The Black Sea is a storehouse of secrets and mysteries. Dozens of sunken ships rest at its bottom, which, to this day, keep tons of gold from the eyes of the inhabitants.

Why did it happen?

Despite its shallow depth, the Black Sea is quite dangerous during storms. Some of its sections are simply impassable for ships. In high waves, the vessel throws it onto the sandbank, onto underwater boulders, as a result of which they die.

In the Middle Ages, dozens of ports were built on the Black Sea coast, which daily received hundreds of ships with various provisions. Of course, as a result of the raging elements, many ships could not reach their destination, and found their abode at the bottom of the sea.

Today divers study the underwater part of the sea and remain shocked by the number of ships that rest in its depths. Many of the ships were never identified, and underwater explorers were never able to find out with certainty what was transported on them. But this is not in relation to the "Black Prince", his scientists were still able to find. This ship of the British Navy sank in 1854, carrying tons of jewelry in its holds. Gold coins, ingots, items made of gold and precious metals - this is what was kept on board this ship. Of course, other data were indicated in the logbook, it was indicated here that the Black Prince did not transport any valuables. This was done because all data on ships with precious cargoes were transferred to pirates and they mercilessly robbed and destroyed such ships.

But what exactly is the "Black Prince" significant? He sank in the coastal waters of Balaklava. This is a city closed from the inhabitants. Since the twenties of the last century, hundreds of treasure hunters have been sent in search of the Black Prince's treasure. But most importantly, during the Soviet era, a whole scientific expedition tried to unravel the mystery of the sunken ghost ship with countless riches on board.

The search for treasures is a specific job, a hobby that is inherent in many citizens, both in Russia and other countries of the world. The treasure search system itself is quite simple - you need to know what and where to look. To begin with, it is worth deciding on the object of the search. So, sunken ships with precious cargo are a tidbit.

In many marine areas, treasure hunters can go diving and quietly raise jewelry from the bottom, one after another. At the same time, even ancient household items can be of value. The same vases, bowls, other household items. But gold and jewelry is the highest goal for divers.

As for the "Black Prince", historical records were found indicating that there were six million rubles in gold on board. This is a colossal amount that treasure hunters simply could not ignore.

What's the most remarkable thing?

The government of the USSR became interested in the search for the "Black Prince". In the fifties of the last century, Russia needed fresh financial injections, the country was plundered and destroyed by the war, so the government grabbed every opportunity to replenish the treasury. But finding sunken relics is a tricky business. This is because in the abyss of sea ships lose their identification marks and become all the same. So it happened with the "Black Prince". They were looking for him for four years. The Soviet government lost faith in the fact that the scientific expedition would achieve a positive result.

It understood more and more that the sea is merciless to ships and that during a storm the "Black Prince" could be completely destroyed and looking for its wreckage is tantamount to searching for a needle in a haystack. But the search did not stop for a day.

It is worth noting that the very process of studying the seabed of the Black Sea made it possible to discover a lot of new things in the underwater world of the Black Sea, forced the USSR to invest colossal money in the construction of the first bathyscaphe. With his help, the search for the sunken wealth was carried out.

All search and reconnaissance work to this day remains classified, it is only known that they took place in several stages, and each of them was crowned with the opening of a new submarine ship. Even when the "Black Prince" was found, it was kept in the strictest confidence, because millions of rubles in gold were still found. Today, an increasing number of historians insist that the situation with the "Black Prince" is indicative. In fact, a large number of search operations were carried out under the heading "top secret".

Scientists close to the search operation of the "Black Prince" indicate that in fact the first five-year plan, which was introduced on the territory of the USSR, was realized precisely at the expense of the gold raised from the sunken ship. Wealth was invested in the construction of new industrial facilities, which to this day delight the eyes of ordinary people, who increase the prosperity of the already seceded countries.

What is significant, in parallel with Soviet scientists, Japanese treasure hunters were also engaged in the search for the "Black Prince". They were deliberately misdirected by the Soviet government. Often, a real war is sharpening around such significant and gold-rich objects as the "Black Prince". There are a lot of people who want to grab a good jackpot. But in this story, the gold went to the government of the USSR.

So what, in the history of the "Black Prince", you can put an end? Scientists do not yet recommend rushing with this, since there was no official statement about the gold found from the government of the USSR. But the studied materials of the search expedition give confidence that the ship was found, and a secret cargo was raised from its side for several months.

Was it gold? So far, there are only guesses, the confirmation of which can be given by official sources, but they are silent. As the waters of the Black Sea are silent, in the depths of which not a single hundred secrets are still kept that have not been raised from the bottom of the Black Sea by ships. How their fate will unfold, perhaps, soon each of them will be able to tell their contemporaries the history of their era, or enrich their heirs with untold wealth.

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From 7 to 23 August, scientists from the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine examined the bottom of the Black Sea. The expedition was led by Director of the Department of Underwater Heritage Sergey Voronov. Recently, he literally returned to Kiev for a couple of days and spoke about two sensational discoveries and about the unromantic everyday life of his romantic profession.

Part of the chassis of the German military transport aircraft "Junkers-52" at the bottom of the Black Sea near Odessa. This is the only such model that survived the Second World War. There is no such thing in any museum

What kind of treasures are in the casket?

This summer, the expedition managed to find sensational finds - well-preserved ships from different eras. One - 11-13 centuries, the second - 18-19 centuries. The first, more ancient ship was named by archaeologists "Foros" - it sank not far from Foros. The second - "Green's", they say, in his novels Alexander Grin described sailing ships just like that.

- We found the oldest ship 20 km from Foros at a depth of about 140 m, right opposite the Gorbachev dacha. At first we thought it was a Byzantine ship of the 9th-10th centuries, but from the ceramics we determined that it was still 11th-13th centuries. Perhaps the ship belonged to one of the Italian republics - Venice, Genoa or Pisa (it was during these years that they colonized the southern coast of Crimea). The ship - most likely a galley - was gigantic for those times: 50 meters in length. The ship is also unique in that it is 70% preserved. Deck planks, planking, masts, yards, oars ...

Archaeologists have found three dozen amphorae on it, but this is clearly not the "main prize". What else will be found in the silted hold of the ship, except for "banal" ceramics, is still unknown. But given that in those days life-saving devices were not practiced, it is likely that people rushed by swimming and left a lot of things on board - life is more expensive. They also left "an object that looks like a forged chest." The size of the intriguing find is half a meter by half a meter. Stands just in the middle of the deck. It is the casket that will be lifted first. A line of professional scuba divers has already lined up to participate in the sacrament.

- And what could be in it?

- Unpredictable. Since a ship with undefined functions, then whatever you want. From gold coins and jewelry to some kind of correspondence. The parchments, by the way, can be preserved thanks to the layer of hydrogen sulfide.

Six strongest aqualagnists will participate in the ascent. They will only have 10 minutes and three tries. To prevent the casket from scattering, a special container is pulled over it, and then they will slowly lift it.

Tons of marble for the Yalta palace

The second ship - "Greenovsky" - is 30–40 m long and lies at a depth of 139 m. It is loaded to capacity with marble slabs. They probably caused the shipwreck.

- Both holds are loaded with marble, some of the slabs lay on the deck. It was an obvious overload, - suggests Sergey Voronov. - Perhaps the captain decided to earn more. But he got into a storm, the load shifted, the center of gravity collapsed - and the ship sank.

The marble, as archaeologists think, was intended for the construction of one of the palaces of Yalta. The mystery may be revealed on October 5, when one of the blocks is lifted. Next, you just need to compare the building material.

The helicopter passengers froze in their seats like mannequins

Sergey Voronov considers the library from the destroyer Lieutenant Zatsarenny to be his most interesting find, which sank during the First World War near Snake Island. Notes, personal letters, books with secret orders, sailing directions, maps of minefields have been lying at the bottom of the Black Sea for a hundred years. And everything is readable! The library also presented an interesting riddle.

All the "bricks" of the books were without covers and bindings. Archaeologists could not understand why the "filling" was preserved, but the "shell" was not. The answer was ... bulls. It turned out that the fish liked the wood glue used to process the books.

There were also terrible finds. For example, the destroyer Dzerzhinsky, which sank in 1942.

- Yes, there are no people there, but there are scraps of clothing, pieces of a vest. The machine guns are lowered and aimed at the sky. Life came to a standstill. And the deeper the ship lies, the sadder it looks.

But the most shocking find of Sergey's team is not a ship, but a Ka-25 deck helicopter of the Black Sea Fleet. This is a mass grave at a depth of 1060 m, preserved in a hydrogen sulfide layer.

- We stumbled upon him by chance in 2006 during a joint Ukrainian-American expedition. Judging by the sludge bloom, he is 25–30 years old. When the American robot looked inside, we saw on the monitors that in the chairs, like mannequins, sat strapped passengers. About two dozen. One of the many accidents classified during the Soviet era ... We gave the coordinates to the Russian consulate, we were thanked, but what the further fate of the helicopter is is unknown.

"And the Titanic has already been plundered"

Prominent marine archaeologist Robert Ballard found the Titanic and became famous throughout the world. Sergei Voronov, who, by the way, is friends with the famous American, also has a dream ship - the sanitary ship "Armenia". He has been looking for him for three years.

- This is one of the most tragic disasters in history. After a raid by a German pilot, 7 thousand evacuees from Sevastopol, wounded from 23 hospitals, and medical personnel were killed. Only 8 people survived. Their relatives could not be found. But there are already few places left in the Black Sea where we did not look for "Armenia". The depth limit was up to 700 meters, now let's try up to 1200 meters.

- We are now so busy with work that there is no time to dream of the Caribbean. Although the French were invited to look for caravels. Maybe we'll go in the winter. Robert Ballard offers joint expeditions in the Mediterranean, Aegean seas.

"Did Ballard invite you to the Titanic?"

- He himself rarely goes to the Titanic. He was very depressed by what he saw the year before last - everything is being pulled apart. A depth of about 4 thousand meters is not a problem, manned vehicles - Russian, French, American - are immersed there. This is a travel business. Each dive ends with the taking of souvenirs.

We got to the point that Captain Smith's bath was already prepared as a souvenir. Ballard was never able to achieve the Titanic's status as an international maritime memorial. Now there is a dispute between Canada, England and the United States, since the Titanic lies in neutral waters.

- Don't you dream of going there?

- I dream more of finding something like that in the Black Sea. We have not yet worked seriously at a depth of 2 km - the Black Sea basin. Ballard and I are confident that antique ships can be found there in perfect preservation. Inside there may be papyri, jewelry. But, of course, if Robert invites you to the Titanic, then why not.

Most valuable underwater objects

1. "Foros" ship. Around 11-13th century. Presumably the class of the ship is an Italian galley. 70% saved. Lies at a depth of 130 m.

2. "Greenovsky" ship. Sailboat of the 18-19th century. The general cargo in the holds is marble, intended for the construction of the palace. Lies at a depth of 139 m.

3. Motor ship "Lenin". Mass grave. The official death toll is 900. Sank in 1941 in just 10 minutes. A possible cause of the crash is a floating mine explosion. Lies at a depth of 97 m.

4. German transport ship "Santa Fe". Sank as a result of a mine explosion in 1943. Carrying more than 3 thousand tons of weapons. 3 guns were kidnapped by "black" divers. Lies at a depth of 21 m.

5. German transport ship "Volgo-Don" ("Wolgo-Don"). Sank in 1943. 80% safe. In the hold, among other things, there are cassettes with bombs, a car and a motorcycle. Lies at a depth of 25-30 m.

6. Bulgarian transport "Varna". Sank in 1943 as a result of a torpedo attack from a Soviet submarine. I was carrying ammunition. 50% saved. Lies at a depth of 50 meters.

7. "Tsarevich Alexei". Transport ship of the Russian Imperial Navy. Sank in 1916 from a mine explosion. The general cargo was 1120 tons of sugar for the Caucasian Army. Lies at a depth of 47 m.

8. Russian transport "Rostov". Attacked by a German submarine in 1918. Two steam boilers have survived. Lies at a depth of 19 m.

9. Freight ship of the Black Sea Fleet "Jean Zhores". 70% saved. There are a lot of things in the holds, even champagne bottles remained - they celebrated the New Year 1942. It was sunk on January 16, 1942 after the German attack. Lies at a depth of 15 m.

10. "Saint Alexander". One of the largest battleships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire. Sank in 1786 after hitting pitfalls. Lies at a depth of 6 m.

11. "Agnes Blakey". English two-masted bar. Perhaps named after a real person - Agnes Blaiki, wife of the mayor of Aberdeen, Thomas Blaiki. The ship is rich in finds and has become an object of robbery for "black" divers. Lies at a depth of 86 m.

12. Destroyer "Dzerzhinsky". In 1942 he was blown up by a mine. Killed 158 crew members and 110 military. Lies at a depth of 120 m.

13. The minesweeper "Doob". Sank in 1942, blown up by a mine. Lies at a depth of 26 m.

14. Transport "Ignatiy Prokhorov". Sank in 1922. 70% saved. Found a plaque with the year of construction (1886 in England), a ship's log. Lies at a depth of 90 m.

15. Battleship "Catherine the Second". The thickness of the armor was up to 4 m. It was flooded in 1908. 80% preserved. Lies at a depth of 139 m.

16. The minelayer "Prut". The ship's crew joined the uprising on the battleship Potemkin in 1905. In 1914, having crossed with a German-Turkish cruiser, the captain decided to sink the ship. Lies at a depth of 110 m.

17. German transport "Totila" (Totila). The name is in honor of the East Gothic king. Sank in 1944 after being bombed by Soviet planes. 500 Wehrmacht soldiers were officially killed. Lies at a depth of 97 m.

All of them, except for the "Green" (for which the documentation has yet to be drawn up), will be protected by the Cabinet of Ministers decree on assigning the status of protected historical and archaeological territories.

Did you know that ...

The Black Sea is "piratical" than the Caribbean

The Black Sea is a Klondike for archaeologists around the world. The ideal conditions here are hydrogen sulfide and ancient history. Sergei Voronov says that in 2006 they discovered fossils of a rhino and a wild horse, which are between 7 and 25 million years old. Robert Ballard is looking for traces of the Great Flood in the Black Sea, which, according to legend, 7 thousand years ago.

He is sure that at a depth of 200 meters, when the sea was a fresh lake, traces of port facilities and even ancient cities should remain. On the coast there were many cities of the Italian republics, which were at war with each other. Piracy was very active - in this regard, the Caribbean Sea is simply resting compared to ours. Byzantium and Rome sent flotillas and squadrons to stop the mess for a while.

The Taurus, which in the modern world can be compared with Somali pirates, were especially rampant. At night, on light sailing-oared ships, they covered the victim ship from all sides and carried out an instant boarding. And if the Byzantines pressed them to the shore, then the crew simply lifted the boat in their arms and ran away.

Archaeologists consider the Sea of ​​Azov hopeless. Firstly, a storm breaks any object at a depth of 20 m. The depth of the Azov Sea is 14 m. Secondly, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, judging by the weather reports, the sea froze to the bottom. And ice tears even armor like paper.

... hydrogen sulfide is a natural preservative

The fact that the sunken objects are so well preserved in the Black Sea is a "merit" of hydrogen sulfide, the layer of which is now at a depth of 207 meters. But in different periods it was below or above 100 meters. So the ships went through a conservation stage. But on the surface, the tree extracted from the bottom of the sea immediately turns into dust, so a conservation laboratory is being created in Ukraine.

Archaeologist Robert Ballard is of great help. Everything that comes from the bottom is kept in the funds of the Institute of Archeology. Specialists process the artifacts and transfer them to museums in Ukraine. Marine archaeologists are also working on the creation of their own national maritime museum.

... the whole ship cannot be lifted yet

Specialists are going to lift ships piece by piece. In Ukraine, there is still no equipment and money to bring an entire ship to the surface. In the rich West, such rises are practiced. For example, in Stockholm there is a museum of one ship "Vasa". But, according to Sergei, 20% of the city's budget was spent on this event. This is fantastic for us.

... border guards will hunt black divers

The finds of marine archaeologists also attract black divers. Lovers to grab something "as a keepsake" and professional tomb robbers do not give rest. Mostly they take small things: for souvenirs or to order for moneybags. Customers are 99% Russian.

Recently, the state has promised to help in the fight against treasure hunters. The Cabinet of Ministers should soon adopt a decree on assigning the status of protected historical and archaeological territories to 16 of the most valuable objects. After that, they will be legally guarded by border guards.

... a robot archaeologist is the pride of Ukraine

Another source of pride for our archaeologists is the Sophocles robot. He, of course, looks like an inexperienced youth next to such "uncles" as the high-tech American "Hercules", capable of diving several kilometers, but it was made in Ukraine - at the shipbuilding university in Nikolaev. Cost "Sophocles" in $ 20 thousand. Now the robot is being improved for underwater work on October 5 - add manipulators, increase the power of the illuminators.

Archaeologist Sergei Voronov: "In October we will get such a chest out of the blue."

Airfield jeep in the hold of the sunken German transporter Wolgo-don

Moreover, it is surrounded by dozens of underwater objects that also store precious cargo. In the waters of the Black and Azov Seas along the coast of the Crimea, ships are waiting in the wings, which many treasure seekers would be happy to explore.

In 1941, a huge sanitary worker was involved in the evacuation of residents from the occupied Crimea. As many inhabitants of the peninsula as possible tried to get on the ship, the passengers crowded on the deck, stood so tightly to each other that some fell into the sea. It is impossible to restore the exact number of passengers taken on the last voyage of "Armenia" today, and the reasons why the ship was bombed can only be assumed. "Armenia" was equipped with distinctive signs in the form of red crosses, but this did not stop the German aviation and on November 7, 1941, the ship was sunk. More than 7000 people died, which is five times more than the number of victims on the famous "Titanic".

The researchers suggested that boxes with rarities from Crimean museums were loaded onto the "Armenia", which were planned to be taken to the ports of the Caucasus. The total length of the "Armenia" was 114.5 meters, the ship had extensive cargo compartments. Until now, the exact place of the death of the sanitary ship has not been determined; five expeditions were organized to search for the ship. Search engines complain that the state of Ukraine did not supply the necessary equipment for a thorough exploration of the seabed, there were not enough robots that could work at a depth of 2 kilometers. Scientists hope for the help of their Russian colleagues, because there are two possible places where “Armenia” lies: 1700 meters from “Artek” and 400 meters from the Swallow's Nest.

There are many such mysteries as the sanitary ship “Armenia” off the coast of Crimea. Among them is the steamer "Lenin", which also sank in 1941. On board, people were evacuated from surrounded Odessa. The ship was overcrowded with civilians, if according to technical data it was designed to carry 1000 people, then on that tragic voyage the steamer took about 2500 people. Of all those who were on the ship "Lenin", only 272 people survived. The motor ship successfully departed from Odessa surrounded by the Germans, but when it reached the coast of the Crimea, it was blown up by a mine.

Today, researchers have identified the exact location of the remains of the ship - in the area of ​​Cape Sarych, at a depth of 96 meters. Some scholars believe that "Lenin" also transported the assets of the National Odessa Bank, but no documentary evidence and inventories have survived about the size of the transported values. Perhaps we are talking about tons of non-ferrous metals. They do not plan to investigate the ship for the presence of precious ingots, since "Lenin" is a fraternal cemetery and the search for the treasure here is tantamount to sacrilege.

In addition to Soviet ships that exported various valuables across the Black Sea during the war years, there were also many German ships that delivered loot in their direction. So, from Sevastopol, the Germans exported museum values ​​to Romania, which they brought from museums in the Crimea, Rostov Region and Stavropol Territory. Soviet troops managed to take out part of the museum funds, but the bulk of the expositions still fell into the hands of the Nazis.

The booty was loaded onto the ship "Leris" in 1944. It is believed that the ship's cargo included ancient ceramics, paintings from galleries, rare exhibits, and church utensils. "Laris" was unable to fulfill the mission entrusted to him to deliver valuables to the destination, on the way it was blown up by Soviet aviation. Where exactly the sinking of the ship took place is unknown. Researchers tried to determine the coordinates, sent requests to the Institute of Military History of Germany, but they failed to find out anything.

The bottom of the Black Sea is dotted not only with ships from the Second World War, but also with more ancient ships. In the area of ​​Cape Foros, scientists discovered a ship about 50 meters long - presumably an old Greek ship. The safety of the vessel was ensured by a layer of hydrogen sulfide, which acted as a natural preservative. Thanks to this, the outer part of the ship has been preserved, which, according to scientists, sank in the 11-12 centuries. In addition, the cargo transported by the ship is most likely intact. Today the Greek ship resembles a mountain of silt, but researchers hope that the holds and cabins contain weapons, merchants' goods, and documentation of that era.

The answer to the question, what is the benefit of Russia from the Crimea, can be given this summer. The Black Sea Center for Underwater Research announced its plans to raise an ancient Byzantine ship at last lying on the bottom near Cape Foros. A merchant ship that sank a thousand years ago was discovered by archaeologists back in 2006, but the meager Ukrainian budget did not allow lifting work. Scientists froze in anticipation of a sensation: what treasures can be on board the ship of the richest empire of all times and peoples, one can only guess.

The remains of a Byzantine "merchant", resting at a depth of 124 meters, were stumbled by Ukrainian archaeologists during a large-scale expedition to study the Black Sea off the southern coast of Crimea. When the lenses of the apparatus, prowling along the bottom 20 kilometers from the coast, suddenly caught a mast sticking out of the silt, scientists at first did not believe their eyes - there was no historical data on the wreck of a large sailing ship in these places in the archives. However, looking closely, they realized: it is useless to look for written references - the ship found is older than any surviving chronicle.

“This is an exceptional facility,” admits Sergey Voronov, director of the Black Sea Center for Underwater Research. - There may be priceless finds on it. Given the large distance from the shore, the ship most likely was not plundered.

An even greater miracle archaeologists call the fact that the ancient ship has been preserved almost in its original form. Even the oars are still sticking out of the oarlocks. The reason is in the unique composition of the Black Sea water. At great depths, it contains a unique concentration of hydrogen sulfide gases, which are a natural natural preservative. In such water, not only does wood not rot, but even paper and papyrus retain their natural appearance.

Therefore, today scientists secretly cherish a dream in their souls: how can they find an ancient manuscript on board? For example, the unknown tragedy of Aeschylus? Archaeologists have almost no doubt that chests with gold and jewels may well lie in the holds - there was no richer power in Byzantium in those days in the world. In any case, the value of the find is estimated in advance in the millions of dollars.

And it looks like she's not the last. During the expedition, 494 wrecks were found off the Crimean coast, including 40 Greek Day ships, which still remain unexplored. For comparison: during six years of searching, only four more or less interesting “drowned men” were found off the coast of Turkey.

The secret of the Soviet "Titanic"

However, dozens of historians, treasure hunters and simply lovers of conspiracy secrets would be enough to find out about the whereabouts of just one ship.

On the morning of November 7, 1941, the motor ship "Armenia" left the Yalta port. Captain Vladimir Plaushevsky was in a hurry to set off - German tanks were spotted 10 kilometers from the city, the Germans could break through to Yalta at any moment. He could not risk the ship - there were about 7 thousand passengers on board the "Armenia". When it became clear that it would not be possible to keep the Crimea, the cruise ship was hastily converted into an ambulance. Now "Armenia" was taking away the wounded and the medical staff of the main hospital of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as the families of the NKVD workers and party leaders to Tuapse. In theory, the ship should have already arrived at its destination. But after leaving Sevastopol, right on the way, the ship was overtaken by an order to urgently wrap up in Yalta and take a particularly valuable cargo. Plaushevsky saw how, under cover of night, a group of NKVD officers loaded several dozen bulky boxes onto the "Armenia". As a result, they had to set off with a delay of a day, when the Nazis were already stepping on their heels.

This is the last thing that is known for certain about the ship. Three and a half hours later, he was attacked by a German torpedo bomber and sank to the bottom in four minutes. Of the almost 7 thousand on board, only eight managed to escape. The place of death of "Armenia" is still a mystery. We tried to search for transport more than once. But not a single trace was found - no debris, no personal belongings, nothing at all. But even the "Titanic" was found by the "proprietary" saucers carried out by the current from the bowels of the wrecked ship. Many people dream of looking into the holds of “Armenia”, where four times more people died than on the legendary transatlantic. After all, everything indicates that in the secret boxes were exhibits of the Crimean museums, intended for urgent evacuation. Among them are the rarities of the Alupka and Bakhchisarai palaces-museums, the Yalta Museum of Local Lore, the collection of ancient antiquities and oriental carpets, the canvases of Caravaggio, Maratti, Dow, Bryullov and Shishkin - in a word, values ​​for considerable sums. Archaeologists admit that the discovery of "Armenia" will become a global event.

Prince's Gold

No less intrigue remains around the most famous victim of a shipwreck off the Crimean coast - the British ship "Prince". Why did the "Prince" get such attention? It's simple: as it turned out, there was a salary for British soldiers on board - only about 500 thousand pounds.

Italians, Americans, French - whoever has not looked for the remains of the "golden" transport at the bottom of the Balaklava bay. In 1923, the Soviet government found out about the treasure lying at the bottom. As a result, a special subdivision of underwater work was created on the Black Sea. For five years the divers in vain ransacked the bottom, until “from above” they began to hint that it would be good to answer for the money spent in vain. Fortunately for the submariners, the golden smoke covered the eyes of the Japanese. The samurai offered their services to the USSR on where as favorable terms: expenses at their expense, income - in half. Literally a few months later, the Japanese reported: "The Prince" was found. A gold sovereign raised from the bottom was applied in confirmation. However, only six more coins were found. In the end, the search was finally given up.

And now new data have appeared: the ship found by the Japanese was not the "Prince" at all. And he himself, as Sergey Voronov explained, lies in a completely different place. But there is no gold on it. “It was unloaded back in Istanbul,” the researcher says.

However, in response to all the oaths of archaeologists that in fact there is not a penny in the holds of the "Prince", knowledgeable people only wink slyly. A precious treasure is such a thing that it is better to keep silent about. Unless you want to stay with your nose.

The thing is that there is still no common understanding in the world who should be considered the owner of the sunken treasures. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, if a wreck lies within a 24-mile coastal zone of a coastal state, then it has all the rights to it. If the wreckage is in international waters, then the Brussels Convention comes into force and the one who first discovered it can dispose of the treasure. However, this is on paper, but in fact, no one is interested in giving away their property, even if long ago sunken. Therefore, any major discovery of sunken treasures immediately becomes overgrown with scandals. Ship-owning countries and private individuals apply to the international court, demanding to recognize their right to the treasure. Litigation can take years and can cost a lot of money and nerves. So the desire of treasure hunters not to advertise their findings is quite understandable. It is good that in the case of the Byzantine sailing ship, Russia does not face any problems for sure.

In 1790, the Turkish fleet operating in the Black Sea kept all its gold reserves, all its treasury on the 74-gun ship Capitania. This was a new ship that took part in hostilities for the first time. It was rightfully considered both the most beautiful and the fastest.

It was commanded by the experienced captain Mohammed-Mustafa-aga. In addition, on this ship his flagship pennant was raised by the then famous three-bunchuzh Pasha Said-bey, sent by the Sultan to help the twenty-two-year-old kapudan Pasha of the entire Turkish fleet, Hassan. The Turkish fleet numbered 48 ships, and among them there were 15 huge battleships, eight large frigates, as well as bombards, small frigates, shebeks, lansons ... gold and silver bell and perfectly convertible Turkish coin ...

In August 1790, the Black Sea squadron of Rear Admiral Ushakov left Sevastopol with the sole purpose of finding the Turkish fleet, starting a battle with it, and thereby putting an end to the war.

The significant meeting took place at six o'clock in the morning. It turned out that the Turkish fleet is anchored between Tendra and Hadzhibey. The Black Sea squadron was going downwind. It was very opportune, and a signal appeared on the flagship: "Everyone should go for a rapprochement!" The sea wolf Said Bey was sitting on cushions near the mizzen mast. He ordered to tell Hassan that he approves of this decision. But suddenly, oh youth, Hassan signaled his ships to slow down and line up for battle! It was rash on his part: during the ensuing long cannon duel, the Russians had an advantage in maneuvering.

The duel lasted until evening, dined and changed watches to the incessant roar of guns. Losses were calculated in torn sails, broken spars, masts demolished from both sides. But, finally, the Russian squadron took advantage of the advantage given by the wind: a wake column, leaving three frigates in reserve, rushed to the Turkish line. She was crushed, lost battle formations and began to leave. Dusk and a growing wind stopped the pursuit: both the Turks and the Russians dropped anchors.
On the morning of August 29, the Turkish fleet again lined up and the hellish naval duel resumed. It ended in the same way as the previous one: Ushakov's squadron lined up in a wake column, and the Turkish fleet preferred to weaken anchors and go past Khadzhibey to the Danube.

The ships of Kapudan Pasha Gassan developed a speed inaccessible to the ships of Ushakov. But not all. As a result of a long duel, Capitania (according to other sources, Capitania) and Meleki Bhari were severely damaged. They began to lag behind the rest of the Turkish fleet, and, in the end, the 46-gun ship "John the Theologian" overtook the "Meleki", hit point-blank from the guns on the left side, shot down all the masts, and the Turks had nothing left on the upper deck of the "Meleka" how to wave white kerchiefs - they surrendered, and St. Andrew's flag was soon raised over their ship.

But "Capitania" did not think to give up. The presence of the sultan's favorite Said-bey, the kurbach (whip made of crocodile belts) captain Mohammed and, most importantly, the presence of the treasury of the entire Turkish fleet on the ship made one hope for a miracle granted by Allah. Capitania fired desperately. It was equipped with the most modern and only English copper cannons. "Saint Andrew" approached her first, began rapid fire and shot down the fore-topsail. And when “St. George ”,“ Transfiguration ”and“ Mary Magdalene ”, she was doomed. On the flagship "Nativity of Christ" the signal was raised for the vanguard: "Try to take prisoner." But Capitania shot down the masts on St. Andrei ”and inflicted significant damage on other ships. Then "Nativity of Christ" approached the enemy ship by almost thirty fathoms and drummed warned the Turks about the impending strike.

But the "Capitania" did not stop, and a fatal volley of grenades and cannonballs rang out, after which the upper deck of the Turkish ship blazed so hot that the Russians had to retreat and water their sails with water so that they would not catch fire from sparks streaming from everywhere. The Turks began to panic: the sailors rushed to the boats, jumped overboard. Said Bey with the officers managed to take one of the boats, which was soon captured. The fire burned out "Capitania" like an eggshell, and soon the waves with a hiss closed over the remains of the decks - the gold reserve of the Turkish fleet forever went to the bottom of the Black Sea.
So, gentlemen, shareholders of the future company to raise this silver and gold! For you, undoubtedly, it is of some interest, how much, at least approximately, money rests there? Apparently, a lot.

Firstly, any Turkish captain considered his ship to be his personal property. He was a feudal lord on a ship and kept his supplies with him. In his jurisdiction were not only naval sailors, but also civilians. They were paid in hard currency. Secondly, the campaign of 1790 involved the landing of troops in the Crimea. Landing and operations on land required not only a good supply of weapons, but also money. So a hundred barrels of piastres is a very real fact. The author of these lines had to come across in the archives the mention of hundreds of barrels of gold for Potemkin's army in 1790 - the year of the capture of Izmail.