The ceremony took place at the Maritime Cemetery at the monument to the rankers of the Varyag cruiser, the Fleet's press center reported.
The ceremony was attended by the command of the Pacific Fleet, the city authorities, the cadets of the Varyag children's flotilla, the command and the sailors of the present-days guided-missile cruiser Varyag (named in memory of its legendary predecessor), youth and veterans. A solemn lite was conducted by Archbishop Veniamin of Vladivostok and the Maritime Territory.
In January 1904, the Varyag and the Koreyets were caught in a unequal battle with the Japanese squadron during an attempt to cut their way from the Korean port of Chemulpo (now Inchon) to Port Arthur (now Lushun) on the Liaodong Peninsula of China. After an hour's battle, the Russian ships damaged three enemy cruisers and sank a torpedo boat, but were seriously damaged and were unfit to continue fighting. The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo. On the order of the Varyag's commander, Captain 1st class Vsevolod Rudnev, the Koreyets was blasted and the Varyag - sunk.
The Russian Pacific Fleet marked another memorable event Wednesday. The crew of the present-day Varyag celebrated a day dedicated to their ship.
The original Varyag was incorporated at the yard of the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia (USA) and launched in 1899. In 1901 the St. Andrew Ensign (the marine flag of the Russian Empire) was hoisted onto it. In 1906, the Varyag, refloated by Japan, became part of the Japanese Navy under the name Soiya. In 1916 Russia bought the ship from Japan; it entered the port of Murmansk and was included into the Arctic Ocean flotilla.
In 1917, the cruiser went to Britain for repairs. After the October revolution it was detained by the English and then sold for scrapping.
