Russian flagship sails into port
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Reminiscent of the first Russian naval visit to Thailand during the reign of King Rama IV, a battle group led by missile-cruiser Varyag from the Russian Pacific Fleet berthed yesterday at Sattahip Naval Base. The group, including the anti-submarine ships Admiral Tributz and Admiral Panteleyev, left Vladivostok in September to participate in Indra 2005 – joint Russian-Indian naval manoeuvres conducted in the Indian Ocean in October.
After conducting Indra-2005, Vice-Admiral and Deputy Pacific Fleet Commander Sergei Avramenko took the group on visits to Jakarta and Singapore before arriving in Sattahip.
“We are visiting Thailand to increase cooperation between our two countries,” said Captain 1st Rank Seigei Ryazanov, commander of the Varyag. Historically, Russia and Thailand have had a warm relationship and have been special companions. The first time a Russian battle group visited Siam was in 1863,” Ryazanov said.
First official contact between the two was when the Russian warships Gaydamak and Novik visited Bangkok on the Chao Phya River.
In 1891, a battle group led by Tsar Nicholas II (then Crown Prince) of the Romanov dynasty visited the country and friendship between King Rama V and the future Tsar was established. The relationship developed to the point that France and other colonial powers relinquished ambitions in regard to Siam.
Russian warships visited the country many times until the Russian Revolution in 1917. Diplomatic relations were severed until 1941, when the Soviet Union and Thailand re-established links.
Last year Thai warships visited Russia’s Pacific Ocean naval base, Vladivostok.
“It is our turn to reciprocate Thailand’s visit,” he said.
This battle group is the most important in Russia’s Pacific Fleet. Varyag is one of the three biggest warships in the Russian Fleet. It was named in memory of the legendary Russian dreadnought built in 1898, which saw action in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905.
In January 1904, the Varyag and gunboat Koryeyets engaged a Japanese squadron. The battle lasted an hour and saw three enemy cruisers and a torpedo boat sunk. The Russian ships were seriously damaged and withdrew.
The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo (Inchon) to prevent capture. Commander First Class Vsevolod Rudnew decided to scuttle the Varyag and Koryeyets. Surviving crew members were rescued by British, French and Italian cruisers stationed nearby. No Russian sailors were captured.
The original Varyag visited Bangkok, which had good relations with Russia at the time, on the way to fight Japanese forces. The ship needed to re-supply with food, fuel and water.
Varyag became a symbol of bravery for Russian sailors and Tsar Nicholas II ordered a song to be composed called “Varyag”. A second Varyag saw action in World War II. The ship visiting on Tuesday is the third vessel with this famous name.
Varyag has a variety of modern weapons systems including anti-aircraft defences, cruise missiles, reactive-bomb throwers and K-27 helicopters. It has a displacement of 11,000 tonnes and a crew of 500.
The flagship will be open to visitors until Saturday from 2pm to 4pm. From Sattahip, the group will go to Vietnam’s Hai Phong before returning to Vladivostok on December 14.