Vsevolod Rudnev
Encyclopedia
Vsevolod Fyodorovich Rudnev ( August 31, 1855 - July 20, 1913) was a career naval officer in the Imperial Russian Navy
, noted for his heroic role in the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
during the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904-1905.
, Governorate of Livonia in the Russian Empire
(now part of Latvia
), where his father was a naval officer and a hero of the Russo-Turkish War (1828-1829). His ancestors were local nobility from Tula, Russia
, one of whom was also a naval officer who had been decorated by Tsar
Peter the Great for valor at the Battle of Azov. After the death of his father, the family relocated to Lyuban
, near St Petersburg.
Rudnev entered the Sea Cadets
on September 15, 1872 on a government scholarship granted in recognition of his father’s heroism. He entered active duty as a midshipman on May 1, 1873, and participated in training voyages on the Baltic Sea
in 1875. After graduating with honors in 1876, he was appointed to a training frigate "Petropavlovsk", reaching the rank of warrant officer
. Assigned to the cruiser Afrika on April 16, 1880, he circumnavigated the globe, returning to Russia in 1883. One of his shipmates on this voyage was future admiral Vasili Fersen
.
Rudnev was assigned to patrol vessels on the Baltic from 1885–1887, and was assigned to sail Russia's first steam military transport, "Peter the Great", from its shipyards in France to Kronstadt
in 1888.
He also married the same year to Maria Nikolaevna Schwan, whose father, a naval captain was a hero of the Crimean War
.
In August 1889, Rudnev was assigned to the cruiser , participated in the maneuvers of the Russian Pacific Fleet. He returned to Krondstat in December 1890 and was given command of a destroyer. He was subsequently made executive officer
of the battleship Gangut.
In 1893, Rudney was promoted to junior captain and became executive officer on the battleship , the flagship
of Admiral Stepan Makarov
's Mediterranean Squadron. He again circumnavigated the globe in 1895, this time on the Imperator Nikolai I.
On his return to Kronstadt, Rudnev became commander of the coast defense ship "Admiral Greig", and then was appointed commander of the destroyer "Vyborg". In December 1897, Rudnev became commander of the gunboat
Gremyaschi, on which he made his first independent voyage round the world, departing March 1, 1898 and returning safely to Russia on May 15, 1899. A circumnavigation of the globe in such a small vessel was unusual for the time.
In 1900, Rudnev became a senior assistant to the commander of the port in Port Arthur, the main base of the Russian Pacific Fleet. During this time, he oversaw extensive upgrade works to dredge the inner roads, rebuild and extend the dry-dock, electrification and strengthen coastal defense. In December 1901, he was promoted to captain of the first rank.
In December 1902, Rudnev was appointed commander of the . On the eve of the Russo-Japanese War
, he was ordered to the neutral Korea
n port of Chemulpo (modern Inchon) to protect Russian interests. On the morning of February 9, 1904, he received an ultimatum from Imperial Japanese Navy
Admiral Uryū Sotokichi
demanding that he leave the protection of the port by noon, or be attacked (which would have been a violation of Korean neutrality and international law
). Rudnev decided to break out of the port, knowing that he was very much outnumbered and outgunned by the Japanese fleet was waiting offshore for the opportunity to attack. The Japanese fleet blocked the path to the open sea, and a brisk gun battle ensured, with Varyag damaging the Japanese cruisers , and , but taking severe damage in return. Rudnev was injured by a shrapnel
wound to the head, and Varyag was on fire with half her guns out of commission. Rather than surrender to the Japanese, Rudnev scuttled the cruiser and escaped with his surviving crew to the protection of neutral ships in the harbor, from which they were eventually repatriated to Russia via neutral ports. Although the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
was a decisive defeat for Russia, Rudnev was ordered the Order of St. George
(4th class) for heroism and promoted to adjutant
. He was also assigned command of a new battleship, then under construction.
After the Russian Revolution of 1905
, Rudnev refused to take disciplinary measures against the revolutionary-minded men of his crew. As a consequence he went into forced retirement with the rank of rear admiral in November 1905.
After the end of the war, in 1907, Japanese Emperor Meiji
awarded Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun
, (2nd class), the first Russian to be so honored, and an unprecedented recognition of an enemy commander. Rudnev accepted the order, but never wore it in public.
Rudnev retired to his family's ancestral estate in near Novomoskovsk
, Tula Oblast
, where he died in 1913. During the Russian Civil War
, his wife and three sons relocated to Sebastopol
, and eventually fled to exile in Yugoslavia
, and later to France
.
, starting as a youth, and using every opportunity on his numerous circumnavigations of the globe to add to his collection. He assembled a large collection, containing many rarities, including famed "Blue Mauritius" . The eventual fate of his collection is not known.
In the Soviet Union
and in post-Soviet Russia a number of commemorative postage stamps were issued honoring Rudnev and/or the crew of the Varyag, including:
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
, noted for his heroic role in the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
Battle of Chemulpo Bay
The Battle of Chemulpo Bay was an early naval battle in the Russo-Japanese War , which took place on 9 February 1904, off the coast of present-day Incheon, Korea.-Background:...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905.
Biography
Rudnev was born outside of what is now RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Governorate of Livonia in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(now part of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
), where his father was a naval officer and a hero of the Russo-Turkish War (1828-1829). His ancestors were local nobility from Tula, Russia
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
, one of whom was also a naval officer who had been decorated by Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Peter the Great for valor at the Battle of Azov. After the death of his father, the family relocated to Lyuban
Lyuban
Lyuban is a town in Tosnensky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Tigoda River southeast of St. Petersburg. Population: -History:...
, near St Petersburg.
Rudnev entered the Sea Cadets
Sea Cadet Corps (Russia)
The Sea Cadet Corps , occasionally translated as the Marine Cadet Corps or the Naval Cadet Corps, is an educational establishment for training Naval officers for the Russian Navy in Saint Petersburg.It is the oldest existing high school in Russia.-History:...
on September 15, 1872 on a government scholarship granted in recognition of his father’s heroism. He entered active duty as a midshipman on May 1, 1873, and participated in training voyages on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in 1875. After graduating with honors in 1876, he was appointed to a training frigate "Petropavlovsk", reaching the rank of warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
. Assigned to the cruiser Afrika on April 16, 1880, he circumnavigated the globe, returning to Russia in 1883. One of his shipmates on this voyage was future admiral Vasili Fersen
Vasili Fersen
Baron Vasili Nikolayevich Fersen was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy. Born in the Governorate of Estonia as Wilhelm Fersen, he was of Scottish ancestry, his forebears name being from clan McPherson.-Biography:...
.
Rudnev was assigned to patrol vessels on the Baltic from 1885–1887, and was assigned to sail Russia's first steam military transport, "Peter the Great", from its shipyards in France to Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
in 1888.
He also married the same year to Maria Nikolaevna Schwan, whose father, a naval captain was a hero of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
In August 1889, Rudnev was assigned to the cruiser , participated in the maneuvers of the Russian Pacific Fleet. He returned to Krondstat in December 1890 and was given command of a destroyer. He was subsequently made executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the battleship Gangut.
In 1893, Rudney was promoted to junior captain and became executive officer on the battleship , the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Admiral Stepan Makarov
Stepan Makarov
Stepan Osipovich Makarov was a Ukrainian - born Russian vice-admiral, a highly accomplished and decorated commander of the Imperial Russian Navy, an oceanographer, awarded by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and author of several books. Makarov also designed a small number of ships...
's Mediterranean Squadron. He again circumnavigated the globe in 1895, this time on the Imperator Nikolai I.
On his return to Kronstadt, Rudnev became commander of the coast defense ship "Admiral Greig", and then was appointed commander of the destroyer "Vyborg". In December 1897, Rudnev became commander of the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
Gremyaschi, on which he made his first independent voyage round the world, departing March 1, 1898 and returning safely to Russia on May 15, 1899. A circumnavigation of the globe in such a small vessel was unusual for the time.
In 1900, Rudnev became a senior assistant to the commander of the port in Port Arthur, the main base of the Russian Pacific Fleet. During this time, he oversaw extensive upgrade works to dredge the inner roads, rebuild and extend the dry-dock, electrification and strengthen coastal defense. In December 1901, he was promoted to captain of the first rank.
In December 1902, Rudnev was appointed commander of the . On the eve of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, he was ordered to the neutral Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n port of Chemulpo (modern Inchon) to protect Russian interests. On the morning of February 9, 1904, he received an ultimatum from Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
Admiral Uryū Sotokichi
Uryu Sotokichi
Baron was an early admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy, active in the Russo-Japanese War, most notably at the Battle of Chemulpo Bay and the Battle of Tsushima...
demanding that he leave the protection of the port by noon, or be attacked (which would have been a violation of Korean neutrality and international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
). Rudnev decided to break out of the port, knowing that he was very much outnumbered and outgunned by the Japanese fleet was waiting offshore for the opportunity to attack. The Japanese fleet blocked the path to the open sea, and a brisk gun battle ensured, with Varyag damaging the Japanese cruisers , and , but taking severe damage in return. Rudnev was injured by a shrapnel
Shrapnel
Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...
wound to the head, and Varyag was on fire with half her guns out of commission. Rather than surrender to the Japanese, Rudnev scuttled the cruiser and escaped with his surviving crew to the protection of neutral ships in the harbor, from which they were eventually repatriated to Russia via neutral ports. Although the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
Battle of Chemulpo Bay
The Battle of Chemulpo Bay was an early naval battle in the Russo-Japanese War , which took place on 9 February 1904, off the coast of present-day Incheon, Korea.-Background:...
was a decisive defeat for Russia, Rudnev was ordered the Order of St. George
Order of St. George
The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
(4th class) for heroism and promoted to adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
. He was also assigned command of a new battleship, then under construction.
After the Russian Revolution of 1905
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, Rudnev refused to take disciplinary measures against the revolutionary-minded men of his crew. As a consequence he went into forced retirement with the rank of rear admiral in November 1905.
After the end of the war, in 1907, Japanese Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
awarded Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, (2nd class), the first Russian to be so honored, and an unprecedented recognition of an enemy commander. Rudnev accepted the order, but never wore it in public.
Rudnev retired to his family's ancestral estate in near Novomoskovsk
Novomoskovsk
Novomoskovsk may refer to one of the following:*Novomoskovsk, Russia in Tula Oblast*Novomoskovsk, Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast*RFS Novomoskovsk , a Russian Navy submarine...
, Tula Oblast
Tula Oblast
Tula Oblast is a federal subject of Russia with its present borders formed on September 26, 1937. Its administrative center is the city of Tula. The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,553,874...
, where he died in 1913. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, his wife and three sons relocated to Sebastopol
Sebastopol
Sebastopol is a former spelling and frequent variant of Sevastopol, the port on the Crimean peninsula.Sebastopol may refer to the following:Places:* Sebastopol, California, USA* Sebastopol, Mississippi, USA...
, and eventually fled to exile in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and later to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In philately
Rudnev was a noted philatelistPhilately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
, starting as a youth, and using every opportunity on his numerous circumnavigations of the globe to add to his collection. He assembled a large collection, containing many rarities, including famed "Blue Mauritius" . The eventual fate of his collection is not known.
In the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and in post-Soviet Russia a number of commemorative postage stamps were issued honoring Rudnev and/or the crew of the Varyag, including:
- 25 March 1958 the USSR was issued a postage stamp (TSFA (ITC "Mark"), # 2135), with a painting of Rudney by Ivan DubasovIvan DubasovIvan Ivanovich Dubasov was a Russian artist active in the Soviet Union. He was the head artist of the Goznak from 1932 to 1971 and was made an Honored Artist of the RSFSR in 1959. He developed sketches and designs for multiple Soviet banknotes, stamps, orders, medals, awards and decorations over...
. - 22 November 1972 the USSR, a series of stamps dedicated to the history of the Russian Navy. An issue with face value of 3 kopekKopekKopek or Köpek may refer to:*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ruble*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ukrainian hryvnia*Kopek , an Irish rock band*Sa'd al-Din Köpek , court administrator under Seljuq Sultans of Rum...
s by artist V. Zavyalov depicts the cruiser "Varyag" (TSFA (ITC "Mark") # 4182) . - 7 February 2002 in Russia, a stamped envelope from the series "Russian Navy" depicts the cruiser "Varyag".