Divers to explore Krasnaya Gruzia gunboat sunken off Novorossiysk

13.01.2011 In Aug 2011 team of divers from Moscow and St. Petersburg plans to conduct underwater researches of gunboat Krasnaya Gruzia sunken near Novorossiysk in March 1943.

Initiators of the expedition previously explored shipwrecks in the Black, Baltic, and the Mediterranean seas. They say the coming trip apart from scientific and historical significance will be "memorially loaded", i.e. divers will again try to raise an issue of "underwater monuments" of the Great Patriotic War.

During the 10-day long expedition it is planned to conduct full visual examination of the sunken object laying on the seabed at the depth of 4 meters, to take photos film video of the gunboat's wrecks by special equipment. Office period of works will include making a text report and drawing pictograms which will show real position of the vessel to all interested persons.

The expedition will be finished with symbolical climbing on Koldun Hill (447.8 meters) and planting the Soviet Navy flag in remembrance of those who failed to return home during the Great Patriotic War. The project coordinators are Andrei Mikhailov (St. Petersburg) and Pavel Fedorov (Moscow).