Plaquette - Death of Vasily Vereshchagin

Reverse

View of the battleship Petropavlovsk.

Lettering:
Эскадр. Броненосецъ
"ПЕТРОПАВЛОВСК"
погибъ 31-го Марта 1904 г.

Translation:
battleship
Petropavlovsk
died on March 31, 1904 year

Comment

On March 31, 1904 the flagship Petropavlovsk under the command of Admiral Makarow struck a mine at the entrance of the harbor to Port Arthur. This led to the explosion of all boilers and munition chambers. The ship sank within two minutes, taking with it Admiral Makarow, the most gited Russian naval officer, the commander and polar explorer Wassiljew, the famous battle artist Vereschagin and 662 men. Under the 80 men saved were the Captain Jakowlew and the Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirowitsch Romanov, cousin to the Emperor.