Future of cruiser Aurora is uncertain

19.11.2009
Ministry of Defense considers possibility of decommission of cruiser Aurora and turning into museum, but the ship's future is still uncertain, says RIA Novosti referring to source in MoD.

Hundreds of officials and businessmen visited presentation of Russian Pioneer magazine published by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. The festivities held at cruiser Aurora on the night of June 6.

According to investigative revision results promulgated yesterday, the permit to hold banquet at combat ship was issued illegally; that fact contradicted requirements of military regulations and laws of cultural heritage objects and endangered museum valuables as well.

Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Vysotsky forbade to hold activities "other that troops functions" at combat ships.

Persons guilty in the incident including the cruiser commander Capt 1 rank Anatoly Bazhanov, Baltic Fleet Commander of that time Vice Admiral Viktor Mardusin and several officers of Leningrad naval base were brought to disciplinary responsibility and reprimanded.

Among guests of Aurora banquet were governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Northeast Federal District Ilya Klebanov, head of Tinkoff company grouping Oleg Tinkov, ex-president of social net Odnoklassniki.ru Nikita Sherman and Russian Standard company owner Rustam Tariko. In total, there were about 150 persons invited.

Lower deck of the cruiser was used as a restaurant; the top one was full of musical hardware and used for performance with theater actor Pavel Kaplevich starring and ballet dancers dressed in Swan Lake suits.

In the midst of pleasure a barge with music band Rubl approached the cruiser. The frontman of Leningrad band Sergei Shnurov was on the barge and started his obscene concert. After one of songs some guests jumped to Neva River from the deck, swam a little and were picked up by a motorboat. Tina Kandelaki being a party conductor called everybody to go home.

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held in July 4-6 with the participation of Russian political and business elite and was related to matters of world's present economic development.

Cadets of Nakhimov Naval School (NNS) located near the cruiser Aurora had been using the ship as a training base till 60-ies. According to defense ministry's plans, NNS will move to Kronshtadt till 2012 and well-known white-blue building at the Petrograd shore front will be discharged from the books of the ministry.

Cruiser Aurora was put afloat in 1900. It took part in Russian-Japanese War, World War I and Great Patriotic War. The ship is known for its blank shot made on Oct 25, 1917 as it was a signal for October Revolution.

Source: RusNavy.com, photo: Cruiser Aurora (gopiter.ru)