squadron of the Black Sea Fleet is approaching the Turkish ships near the Sinop raid.
• 12:30 - Turkish ships and coastal artillery of Sinop open fire on Russian ships.
• 13:00 - The Russian fleet focuses its attacks on the Turkish frigate Avni-Allah. Within a few tens of minutes, the frigate was flooded and washed ashore.
• 14:30 - The main part of the Sinop battle is over. Most of the Turkish ships were destroyed. Only the Taif steamer managed to escape, which headed for Constantinople, where it reported to the Turkish Sultan about the defeat.
• 18:30 - The Russian fleet finally destroyed the Turkish ships and suppressed the resistance of coastal artillery.

The battle of Sinop began with the attempts of the Russian fleet to take the necessary positions, in response to which fire was opened from the coastal artillery of Sinop and the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. Regarding coastal artillery, it should be noted that it had 6 lines: the first 2 opened fire in a timely manner, 3 and 4 - with a delay, 5 and 6 did not reach the Russian ships. From the very beginning of the battle, the Turkish side tried to inflict damage on the flagships, so the shots were fired in the direction of the battleships "Paris" and "Empress Maria".

Pavel Nakhimov also chose the flagships of the Ottoman Empire as his target in order to solve the fleet of the enemy command. Therefore, from the first minutes of the battle, the main blow fell on the Avni-Allah sailing frigate, which quickly caught fire and sank. After that, the fire was transferred to another flagship of the Turkish side, Fazli-Allah. This ship also received serious damage very soon and was put out of action. After that, the fire was equally divided between the ships of the enemy and the coastal battery. The skillful actions of Nakhimov and the entire Russian fleet led to the fact that in just a few hours the battle of Sinop was won.

Map of the Sinopo Naval Battle

Side losses

The losses of the Turkish side as a result of the battle of Sinop were catastrophic. Of the 15 ships that somehow took part in the battle, only one remained afloat - the Taif steam frigate, which managed to escape from the battlefield, and which was the first to reach the coast of Constantinople, reporting to the Turkish Sultan about what had happened. The Turkish squadron at the time of the start of the battle consisted of 4,500 people. At the end of the battle, the losses of the Turkish side were as follows:

• Killed - 3000 people or 66% of the personnel.
• Wounded - 500 people or 11% of the personnel.
• Prisoners - 200 people or 4.5% of the personnel.

Vice-Admiral of the Ottoman Empire Osman Pasha also fell into Russian captivity.

The losses of the Russian squadron were insignificant. Of the personnel, 230 people were wounded, and 37 people were killed. During the battle, all the ships of the Russian fleet were damaged to varying degrees of severity, but each of them was able to reach Sevastopol on its own.

Western myths about the victory of the Russian fleet

The reaction to the victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Sinop in the west followed immediately. This reaction resulted in the emergence of 3 myths that are still common today:

1. Russia won a bloody and brutal victory.
2. Russia captured Osman Pasha. He died in captivity.
3. Russia deliberately fired on the city, which led to a large number of civilian casualties and serious destruction of the city.

To show the reaction of the West to the battle of Sinop, it is enough to quote from an article in the English newspaper The Hampshire Telegraph of December 12, 1853.

Russia continues to celebrate their bloody victory in the battle as they continued to fire on Turkish ships that were out of action and unable to resist. The squadron courageously resisted, but the Russians, cold-blooded and cynically, completely destroyed it. Before the battle, there were 4490 people in the Turkish squadron. After the battle, only 358 survived. The city of Sinop was completely destroyed due to heavy fire from Russian artillery. The entire coast is strewn with the corpses of the dead. The local population that survived has neither food nor water. They do not receive proper medical care.

Now let's deal with what really happened, and whether these myths have at least some basis. Let's start with the simplest myth - the death of Vice Admiral Osman Pasha of the Ottoman Empire in Russian captivity. The English version is that the wounded Osman Pasha was taken prisoner, where he was not provided with medical care, as a result of which he died. In fact, the wounded Osman Pasha was indeed captured, but in 1856 he was released and returned to his homeland. After that, he held a position for a long time in the Admiralty Council under the Turkish Sultan, and died only in 1897.

The myth of the Bloody Victory of the Russian fleet is also nothing more than a fiction. First, you need to understand that there was a war. Moreover, the war that was declared by Turkey. Any war, and even more so between serious geopolitical rivals, is always accompanied by cruelty and sacrifice. And the English press, which attacks the Russian fleet for the Battle of Sinop, absolutely forgets to consider, for example, the issues of the bombing of Dresden in 1945. Of course, almost 100 years have passed between these events, but the reaction itself is indicative. The victory of the Russian fleet in the naval battle at Sinop is a bloody victory, and the bombardment of the peaceful city of Dresden, when World War II has actually ended, is a normal phenomenon. This is the manifestation of double standards. An important point regarding the battle of Sinop concerns the civilian population. According to the English version, almost all of it was destroyed by the barbaric Russian fleet. In fact, most of the population left Sinop long before the battle. They had time, because a few days before the battle, Osman Pasha gave the order to bring the Turkish fleet into the harbor, since the Russian ships managed to detect the enemy. As a result, during the bombing and explosions of ships, debris also fell on residential areas, where there was simply no one to put out the fire. Therefore, if we consider, for example, the Greek part of the city, then it practically did not suffer. This is not due to the fact that it was not bombarded, but to the fact that its inhabitants did not leave the city and were able to put out the fire. Therefore, the fact of destruction, and rather strong, of Sinop is true, but the causal relationship is absolutely broken. The destruction of the city was not due to targeted bombardments, but to the fact that the battle took place directly off the coast of the city, and also to the fact that there was simply no one to eliminate the consequences of the fire in time.

Victory Results

The Sinop victory of the Russian fleet is usually called "barren". The victory itself was outstanding, but it did not bring any significant dividends to Russia. Moreover, it was this naval battle that ultimately became the pretext that England and France used to enter the war against Russia on the side of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Crimean War was finally formed - one of the few wars that the Russian Empire lost.

Directly for the victory at Sinop in 1853, Vice Admiral Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Nicholas 1 was completely delighted with the victory and called Nakhimov the best admiral in history.

New types of ships and guns

The Crimean War and the Battle of Sinop are characteristic in terms of the use of new types of ships and new guns. The use of steam engines in industry led to the idea of ​​transferring them to ships. Prior to this, the ships were only sailing, which means that they were highly dependent on the movement of the wind. The first steamboat was built in America in 1807. These steamers operated on the paddle wheel principle and were vulnerable. After that, they got rid of the wheel and classical steamships appeared. Russia, the last of the world powers, began to use steam engines in shipbuilding. The first civilian steamship was built in 1817, and the first military steamship, the Hercules, was launched in 1832.

Along with the development of steamships, ship guns also developed. At the same time as the development of steamships, "bomb cannons" appeared. They were designed by the French artilleryman Henri-Joseph Peksant. The use was based on the principle of ground artillery. It was based on the principle of the bomb. First, the projectile punched a hole in the ship's tree, and then the bomb exploded, causing the main damage. In 1824, a unique event was achieved - a two-decker battleship was flooded with two shots!

Victory Day of the Russian squadron at Cape Sinop

When even a big victory is not at all a joy

Painting by I.K. Aivazovsky "The battle of Sinop" (1853) was written from the words of the participants in the battle.

View from Cape Kioi-Hisar, where battery No. 6 was located. From right to left, stern to the viewer, Russian ships "Rostislav", "Three Saints", "Paris". In the center, facing the viewer, is the flagship "Empress Maria", behind it one can see the masts of the "Grand Duke Konstantin" and "Chesma". The sails of the Russian ships have not been removed so as not to endanger the sailors. Behind the battle line of Turkish ships are transports, to the left you can see the Sinop fortress. To the right of the "Rostislav" on the horizon are three steamships of Kornilov, going to the aid of the Russian squadron.

December 1 - Day of military glory of Russia in honor of the victory of the Russian fleet near the city of Sinop in 1853 during the Crimean War. The battle in which the Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov defeated the Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha, happened on November 18 according to the old style or November 30 according to the modern calendar. It must be assumed that the legislators had good reasons for setting this victorious day for December 1st. But this is not the only and not even the main paradox of this significant event in the history of the Russian fleet.

The fact is that historians and naval experts still cannot come to a consensus on the significance of this battle. “Glorious battle, higher than Chesma and Navarin!” This is how V.A. wrote about the Sinop victory. Kornilov and not only him. Indeed, the defeat of the Turkish fleet disrupted the already prepared major Turkish offensive in the Caucasus. Others pointed out that the Russians had a great superiority in strength, in weapons, and also in moral terms, and saw no reason for such enthusiastic assessments. In England and France, which actively helped Turkey, they generally stated that this was not a battle, but a sea robbery.

Yes, and the creator of this victory - Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov was not so much pleased as worried. Unfortunately, Nakhimov's fears came true in the worst possible scenario. Having received news of the Battle of Sinop, England and France first sent their squadrons into the Black Sea, explaining this by the desire to protect Turkish ships and ports from attacks from the Russian side, and then declared war on Russia. Nakhimov considered himself the unwitting culprit of all these tragic events.

Now how was it

One of the main directions of Russia's foreign policy in the first half of the 19th century was the desire to secure freedom of access to the Mediterranean Sea and strengthen its position in the Balkans. This was most actively prevented by England and France, who saw this as a threat to their interests. England pushed Turkey by military means to regain the Crimea and the northern coast of the Black Sea. Yielding to these persuasions, in October 1853, Turkey declared war on Russia and immediately began preparing a major offensive in the Caucasus. The 20,000-strong Turkish army concentrated in the Batumi region was supposed to land in the Poti and Sukhumi regions, encircle and destroy the entire Russian army in the South Caucasus. An important role in the implementation of this operation was assigned to the Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha, which marched from Constantinople to the shores of the Caucasus.

The squadron of Nakhimov, consisting of 3 battleships and one brig, discovered the ships of Osman Pasha on November 8 in the bay of the city of Sinop. Nakhimov decided to block the Turks and wait for reinforcements. The detachment of Rear Admiral F.M. Novosilsky, consisting of three battleships and two frigates, approached on November 16.

By the middle of the 19th century, Russian sailing ships had reached complete perfection in terms of size, speed, artillery and sailing weapons. The basis of their combat power was the bombing guns located on the lower battery deck. They fired bombs that exploded on impact, causing great destruction and fires. Such guns were extremely dangerous for wooden sailing ships. The Russian squadron had 716 guns, of which 76 were bombing.

Six Russian battleships were opposed by 7 Turkish frigates with 472 guns and 38 guns of six coastal batteries. Basically, the Turkish guns were of a smaller caliber, and there was not a single bomb among them. For clarity, we can say that in a salvo from one side, Russian ships threw out 400 pounds of metal, and Turkish - a little more than 150 pounds. Nevertheless, according to foreign experts, the position of the Turkish admiral was far from hopeless. He only needed to effectively use the advantages of his position and the coastal batteries that covered him, which, firing with red-hot cannonballs, could very effectively hit wooden sailing ships even with a relatively small number of guns.

At 09:30 on November 18, 1853, the Russian squadron, consisting of two columns, went to the Sinop raid. In an order with very detailed instructions on how to conduct the battle, Nakhimov gave the commanders of the ships to act at their own discretion in the event of a change in the situation, but stressed that everyone must "by all means do their duty." At a meeting before the battle, it was decided to protect the city as much as possible, to shoot only at ships and coastal batteries.

In the right column, the leading ship was the Empress Maria under the flag of Nakhimov. The left column was headed by "Paris" under the flag of Novosilsky. At 12:30 the battle began. The Gyuli-Sefid corvette was the first to take off from the fire in the cruise chamber. Then, one after another, unable to withstand the fire of Russian guns, Turkish frigates left the battlefield and were thrown ashore. During the first 30 minutes of the battle, the ships of the first line were destroyed - four frigates and a corvette.

Then our ships shifted their fire to coastal batteries and soon suppressed battery No. 5. A few minutes later, the frigate Navek-Bakhri exploded, its burning fragments covered battery No. 4, which no longer fired. The steamer "Taif", having a strong artillery armament, could be of great help to his squadron, but he did not even enter the battle, but went to sea and headed for the Bosphorus.


I.K. Aivazovsky. "Sinop battle on November 18, 1853 (the night after the battle)".

The picture was painted in December 1853 according to the scheme, which I sketched on the spot on behalf of P.S. Nakhimov, Prince Viktor Baryatinsky; the artist also asked the eyewitness about the colors and shades of various details.

By 4 p.m., the battle had almost ended with the complete defeat of the Turkish squadron. Fires and explosions continued on Turkish ships until late at night. Not a single ship survived. According to Turkish data, more than 3 thousand people died during the battle. The flagship of the Turkish squadron Osman Pasha was seriously wounded in the leg and was taken prisoner. In this battle, the Turkish admiral showed great personal courage, and his subordinates showed courage and stamina, but this was not enough to win. The losses of the Russian squadron amounted to 37 killed and 229 wounded.

All ships except frigates were damaged. On Nakhimov's flagship "Empress Maria" they counted 60 holes in the hull and a lot of serious damage to the spars and rigging. Despite these damages and a strong storm, all ships arrived in Sevastopol on November 23.


N.P. Krasovsky. Return to Sevastopol of the squadron of the Black Sea Fleet after the Battle of Sinop. 1863.
For this battle, Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd class, a rare and highly prestigious military award. Almost all officers of the squadron received various awards and promotions. The glory of the winners thundered everywhere. The victory at Sinop, and then the heroic death on the bastion of Sevastopol immortalized the name of Nakhimov, our best maritime traditions are associated with him. Nakhimov became a folk hero.

The significance of this victory is clearly seen from the congratulatory letter of Rear Admiral P. Vukotich, commander of a detachment of Russian ships off the coast of the Caucasus: “The destruction of the Sinop squadron, the great thunderstorm of the entire Caucasus, saved the Caucasus, especially Sukhum, Poti

And Redutkale, by conquering the latter, would have been taken as a prey by the Turks of Guria, Imereti and Mingrelia. (Basic regions of Georgia).

The main political result of the first months of the war and, above all, the Battle of Sinop, was the complete failure of the plans of England and France to wage war by proxy. The real organizers of the Crimean War were shown. Convinced of the complete inability of Turkey to wage war with Russia, England and France were forced to openly go to war with Russia.

Modern view of the Sinop Bay - the place of the battle
The battle of Sinop was the last major battle of the sailing fleet, but at the same time, it was also the first naval battle in which the effectiveness of bombing guns was demonstrated with such persuasiveness. This significantly accelerated the transition to the construction of an armored fleet.

The small Turkish port city of Sinop lies on the narrow isthmus of the Bostepe-Burun peninsula on the southern coast of the Black Sea. It has an excellent harbor, which is especially important because along this coast of the large Anatolian (Asia Minor) peninsula there is no other such convenient and calm bay. At Sinop on November 18 (30), 1853, the main naval battle of the Crimean War of 1853-1856 took place.

After Russia declared war on Turkey (1853), Vice Admiral Nakhimov with the ships "Empress Maria", "Chesma" and "Rostislav" was sent by the head of all Russian troops in the Crimea, Prince Menshikov, to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. Passing near Sinop, Nakhimov saw a detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of coastal batteries and decided to closely block the port in order to attack the enemy with the arrival of the Svyatoslav and Brave ships from Sevastopol. The weather was gloomy, rainy, with a fresh easterly wind and rather strong seas from the northeast. Despite this, the squadron kept very close to the coast, so as not to allow the Turks to leave Sinop at night for Constantinople (Istanbul).

On November 16, the squadron of Rear Admiral Novosilsky (120-gun ships Paris, Grand Duke Konstantin and Three Saints, frigates Kagul and Kulevchi) joined the Nakhimov detachment. The next day, Nakhimov invited the commanders of the ships to the flagship ("Empress Maria") and told them the plan for the upcoming battle with the enemy fleet. It was decided to attack with two columns: in the 1st, closest to the enemy, the ships of the Nakhimov detachment, in the 2nd - Novosilsky; the frigates, on the other hand, had to watch the enemy ships under sail. Anchors were ordered to be thrown with springs (cables that make it easier to keep the ship in a given position) as close as possible to the enemy, having verps and cables at the ready. Consular houses and the city of Sinop itself were supposed to be spared, hitting only ships and batteries.

Sinop battle in 1853. Plan

On the morning of November 18, 1853, it rained with a gusty wind from the east-south-east, the most unfavorable for the capture of enemy ships (broken, they could easily be thrown ashore). At half past ten in the morning, holding the rowboats at the sides of the ships, the Russian squadron headed for the raid. In the depths of the Sinop Bay, 7 Turkish frigates and 3 corvettes were located moon-shaped, under the cover of 4 batteries (one with 8 guns, three with 6 guns each); behind the battle line were 2 steamships and 2 transports.

At half past one in the afternoon, on the first shot from the 44-gun frigate "Aunni-Allah", fire was opened on the Russians from all enemy ships and batteries. The ship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with cannonballs and knipels (shells for destroying masts and sails). Most of his spars (sail control devices) and standing rigging were broken, only 1 guy remained intact at the main mast. However, this ship moved forward without stopping and, acting as a battle fire on enemy ships, anchored against the frigate "Aunni-Allah". Unable to withstand even a half-hour battle, he threw himself ashore. Then our flagship turned its fire exclusively on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also landed on land.

Sinop battle. Painting by I. Aivazovsky, 1853

After this, the actions of the Empress Maria ship in the battle of Sinop focused on battery No. 5. The ship Grand Duke Konstantin, anchoring, opened heavy fire on battery No. 4 and the 60-gun frigates Navek-Bakhri and Nesimi-Zefer . The first was blown up 20 minutes after the opening of fire, showering debris and bodies on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function. The second one was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken. The ship "Chesma" blew away batteries No. 4 and 3 with its shots. The ship "Paris", while at anchor, directed battle fire at battery No. 5, the corvette "Gyuli-Sefid" (22-gun) and the frigate "Damiad" (56- cannon). Blowing up the corvette into the air and throwing the frigate ashore, he began to hit the 64-gun frigate "Nizamie", the fore and mizzen masts of the latter were shot down, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "Paris" again began to fire at battery No. 5. Nakhimov, delighted with the actions of this ship, ordered to express his gratitude to him right during the battle, but there was nothing to raise the corresponding signal: all the halyards were killed. The ship "Three Saints" entered the fight with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" (54-gun) and "Nizamiye". With the first shots of the Turks at the "Three Hierarchs" the spring was interrupted. Turning to the wind, this Russian ship was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, from which its mast was badly damaged. But, turning the stern again, the "Three Saints" began to act very successfully on the "Kaidi-Zefer" and other enemy ships, forcing them to rush to the shore. The ship "Rostislav", having concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and the 24-gun corvette "Feyze-Meabud", threw the corvette ashore.

At half past two in the afternoon, the Russian steamship-frigate "Odessa" appeared from behind the cape, under the flag of Admiral General Kornilov, accompanied by the ships "Crimea" and "Khersonesos". These ships immediately took part in the Sinop battle, which, however, was already drawing to a close, since the forces of the Turks were exhausted. Batteries No. 5 and 6 continued to disturb our ships until 4 o'clock, but "Paris" and "Rostislav" soon destroyed them. Meanwhile, the rest of the enemy ships, ignited, apparently, by their crews, took off into the air one after another. From this, a fire spread in the city of Sinop, which there was no one to extinguish.

Sinop battle

Among the prisoners was the head of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, and two ship commanders. At the end of the Battle of Sinop, Russian ships began to repair damage to the rigging and spars, and on the morning of November 20, they weighed anchor to proceed to Sevastopol in tow of steamers. Beyond Cape Sinop, the squadron met a large swell from the northeast, so that the steamers were forced to give up tugboats. At night the wind became stronger, and the ships set sail. On November 22, 1853, around noon, the victorious Russian ships, with general rejoicing, entered the Sevastopol raid.

The victory in the Battle of Sinop had very important consequences for the course of the Crimean War: it freed the Caucasian Black Sea coast of Russia from the danger of a Turkish landing.

The battle of Sinop on November 18 (30), 1853 is inscribed in gold letters in the Russian military chronicle. It was the last major battle in the sailing fleet. In this battle, Russian sailors and commanders showed what they are capable of if they are led by such great people as Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, the admiral, who was loved and respected with all his heart by the people around him. In the battle of Sinop, the Russian fleet almost completely destroyed the Turkish squadron, while suffering minimal losses. This naval battle became an example of the brilliant preparation of the Black Sea Fleet, led by one of the best representatives of the school of Russian military art. Sinop, struck all of Europe with the perfection of the Russian fleet, fully justified the many years of hard educational work of Admirals Lazarev and Nakhimov.

Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov (1802 - 1855)

The future admiral was born on June 23 (July 5), 1802 in a family of poor Smolensk noblemen. His small homeland was the village of Gorodok in the Vyazemsky district. His father, Stepan Mikhailovich Nakhimov, was an officer and even under Catherine the Great, he retired with the rank of second major. Of the eleven children born in the family, five boys became military sailors. One of them, Pavel's younger brother, Sergei, rose to the rank of vice admiral, headed the Naval Cadet Corps.

Already at the age of 13, Pavel was enrolled in the Naval Cadet Corps, he studied brilliantly. In 1817 he received the rank of midshipman and participated in the campaign of the Phoenix brig. In 1818 he entered the service on the frigate "Cruiser" and, under the command of Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, made a trip around the world. During the voyage he was promoted to lieutenant. Already in these youthful years, Pavel Nakhimov showed a curious feature, which his comrades and colleagues immediately noticed. This feature dominated Nakhimov until his death during the defense of Sevastopol. Naval service was for Nakhimov the only thing in life. He did not know any personal life, except for the service, and did not want to know. Naval service was everything to him. He was a patriot who selflessly loved his Motherland, the Russian fleet, who lived for Russia and died at his military post. As the well-known Russian historian E.V. Tarle: “Because of lack of time and too much preoccupation with maritime interests, he forgot to fall in love, forgot to marry. He was a fanatic of maritime affairs, according to the unanimous opinion of eyewitnesses and observers. Even during a round-the-world trip, he almost died saving a sailor who had fallen overboard.

Nakhimov during a long trip around the world - it lasted from 1822 to 1825, became a favorite student and follower of Mikhail Lazarev, who, together with Bellingshausen, became the discoverer of Antarctica. Lazarev quickly appreciated the abilities of the young officer, and they practically never parted in the service. After completing the round-the-world trip, Pavel Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree. Together with Lazarev, the young lieutenant in 1826 transferred to the battleship Azov, on which he took part in the famous Navarino battle in 1827. The ship "Azov" from the combined Anglo-French-Russian fleet came closest to the Turkish naval forces. The fleet said that "Azov" smashed the enemy almost at a distance of a pistol shot. Nakhimov commanded a battery in this battle. Pavel Nakhimov was wounded, the ship suffered the greatest losses, but also caused more harm to the enemy than the best ships of the allied fleet. Lazarev, who, according to the commander of the Russian squadron L.P. Heiden, "managed the movements of" Azov "with composure, art and exemplary courage", was promoted to rear admiral. The ship "Azov" was the first in the Russian fleet to be awarded the St. George flag. Pavel Nakhimov was awarded the rank of lieutenant commander and the Order of St. George, 4th degree. So brilliantly Pavel Stepanovich began his military career.

In 1828, Nakhimov already became the commander of the ship - the Navarin corvette. It was a prize ship captured from the Ottomans. In Malta, the ship was restored, armed and took part in the blockade of the Dardanelles. Nakhimov proved to be a tireless worker. Moreover, his comrades never reproached him for the desire to curry favor, careerism. Everyone saw that their commander was dedicated to the cause and worked harder than anyone else. Since 1830, upon returning to the Baltic, he continued to serve on the Navarino. In 1831 he headed the new frigate "Pallada". Soon the frigate became indicative. On August 17, 1833, Nakhimov saved the squadron, in poor visibility, the sailor noticed the Dagerort lighthouse and gave a signal that the ships were under threat.

In 1834, at the request of Lazarev, who commanded the Black Sea Fleet, Nakhimov was transferred to the southern maritime borders of the empire. In 1836, Pavel Stepanovich received command of the battleship Silistria, built under his own supervision. A few months later he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank. Nakhimov served on this ship for 9 years. Pavel Stepanovich made the Silistria an exemplary ship and carried out a number of responsible and difficult assignments on it. The commander became known to the entire fleet. Pavel Stepanovich was the head of the Suvorov and Ushakov schools, believing that the entire strength of the fleet was based on the sailor. “It's time for us to stop considering ourselves landowners,” Nakhimov said, “and sailors as serfs. The sailor is the main engine on a warship, and we are only the springs that act on it. The sailor controls the sails, he also points the guns at the enemy; the sailor will rush to board if necessary; the sailor will do everything if we, the bosses, are not egoists, if we do not look at the service as a means of satisfying our ambition, but at the subordinates as on the steps of our own elevation. The sailor, according to him, was the main military force of the fleet. “That’s who we need to elevate, teach, inspire courage and heroism in them, if we are not selfish, but really servants of the fatherland.” He offered to look up to Nelson, who "understood the spirit of popular pride of his subordinates and, with one simple signal, aroused the passionate enthusiasm in the common people who had been brought up by him and his predecessors." With his behavior, Pavel Nakhimov brought up a team that had to be completely confident in him. So, once during the exercises, the Adrianople ship made an unsuccessful maneuver, making a collision with the Silistria inevitable. Nakhimov ordered everyone to retire to a safe place, he himself remained in the quarterdeck. He was not injured in the collision. The captain explained his action by the need to show the team "presence of mind", in battle this will be of great benefit. The crew will have complete confidence in their commander and will do everything possible and impossible to win.

In 1845, Nakhimov was promoted to Rear Admiral. Lazarev appointed him commander of the 1st brigade of the 4th naval division. In 1852 he received the rank of vice admiral and led a naval division. His authority during these years extended to the entire fleet and was equal to the influence of Lazarev himself. All his time was devoted to the service. He did not even have an extra ruble, giving everything to the last to the sailors and their families. Service in peacetime was for him the time that fate let go to prepare for war, to the moment when a person will have to show all his best qualities. At the same time, Pavel Stepanovich was a man with a capital letter, ready to give the last penny to a person in need, to help an old man, woman or child. All the sailors and their families became one big family for him.

Lazarev and Nakhimov, like Kornilov, Istomin, were representatives of a school that demanded moral high ground from an officer. “War” was declared among the officers on laziness, sybaritism, drunkenness and card games. The sailors under their command were to become warriors, not toys of the whims of the "naval landowners." They demanded from the sailors not mechanical skills during reviews and parades, but a genuine ability to fight and, understanding what they were doing. Corporal punishment became a rarity on the Black Sea ships, external servility was reduced to a minimum. As a result, the Black Sea Fleet has become an excellent fighting machine, ready to stand up for Russia.

Nakhimov perspicaciously noted the feature of a significant part of the Russian elite class, which in the end will destroy the Russian Empire. “Many young officers surprise me: they fell behind the Russians, they didn’t stick to the French, they also don’t look like the British; they neglect their own, they envy others, they do not understand their own benefits at all. It's no good!"

Nakhimov was a unique person who reached amazing heights in his moral and mental development. At the same time kind and sympathetic to someone else's grief, unusually modest, with a bright and inquisitive mind. His moral influence on people was enormous. He pulled up the command staff. I spoke with the sailors in their language. The devotion and love of the sailors for him reached unprecedented heights. Already on the Sevastopol bastions, his daily appearance aroused incredible enthusiasm among the defenders. Tired, exhausted sailors and soldiers were resurrected and were ready to repeat miracles. No wonder Nakhimov himself said that with our dashing people, showing attention and love, you can do such things, which is just a miracle.

Monument to P. S. Nakhimov in Sevastopol.

War

The year 1853 has come. Another war with Turkey began, which soon led to a global conflict involving the leading world powers. The Anglo-French squadron entered the Dardanelles. Fronts were opened on the Danube and in Transcaucasia. Petersburg, which was counting on a quick victory over the Porte, a decisive advance of Russian interests in the Balkans and a successful solution to the problem of the straits, received the threat of war with the great powers, with vague prospects. There was a threat that the Ottomans, followed by the British and French, would be able to provide effective assistance to the highlanders of Shamil. And this is the loss of the Caucasus and a serious advance of the enemy forces from the south. In the Caucasus, Russia did not have enough troops to simultaneously hold back the advance of the Turkish army and fight the highlanders. In addition, the Turkish squadron supplied the troops on the Caucasian coast with ammunition.

Therefore, the Black Sea Fleet received two tasks: first, to hastily transport reinforcements from the Crimea to the Caucasus; secondly, to strike at Turkish maritime communications. Pavel Nakhimov completed both tasks. On September 13, in Sevastopol, they received an emergency order to transfer an infantry division with artillery to Anakria (Anaklia). At that time, the Black Sea Fleet was restless. There were rumors about the performance on the side of the Ottomans of the Anglo-French squadron. Nakhimov immediately took over the operation. In four days he prepared the ships and deployed the troops in perfect order: 16 battalions with two batteries - more than 16 thousand people, 824 people and all the necessary equipment. On September 17, the squadron entered the stormy sea and on the morning of September 24 came to Anakria. By evening, the unloading was completed. The operation involved 14 sailing ships, 7 steamships and 11 transport ships. The operation was recognized as brilliant, among the sailors there were only 4 people sick, among the soldiers - 7.

Having solved the first problem, Pavel Stepanovich proceeded to the second. It was necessary to find a Turkish squadron in the sea and defeat it. Prevent the enemy from carrying out a landing operation in the area of ​​Sukhum-Kale and Poti, helping the highlanders. A 20,000 Turkish corps was concentrated in Batumi, which was to be transferred by a large transport flotilla - up to 250 ships. The landing was to be covered by Osman Pasha's squadron.

At this time, the commander of the Crimean army and the Black Sea Fleet was Prince Alexander Menshikov. He sent a squadron of Nakhimov and Kornilov to search for the enemy. On November 5, Kornilov met the Ottoman 10-gun steamer Pervaz-Bahre, sailing from Sinop. Steam frigate "Vladimir" (11 guns) under the flag of the Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet Kornilov attacked the enemy. The commander of the "Vladimir" captain-lieutenant Grigory Butakov directly led the battle. He used the high maneuverability of his ship and noticed the weakness of the enemy - the absence of guns at the stern of the Turkish steamer. Throughout the battle, he tried to hold on so as not to fall under the fire of the Ottomans. The three-hour battle ended with a Russian victory. It was the first steamship battle in history. Then Vladimir Kornilov returned to Sevastopol and ordered Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky to find Nakhimov and reinforce him with the battleships Rostislav and Svyatoslav, and the brig Eney. Novosilsky met with Nakhimov and, having completed the assignment, returned to Sevastopol.

The battle of the Russian steam frigate "Vladimir" and the Turkish steamer "Pervaz-Bakhri".

Since the end of October, Nakhimov has been cruising between Sukhum and part of the Anatolian coast, where Sinop was the main port. The Vice Admiral, after meeting with Novosiltsev, had five 84-gun ships: Empress Maria, Chesma, Rostislav, Svyatoslav and Brave, as well as the frigate Insidious and the brig Eney. On November 2 (14), Nakhimov issued an order to the squadron, where he notified the commanders that in the event of a meeting with an enemy that "is superior in strength to us, I will attack him, being absolutely sure that each of us will do our job." Every day they waited for the appearance of the enemy. In addition, there was the possibility of meeting with British ships. But there was no Ottoman squadron. We met only Novosilsky, who brought two ships, replacing those battered by the storm and sent to Sevastopol. On November 8, a severe storm broke out, and the vice admiral was forced to send 4 more ships for repairs. The situation was critical. The strong wind continued after the November 8 storm.

On November 11, Nakhimov approached Sinop and immediately sent a brig with the news that an Ottoman squadron was stationed in the bay. Despite the significant enemy forces, which were protected by 6 coastal batteries, Nakhimov decided to block the Sinop Bay and wait for reinforcements. He asked Menshikov to send the ships "Svyatoslav" and "Brave", the frigate "Kovarna" and the steamer "Bessarabia" sent for repair. The admiral also expressed bewilderment why he was not sent the frigate Kulevchi, which is idle in Sevastopol, and send two more additional steamers necessary for cruising. Nakhimov was ready to fight if the Turks made a breakthrough. However, the Ottoman command, although at that time had an advantage in strength, did not dare to enter into a general battle or simply go for a breakthrough. When Nakhimov reported that the Ottoman forces in Sinop, according to his observations, were higher than previously thought, Menshikov sent reinforcements - a Novosilsky squadron, and then a detachment of Kornilov's ships.

Side forces

Reinforcements arrived just in time. On November 16 (28), 1853, Nakhimov’s detachment was reinforced by the squadron of Rear Admiral Fyodor Novosilsky: 120-gun battleships Paris, Grand Duke Konstantin and Three Saints, frigates Cahul and Kulevchi. As a result, under the command of Nakhimov there were already 6 battleships: 84-gun Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav, 120-gun Paris, Grand Duke Konstantin and Three Saints, 60-gun frigate " Kulevchi" and 44-gun "Cahul". Nakhimov had 716 guns, from each side the squadron could fire a salvo weighing 378 pounds 13 pounds. In addition, Kornilov hurried to the aid of Nakhimov with three steam frigates.

The Ottomans had 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, several auxiliary ships and a detachment of 3 steam frigates. Altogether, the Turks had 476 naval guns, supported by 44 coastal guns. The Ottoman squadron was led by the Turkish Vice Admiral Osman Pasha. The second flagship was Rear Admiral Hussein Pasha. An English adviser, Captain A. Slade, was with the squadron. The detachment of steamships was commanded by Vice Admiral Mustafa Pasha. Osman Pasha, knowing that the Russian squadron was guarding him at the exit from the bay, sent an alarming message to Istanbul, asking for help, significantly exaggerating Nakhimov's forces. However, the Ottomans were late, the message was transmitted to the British on November 17 (29), a day before Nakhimov's attack. Even if Lord Stratford-Radcliffe, who at that time actually led the policy of the Porte, had ordered the British squadron to go to the aid of Osman Pasha, help would still be late. In addition, the British ambassador in Istanbul did not have the right to start a war with Russia, the admiral could refuse.

Nakhimov's plan

The admiral, as soon as reinforcements approached, decided not to wait, to immediately enter the Sinop Bay and attack the Ottoman ships. In essence, Nakhimov took a risk, albeit a well-calculated one. The Ottomans had good ship and coastal guns, and with appropriate leadership, the Turkish forces could inflict serious damage on the Russian squadron. However, the once formidable Ottoman navy was in decline, both in combat training and leadership. The Ottoman command itself played along with Nakhimov, placing the ships extremely inconvenient for defense. Firstly, the Ottoman squadron was located like a fan, a concave arc. As a result, the ships closed the firing sector of part of the coastal batteries. Secondly, the ships were located near the embankment itself, which did not give them the opportunity to maneuver and fire with two sides. This weakened the firepower of Osman Pasha's squadron.

Nakhimov's plan was imbued with determination and initiative. The Russian squadron in the ranks of two wake columns (the ships followed one after the other along the course line) received an order to break through to the Sinop roadstead and strike at enemy ships and batteries. The first column was commanded by Nakhimov. It included the ships "Empress Maria" (flagship), "Grand Duke Konstantin" and "Chesma". The second column was led by Novosilsky. It included "Paris" (2nd flagship), "Three Saints" and "Rostislav". The movement in two columns was supposed to reduce the time it took the ships to pass under the fire of the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries. In addition, it was facilitated by the deployment of Russian ships in battle formation when anchored. In the rearguard were frigates, which were supposed to stop the enemy's attempts to escape. The goals of all ships were also distributed in advance. At the same time, ship commanders had a certain independence in choosing targets, depending on the specific situation, while implementing the principle of mutual support.

Sinop battle

The Crimean War of 1853-1856 went down in the history of Russia as a symbol of one of the most difficult defeats, but at the same time it gave the clearest examples of unprecedented courage shown by Russian soldiers and sailors. And the beginning of this war was marked by one of the most outstanding victories of the Russian fleet. It was the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the battle of Sinop. The large Turkish fleet was defeated within a few hours. But the same battle served as a pretext for Great Britain and France to declare war on Russia and turned the Crimean War into a severe test for the people and government.

Even before the start of the war with Turkey, Vice Admiral F.S. Nakhimov with a squadron, which included 84-gun battleships "Empress Maria", "Chesma" and "Rostislav", was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. The reason was the information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for landing troops near Sukhum and Poti. And indeed, approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw a large detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of six coastal batteries. Then he decided to closely block the port, so that later, with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol, he would attack the enemy. On November 16, 1853, the squadron of Rear Admiral F.M. Novosilsky - 120-gun battleships "Paris", "Grand Duke Konstantin" and "Three Saints", as well as the frigates "Cahul" and "Kulevchi".

Nakhimov decided to attack the Turkish fleet with two columns: in the first, closest to the enemy, the ships of the Nakhimov detachment, in the second - Novosilsky. The frigates were supposed to watch the enemy ships under sail in order to prevent the possibility of their breakthrough. Consular houses and the city in general, it was decided to spare as much as possible, concentrating artillery fire only on ships and batteries. For the first time it was supposed to use 68-pound bomb guns.

The battle began on November 18, 1853 at 12:30 and lasted until 17:00. At first, the Turkish naval artillery and coastal batteries subjected the attacking Russian squadron, which was entering the Sinop raid, to heavy fire. The enemy fired from a fairly close distance, but Nakhimov's ships responded to the fierce enemy shelling only by taking advantageous positions. It was then that the absolute superiority of Russian artillery became clear.

The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, only one guy remained intact at the mainmast. However, the ship went forward and, acting as a battle fire on enemy ships, anchored against the Turkish flagship 44-gun frigate Auni-Allah. After a half-hour battle, Auni-Allah, unable to withstand the crushing fire of Russian guns, threw herself ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the actions of the Empress Maria ship focused on the Turkish coastal battery No. 5.

The battleship Grand Duke Konstantin, anchoring, opened heavy fire on Battery No. 4 and the 60-gun frigates Navek-Bakhri and Nesimi-Zefer. The first was blown up 20 minutes later, showering debris and the bodies of the killed Turks on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken by a cannonball.

The battleship "Chesma" demolished batteries No. 3 and No. 4 with its shots. The battleship "Paris", while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette "Gyuli-Sefid" with twenty-two guns and the 56-gun frigate "Damiad ". Then, blowing up the corvette and throwing the frigate ashore, he began to hit the 64-gun frigate Nizamiye, whose fore and mizzen masts were shot down by bombing fire, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "Paris" again began to fire at the battery number 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered the fight with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" and "Nizamie". The first enemy shots broke his spring, and the ship, turning to the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its mast was badly damaged. But, turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other Turkish ships and forced them to move ashore. The battleship Rostislav, covering the Three Saints, concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the 24-gun corvette Feyze-Meabud and threw the corvette ashore.

Sinop battle. The night after the battle. I. Aivazovsky. 1853

At 13.30, the Russian steam frigate Odessa appeared from behind the cape under the flag of Adjutant General Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov, accompanied by steam frigates "Khersones" and "Crimea". These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already drawing to a close, since the forces of the Turks were very weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to disturb the Russian ships until 4 p.m., but Paris and Rostislav managed to destroy them. Meanwhile, the rest of the Turkish ships, lit, apparently, by their crews, took off into the air one after another. From this, a fire spread in the city, which there was no one to extinguish.

At about 2 pm, the Turkish 22-gun steamer Taif, on which Mushaver Pasha was located, escaped from the line of Turkish ships that were suffering a severe defeat and fled. At the same time, out of the entire Turkish squadron, only this ship had two ten-inch bomb guns. Taking advantage of the speed advantage, Taif managed to get away from the Russian ships and report to Istanbul about the complete extermination of the Turkish squadron.

In this battle, the Turks lost fifteen of the sixteen ships and over three thousand people killed and wounded out of four and a half thousand who participated in the battle. About two hundred people were taken prisoner, including the commander of the Turkish fleet, Osman Pasha, who was wounded in the leg, and the commanders of two ships. The losses of the Russian squadron amounted to thirty-seven people killed and two hundred and thirty-three wounded, thirteen guns were hit and disabled on the ships, there were serious damages to the hull, rigging and sails.

The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the battle of Sinop significantly weakened the Turkish naval forces in the Black Sea, the dominance of which completely passed to the Russians. Plans for the landing of Turkish troops on the coast of the Caucasus were also thwarted. This battle, moreover, was the last major battle in the history of the era of the sailing fleet. The era of steamships was coming. But this same outstanding victory caused extreme discontent in England, frightened by such a significant success of the Russian fleet. The result of this was soon an alliance against Russia of two great European powers - England and France. The war, which began as a Russo-Turkish war, in early 1854 turned into a fierce Crimean War.

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