Historical Club
The Year of Science
On October 2, a virtual tour of the legendary research vessel “Vityaz” will take place on the virtual platform of the Russian House in Brussels, organized by the Museum of the World Ocean (Kaliningrad).
The legendary vessel “Vityaz,” within a relatively short period in the history of science, completed 65 scientific voyages. It was from this ship in 1957 that the maximum depth of the Mariana Trench, 11,022 meters, was measured. “Vityaz” was the first floating institute conducting large-scale, comprehensive research in all areas of oceanography. During its operation, a vast amount of data was collected on ocean biology, chemistry, physics, and geology, and several geographic discoveries were made in the Far Eastern seas, the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. Today, the ship is docked on the banks of the Pregolya River in Kaliningrad and is the main exhibit of the Museum of the World Ocean. However, with the end of “Vityaz’s” scientific career, oceanic and marine depth research continues.
The Museum of the World Ocean and the Russian House in Brussels invite you to a virtual tour of the legendary research vessel, which this year celebrates four significant anniversaries: 85 years since its launch, 75 years since its first scientific voyage, 45 years since its last voyage, and 30 years since its docking and becoming a museum exhibit.
The decks and exhibits of the research vessel will be guided by an experienced tour guide – the head of the History Department of the Museum of the World Ocean, Ph.D. in Geography Yulia Stepanchuk. After the tour, everyone will have the opportunity to ask additional questions.
About the research vessel “Vityaz”:
The research vessel “Vityaz” is a story of the country and the world during the period of 1949–1979, filled with significant achievements, changes, and geopolitical events that shaped the development of civilization. Under these conditions, “Vityaz” became a leader in ocean exploration, a symbol of peace and friendship. It was from “Vityaz,” where the depth of the Mariana Trench was measured, that the most significant period in the development of Soviet marine science began. It can rightfully be considered historic, and all subsequent years of its operation were the “Era of the ‘Vityaz.'”
Under the flag of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the ship made 65 scientific voyages, covered approximately 800,000 miles, and conducted 7,942 scientific stations. From its deck, the maximum depth (11,022 meters) in the Mariana Trench was measured, and a new type of animal, pogonophora, was discovered. On “Vityaz,” the Soviet school of oceanography was formed, and scientists from 50 scientific institutes in our country and 20 countries around the world worked on its expeditions.
The decision to preserve this vessel and create an exhibition on board was made in 1990, and on July 12, 1994, the research vessel “Vityaz” docked at the museum’s quay in Kaliningrad. This ship marked the beginning of the Museum of the World Ocean, and today it remains the museum’s main exhibit and the central object of the Historical Fleet Embankment.
Language: Russian/French
