Runny nose

Surname of the signalman on the cruiser Sverdlov in 1953. Artillery cruisers of the Sverdlov class: the last in the Russian fleet

In May 1992 marks 40 years since the entry into service of the artillery cruiser Sverdlov, the lead ship of one of the first post-war projects. His birth was preceded by a lot of work that lasted almost 15 years. The fact is that the lightweight cruiser Project 68-k, according to the then classification of Navy ships, was chosen as the prototype ship for the cruisers of this series (the project received the code 68-bis). war ship of Project 68. The pre-war program for the construction of a large sea and ocean fleet (1938-1942) by the end of 1942, it was planned to build 5 light cruisers of Project 68 (a total of 17 units were to be laid down). The first four ships of this project were laid down in 1939, the fifth - a year later.

They were finally completed at the end of the 40s, taking into account the experience of the war, according to the so-called “adjusted” project 68-k. The chief designer of the 68-k project was first appointed A. S. Savichev, and from 1947 - N. A. Kiselev. The lead one, “Chapaev,” became part of the Navy in the fall of 1949. The rest were soon accepted by the fleet.
Simultaneously with the completion of ships of pre-war projects, scientific and practical work continued in these years to create new generations of warships, in which, already during the design, it would be possible to take into account both the experience of the war and everything new that post-war science and production could provide. It was impossible to leave the fleet without large ships, and therefore they decided to build cruisers, Project 68-bis.

The Sverdlov belongs to the ships of this project, developed under the leadership of A.S. Savichev, marking the beginning of the introduction of a large series of artillery cruisers into the Navy. The construction of the cruiser under serial number O-408 was carried out at the Baltic Shipyard named after S. Ordzhonikidze (at that time - plant No. 189 of the People's Commissariat of the Shipbuilding Industry). It was launched on July 5, 1950. After completion afloat, the ship passed factory and state tests, and from November 29, 1951 to January 16, 1952. in the area of the Osmusaar-Pakri islands, in sea conditions of 4-7 points - seaworthy. On May 15, 1952, the State Commission for Acceptance of Ships signed an act on its inclusion in the Navy.

What were the cruisers of Project 68-bis?
“Larger” in their weight-dimensional characteristics than ships of the “Chapaev” type, they had a displacement: standard - 13,600 tons, normal - 15,120 tons and full - 16,640 tons. With a normal displacement, the main dimensions of the ship’s hull (along the structural waterline) were: length 205 m, width 21.2 m, average draft 6.9 m. Reserves of fuel, engine oil, boiler oil and drinking water, as well as provisions provided the ship with an estimated autonomy of 30 days and a cruising range at optimal economic speeds of up to 9 thousand miles. For the first time on this project, Soviet shipbuilders managed to implement the idea of creating a “fully welded hull” from low-alloy steel, which, according to calculations, not only increased the manufacturability of the construction, but also reduced economic costs.

To protect the vital parts of the ship in battle from enemy artillery, traditional general and local armor was used: anti-missile armor - citadel, main caliber turrets, conning tower; anti-fragmentation and anti-bullet - combat posts of the upper deck and superstructures. Mainly homogeneous armor was used, the bulk of the armor was the mass of the “armor citadel”, structurally formed from deck (armor - lower deck), side and beam armor. The thickness of the armor used in this design was: side - 100 mm, bow beam - 120 mm, stern - 100 mm, lower deck - 50 mm.

Structural underwater protection from the effects of enemy torpedo and mine weapons included a double hull bottom (length up to 154 m), a system of side compartments (for storing liquid cargo) and longitudinal bulkheads, as well as 23 main waterproof autonomous hull compartments formed by transverse sealed bulkheads. The mixed system of hull framing - mainly longitudinal - in the middle part and transverse - in its bow and stern ends also played a significant role in the general and local strength of the ship.

The location of service and living quarters was practically no different from that accepted on cruisers of Project 68-k. As the main caliber on the ships of Project 68-bis, four 152/57 mm/cal, improved three-gun MK-5-bis gun mounts were used; the universal caliber was represented by six paired stabilized 100/70 mm/cal, SM-5-1 installations (from the fifth cruiser of the SM-5-1-bis series), and the anti-aircraft caliber - by sixteen paired 37/67 mm/cal, V-11 assault rifles , later replaced by modernized ones - type V-11.

A feature of the Project 68-bis cruisers was also the presence of special artillery radar stations in addition to optical means of aiming guns at the target. So, in addition to two command and rangefinder posts KDP-8 andDM-8-2 tower artillery rangefinders; on these ships, the “Reef” radar and the “Zalp” radar were used to control the main caliber fire, and their own radio rangefinders were mounted on the II and III MK-5-bis towers.The effective combat use of main caliber artillery was ensured by the new system of fire control devices "Molniya ATs-68-bis A".

The ship's universal caliber, represented by two on-board batteries (each of three installations), was equipped with two SPN-500 stabilized aiming posts attached to them (providing firing at air targets in conditions of the ship's pitching) and two battery-by-battery optical rangefinders ZDMS-4. In addition, the Anchor radar was used to control the fire of 100-mm universal artillery.

B-11 anti-aircraft guns were installed on superstructures, at the bow and stern corners relative to the centerline of the ship. Like the SM-5-1-bis installations, the V-11 assault rifles were interfaced with a system of fire control devices
"Zenit-68-bis".

The torpedo armament of the Sverdlov-class ships included two 53-cm five-tube guided deck torpedo tubes of the PTA-53-68-bis type, installed sideways on the spardeck, and the Stalingrad-2T-68-bis control system that controlled them. coupled with a special torpedo radio station “Zarya” and a universal torpedo sight. When overloaded, the cruiser of this project could take more than 100 ship mine barriers or contact mine defenders.The Sverdlov-class ships were also equipped with navigational and radio-technical weapons and communications equipment that were modern at that time.

The ship's power plant of the Project 68-bis cruisers was generally no different from the power plant of ships of the Chapaev type. Six KV-68 vertical water-tube steam boilers were also used here as the main steam boilers (one in the boiler room, each with a steam output at full speed of about 115,000 kg/h); two main turbo-gear units of the TV-7 type (total maximum design power at full forward speed 118,100 hp, at the rear - 25,270 hp).

By the mid-50s, out of the planned 25 units of Project 68-bis, the fleet was replenished with only 14 cruisers of this project, which, after the decommissioning of the Sevastopol-class battleships, became the main ships in the nuclear surface forces of the Navy. Most of the cruisers of Project 68-bis, built shortly after the Sverdlov, were named either in honor of outstanding military figures of Russia (“Admiral Lazarev”, “Admiral Nakhimov”, “Admiral Ushakov”, “Admiral Senyavin”, “Alexander Nevsky” , “Alexander Suvorov”, “Mikhail Kutuzov”, “Dmitry Pozharsky”), or famousparty leaders (“Dzerzhinsky”, “Zhdanov”, “Ordzhonikidze”), or by the names of cities - “Murmansk” and “Molotovsk” (later renamed “October Revolution”). Some ships of this project, whose construction since 1956g., was first suspended, and two years later, in accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, terminated, had the names: “Vladivostok” (formerly “Dmitry Donskoy”), “Arkhangelsk” (formerly “Kozma Minin”), “ Varyag", "Shcherbakov", "Kronstadt", "Tallinn", "Admiral Kornilov".

The Sverdlov-class cruisers that were put into operation had different fates. The Ordzhonikidze was subsequently sold to Indonesia and was listed as part of its Navy under the name Irian. “Admiral Nakhimov” (scheduled for rearmament on Project 71 with the replacement of the AGK with a missile defense system) was expelled from the fleet in the 60s after participating in testing the first types of anti-ship missile weapons. "Dzerzhinsky" was re-equipped in accordance with the 70-e project.

The scientific and technological revolution in military affairs, which began in the Navy in the mid-fifties, soon required strengthening the anti-aircraft firepower of Sverdlov-class cruisers. Some of the previous anti-aircraft systems were replaced, first with V-11 assault rifles, and then additionally new 30 mm caliber shipborne MZA systems were installed. The ships were re-equipped and equipped with more modern radar and radio equipment. All this on some Sverdlov-class cruisers was carried out according to Project 68-a. Two cruisers - "Zhdanov" and "Admiral Senyavin" - later in accordance with Project 68-u-1 and68-u-2 were converted into control ships.

Before the Navy was replenished with new ships of the “oceanic, nuclear missile fleet,” the Project 68-bis cruiser and its above-mentioned modifications took, as long as their technical resources and conditions allowed, active participation in long-distance voyages, solving the tasks of combat service. And the best memory of them - our last cruisers of the “purely artillery type” - is the Navy badge “3a long voyage”, where the silhouette of one of these ships is depicted under the white blue Naval flag.

June 7-18, 1953 - the first post-war foreign visit of a Soviet ship took place to England on the occasion of the coronation of Elizabeth II. Even in peacetime, our Navy carries out very important and responsible tasks of displaying the country’s flag in the vastness of the world’s oceans, increasing the international authority of the state, as well as strengthening the trust and respect for Russia of the peoples of the countries visited. All these tasks were perfectly solved during the first post-war foreign visit of the cruiser Sverdlov to England. After this, friendly visits of our ships to foreign ports will be carried out quite often, but the first visit cost our sailors both a lot of work and enormous nervous tension

In the first years after the Great Patriotic War, a radical change occurred in the relations of the Soviet Union with Western countries. The Cold War began, and in the 1950s the United States began to actively pursue a policy of brinkmanship. This led to a significant escalation of international tension and an increase in the threat of a world war. Western countries sharply reduced trade, economic, cultural and other ties with the Soviet Union. In the bourgeois press, the Soviet man was portrayed as an enemy and potential aggressor. An important role in carrying out this course was assigned to the US Navy, and for our country the threat to security from ocean directions became more and more real.

Under these conditions, the Soviet Naval Forces (on September 10, 1955, the Soviet Navy was renamed the Navy) were one of the effective instruments of our diplomacy in pursuing a peace-loving policy, in preventing and containing aggressive aspirations, as well as in countering security threats to our country. One of the means of carrying out this important mission was friendly visits of our ships to the ports of foreign countries. A warship is a clear indicator of the level of development of science, technology and industry in a country, an indicator of its real military power. Imperialist states actively used this to intimidate potential opponents.

The visits of our ships have always been and are exclusively friendly in nature, demonstrating the high cultural level of our sailors. This serves as an excellent counter to any attempts by bourgeois propaganda to present us as enemies and rude barbarians. Foreign visits contributed to the growth of sympathy and friendly feelings for our country, strengthened mutual understanding between peoples and increased the international authority of our country.

In the first post-war decade, our military fleet was replenished with new ships, new military equipment and weapons, which were not inferior to foreign models. During this period, Sverdlov-class cruisers of Project 68-bis began to enter service. They were intended to operate as part of a squadron when launching light forces into an attack, as well as to support ship patrol and reconnaissance, and protect the squadron from attacks by enemy light forces.

These cruisers were the most advanced and most powerful artillery ships and became the pinnacle of the evolution of naval technology of the Russian fleet. They were certainly superior to their English counterparts, who were in service in the mid-50s. The superiority of the Sverdlov-class cruisers when firing at coastal targets was especially significant. It should be noted here that after 1945, in local wars, the number of 152 - 406 mm shells fired along the coast was commensurate with the total consumption of ammunition of the same calibers during the Second World War.

In early 1953, the Soviet Navy received an invitation to take part in the Royal Navy parade at Speedhead Roadstead, Portsmouth Naval Station, on the occasion of the coronation of Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth II. The first official friendly visit of a Soviet ship to a Western European naval base in the entire post-war period was coming, and even with such a responsible mission. The choice fell on the lead cruiser of the newest post-war "68-bis" series - "Sverdlov". It took three months to prepare the crew and ship for this voyage.

A day before leaving the main fleet base - the city of Baltiysk, the USSR Minister of Naval Affairs, Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov, arrived on the cruiser. Addressing the crew of the cruiser, he stated: “You have been entrusted with a responsible task from the government and, by carrying it out, you will either help the government make policy or hinder it. I express confidence in the success of your campaign!”

In anticipation of the parade, more than 200 ships of the British fleet and guests of the Queen gathered at the Spithad roadstead. The cruiser had to maneuver difficultly in order to find its place, indicated by a signal buoy with the state flag of the USSR. The cruiser's commander, Captain 1st Rank Olympy Ivanovich Rudakov, rejected the pilot's help and steered the ship himself. At the entrance to the roadstead, salutes of nations rang out. The cruiser headed towards the anchorage. The ship will be anchored using the fertoing method, which requires the highest professionalism from the boatswain's crew and pinpoint precision in controlling the huge ship from its commander. According to the then accepted standards for ships with a displacement of 12-16 thousand tons (like the Sverdlov), setting up in 45 minutes is considered excellent. In our country, such a statement is not used at all due to lack of need.

The exchange of fireworks attracted the attention of everyone present at the raid to our ship. "Sverdlov" has entered the anchorage area, but the signal buoy is missing. (Later, the ship’s commander received an official apology for the lack of a signal buoy.) The navigator quickly determined that there was no error, the cruiser left accurately. The command sounds and the first anchor goes to the bottom of the raid. All eyes turned to the cruiser, the observers started their stopwatches: the countdown began. The English liaison officer who arrived on the cruiser also started his stopwatch. The results of the fertoing staging of previously arrived ships are well known: the American cruiser - 2 hours, the French - 4 hours, and the Swedish even longer; we were simply tired of waiting for the completion of its staging. "Sverdlov" anchored in 12 minutes. It was a triumph.

The cruiser stayed in the roadstead for a week and invariably enjoyed great popularity among the population. Something was constantly happening on the deck of the cruiser: groups gathered to take pictures, small sports competitions, and the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet on board imitated the rest of the sailors on the upper deck in the form of spontaneous songs and dances. The excellent maritime training of the crew, the high culture of behavior of our sailors on shore and the interesting recreation of the sailors on the upper deck of the ship found a friendly response in the British press.

The parade took place on June 17. All ships are in festive decoration. The ship's crew is lined up along the side. Flags of color flapping in the wind. On the cruiser's foremast yard, the British and Soviet flags are our salute to the English Queen and her fleet. Elizabeth II on a yacht bypasses the formation of ships. Our sailors greet her with a powerful threefold “Hurray!” After the parade on the squadron's flagship, the Queen gives the traditional reception for the naval elite. Senior officers are not subject to invitation, but O.I. Rudakov, although he had the rank of captain 1st rank, received an invitation and even had the honor of being among the first to greet the queen. The celebrations ended with fireworks and illumination.

The holiday and the entire period of our cruiser’s stay at the Speedheid roadstead were very successful. According to reports from our embassy in London, the week of the cruiser Sverdlov's stay in England played a greater role in winning the hearts of ordinary British people than years of painstaking diplomatic activity. After the celebrations were completed, the cruiser returned safely to Baltiysk. At the base he was greeted as a winner. The USSR Minister of Defense N.A. Bulganin visited the ship and personally awarded each crew member. The ship's commander O.I. Rudakov was promoted to rear admiral and awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. A radio concert was given in honor of the cruiser "Sverdlov". After this, friendly visits and business calls by Soviet warships and auxiliary vessels to the ports of foreign countries became widespread.

The further fate of the cruiser "Sverdlov"

The cruiser "Sverdlov" from October 12 to October 17, 1955 paid visits to Portsmouth (Great Britain), from July 20 to July 25, 1956 - to Rotterdam (Holland), from October 5 to October 9, 1973 and from June 27 to July 1, 1975 - to Gdynia (Poland), from April 16 to 22, 1974 - to Algeria, from June 21 to 26, 1974 - to Cherbourg (France), from October 5 to 9, 1976 - to Rostock (GDR) and from June 21 to 26 1976 - in Bordeaux (France). Since December 24, 1955, it was part of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. In the period from December 24, 1960 to July 14, 1961 and from February 12, 1966 to April 29, 1966, a major overhaul took place in Leningrad, after which it was withdrawn from service, mothballed and put into storage, but on February 11, 1972 it was re-mothballed and re-commissioned, on February 7, 1977 it was again put into overhaul, on February 14, 1978 it was again mothballed and delivered to Liepaja for long-term storage, and on May 30, 1989 it was disarmed and expelled from the Navy in connection with its transfer to the OFI for dismantling and sale , on October 31, 1989, disbanded and in 1990 sold to a private company in India for cutting into metal.

From Wiki:
Fertoing is a method of placing a ship on two anchors, in which the ship in any position when turning is located between the anchors. For ships of the battleship class - a heavy cruiser, setting two anchors using the fertoing method is a very complex maneuver that requires excellent training of the mooring crew and impeccable serviceability of the ship's mooring equipment. According to Admiralty standards, this maneuver should take 1.5-2.5 hours.

June 7-18, 1953 - the first post-war friendly visit of a Soviet ship. Even in peacetime, our Navy carries out very important and responsible tasks of demonstrating the country’s flag in the vastness of the World Ocean, increasing the international authority of the state, as well as strengthening the trust and respect for Russia of the peoples of the countries visited. All these tasks were perfectly resolved during the visit of the cruiser Sverdlov to England.

In the early 1950s, the Cold War began. International tensions escalated significantly, Western countries sharply reduced trade, economic, cultural and other ties with the Soviet Union. An important role in conducting this course was assigned to the Naval Forces. Imperialist states actively used them to intimidate potential opponents. The visits of our ships have always been and are exclusively friendly.
Under these conditions, the Naval Forces (on September 10, 1955 the Navy was renamed the Navy) were one of the effective tools of our diplomacy to promote the peace-loving policy of the Soviet Union among the population of Western countries. The friendly visits of our ships were especially effective in this regard. They clearly demonstrated the level of development of science and technology in the country, its real military power and the high cultural level of our sailors. This served as an excellent counter to any attempts by bourgeois propaganda to portray us as rude barbarians.

In the first post-war decade, our military fleet was replenished with ships, military equipment and weapons that were not inferior to foreign models. During this period, Project 68-bis cruisers of the Sverdlov class also began to enter service. They were intended for combat operations as part of a squadron, as well as to support ship patrol and reconnaissance, protecting the squadron from attacks by light enemy forces.

These cruisers were the most powerful artillery ships and became the pinnacle of the evolution of naval technology for the Russian fleet. They were certainly superior to their English counterparts, who were in service in the mid-50s. The superiority of the Sverdlov-class cruisers when firing at coastal targets was especially significant. It should be noted here that after 1945, in local wars, the number of 152 - 406 mm shells fired along the coast was commensurate with the total consumption of ammunition of the same calibers during the Second World War.

In early 1953, the Soviet Navy received an invitation to take part in the naval parade at Spithead Roadstead, Portsmouth Naval Base, on the occasion of the coronation of Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth II. The first official friendly visit of a Soviet ship to a Western European naval base in the entire post-war period was coming, and even with such a responsible mission. The choice fell on the lead cruiser of the newest post-war series "68-bis" - "Sverdlov" under the command of Captain 1st Rank O.I. Rudakova.

This man had a complex and interesting life. Outwardly, he resembled a Russian epic hero, but by character he was an exceptionally decent person. In 1937, as part of the crew of the battleship Marat, he took part in the naval parade on the Spithead roadstead of Portsmouth on the occasion of the coronation of King George VI of Great Britain. At the end of 1941, he was appointed assistant commander of the destroyer "Crushing" of the Northern Fleet.

In November 1942, during a strong storm, the ship's stern hull was torn off. When the crew was rescued, the ship's command was among the first to leave the Crushing. The trial took place, O.I. Rudakov was sentenced to "capital punishment", but then he was sent to a penal battalion. After being reinstated to the officer rank, in February 1944, O.I. Rudakov returned to the Northern Fleet and continued serving on destroyers, quickly rising through the ranks.

A day before leaving the main fleet base - the city of Baltiysk, the USSR Minister of Naval Affairs, Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov, arrived on the cruiser. Addressing the crew of the cruiser, he stated: “You have been entrusted with a responsible task from the government and, by carrying it out, you will either help the government make policy or hinder it. I express confidence in the success of your campaign!”

More than 200 ships gathered for the parade in the Spithead roadstead. The cruiser had to maneuver difficultly in order to take its place in the parade formation, which was to be indicated by a signal buoy with the state flag of the USSR. Rudakov rejected the pilot's help and steered the ship himself. It was necessary to anchor using the fertoing method, which required pinpoint precision in controlling the huge ship. According to the then accepted standards for ships of such a class as the Sverdlov, staging in 45 minutes was considered excellent.

"Sverdlov" entered the anchorage area, but the signal buoy was missing. (The ship's commander later received an official apology for this matter.) The navigator quickly determined that there was no error, the cruiser left accurately. At the entrance to the roadstead, salutes of nations rang out. This attracted everyone's attention to our ship. The results of the fertoing staging of previously arrived ships are well known: the American cruiser - 2 hours, the French - 4 hours, and the Swedish even longer; we were simply tired of waiting for the completion of its staging. "Sverdlov" anchored in 12 minutes. It was a triumph.

The holiday and the entire period of our cruiser’s stay at the Speedheid roadstead were very successful. According to our embassy in London, the week of the cruiser Sverdlov's stay in England played a greater role in winning the hearts of ordinary British people than years of painstaking diplomatic activity. After the celebrations were completed, the cruiser returned safely to Baltiysk. At the base he was greeted as a winner. The USSR Minister of Defense N.A. Bulganin visited the ship and personally awarded each crew member. The ship's commander O.I. Rudakov was promoted to rear admiral and awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. A radio concert was given in honor of the cruiser "Sverdlov". After this, friendly visits and business calls by Soviet warships and auxiliary vessels to the ports of foreign countries became widespread.
Vladimir Dodonov - author of the article

"House of Books" on Novy Arbat. I came here every time I came on vacation or on a weekend break, and I don’t forget it even now after moving to the capital. One day, on one of the bookshelves, I saw and purchased a newly published photo album by Robert Diament, “The Northern Fleet in the Battles for the Motherland.” War photographs from the photo archive of Northern Fleet photojournalist R.L. Diament were presented here. I was especially impressed by the panoramic photographs taken in England on board the battleship Arkhangelsk during its acceptance, as well as during its passage across the Atlantic to the Kola Bay.

As a boy, I remembered the appearance of this huge ship in the Vaenga roadstead. The documentary photographs were collected and compiled into an album and subsequently published by Robert Diament’s son, Leonid Robertovich Diament. Upon closer examination of the album, I was saddened to see that the annotations of some photographs have significant inaccuracies, while others do not correspond to reality.

I called the album compiler. Leonid Robertovich took what was said very seriously, he was preparing a new album and kindly asked to watch it. The next day we met, to my surprise, he lived not far from me, on Arbat. His father's photographic archive is impressive; the outlines for the new album have been reviewed. Finally, Leonid Robertovich began to show various photos of naval officers whose names are unknown. Out of more than a dozen photographs, I recognized only one of them.

This was the commander of the cruiser "Murmansk" (Milwaukee) O.I. Rudakov. At the end of the forties, I accidentally found myself at a review of amateur sailors' artistic performances of the cruiser "Murmansk" in the House of Fleet Officers. Here I first saw, sitting in the front row, the commander of the cruiser O.I. Rudakov. A very tall, stately naval officer who involuntarily attracts attention. In 1949, the cruiser "Murmansk" under the command of captain first rank O.I. Rudakov was returned to the United States.

The participants of the passage said: “We came to the resort town of Luis de La Vere at nightfall. Local newspapers wrote that our cruiser was brought from Russia, all dirty, rusty and the Russian sailors were all bearded... The newspapers rushed: in the morning the ship looked better than in 1944 year, when he was accepted, they scrubbed him and painted him. Well, there were no traces of unshaven sailors - the Red Navy knew how to “keep up the force.”

The military fate of O.I. Rudakov is extraordinary. In 1942, he served as a mate on the destroyer "Crushing". In November, during a severe storm, the stern part of the ship broke off and instantly sank. The "Crushing" became 26 meters shorter and drifted 400 miles from the Kola Bay for a whole day until it was discovered by the destroyers "Kuibyshev" and "Uritsky". The rescue of the ship's crew took place in unusually difficult conditions: hurricane winds, huge waves, and continuous snow charges.

The commander of the "Crushing" resigned from command, called in sick and was sent to the "Kuibyshev". The evacuation of sailors continued under the leadership of the assistant commander. 185 people were rescued, 14 people died during the rescue, but the destroyers were running out of fuel, so 15 people, led by senior lieutenants G.E. Lekarev and I.A. Vladimirov remained on the “Crushing”, hoping to keep it afloat until the minesweepers arrived, but their hopes were not justified, they died.

The case of the death of "Crushing" was considered by a military tribunal. Most senior officers were sent to penal battalions. Stripped of his military rank, O.I. Rudakov arrived in a penal company on the Rybachy Peninsula. He fought as a mortarman, was wounded, but continued to fire at the enemy. Rudakov's criminal record was cleared, and he fought as a commander of an anti-tank battery with the rank of private.

After another injury in 1944, he was restored to military rank and sent for further service in the Northern Fleet. Here, for a very short period of 1944 - 1945. There is a rapid rise of O.I. Rudakov through the ranks: assistant commander of the destroyer "Gromky", commander of the destroyer "Doblestny", senior assistant of the battleship "Arkhangelsk", commander of the cruiser "Murmansk".

Some explained such a rapid rise in the ranks of the former penalty man by the fact that, perhaps, Commander S.F. Over the past period, A.G. Golovko became aware of new facts and circumstances of the behavior of the personnel on the sinking ship, after which he began to feel guilty for such a fleeting trial of the command of the Crushing.

Soon, captain first rank Olympiy Ivanovich Rudakov is transferred to the Baltic, where he receives the newest light cruiser Sverdlov. In 1953, our warship is planned to visit Portsmouth to participate in the international naval parade in honor of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England. This should be the first foreign post-war visit to a potential enemy state at the height of the Cold War.

There were many experienced commanders in the fleet at that time, but the leadership chose O.I. Rudakov. Before the start of the visit, he was called to Moscow. The commander of the Sverdlov is received by the Minister of Defense N.A. Bulganin and the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy N.G. Kuznetsov. Both set the task for Rudakov - to be the best at the naval parade. It took three months to prepare the crew for this trip.

On the way to Portsmouth, the Sverdlov was caught in a severe storm. The start of the celebrations almost had to be postponed, because according to tradition, Russia should be the first to congratulate Her Majesty on the accession to the throne, but their ship was delayed. And when the organizers were almost desperate, a Russian cruiser appeared. Without slowing down, he flew into the Spitehide roadstead.

More than 200 ships of the British fleet and guests of the Queen gathered at the roadstead in anticipation of the parade. The cruiser had to maneuver difficultly in order to find its place, indicated by a signal buoy with the State Flag of the USSR. The cruiser commander rejected the pilot's help and steered the ship himself. At the entrance to the roadstead, salutes of nations rang out.

The cruiser headed towards the anchorage. The ship will be anchored using the fertoing method, which requires the highest professionalism from the boatswain's crew and pinpoint precision in controlling the huge ship of its commander. According to the then accepted standards for ships with a displacement of 12,000 - 16,000 tons (like the Sverdlov), setting up in 45 minutes is considered excellent.

The exchange of fireworks attracted the attention of everyone present at the roadstead to our ship. The Sverdlov entered the anchorage area, but the signal buoy was missing (later the ship's commander received an official apology for the absence of the signal buoy). The navigator quickly determined that there was no mistake, the cruiser left accurately.

The command sounds and the first anchor is released. All eyes turned to the cruiser, the observers started their stopwatches, and the time count began. The English liaison officer who arrived on the cruiser also started his stopwatch. The results of the fertoing staging of previously arrived ships are known: the American cruiser - 2 hours, the French - 4 hours, and the Swedish even more, we were simply tired of waiting for the completion of its staging.

"Sverdlov" anchored using the fertoing method in 12 minutes. Captain Rudakov was the only one who anchored without a pilot in three times less time than was allotted for a similar procedure in the British Navy and this caused a real sensation. The photo of the cruiser commander appeared on the covers of all British newspapers.

The next morning there is a naval parade. The Queen tours the formation of ships on the yacht "Surprise". The guest ship was obliged to salute the royal yacht with one salvo. But three salvos and a thunderous Hurray were heard from the Russian cruiser! ranks of sailors. Then all the ship commanders arrived at the battleship Avangard, where Elizabeth the Second arranged the awarding of anniversary medals.

At the stern of the battleship, the commanders lined up in order of seniority of military ranks. The American and French admirals stood first, followed by Captain First Rank Rudakov and the rest. Breaking etiquette, the queen first approached Olympius Ivanovich, congratulated him, presented him with a medal, and only then turned to the American and French admirals. Churchill was shocked.

Twenty Sverdlov officers, led by the commander, received an invitation to the Coronation Ball at the Royal Naval Barracks. At the very beginning of the celebration, Rudakov presented Elizabeth with the second gift from the Soviet government - an ermine mantle. After the presentation, one of the courtiers whispered in Olympia Ivanovich’s ear that the queen was inviting him to a waltz tour. Then she led the Soviet sailor to her sister.

Princess Margaret also waltzed with Rudakov. Next, again breaking all conceivable traditions, the queen offers an audience, but not with the “high” representative of Russia (there were two of them), but again with the commander, and they disappear into her office. This had such a stunning effect that even the imperturbable Prime Minister of England Winston Churchill threw up his hands and left the reception.

In that memorable year, Olympia Rudakov turned 39 years old. English newspapers wrote that the huge, handsome Russian man simply conquered Great Britain. According to our embassy in London, the week of the cruiser Sverdlov's stay in England played a greater role in winning the hearts of ordinary British people than years of painstaking diplomatic activity.

Rudakov returned from England to his homeland as a worldwide celebrity. Navy Commander N.G. Kuznetsov ordered the establishment of a special badge “For the campaign to England” with the silhouette of a cruiser.
Soon O.I. Rudakov received the rank of rear admiral, successfully graduated from the Navy Academy, and a little later became the head of the academy department. Rear Admiral Olimpiy Ivanovich Rudakov served in this post until his last day.

For the prototype of the Red Navy man from the battleship "Marat", which among a dozen figures adorns the Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station in Moscow, the famous sculptor Matvey Manizer chose a cadet of the naval school Olympia Rudakov. The artist had no idea that 15 years later his sitter would distinguish himself at the coronation of the British Queen, but even then he saw something in his personality that was known only to him.

In the first years after the Great Patriotic War, a radical change occurred in the relations of the Soviet Union with Western countries. The Cold War began, and in the 1950s the United States began to actively pursue a policy of brinkmanship. This led to a significant escalation of international tension and an increase in the threat of a world war. Western countries sharply reduced trade, economic, cultural and other ties with the Soviet Union. In the bourgeois press, the Soviet man was portrayed as an enemy and potential aggressor. An important role in carrying out this course was assigned to the US Navy, and for our country the threat to security from ocean directions became more and more real.