Alexei Overchuk lays a wreath at the burial site of Russian sailors in Peru
Alexei Overchuk lays a wreath at the burial site of Russian sailors in Peru
Alexei Overchuk lays a wreath at the burial site of Russian sailors in Peru
Alexei Overchuk lays a wreath at the burial site of Russian sailors in Peru
The ceremony was attended by Rear Admiral Augusto Mannucci Zapata, Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Peruvian Navy, and Igor Romanchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Republic of Peru.
During his visit to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum summit, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, head of the Russian delegation, visited San Lorenzo Island. There, he laid a wreath at the burial site of sailors from the frigate Aurora. Rear Admiral Augusto Mannucci Zapata and Ambassador Igor Romanchenko participated in the commemorative event.
“Today, we honour the brave Russian sailors laid to rest on Peruvian soil and remember the remarkable feat of the Aurora crew. Their actions were pivotal in the defence of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War, a story we hold dear,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Alexei Overchuk expressed gratitude to the Peruvian Navy’s Special Operations Forces for their care and maintenance of the sailors’ graves.
The Aurora frigate had visited Peru in April 1854 during its journey from Kronstadt to the Far East. It was dispatched there to reinforce Vice-Admiral Yevfimy Putyatin’s squadron and later played a critical role in the heroic defence of Petropavlovsk against the Anglo-French squadron during the Crimean War. The frigate subsequently became the last Russian military sailing ship to complete a global circumnavigation in the 19th century. It was decommissioned in 1861, and later in the century, its name was passed on to the cruiser Aurora.
During the Aurora’s stop in Peru, crew members Vasily Igumnov and Malofei Kurochkin passed away and were laid to rest on San Lorenzo Island in Lima Bay, now home to a Peruvian Navy base. Today, the burial site is marked by a memorial plaque and an Orthodox cross.
