Memorial Ship "Krasny Vympel", Vladivostok (must see)

The memorial ship “Krasny Vympel” is one of the oldest surviving vessels connected with Russia’s Pacific maritime history. Launched in 1911 as the steam-sail yacht “Admiral Zavoiko,” it was named after Admiral Vasily Zavoiko, the military commander best known for defending Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War. Designed in Saint Petersburg and built in Okhta, the vessel first served administrative, transport, and courier duties in the Russian Far East.

The ship became closely tied to the dramatic events of the Russian Revolution and Civil War. It was among the first vessels in the Pacific to support the Bolsheviks and gained the nickname “Aurora of the Far East,” a reference to the famous cruiser Aurora. To avoid capture, the crew sailed it to Shanghai, where it stayed from 1920 to 1922. Renamed “Krasny Vympel” in 1923, it became the first ship to fly the Soviet naval ensign in the Pacific.

During the following decades, the vessel carried out a wide range of assignments. It patrolled coastal waters, supported maritime operations, and in 1929 played an important role in the historic Moscow-to-New York flight of the Tupolev ANT-4 “Land of the Soviets.” The ship helped provide fuel logistics and safety support during the aircraft’s challenging journey across the North Pacific region.

World War II brought another chapter to its service. The vessel assisted with submarine-related operations and cable-laying work, and in 1943 it was converted into the Pacific Fleet’s first operational sonar training station. Retired in 1958, it was preserved as a floating museum. Today, the compact ship links imperial, revolutionary, aviation, wartime, and naval history.