Putin spoke about the feat of the crew of the cruiser Varyag in 1904
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the sailors of the Varyag cruiser, who sank the ship in 1904 so that it would not fall to the enemy, were greeted as heroes at home. The Head of State shared the story on August 16 during a visit to the Varyag missile cruiser, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet.
Pavel Zarubin, a journalist from the Vesti news agency, showed footage of the Russian leader's visit. Putin stopped at a painting dedicated to the events involving the ship of the same name.
"Has the Admiralty been deciding for a long time what to do with people? Did they violate the order, and is this a crime? And many believed that they should be punished," he said.
The President noted that the decision on the fate of the sailors was largely determined by the reaction of society. According to him, after returning to St. Petersburg, the crew was greeted as heroes. The head of state was reminded of the song "Our proud Varangian does not surrender to the enemy." Putin drew attention to the fact that it appeared later and was not taken into account during the discussion of the decision at the Admiralty. The President added that the sailors walked from the train station towards the Palace Square, where they were met by residents of the city.
"Yes, there was a song, but when the Admiralty decided on the issue, there was no song yet. <...> The whole city gathered, and they walked through the colors. And then there was no doubt that they were heroes," the head of state summed up.
During his visit on August 13, Putin thanked the crew of the Varyag missile cruiser for organizing the exercises of the Pacific Fleet. He noted that Pacific sailors are also "at the forefront" and not in the rear, as they support the combat capability of the Russian fleet, which is important for ensuring the country's security.
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