The ''Standart'' was an Imperial Russian yacht serving

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Nicholas II and his family, being in her time (late 19th/early 20th century) the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. After the Russian Revolution the ship was placed in drydock until 1936, when she was converted to a

minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing control ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, she participated in the defence of

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

History

Imperial Yacht

The Imperial Yacht ''Standart'' (Штандартъ) was built by order of

Alexander III of Russia Alexander III ( rus, Алекса́ндр III Алекса́ндрович, r=Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich; 10 March 18451 November 1894) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 13 March 1881 until his death in 18 ...

, and constructed at the Danish shipyard of

Burmeister & Wain Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it ...

, beginning in 1893. She was launched on 21 March 1895 and came into service early September 1896. ''Standart'' was fitted out with ornate fixtures, including mahogany paneling, crystal chandeliers, and other amenities that made the vessel a suitable floating palace for the Russian Imperial Family. The ship was crewed by sailors from the

Russian Imperial Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...

. During the reign of Nicholas II, ''Standart'' was commanded by a naval Captain, although the official commander was a Rear Admiral. Her commander in 1914 was Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin. Standart (ship, 1895)

On 29 August 1907, ''Standart'' ran aground on an uncharted rock off the Finnish coast. Although damaged, the ship did not sink. She was refloated on 1 September with assistance from the

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

''No. 1''. Subsequently, repaired and returned to service. With the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, ''Standart'' was placed in drydock. In 1912, Emperors

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...

and

Wilhelm II of Germany , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...

met on the yacht at Paldiski naval harbour for negotiations.

Soviet minelayer Marti

After the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, ''Standart'' was stripped down and pressed into naval service. The ship was renamed ''18 marta'' (18 March), and later ''Marti'' (in honor of

André Marty André Marty (6 November 1886 – 23 November 1956) was a leading figure in the French Communist Party (PCF) for nearly thirty years. He was also a member of the National Assembly, with some interruptions, from 1924 to 1955; Secretary of Comintern ...

). In 1932–1936, ''Marti'' was converted into a minelayer by the Marti yard in

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, ''Marti'' served in the Baltic, laying mines and bombarding shore positions along the coast. On 23 September 1941, ''Marti'' was damaged in an air attack at

Kronstadt Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for " crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city ...

, but later repaired and continued service until the end of the war. A mine laid off Hanko by ''Marti'' sunk the German submarine chaser UJ.117/''Gustav Kroner'' on 1 October 1941. After the war, ''Marti'' was converted into a training ship and renamed ''Oka'' in 1957. She continued serving in that role until she was scrapped at

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

, in 1963.

Specifications

*Displacement: 5557 tons *Length: between perpendiculars *Length Overall: *Width: *Depth: *Maximum Speed: 21.18 knots

Previous Imperial Yachts

* Alexandria ( Александрия) * Livadia * Polyarnaya zvezda (Polar Star – Полярная звезда)

Notes

References

* * Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 * *

External links

Russian Imperial Yacht Standart

{{DEFAULTSORT:Standart (Yacht) Royal and presidential yachts Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy 1895 ships Steam yachts Mine warfare vessels of the Soviet Navy Auxiliary ships of the Soviet Navy Maritime incidents in 1907