\KALININGRAD, January 22. /TASS/. The legendary four-mast barque Kruzenshtern performing a trans-Atlantic voyage in the round-the-world expedition of sail ships of Russia’s Federal Agency for Fishing has called at the Brazilian port of Rio de Janeiro, the expedition’s media center told TASS on Wednesday.
The round-the-world expedition "Sails of the World 2020" is devoted to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of the Antarctica and the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the media center said.
Two hundred years ago, the first Russian Antarctic expedition of 1819-1821 led by prominent explorers Faddey Bellinsgauzen and Mikhail Lazarev visited Rio de Janeiro. At that time, on November 14, 1819, the expedition of the sloops Vostok and Mirny organized to prove or reject the premise of the existence of the sixth continent, the Antarctica, anchored at Rio de Janeiro. During their stay at the Brazilian port, the Russian ships replenished their supplies and checked their chronometers.
"After performing a 24-hour oceanic transit more than 3,500 miles long from the Spanish Santa Cruz de Tenerife to the Brazilian shores, the legendary barque Kruzenshtern moored at the port of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday," the media center said.
The barque Kruzenshtern will stay in Rio de Janeiro until January 25. The vessel will replenish fuel, water and food supplies while the crewmembers and cadets aboard the barque will get a unique opportunity to see natural, cultural and historical sites of Brazil’s second largest city traditionally associated with carnivals, football and samba, the media center said.
‘Traditionally, like in other foreign ports of its call, the barque will receive Rio residents and guests. The Kruzenshtern will be open for the public from 10 to 15 hours local time on January 23 and 24," the media center said.
Russia’s general consulate in Rio de Janeiro informed Brazilians in advance about the arrival of the Russian barque and invited them to the "open board" during the anchorage.
From Rio de Janeiro, the barque Kruzenshtern will set off for Montevideo. Over seven days, the training sail ship will have to cover a distance of slightly over 1,000 nautical miles to moor at the Uruguayan port on February 1.
Round-the-world expedition and the barque Kruzenshtern
Three Russian sail training ships: the Pallada, the Kruzenshtern and the Sedov are taking part in the round-the-world voyage organized by Russia’s Federal Agency for Fishing.
The Pallada embarked on its voyage on November 1 from the port of Vladivostok while the Sedov and the Kruzenshtern set their sail from Kaliningrad on December 8. The barque Sedov and the frigate Pallada will make their round-the-world voyages while the windjammer Kruzenshtern will perform a trans-Atlantic expedition. A total of 692 cadets of educational institutions of the Federal Agency for Fishing and 56 boy seamen will undergo training aboard the windjammers during their voyages.
During their expeditions, the sail ships will make over 40 calls at the ports of countries in North and South America, Africa, Europe and Oceania, covering a total of 100,000 nautical miles. As their major event, the windjammers will meet near the South Georgia Islands, carry out joint maneuvering and a memorial race.
The four-mast barque Kruzenshtern was built at a German Shipyard near Bremerhaven in 1926 and was given the Italian name of the Padua (after the Italian city). The windjammer was listed among the world’s ten largest sail ships. She was surrendered to the Soviet Union in 1946 in WWII reparations and renamed after the 19th-century Russian admiral and explorer Ivan Kruzenshtern. The barque was re-equipped as a training vessel with a modern engine.
Over its 94-year history, the barque has made two round-the-globe voyages, as well as a trans-Atlantic expedition, and won many international sailing races. This is the world’s last classical barque initially built for voyages solely under sail without any additional engines and power generators. Over the years of its operation, more than 17,000 cadets have undergone maritime training on its board and acquired their first maritime professional skills.