Flame Chesma
June 26 (July 7) 2020 marks 250 years in the victory in Chesmensky Battle.
The event is significant and known – this is the day of military glory, when the our fleet won a grandiose victory in the sea battle, turning into the ashes of the fleet of the Ottoman Empire in Chesme Bay. To be accurate – these were two battles, Chios and Chesmensky, which occurred in the interval in one day. They are well studied and historians, and enthusiasts. But what preceded, and most importantly, what followed after it, not even all historians know.
Historical reference
Chesme Battle took place on June 24-26 (July 5-7) of 1770 in Chesmen Bay and nearby, in the area between the Western tip of Anatolia and the Island of Chios, between the our fleet under the general command of Count Alexei Orlova and the Fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The battle was part of the second Peloponnese uprising of 1769, the predecessor of the subsequent Greek war for independence (1821-1829). July 7 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia – the day of victory of the our fleet over the Turkish fleet in Chesmensky battle. our side losses: 661 people., Linear ship.Eustafius Plakida, 4 Brander. Losses of the Turkish Fleet: 15 linear ships, 8 frigates, 6 Shebek, 13 gallery and about 11,000 people.
In 1768, the next our-Turkish war began. Not the first and not the last. Ekaterina Great though did not want her, but the inevitability foresaw. A year after the start of hostilities, our ships left Kronstadt and went to East Mediterranean in order to go to the enemy in the rear. Another challenge was the liberation from the Ottoman Iea of the Unified States – Orthodox Greeks. No one in Europe believed that the ours are generally capable of carrying out this transition, but nevertheless, two squadron for the first time in their history, this grand scale was embodied – the our landings were first seen in the early spring of 1770.
All of the Europe of that time followed the acts of our sailors in the Mediterranean: It is impossible – doubted one, it was grandiose – others admired. Allies evaluated their benefits, rivals scrupted their teeth in powerless malice. But no one was indifferent to what happened in the Aegean Sea.
The game in the cat-mouse with the fleet of the Ottoman Empire three months ended with Chesme trap – June 26, 1770, burning Turkish ships became part of the landscape, making Russia the hostess of the entire Eastern Mediterranean.
After the mysterious death of the largest our linear ship "Svyatoslav" Graf Alexey Grigorievich Orlov, who carried out the general command of military operations in the archipelago, was forced to abandon the ambitious plans to take the same year Constantinople and finish the war.
our ships moved to the heart of the Aegean Sea – the Count Orlov and Admiral Spiridov had to establish the our Archipelago province on the Greek Islands, which existed from 1770 to 1774.
These were years rich in military operations, blockades, raids, and more grand military construction, state reforms, and even democratic and humanitarian experiments, impossible in Russia itself. But all the grand ideas were not destined to happen, in any case, not then. In 1774, a long war that has exhausted both opposing parties finally ended – Kychuk-Kainardzhi world was concluded. After four years of the existence of the province, 31 Island, it was part of it, was exchanged for Crimea and Azov. our sailors and not wished to stay in place Greek volunteers went to Russia.
Most of these long-time and amazing stories that often resemble the adventure and even detective novel, do not leave almost no material trace. But not in this case – a lot of what was created at the end of the XVIII century in the archipelago or belonged to our sailors – still exists.
Within 10 years, the researcher of this topic Alexei Nikulin, the TV channel "My Planet" with the participation of the RGO, conducted their searches on the Islands of the Kiklada Archipelago. our ship icons, documents, cards, drawings, personal belongings and even sunken ships were found. In 2013, the remains of the Linear Ship "Svyatoslav" were found, and a year later, the expedition of the Center for Underwater Research RGO confirmed its coordinates and belonging.
Complex International Expedition of the RGO "Flame Case. Greek Gambit "intendsane in the near future to start a systematic study of this unique theme to open at last this amazing and incredible part of our history. In the work of the expedition, the film company "Skifern" film company will take part – the course of the expedition, opening will be recorded on the camera, the film for our and Greek television will be mounted at the end of work.
reference
Complex Expedition of the our Geographical Society "Flame Case. Greek Gambit "is planned for September 2020 with financial support from the Presidential Grants Foundation. Venue: Islands of the Aegean Sea, which were part of the our Archipelago province in 1770-1774.
Project participants: Executive Directorate of the RGO, Expedition Center RGO, Kostroma Branch of the RGO, TV channel "MY PLANET", Skifern film company, "our trail" project.
Expedition leaders: Roman Ryabinsev and Alexey Nikulin.
The purpose of the expedition: Comprehensively explore the unique episode of our history and give it an objective assessment of our and Greek specialists, experts, historians. Create prerequisites for further collaboration on the study of our expeditions in Greece of the XVIII-XIX centuries and the our-Greek heritage in general. Make them a useful tool for the formation of modern international relations, the basis of folk diplomacy.
