Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov (born June 23 (July 5) 1802 - death June 30 (July 12) 1855) - Russian admiral, hero of the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855, among the remarkable Russian naval commanders occupies an exceptional place as one of the the most prominent representatives of the school of Russian military art.
Origin. Study. Service start
Pavel was born in 1802 in the village of Volochek, Vyazemsky district, Smolensk province (now the village of Nakhimovskoye, Andreevsky district, Smolensk region). He was the seventh child of 11 children of a poor landowner, Major Seconds Stepan Mikhailovich Nakhimov and Feodosia Ivanovna Nakhimova.
After graduating from the Naval Cadet Corps on January 20, 1818, among others, midshipman Pavel Nakhimov successfully passed the exams, becoming the 6th in the list of 15 best students. On February 9, he was promoted to warrant officer. In 1818 - 1819. Nakhimov remained on the shore with the crew. 1820 - from May 23 to October 15, the midshipman at the Janus tender was sailing to Krasnaya Gorka. The next year he was assigned to the 23rd naval crew and sent overland to Arkhangelsk. 1822 - the sailor returned to the capital on the coast and was assigned to a round-the-world voyage on the frigate "Cruiser" under the command of Captain 2nd Rank MP Lazarev. In the Pacific Ocean, Pavel Stepanovich distinguished himself when trying to rescue a sailor who fell overboard. 1823, March 22 - he was promoted to lieutenant. During this voyage on September 1, 1825the sailor was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree and double salary.
On the ship "Azov"
Upon his return, the lieutenant was scheduled for the Guards crew. However, Nakhimov strove to serve at sea. At the request of Lazarev, he was assigned to the ship "Azov". The future admiral took part in the completion of the ship and moved on it from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt, where the crew continued work and made "Azov" a model ship.
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1827, summer - he went to the Mediterranean and took part in the Battle of Navarino. "Azov" acted in the thick of the battle. The lieutenant commanded the battery on the tank. Of his 34 subordinates, 6 were killed and 17 wounded. Pavel Stepanovich was not injured by a fluke. For participation in the battle on December 14, Nakhimov was promoted to lieutenant-captain, and on December 16, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.
Commander of the corvette "Navarin"
1828, August 15 - he took over the captured corvette, renamed "Navarin", and also made it a model. On it, the sailor took part in the blockade of the Dardanelles and on March 13, 1829 with the squadron of M. P. Lazarev returned to Kronstadt, was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree. 1830, May - when the squadron returned to Kronstadt, Rear Admiral Lazarev wrote in the certification of the commander of the "Navarin": "An excellent and completely knowledgeable sea captain."
On the frigate "Pallada"
1831, December 31 - Nakhimov was appointed commander of the frigate "Pallada". He oversaw the construction, making improvements, until the frigate, which entered service in May 1833, became a showcase. On August 17, in poor visibility, the sailor noticed the Daguerorte lighthouse, gave the signal that the squadron was in danger, and saved most of the ships from death.
In the Black Sea Fleet. Silistria Commander
1834 - Admiral Lazarev became the Chief Commander of the Black Sea Fleet and ports. He summoned those sailors with whom he was in voyages and battles. Pavel Nakhimov also became Chernomorets. 1834, January 24 - the future admiral was appointed commander of the battleship Silistria under construction and transferred to the 41st crew of the Black Sea Fleet; On August 30, the lieutenant commander was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank for his distinction in service. 1834-1836 - he was engaged in the construction of "Silistria". Soon the ship became an example for others. 1837, December 6 - the commander of the ship "Silistria" was promoted to captain of the 1st rank. On September 22, for excellent diligence and zealous service, he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree, decorated with the imperial crown.
Diligent service affected health, March 23, 1838 P. S. Nakhimov was sent on leave abroad for treatment. He spent several months in Germany, but the doctors did not help. Summer 1839 - on the advice of Lazarev, he returned to Sevastopol and felt worse than before leaving. Nevertheless, Nakhimov continued to serve at sea. He took part in the landing at Tuapse and Psezuap, in 1840-1841. cruised at sea and supervised the setting of dead anchors in the Tsemes Bay. 1842, April 18 - for the excellent and diligent service of P. S. Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree.
Rear admiral
1845, September 13 - for distinction in service, Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov was awarded the rank of rear admiral and appointed commander of the 1st brigade of the 4th naval division. One year he was at the head of a detachment of ships cruising off the coast of the Caucasus, the other - he acted as, first, the junior, and then the senior flagship of a practical squadron that went to sea to train teams. An experienced sailor sought to improve the maritime training of crews and encouraged initiative. 1849-1852 - he made his remarks to the "Rules adopted on the exemplary artillery ship" Ekselent "for training the lower ranks of artillery", to the set of naval signals published in 1849 and to the new "Naval Regulations".
Vice Admiral
1852, March 30 - P. S. Nakhimov was appointed commander of the 5th naval division. On April 25, he was assigned to command a practical squadron. During the campaign, the squadron made several flights to transport troops. On October 2, he was promoted to vice admiral with the approval of the division chief.
In September, in order to eliminate the threat from the south, where Turkish troops had accumulated near the borders of Russia, Nakhimov transported the 13th Infantry Division from Crimea to the Caucasus, after which he was sent to cruise off the coast of Anatolia. Here he met the beginning of the war, and on November 18 defeated the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop.
Finding on November 11 in the Sinop Bay 7 frigates, 2 corvettes, sloops and 2 steamers under the cover of six coastal batteries, Nakhimov blocked it with his three ships and sent it to Sevastopol for help. When reinforcements arrived, the vice admiral decided to attack with 6 ships of the line and 2 frigates without waiting for the steamers.
For Sinop, the vice admiral was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Other participants in the battle received awards, the victory was widely celebrated throughout Russia. But Nakhimov was not pleased with the award: he was worried about the fact that he was becoming the culprit of the coming war. And his fears had quite solid foundations. Having received a pretext for intervention and the support of excited public opinion, the governments of England and France gave orders, and on December 23, the Anglo-French squadron entered the Black Sea.
From December 1853, the admiral commanded ships on the roadstead and in the bays of Sevastopol. Expecting an attack, he almost never went ashore. Meanwhile, England and France on March 12 concluded a military treaty with Turkey and on March 15 declared war on Russia.
P. S. Nakhimov during the Battle of Sinop.
Defense of Sevastopol
The landing of the allies, the battle on the Alma and the withdrawal of the army created a critical situation in Sevastopol. Only the delay in the movement of the enemy troops made it possible to defend the city from land with guns and sailors who occupied hastily built fortifications. To block the enemy's path to the bay, on September 11, between the Konstantinovskaya and Aleksandrovskaya batteries, five old ships and two frigates were sunk. On the same day, Menshikov instructed Vice Admiral Kornilov to defend the North, and Nakhimov to the South. The heroic defense of Sevastopol began, in which the vice admiral first commanded the squadron, and then became the soul of the defense, its actual leader after the death in the first bombing of Sevastopol on October 5, 1854 V. A. Kornilov. He took measures to strengthen the land bastions, but did not forget about the fleet,in every possible way seeking active skillful actions from the commanders of steamers, who have become the only combat-ready force of the fleet.
Only on February 25, 1855 Nakhimov was officially appointed commander of the Sevastopol port and military governor of Sevastopol. On March 27, he was promoted to admiral for distinction in the defense of Sevastopol. Having received permission to surrender the squadron, he focused on land defense.
Death of Admiral Nakhimov.
Wound. Death
The flagship took care of the people, sought, as soon as possible in those conditions, to save the army from unnecessary losses. Pavel Stepanovich himself continued to appear in the most dangerous places in a frock coat with well-visible epaulets. On June 28, as always, in the morning Nakhimov toured the positions. When the admiral from Malakhov Kurgan watched the enemy, leaning out from behind cover, he was fatally wounded in the head by a bullet. 1855, June 30 - Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov died. The naval commander was buried in the Vladimir Cathedral with other prominent admirals.
The death of the admiral put the last point in the defense of Sevastopol. When the Allies, as a result of another assault, managed to break into the Malakhov Kurgan, the Russian regiments left the South Side, blowing up warehouses, fortifications and destroying the last ships.
During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, when life forced us to turn to the military traditions of the past, the Order and Medal of Nakhimov were established to reward worthy sailors.