Monument to submariners died in peacetime was opened in Sevastopol

08.04.2011 Memorial activities were held on Apr 7 in Sevastopol in remembrance of the crew of submarine Komsomolets and on occasion of opening a monument to submariners died in peacetime, reports New Sevastopol.

As is known, Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-278 Komsomolets wrecked on Apr 7, 1989 claiming lives of 42 submariners who struggled to the last gasp and honorably perform their duties. This day was declared in Russia as the Remembrance Day of Lost Submariners.

On the day of 22nd anniversary of the Komsomolets shipwreck, an opening ceremony of monument memorializing 19 submariners native of Sevastopol who died while performing service duties in peacetime was held.

Opening the monument was initiated by submariners who had graduated from former Sevastopol Naval Engineer School and all partial residents of Sevastopol.

Among those who attended the meeting were Black Sea Fleet deputy commander for personnel affairs Capt 1 rank Yury Orekhovsky, director of museum of Sevastopol National Nuclear Engineering University Capt 2 rank (retired) Vladimir Bondarchuk, chairman of veteran submariners' council Capt 1 rank (retired) Nikolai Kapustin, veteran submariners, relatives of died submariners, Black Sea Fleet servicemen, and Sevastopol community.

"It is very remarkable that the monument is installed today, on remembrance day of submariners perished in Komsomolets", said member of city council Vladimir Chekmezov appearing at the meeting. "The monument is needed for all of us. It is needed to calm down souls of lost submariners. Their bodies are in sea abyss, but their souls are here, in our city. This monument will remind them they're not forgotten. Rest in peace, fallen heroes!"

According to the chairman of veteran submariners' council Capt 1 rank (retired) Nikolai Kapustin, the monument was built on donated money.

Widow of engineer Lt. Mstislav Gusev died in 1970 in nuclear submarine K-8 also attended the meeting. She thanked graduates of former Sevastopol Naval Engineer School who live not only in Sevastopol but all across ex-Soviet countries for their initiative in the monument's creation.

"On Apr 12 it will be 41st anniversary since the day my husband died along with other crewmen in the Bay of Biscay. Every year on this day I used to go to the Grafskaya Quay to lay flowers on the sea. That was the only way", said Tatiana Guseva. "Now all relatives of submariners whose names are engraved on the monument have a place to come and bow".

Official monument-opening ceremony was finished by national anthems of Russia and Ukraine, wreath laying, and parade of Black Sea Fleet's honor guard company.