Petropavlovsk - named after the battle of Petropavlovsk in the Crimean War, laid down at Galerniy Yard, St. Petersburg, in May 1892, launched in November 1894 and commissioned in 1897. She was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1901 and was the flagship of Admiral Stepan Makarov. She was sunk by a Japanese mine on 31 March 1904. Admiral Makarov and his guest, Russian battle artist Vasily Vereshchagin were lost with the ship.
Prior th the war in the Far East, the ship was painted like that: sides, turrets, deckhouses, masts, fans – white; smokestack aprons – black; smokestacks – yellow; decking – natural wood; bridge coating – red-and-brown linoleum; gun barrels – blued steel; bow and stern decorations, stern name – gilded. Once the war began, it was assumed the combat pattern of the 1st Pasific Sqn: all above-water metal parts (except smokestack aprons and gun barrels) – dark olive-green. |
