The D. S. Likhachev International Charitable Foundation
St Petersburg
Attention: Mrs. Elena Vitenberg
(Competition coordinator)
13/2/2017
Subject «application for the fellowship».
In 2010, I found the Admiral Nevelskoi Yacht in Rodrigues during a visit to the Island. It was the beginning of the great adventure for Russian History and language for me. In the same year the yacht was declared Maritime Museum by the University Admiral Nevelskoi in Vladivostok. In 2013 for the 200th Anniversary of Admiral Nevelskoi the Meridian Magazine from Vladivostok wrote that with the Admiral Nevelskoi Museum in Mauritius the History of Nevelskoi has born in Africa.
In 2013 to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Admiral Nevelskoi, I created the website www.nevelskoi.info I am currently working with Ruskiyi Mir to create a Russian Centre in Mauritius , and also to have the funding to invite Russian Museums to display once a year in Mauritius some artifacts in our museum during a special Exhibition.
History of the Yacht Admiral Nevelskoi
In 1987 the Maritime State University acquired the cruiser class Cetus. The yacht was named Admiral Nevelskoi. Leonid Lysenko wrote his book about the yacht, "One hundred thousand miles across the seas and destinies." Here are a few quotes from the book (chapter "First Letter" dated to the year 1993): "Our yacht" Admiral Nevelskoi", it belongs to the Far Eastern State Maritime Academy Admiral GI Nevelskoi. We plan to get around on the boat all the land, and along the way to gather information about the Russians-pioneers. This work is familiar to us. For more than twenty years of his every vacation we spend on yachts, collecting items and information of the history of Russian pioneers. We have studied in detail, and repeated all routes Amur expedition GI Nevelskoi.” Leonid Lysenko started his round the world tour on the Admiral Nevelskoi in July 1993. While he was in the Indian Ocean he lost the mast of the Admiral Nevelskoi. He had still a hope to reach Australia but destiny had decided differently. Only at 1000 nautical miles from Australia, east of Perth. The Admiral Nevelskoi was almost a wreck gliding on the water of the Indian Ocean. For 21 days and night Leonid fought with only one hope, to survive. Then came an Australian cargo ship who wanted to rescue him, but Leonid had to abandoned the yacht, Leonid refused to leave the boat. The Russian authority sent the Arkaja a Ukrainian vessel to Rescue Leonid with clear order, save Leonid and let go the yacht Admiral Nevelskoi.
On the 3rd August 1996.Leonid abandoned the yacht. He was rescued and brought to South Africa. Then From South Africa he took the plane to Russia. The Admiral Nevelskoi was now a phantom vessel moving in the Indian Ocean crewless.
In Rodrigues island on May 1997, one year later, while going to fish one of the fisherman came across a huge white ship in the sea. As it was still early in the morning and he was alone, he was scared and concluded that it was a phantom vessel he ran away. Later during the day his friends wanted to prove to him that he was wrong. They went back to the sea on the coral reefs and they saw the Nevelskoi yacht standing there in front of them after several months and days sailing crewless in the Indian Ocean it was now trapped in the corals of Rodrigues. The authorities in Mauritius ordered to remove the yacht from the corals and to put it back on the shore at Pte Monier. The yacht laid at Pte monier till 2010. When I went to Rodrigues I came across the Yacht. I knew that it was a Russian yacht as I read about Admiral Nevelskoi History. People there had never tried to know from where the yacht came from. I finally discovered that the Mauritian authority wanted to destroy the yacht. I immediately did some research and found out that it was for the Maritime State University Admiral Nevelskoi in Vladivostok.
I contacted Professor Leonid Lysenko from the University. I remember that day when we called Leonid and asked him if he was the owner of the Yacht and that we found it in Rodrigues. He was so surprised; his voice was full of emotion. We managed with the help of the University and some personal financing to save the Yacht and to make it a maritime museum in collaboration with the University Admiral Nevelskoi.
The yacht is the only historical link between Mauritius and Russia. The museum relates the history of the Great Russian navigator Admiral Nevelskoi and his life.
The museum also relates the history of the yacht and it’s name. Since I work on the project I started to gather more information for the museum exhibition, such as the book written by Admiral Nevelskoi, postcard, stamps, and commemorative coin for the 200th Anniversary of Nevelskoi issued by the bank of Russia.
Now I am working on the translation of the book of Admiral Nevelskoi, “Feats of Russian Marine Officers in the Extreme East of Russia”, from Russian to English and French which will be distributed online free of charge.
In 2010 I created the site www.nevelskoi.info to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Admiral Nevelskoi.
The objective of the Admiral Nevelskoi Maritime museum in Mauritius is
To bring Russia’s rich history to life, and showcases vibrant examples of Russian art and culture in Mauritius and around the world in collaboration with the Maritime State University Admiral Nevelskoi.
To promote the cultural link between Mauritius and Russia
To disseminate information about Russia and history
To organize some exchange for exhibition between Russian Museums and Admiral Nevelskoi Museum
To organize expedition on the yacht around the world, by continuing the vision of Admiral Nevelskoi to promote Russia, Russian language and culture.
Learning and adaptation, transfer of Russian story on Mauritian Land
I am very keen about the Russian history. I know that Admiral Nevelskoi was a great person who has been opening new territories for the Russian Federation.
A.P.Chekhov used the following words to describe Gennadyi I.Nevelskoi: “He was an energetic, vigorous man. He was educated, intelligent, humane and selfless. He had strict morals. He was imbued with the idea of serving his country and exploring new lands and was fanatically devoted to it”
Many Russians are surprised that in Mauritius we are interested in the Russian history. They also understood that without Nevelskoi, Vladivostok would not belong to Russia and the world map would have been very different.
My participation in history of Nevelskoi started when I found the yacht and the project in Mauritius. I believe that with the Admiral Nevelskoi Museum in Mauritius I will be able to make people to have a new vision of Russia.
Objectives of my participation in the Felowship Program
It will be great opportunity for me to visit St Petersburg, to do more research on the Admiral Nevelskoi, the Naval history of Russia,
to understand better the function of a Russian museum,
to learn about the different ways to display and present objects to the public in museum, so that we can apply what I will learn during the program in our Museum in Mauritius.
I also believe that it can also help to build relationship with the professional of the Museums in St Petersburg to learn about Russian history.
I have great interest in the collection of the Central Naval Museum, one of the world’s largest naval museums, with a large collection of artefacts, models and paintings of the Russian Navy. It will be a unique opportunity for me to increase my knowledge about the development of Russian naval traditions and the history.
I hope to find the ship model of the Baikal of Admiral Nevelskoi among the models and also different maps of Russian Navigator before 1840 and after 1850 which can show clearly Admiral Nevelskoi findings. This will be very important for our museum as I intend display the two maps in our collection showing the differences.
The Central Naval Museum has collection of ship sculpture, navigational instruments, naval equipment, ships models and more, which can be of great interest for me as Curator and Director of the Admiral Nevelskoi Museum.
Furthermore I will like to discuss the opportunity to invite the Central Naval Museum to display once a year in Mauritius some artefacts in our museum during a special Exhibition. This will be a unique Event that will be also supported by the Museum Council of Mauritius. The Admiral Nevelskoi Museum will provide for the Funding of the project through grants and sponsors.
Admiral Nevelskoi was buried in St Petersburg, during my visit; I will like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to him and to the wife of Leonid Lysenko who was buried in the same cemetery.
I can say to conclude that today 140 years after his death, Admiral Nevelskoi is still promoting Russian Language and culture beyond the borders of the Russian Federation. One can also say that thanks to Admiral Nevelskoi and the Yacht Admiral Nevelskoi the population of Mauritius will have the opportunity to learn, Russian language as a subject in school. That is why I consider him as one of the greatest Diplomat of Russian Federation in the world for ever.
Sincerely Yours,
Mr. BERNARD . E. TYPHIS DEGTYARENKO Director of Admiral Nevelskoi -
Maritime Museum Ltd (Mauritius)