Memorial to submariners died in Nerpa accident was opened

08.11.2010 Opening of memorial to submariners died in the accident happened to SSN Nerpa was held on Monday at Bolshoi Kamen where three victims are buried. Relatives of lost submariners attended a memorial meeting during the ceremony.

The accident occurred at SSN Nerpa built by Amur Shipyard while sea trials on Nov 8, 2008 in the Sea of Japan. The sub compartments were filled with freon as a result of unauthorized operation of onboard firefighting system. Twenty persons died, 21 were intoxicated. Totally, there were 208 persons on board SSN Nerpa.

Monument made of black granite was fixed in Bolshoi Kamen municipal cemetery, reported PrimaMedia referring to a representative of Zvezda Shipyard, Far East. Names and portraits of died submariners are lithographed on the monument. The site was chosen intentionally, since three participants of the tragedy had been buried at this cemetery, i.e. Vladimir Sulimov, Alexei Lysenko, and Evgeny Golovnykh.

The monument was consecrated by a priest during the opening ceremony; then came a meeting and minute of silence. Everyone had a chance to lay wreath at the memorial.

Representatives of Amur and Vostok shipyards, Pacific Fleet officials, Nerpa's trial team and crew, relatives and friends of died submariners came to honor them.

We recall that a memorial to 12 residents of Komsomolsk-on-Amur died in Nerpa tragedy was founded last year on Nov 8, 2009 in their native city.

Members of trial crew from Amur Shipyard and JSC Amurskaya Era who suffered during the accident obtained state awards in Apr 2010. Fourteen persons were rewarded posthumously.