Monument to Alexander Kazarsky in Sevastopol

''Merkurii'' () was a 20-gun, two-masted warship in the

Imperial Russian 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 being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...

. It is famous for its lopsided battle with two

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

ships, which took place on May 14, 1829. The name '' Pamiyat Mercuriya'' (literally ''In Memory of Mercury'') was given to a number of ships of the Russian

Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...

Battle on May 14, 1829

Summary

Pursued by a Turkish fleet (6

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

, 2

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s, 2

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

s), the Russian brig ''Merkurii'' engaged in a lopsided battle with the

ships-of-the-line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two columns ...

''Selimiye'' (110 guns) and ''Real-bei'' (74 guns) near the Strait of Bosphorus. After damaging the ships one by one, the brig escaped pursuit.

Crew (As of May 1829)

Officers

* Aleksandr Ivanovich Kazarsky, Lt. Capt. * Fyodor Mikhailovich Novosilsky, Lt. * Dmitry Petrovich Pritupov, midshipman * Ivan Petrovich Prokofyev, naval pilot Lt. * Sergey Iosifovitch Skaryatin, Lt.

Seamen

* Anisim Arekhov * Philip Vasilyev * Gridnev, bataler * Afanasiy Gusev * Seliverst Dmitriev * Ippolit Erofeev * Ivan Lisenko, cannoneer * Fyodor Spiridonov, naval pilot mate * Artamon Timofeev, cannoneer * Anton Scherbakov, cannoneer

Damage and casualties

As a result of the battle, the brig took 10 casualties, including 4 killed and 6 wounded. Damage to the ship included: * 22 hull breaches * 133 sail plan breaches * 16 spar breaches * 148 instances of minor rigging damage * loss of all rowboats By official information, neither Turkish ships lost crew as the brig's main objective during the battle was to damage their spars and rigging.

In art

Aivasovsky Ivan Constantinovich merkuri 1848 IBI

Ivan Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (; ) was a Russian Romantic painter who is considered one of the greatest masters of marine art. Baptized as Hovhannes Aivazian, he was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crime ...

created 3 paintings featuring the ship: * ''Brig "Merkurii" leading a battle with Two Turkish Ships'' / Бриг «Меркурий» ведёт бой с двумя турецкими судами
''Brig "Merkurii" meets Russian Fleet after a victory over Two Turkish Ships on 15.05.1829''
/ Бриг «Меркурий» после победы над двумя турецкими кораблями встречается с русской эскадрой 15.05.1829, Oil-on-canvas, 123 х 190 cm.

State Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

, 1848 * ''

Brig "Mercury" Attacked by Two Turkish Ships ''Brig "Mercury" Attacked by Two Turkish Ships'' (Russian: Бриг "Меркурий", атакованный двумя турецкими кораблями) is an 1892 oil painting, oil on canvas painting by Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky (18 ...

'' / Бриг «Меркурий», атакованный двумя турецкими кораблями, Oil-on-canvas, 212 x 339 cm, Aivazovsky Picture Gallery, Feodosia, 1892 Several other artists created notable works featuring the Merkurii: * Barri: ''Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Two Turkish Ships'' / Барри: Бой брига «Меркурий» с двумя турецкими кораблями * Ivanov: ''Brig "Merkurii"'' / Иванов: Бриг «Меркурий» * A.N. Lubyanov: ''Brig "Merkurii"'' / А. Н. Лубянов: Бриг «Меркурий» * N.P. Krasovskiy: ''Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Two Turkish Ships'' / Н. П. Красовский: Бой брига «Меркурий» с двумя турецкими кораблями * Mikhail Stepanovitch Tkachenko
''Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Turkish Ships on May 14, 1829''
/ Бой брига "Меркурий" с турецкими кораблями 14 мая 1829 года, Oil-on-canvas,

Central Naval Museum Central Naval Museum () is a naval museum in St Petersburg, Russia, reflecting the development of Russian naval traditions and the history of the Russian Navy. The museum’s permanent display includes such relics as the Botik of Peter the Great, ...

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, 1907

Critics of the Aivazovsky painting

The position of the ships portrayed by Aivazovsky in his work has been criticized as being historically inaccurate because of the brig's position between two significantly larger Turkish ships. Still, it's possible that Aivazovsky's artistic impression simply heightened the tension in the painting by accentuating the hopelessness of the brig's situation. Paintings by other artists (Krasovskiy, Barri, Pechatin) of the same battle, though less known, portray a more realistic depiction of the battle.

External links

Draft schematics of 20-gun brig ''Merkurii'', 1819, Russia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercury Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy 1820 ships Maritime incidents in May 1829 Brigs