On June 20 of this year, residents and tourists in Montenegro had a unique opportunity — to admire the huge four-masted Russian training sailing ship, a true “wind catcher,” which returned last year from a round-the-world voyage and was entered into the Guinness Book of Records — the Sedov.
We simply wouldn’t have forgiven ourselves if we had missed the chance to step aboard this legend. We made a special trip to Kotor (it was in this international port that the barque docked), even though we don’t really like going there during the tourist season due to parking difficulties. But the sight of this mighty ship made us forget all those little inconveniences.
To be honest, we didn’t rush there right away. I mean, we did walk toward the entrance, of course, but seeing a crowd of tourists there, we turned around and headed to the children’s playground instead. After taking a few shots from there, we noticed that people had started boarding the ship via the gangway.
So, we decided to go “check things out.” And it’s true what they say—patience pays off: there was no one at the checkpoint, so we calmly asked how it all worked. It turned out that boarding the ship was free, but required ID. I didn’t have anything on me (“Whiskers, paws and tail—that’s my ID!” (c)), but the kind Montenegrin officer let us in using only my husband’s passport (by the way, a driver’s license works too). He returned it immediately after writing down the information in a logbook. At that moment, he was surrounded by Russian and Ukrainian passports… Apparently, he was handing them back to visitors as they exited.
And now—“Sedov.” There he is, the long-awaited beauty!
Approaching the gangway, we saw young cadets in sailor uniforms with the inscription “Nizhny Novgorod Cadet” (at least, that’s what I think it said). So, a fellow countryman, a Volga native.
He greeted all the ship’s guests very politely. Respect to him. By the way, the whole crew turned out to be very welcoming and friendly. I won’t hide it — it was a real pleasure.
And so, we stepped onto a piece of Russian territory (for the second time in three years, counting the Russian embassy in Podgorica). For children, it was a paradise. First of all, of course — the steering wheel!
It looks so impressive. All three names of the ship are engraved on it.
A bit of history: in 1921, the ship was built in Kiel, Germany, under the name Magdalene Vinnen, but in 1936 the sailing vessel was bought by the company Norddeutscher Lloyd and renamed Kommodore Johnsen.
And only in 1946 did the barque become the property of the USSR and begin to bear the name of the famous polar explorer Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov (1877–1914).
The ship inspires trust and respect — first of all, with its perfectly clean deck!
And with its polished-to-shine pieces of “equipment.”
And what tall masts the Sedov has – they truly take your breath away!
On board, there’s even a souvenir cabin (that is, a gift shop in ship terms), where you can buy all sorts of items with the Sedov logo. I didn’t manage to take a photo because the “shopkeeper” rushed off somewhere and was closing the door, but I did catch a glimpse of a T-shirt with the ship’s name on it for 8 euros.
The kids felt right at home here — climbing ropes, ringing the ship’s bell, and of course, posing for photos taken by their parents.
Ours went even further — or rather, deeper, if I may say so… (с) — into the ship’s (pardon the intimate details) latrine. He was escorted there by a young sailor named Vanya from Murmansk.
There it is — a firm handshake between men, full of emotion from the meeting and the sudden, unexpected, and therefore especially valuable, help. (с)
As we found out, Vanya was staying on duty while the other cadets went ashore. We even witnessed a formation where they were being handed their passports.
Later, we saw those young sailors running around the city, loaded with heavy bags.
The views of Kotor and the bay were absolutely unreal.
I could have stood there on the deck forever, enjoying the moment…
But a child has his own needs — entertainment, of course. So, he pulled us toward the exit. But then we noticed a crowd disappearing into the depths of the ship.
We got curious and followed them. And it turned out to be totally worth it — because we ended up in the ship’s museum!
The tour was led by a very nice gentleman. He might even have been the captain, though I’m not sure, since I realized later that the tour had actually started earlier — up on the main deck of the Sedov. Still, I think we caught a good part of it.
So, let’s call him the guide — he first took us to the assembly hall, where he told us a bit about how the cadets and crew spend their time on board.
Later, we entered the actual museum, where we learned about the life of the polar explorer after whom the ship is named, as well as the history of the barque itself.
And of course — what would a tour be without some sailor’s tales?
The last room, judging by the look of it, was a bar, a lounge, or something of that sort.
Let me explain: according to legend, a wish made by someone who walks three times counterclockwise around the wind rose depicted on the floor will come true. Russians are a superstitious people… and they do believe in legends.))
In short, everyone rushed to start “walking.” Some even started crawling.
To be fair, it must be said — that was the bravest and most daring tourist in our group. (с)
Watching the scene, the guide smiled and said:
“It’s so funny to see important politicians, high-ranking officials, and diplomats making laps in this hall…”
It lightened the mood. ))
We also learned that Sedov is not just a training ship. You can actually take a cruise on it (prices available here: http://parusniki.info/tallships/bark-sedov/raspisanie-price-2014/).
In fact, in April of this year, there was a raffle for a cruise from Kotor, Montenegro to Bari, Italy. So some lucky ones hit the jackpot: tomorrow, June 23, 2014, they’ll set sail and for two days take part in the full shipboard experience — helm watches, mast work, sail drills — all as part of the seasoned crew and with four meals a day!
And on top of all these honors, Sedov is also… a movie star!
It played the leading role in the 2006 German film The Tragedy of the Pamir.
It also appeared in some Russian productions… we’ll have to Google that later.
And finally — how could we leave without ringing the ship’s bell, especially when we’re allowed to?
