Why did the Kursk submarine sink? Nuclear submarine "Kursk"

Nuclear cruiser K-141 - the submarine "Kursk" was a missile carrier. The submarine was designed as part of the 949A Antey project, the implementation of which led to the emergence of means of counteracting foreign navy groups. According to NATO classification, such submarines belong to the Oscar-2 class of submarines.

Construction began in 1990 in Severodvinsk under the guidance of designers P.P. Pustyntsev and I.L. Baranov. It was put into operation at the end of 1994, after which until 2000 it was part of the Northern Fleet in Vidyaevo (40 km from Murmansk)

Tactical and technical characteristics (TTX)

Length, m	154
Width, m	18
Draft, m	9.3
Height, m	18.2
Speed ​​over water, sea knots	15
Speed ​​underwater, sea knots	33
Displacement, tons	14720/23690
Immersion depth (max), m	500
Crew, people	130
Compartment, pcs.	10
Type of power plant	Nuclear OK-650
Thermal power of the power plant, MW	2 X 190
Shaft power, h.p.	50 000
Steam turbine power, hp	2 X 90 000
Cost at the time of production, rub .	228 000

Among other things, the submarine was able to lay down on the ground. The duration of autonomous stay under water was up to 4 months, with a buoyancy margin of 30%.

They said about the Kursk submarine that it was able to control entire areas of the oceans and land territories.

In addition, 3 cruisers and an attack aircraft carrier against one K-141 was the normal balance of forces for combat. By the vast majority of indicators, this submarine was several times superior to the advanced models of foreign navies.

Design Description

In the bow (torpedo) compartment there were 6 torpedo launchers, into which torpedoes were fed from the upper deck using a quick loader. The entire recharge cycle was 5 minutes. Flammable batteries are separated by a special flooring and are located on the lower deck. In this compartment, according to the staffing table, 5 sailors serve.

In the second compartment there are 4 decks, where the upper one was the most important. It was there that the command post was located, where the central control room and other consoles, microclimate maintenance systems, periscopes, watch officers' posts and navigation systems were located.

There is a rescue pop-up camera in the upper compartment of the submarine.

With the help of a manual drive, it can be supplied with oxygen necessary for the breathing of personnel, and float to the surface in case of flooding.

For the survival of sailors, it provides for NZ - an emergency supply of food, batteries, radio communications. Most of those here are officers. There are about 30 people in total.

The radio-electronic compartment contained equipment for communications and radio intelligence. It was represented by radar and multi-profile antennas for space communications and receiving target designations from space satellites and an aircraft observation point.

In the living compartment, in addition to the sleeping quarters, there were:

• cabins - company;
• showers;
• gym;
• sauna;
• emotional discharge room (greenhouse, aquarium);
• fire extinguishing system.

The engine compartment contained a diesel generator to generate electricity and related mechanisms, as well as fuel and lubricants. The deactivation of the sailors who worked in the reactor compartment was carried out in compartment 5-bis.

Nuclear installations were located in the 6th compartment, the volume of which is 641.3 cubic meters. m.

There were 5 people on combat duty in the 6th compartment.

The volume of the turbine compartment was 1116 cubic meters. m., where there was a switchboard, an emergency control panel, an electric station and units that ensured the movement of the submarine. All the sailors who were here moved to another compartment.

They were captain-lieutenant Dmitry Kolesnikov, senior midshipman Vladimir Kozaderov, midshipman Fanis Ishmuratov, chief foreman Rishat Zubaidulin, foreman of the 2nd article Roman Anikeev, foreman of the 2nd article Vladimir Solovyov, sailors Ilya Naletov, Roman Kubikov and Alexei Nekrasov.

Appointment of the eighth compartment with a volume of 1072 cubic meters. m. similar to the previous compartment.

Here were located:

• turbines;
• a generator for providing electrical energy;
• water desalination plants;
• power station.

The extreme ninth compartment is, in fact, a shelter, where the composition of the shift on duty was only 3 people. In addition, there were 120 gas masks and self-rescue kits, 6 swimming boards.

Also posted:

• food supply for 6 days;
• pumps;
• motor control station;
• lathe;
• steering system hydraulics;
• shower cabin;
• escape hatch with tube for single free ascent;
• combat post of reserve control of the rudders.

atmospheres such pressure was maintained by bulkheads between compartments

Each compartment was separated by bulkheads that could withstand pressures up to 10 atmospheres. If necessary, the hatches between the compartments are sealed.

The high survivability of the submarine was achieved by duplicating the main mechanisms and elements (2 turbines, 2 propellers, 2 reactors)

In case of an accident, the use of a pop-up emergency information device was provided, which transmits an SOS signal for 5 days and fires back on its own.

Armament

The nuclear submarine "Kursk" had formidable weapons, the basis of which were 24 supersonic cruise missiles of the P-700 "Granit" complex, which were located on both sides of the cabin in launch containers.

Combat capabilities and characteristics of the P-700 complex

Number of missiles, pcs.	24
Name of the rocket	ZM-45
Container tilt, deg.	40
Engine type and name	Marching turbojet KR-93 with an annular solid-fuel rocket booster
Warhead weight, kg	750
The power of the explosion of a nuclear warhead, Kt	500
Range, km	550
Speed, m/s	2.5
Rocket mass, kg	7000
Rocket length, m	19.5
Hull diameter, m	0.88
Wingspan, m	2.6

It should be noted that the features of the complex are:

• The possibility of a simultaneous salvo of missiles with a consistent distribution of targets;
• High probability of overcoming enemy missile defense and air defense, taking into account supersonic speed, high maneuverability and change of trajectory with ZM-45 missiles;
• Radio silence during flight on the marching section.

For the destruction of underwater and surface targets, there were 4 torpedo tubes of 533-mm caliber and 2-caliber 650-mm torpedo tubes on board the submarine. Ammunition is 24 torpedoes.

Service History

The history of the Kursk submarine began long before it was commissioned in 1994. Yes, and the name of the submarine did not yet exist. The selection of personnel began with officers and midshipmen, and on March 18, 1991, the formation of the crew was completed, which was based on recent graduates of naval schools and received the joking nickname "starley crew".

Captain 1st rank V.N. Rozhkov, whose first mate was Captain 2nd Rank I. Sidorov, personally selected officers and midshipmen of combat units. After additional training at the training center in Obninsk, at the beginning of 1993, the crew for understaffing with sailors and training on the same type of Voronezh arrived in the settlement of Vidyaevo (Murmansk region).

The nuclear submarine received its name in the spring of 1993 in connection with the Directive of the Civil Code of the Navy "On the assignment of the honorary name "Kursk" to the K-141 APRK, associated with one of the most important battles of the Second World War, the Battle of Kursk."

By the end of 1993, the recruitment of sailors and foremen was completed, and on May 14, 1994, the Kursk submarine was launched in Severodvinsk.

After carrying out all the necessary tests, on December 30, 1994, an act was signed on the acceptance of the ship by the fleet from industry, and on January 20, the Andreevsky flag was raised, which was raised by Senior Warrant Officer Nikolai Mizyak.

The year 1995 was marked by the participation of the Kursk, accompanied by a rescue ship to the place of death of the Komsomolets, where a deep dive was made.

At the beginning of 1998, a scheduled repair was carried out and the torpedo tubes were modernized to launch new torpedoes. In the same year, the submarine was consecrated by Bishop John of Belgorod, who presented a copy of the icon of the Kursk Mother of God and a small icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant to each submariner.

In 1999, the boat was on an autonomous trip for 3 months in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, having completed rocket firing before that and demonstrating excellent performance.

A quarter of the entire crew were masters of military affairs, and the rest had 1st and 2nd class specialties, which made this crew the best in the division in 1999.

Why did the Kursk submarine sink?

On August 10, 2000, the submarine performed a training task in the Kola Bay region with the task of training torpedoing a group of ships and hitting a mock target with a cruise missile.

August 12, 2000 is the official date of the sinking of the submarine « Kursk, when she started the task. A squadron led by the aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" and the nuclear-powered cruiser "Pyotr Veliky" was appointed as the enemy designation group, the attack of which was to begin from 11.40 to 13.40. However, this never happened, and the last entry in the logbook was entered at 11.15.

At about 11.30 the equipment of "Peter the Great" recorded a small bang, and then the cruiser was shaken very strongly. The commander of the cruiser, Captain 1st Rank V. Kasatonov, received a report about the cotton, but did not attach any importance, and the Commander of the Northern Fleet, who was on the cruiser, explained the cotton by turning on the radar antenna. No one could even imagine that at that moment the history of the Kursk submarine was cut short.

The torpedo attacks did not start according to the plan, the commander of the Kursk did not get in touch even at the allotted time at 17.00. The search for the missing submarine yielded no results, and at 23.30 an emergency was declared.

Only the next morning at 4.50 the sonar equipment of Peter the Great found the Kursk at a depth of 108 meters.

The reason for the flooding of Kursk

According to the official version of the tragedy, which was made public as a result of the investigation, the cause of death was the explosion of a 65-76A torpedo in the fourth torpedo tube. A hydrogen peroxide leak caused a massive fire that triggered an explosion of torpedoes in the first compartment.

The refueling of the torpedoes with non-skimmed high-pressure air, carried out on 11 August, also led to the explosion. The decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide was uncontrollable, and the blast wave, due to the design of the ship, was not weakened by any obstacles, which led to the fact that the entire crew of the 2nd compartment was injured and shell-shocked.

Another version of the death of the Kursk says that it collided with the ground at a speed of 3 knots at an angle of 40-42 degrees, which led to a second explosion, after which the torpedoes began to explode one after another.

Causes of the sinking of the submarine Kursk

The official reasons for the death of the submarine Kursk were not known for a long time, and the materials of the flight recorders were classified, which led to the emergence of other versions of the accident. Among them was a false version of the terrorist act, which was published by the Kavkaz Center, and a version of a collision with a mine during the Second World War that did not tolerate any criticism.

"Toledo"

an American submarine that observed the course of Russian exercises

The most discussed version was the destruction of the Kursk by the American cruiser Memphis.

This US Navy submarine, together with the Toledo submarine, observed the course of Russian exercises, which is a common world practice.

Unexpectedly, the Toledo and Kursk collided and, fearing a torpedo by a Russian submarine, the commander of the Memphis opened fire to kill.

The feature film “Kursk”: a submarine in troubled waters”, shot by Jean-Michel Caret, reveals exactly this version, in favor of which the following evidence is given:

• a diplomatic agreement between the US and Russia to write off the Russian debt of $10 billion;
• US submarines recorded 2 underwater explosions. The second was more powerful than the first;
• however, the Norwegian Institute of Seismic Research claims that the first explosion, which could have been caused by the collision of two submarines, was stronger, and the second was the explosion of torpedoes;
• pilots of anti-submarine squadrons that were raised into the sky to search for the Kursk mentioned oil marks on the water left by another submarine;
• rescuers on the seabed found a conning tower fencing typical of American submarines.

Rise of Kursk

On August 21, 2000, thanks to the divers of the Norwegian rescue ship Seaway Eagle, the aft emergency escape hatch was opened. Domestic experts began to seize secret documentation and search for the bodies of the dead. FSUE TsKB MT "Rubin" presented the work plan for lifting the nuclear submarine "Kursk" to the President of the Russian Federation.

In early 2001, the Dutch firm Mammoet Transport BV offered to lift the submarine using hydraulic jacks that were on their ship. When calculating the rise, the force of attraction of the bottom soil and the risk of separation of the first compartment were taken into account, which would lead to radioactive contamination.

The first compartment was cut off and transported separately.

After that, the lifting system was given a 50% load for 6 hours, and then the load was sequentially increased to 100%.

The barge Giant 4 became the basis for technical rescue equipment, the hull of which was additionally reinforced with energy carriers and other working media in order to withstand 26 jacks. Each jack provided the lifting of 54 strands (a special cable), which withstood a load of 1000 tons.

The saw cable broke when the first compartment was separated, and each time the divers of the Mauo and Carrier ships were involved for help. In October 2000, the opening of the nuclear submarine hull was carried out by the American company Halliburton with the participation of Russian specialists. 12 bodies were recovered from the 9th compartment (including Captain Dmitry Kolesnikov, who had a note).

Note by Dmitry Kolesnikov

Two L-shaped pontoons were specially made for the introduction into the floating dock PD-50 by Mammoet Transport BV.
Participants in the raising of the Kursk were awarded medals for raising the nuclear submarine Kursk.

The Kursk submarine disaster in the Barents Sea

The submarine "Kursk" crashed 175 km from Sevedvinsk in the Barents Sea at a depth of 108 meters. Coordinates: 69°39’59″N 37°34’57″E or 69°40′00″ N. sh. 37°35′00″ E d.

commanders

Captain of the 2nd rank - Rozhkov Viktor Nikolaevich

Born in Moscow on July 4, 1954. Military service in the Navy - 25 years (20 consecutive years on submarines of the Northern Fleet). According to colleagues, he always put the interests of the service above personal ones. 12 officers and midshipmen of the crew of the Kursk, personally selected by Rozhkov, died on the nuclear submarine on August 12, 2000.

Captain 1st rank - Lyachin Gennady Petrovich

Born in St. Sarpinsky Sarpinsky district of the Stalingrad region of the USSR (in the present - the village of Dozmakin of the Republic of Kalmykia). Graduated from VVMUP. Lenin Komsomol in 1977. Passed positions from the commander of the control group of a missile warhead to the commander of a nuclear submarine.

On October 6, 1986, the submarine K-219 sank in the Bermuda region. The cause of the disaster was an explosion in a rocket silo. This post is dedicated to the memory of all those who died in submarine disasters.

The pier is quiet at one o'clock at night.
You only know one
When a tired submarine
From the depths goes home

In December 1952, the S-117 diesel-electric boat, preparing for exercises as part of the Pacific Fleet, crashed in the Sea of ​​Japan. Due to the breakdown of the right diesel engine, the boat went to the designated point on one engine. A few hours later, according to the report of the commander, the malfunction was eliminated, but the crew did not get in touch anymore. The cause and place of the sinking of the submarine is still unknown. Presumably sank during a test dive after poor-quality or unsuccessful repairs at sea due to faulty air and gas locks, due to which the diesel compartment was quickly filled with water and the boat could not surface. Keep in mind that this was 1952. For disrupting a combat mission, both the boat commander and the commander of the BCH-5 could be prosecuted. There were 52 people on board.

November 21, 1956, near Tallinn (Estonia), the M-200 submarine, which is part of the Baltic Fleet, collided with the State destroyer destroyer. 6 people were rescued. 28 died.

Another accident in the Tallinn Bay occurred on September 26, 1957, when the M-256 diesel submarine from the Baltic Fleet sank after a fire started on board. Although initially it was possible to raise it, after four hours it went to the bottom. Of the 42 crew members, 7 people were saved. The A615 project boat had a propulsion system based on a diesel engine operating under water in a closed cycle through a solid chemical absorber to remove carbon dioxide and enrich the combustible mixture with liquid oxygen, which sharply increased the risk of fire. The A615 boats were notorious among submariners, because of the high fire hazard they were called "lighters".

On January 27, 1961, the S-80 diesel submarine sank in the Barents Sea. She did not return to base from the training ground. The search operation yielded no results. Only seven years later, the C-80 was found. The cause of death was the flow of water through the RDP valve (submarine retractable device for supplying air to diesel engines in the periscope position of the submarine) into its diesel compartment. So far, there is no clear picture of the incident. According to some reports, the boat tried to evade the ramming attack of the Norwegian reconnaissance ship "Maryata" by an urgent circulation dive and, being heavily weighted so as not to be thrown to the surface (there was a storm), fell to the depth with a raised shaft and an open RDP air flap. The entire crew - 68 people - was killed. There were two commanders on board.

On July 4, 1961, during the Arctic Circle exercise, a radiation leak occurred at the failed K-19 submarine reactor. The crew was able to fix the problem on their own, the boat remained afloat and was able to return to base. Eight submariners died from ultra-high doses of radiation.

On January 14, 1962, a B-37 diesel submarine from the Northern Fleet exploded at the naval base of the Northern Fleet in the city of Polyarny. As a result of the explosion of ammunition in the forward torpedo compartment, everyone who was on the pier, on the submarine and at the torpedo-technical base - 122 people - was killed. Serious damage was received by the S-350 submarine standing nearby. The emergency investigation commission concluded that the cause of the tragedy was damage to the fairing of the combat charging compartment of one of the torpedoes during loading of ammunition. After that, the commander of the BCH-3, in order to hide the incident according to the list of accidents No. 1 in the fleet, tried to solder the hole, because of which the torpedo caught fire and exploded. The rest of the torpedoes exploded from the detonation. The commander of the boat, captain 2nd rank Begeba, was on the pier 100 meters from the ship, was thrown into the water by an explosion, was seriously injured, was subsequently brought to trial, defended himself and was acquitted.

On August 8, 1967, in the Norwegian Sea, on the nuclear submarine K-3 "Leninsky Komsomol", the first nuclear submarine of the USSR Navy, a fire occurred in a submerged position in compartments 1 and 2. The fire was localized and extinguished by sealing the emergency compartments. 39 crew members were killed, 65 people were saved. The ship returned to base under its own power.

On March 8, 1968, the diesel-electric missile submarine K-129 from the Pacific Fleet was lost. The submarine carried out military service in the Hawaiian Islands, and from March 8 it stopped communicating. 98 people died. The boat sank at a depth of 6000 meters. The cause of the crash is unknown. On board the boat, discovered in 1974 by the Americans, who unsuccessfully tried to raise it, there were 100 people.

April 12, 1970 in the Bay of Biscay, as a result of a fire in the aft compartments, the nuclear submarine K-8 pr. 627A from the Northern Fleet sank. 52 people died, 73 people were saved. The boat sank at a depth of more than 4000 meters. There were two nuclear weapons on board. Two nuclear reactors before flooding were muffled by regular means.

On February 24, 1972, when returning to the base from combat patrols in the North Atlantic, a fire broke out in the ninth compartment on the nuclear submarine K-19, pr. 658. Later, the fire spread to the eighth compartment. More than 30 ships and vessels of the Navy took part in the rescue operation. In a severe storm, it was possible to evacuate most of the K-19 crew, apply electricity to the boat and tow it to the base. 28 sailors were killed, 76 people were saved.

On June 13, 1973, in Peter the Great Bay (Sea of ​​Japan), the nuclear submarine K-56 pr. 675MK collided with the research vessel Akademik Berg. The boat sailed on the surface at night to the base after firing practice. At the junction of the first and second compartments, a four-meter hole was formed, into which water began to flow. To prevent the final flooding of K-56, the boat commander decided to land the submarine on the coastal shallows near Cape Granite. 27 people died.

October 21, 1981 in the Sea of ​​Japan sank diesel medium submarine S-178 project 613V as a result of a collision with a large freezing fishing trawler "Refrigerator-13". The accident claimed the lives of 31 sailors.

On June 24, 1983, the nuclear submarine K-429 pr. 670A from the Pacific Fleet sank off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The accident occurred when the boat was trimmed in an area where the depth was 35 meters, due to water entering the fourth compartment through the ship's ventilation shaft, which was mistakenly left open when the boat was submerged. Part of the crew members managed to be saved, but 16 people had previously died as a result of an explosion of batteries and damage control. If the boat went to great depths, it would definitely die along with the entire crew. The death of the ship occurred due to the criminal negligence of the command, which ordered a faulty submarine with a non-standard crew to go to sea for firing. The crew left the sunken boat by locking through torpedo tubes. The commander, who to the end objected to the decision of the headquarters and only under the threat of deprivation of his post and party card went to sea, was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison, amnestied in 1987 and soon died. The direct culprits, as always happens with us, escaped responsibility. Subsequently, the boat was raised, but she again sank in the factory at the pier, after which she was decommissioned.

On October 6, 1986, in the area of ​​Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean, at a depth of 4000 meters, as a result of a rocket explosion in a mine, the nuclear submarine K-219 pr. 667AU sank. Both nuclear reactors were muffled by regular absorbers. On board were 15 ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads and two nuclear weapons. 4 people died. The remaining crew members were evacuated to the Agatan rescue vessel that had approached from Cuba.

April 7, 1989 in the Norwegian Sea as a result of a fire in the tail compartments at a depth of 1700 meters, the nuclear submarine K-278 "Komsomolets" pr. 685 sank, having received severe damage to the pressure hull. 42 people died. On board were two nominally muffled nuclear reactors and two nuclear weapons.

On August 12, 2000, during the naval exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea, the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk crashed. The submarine was discovered on August 13 at a depth of 108 meters. The entire crew of 118 people died.

On August 30, 2003, the nuclear submarine K-159 sank in the Barents Sea while being towed for dismantling. There were 10 crew members on board the boat as an escort team. 9 people died.

On November 8, 2008, during factory sea trials in the Sea of ​​Japan, an accident occurred on the Nerpa nuclear submarine (NPS), built at the Amur Shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and not yet accepted into the Russian Navy. As a result of unauthorized operation of the fire extinguishing system LOH (boat volumetric chemical), freon gas began to flow into the compartments of the boat. 20 people died, 21 more people were hospitalized with poisoning. In total, there were 208 people on board the nuclear submarine.

A quarter of a century ago, one of the largest disasters in the history of the Russian submarine fleet occurred - on April 7, 1989, the nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets was lost in the Norwegian Sea. And even after 25 years, disputes continue about the causes and perpetrators of that terrible tragedy.

The submarine "Komsomolets" was unique, the only representative of the project "685" "Fin".

Back in 1966, the command of the USSR Navy set the designers the task of creating an experimental submarine with an increased immersion depth.

Designing a unique nuclear submarine took eight years. To solve this problem, the designers used titanium to create a lightweight and durable body.

The laying of the boat at the enterprise in Severodvinsk took place in 1978, and the K-278 was launched in 1983.

For the use of ultra-expensive titanium, as well as for the duration of design and construction, the boat was nicknamed the “goldfish” in the fleet.

But the K-278 was indeed a unique ship. It could operate at depths where it was not detected by any means of enemy surveillance and was inaccessible to any weapon with conventional explosives. The nuclear submarine was armed with torpedoes and Granat cruise missiles. The weapon system allowed the K-278 to attack enemy ships and submarines from the depths of the ocean in a submerged position, remaining out of reach for them.

Failed Hero

Since 1984, K-278, included in the Northern Fleet, has been operated as an experimental submarine and a base for experiments in the field of ultra-deep diving.

It was assumed that the operation of the K-278 would allow gaining experience to create a whole series of the latest next-generation submarines.

On August 4, 1985, K-278, under the command of Captain 1st Rank Yuri Zelensky, set an absolute world diving depth record - 1027 meters. When surfacing at a depth of 800 meters, successful shots were fired from torpedo tubes with blanks.

These tests showed that the Soviet Union received a submarine that has no analogues in the world. Captain Zelensky was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but the award was not approved.

In late 1986 - early 1987, K-278 under the command of Yuri Zelensky made its first autonomous combat campaign. In the summer of 1987, the boat changed its status from "experimental" to "combat". In August - October 1987, the boat successfully passed the second "autonomy". Under the command of Captain Zelensky, she received the very prestigious title of “excellent ship” in the Navy.

Submarine "Komsomolets", January 1, 1986. Photo: Public Domain

fire at depth

In January 1989, the K-278 submarine was named "Komsomolets". A month later, K-278 set off on her third autonomous voyage, this time with a replacement crew, led by Captain 1st Rank Evgeny Vanin.

Since the first trip with a new crew is an extremely important event, representatives of the naval command, represented by the deputy commander of the submarine division and the head of the political department, were also on board.

The autonomous campaign was successful until the very return home, when it seemed that nothing extraordinary could happen.

April 7, 1989 at 11:03, at the moment when the Komsomolets was sailing at a depth of 380 meters at a speed of 8 knots, a powerful fire broke out in the 7th compartment of the boat for an unknown reason. The main version is the fire of electrical equipment.

The fire quickly engulfed the entire 7th compartment and claimed the life of the sailor on duty Nodari Bukhnikashvili. When the fire signal was received by the central console, an attempt was made to use the boat volumetric chemical fire extinguishing system (LOX), but this did not work.

The temperature in the 7th compartment reached 1000 degrees, the fire also penetrated into the 6th compartment, where midshipman Vladimir Kolotilin died.

By this time, an emergency alarm was announced on the boat, the Komsomolets began to ascend. At a depth of 150 meters, due to damage caused by fire, she lost her course, and further ascent was due to purging the tanks of the main ballast. At 11:16, 13 minutes after the fire started, the boat reached the surface.

When the search for the perpetrators begins later and the Komsomolets crew is accused of incompetence, the same deputy division commander who was on the boat, Captain 1st Rank Kolyada, will notice that if the crew were incompetent, then the boat would not rise to the surface.

Reproduction of the drawing “Norwegian Sea. Nuclear boat. Photo: RIA Novosti / Sergey Kompaniychenko

Fight for survival

The situation on the Komsomolets was very difficult - the 6th and 7th compartments were engulfed in fire, the 2nd, 3rd and 5th were smoked. There are many burned and poisoned in the crew. Emergency protection worked, automatically blocking the nuclear reactor of the boat, Komsomolets switched to using batteries.

The first signal about the accident was filed at 11:37, but due to the growing problems at the headquarters, it was received only at 12:19. An Il-38 aircraft with rescue containers was sent to the accident site.

IL-38 cannot land on water, therefore, in this situation, he could only observe and direct the ships coming to the rescue to the accident site.

Helicopters and seaplanes of the Navy could not reach the site of the accident, located 980 kilometers from the Soviet border.

In addition, the first messages from Captain Vanin were quite calm - the ship surfaced, the crew is fighting for survivability.

Il-38, under the command of pilot Gennady Petrogradsky, took up position over the accident area at 14:20. By this time, the floating base "Aleksey Khlobystov" was going to the aid of "Komsomolets" at full speed, which was supposed to arrive at the place by 18:00.

By three o'clock in the afternoon it seemed that all the worst was over. Three Soviet planes were circling over the area, the ships were rushing at full speed to the accident site, the fire, although not extinguished, was localized. Help should have arrived soon.

Most of the crew was on the upper deck without life jackets. The people who got out of the smoky compartments were confident in the unsinkability of the Komsomolets and did not assume that they would soon have to leave the ship.

The boat sank within minutes.

At 16:35, the Il-38 crew noticed that the K-278 began to settle aft. As a result of a powerful fire, the tightness of the strong hull of the boat was broken, and the flooding of the Komsomolets began. It happened rapidly.

At 16:40, the boat commander gave the order to prepare for the evacuation of the crew, prepare a pop-up rescue chamber (VSC), and leave the compartments. The personnel began to give life rafts, but managed to launch only one of them.

Seven minutes later, the conning tower was half submerged in water. At 17:00, the crew without personal life-saving equipment began to evacuate to the life raft. A rescue container was dropped from the Il-38, but it worked abnormally, and the sailors could not use it.

At 17:08 K-278 "Komsomolets" rapidly went into the depths. 61 people found themselves in the icy water of the Norwegian Sea. People who did not even have life jackets, poisoned by carbon monoxide during a fire, burned, held on with their last strength.

Captain 3rd rank Anatoly Ispenkov remained inside the strong hull of the boat. The commander of the electrical division to the last ensured the operation of the diesel generator of the dying Komsomolets. He did not have time to get out of the sinking boat ...

Abyss Survivor

K-278 was equipped with a pop-up rescue chamber, which allows the entire crew of the boat to escape from the depths. At that moment, when the Komsomolets went to the bottom, there were five in the VSK: boat commander Yevgeny Vanin, captain of the 3rd rank Yudin, midshipmen Slyusarenko, Chernikov and Krasnobaev.

Captain Vanin rushed inside the boat, hearing the voices of people in it. Those who remained on the surface barely had time to close the hatch behind him - only this left the chances for those remaining inside to escape with the help of a rescue chamber. Yudin, Slyusarenko, Chernikov and Krasnobaev, who were climbing the ladder at the time of the flood, were literally thrown down due to the fact that the sinking boat stood almost vertically. Midshipman Slyusarenko was dragged into the cell last. Yudin and Chernikov desperately tried to close the bottom cover of the chamber, which weighed more than 250 kg. They managed to do it with incredible difficulty.

The chamber, covered with smoke, went down to the bottom together with the boat, which in this place was at a depth of more than one and a half kilometers. The submariners tried to disconnect the camera from the boat.

Captain 3rd rank Yudin suddenly shouted: “Everyone, turn on the breathing apparatus!” Only Slyusarenko and Chernikov managed to do this - the rest, including Yudin himself, died.

The divers died because of carbon monoxide, whose action is greatly enhanced with increasing pressure.

The camera separated from the boat almost at the bottom, when the Komsomolets hull was damaged under the pressure of the water column.

The escape pod was thrown to the surface like a champagne cork. The top hatch cover, fixed on one latch, was torn off, and Chernikov and Slyusarenko were thrown out with it. But the first one died, hitting his head, and only Slyusarenko survived, ending up in the water. The rescue chamber was overwhelmed by waves, and after a few seconds it finally went to the bottom.

Midshipman Slyusarenko was later picked up by rescuers. Viktor Fedorovich Slyusarenko is the only person in the world who escaped from a submarine that sank at a depth of one and a half kilometers.

Last resort

About 70 minutes passed from the moment the Komsomolets was flooded to the arrival of the Aleksey Khlobystov floating base at the crash site. These minutes turned out to be fatal for most of the crew members. 16 people drowned, another 16 died of hypothermia, and their bodies were brought aboard along with the surviving 30 sailors.

Three more died already on board the mother ship, although at first glance their condition did not cause concern. The doctors later explained that being in cold water had already triggered irreversible changes in their bodies, and it was impossible to save them.

As a result, out of 69 crew members, 42 people died, 27 survived. On May 12, 1989, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree on awarding all members of the Komsomolets crew - living and dead - with the Order of the Red Banner.

Funeral procession during the funeral of the sailors of the Komsomolets submarine, 1989. Photo: RIA Novosti / V. Kuznetsov

The submarine "Komsomolets" has been resting at a depth of 1650 meters at the bottom of the Norwegian Sea for a quarter of a century. From 1989 to 1998, with the help of Mir deep-sea submersibles, seven expeditions were carried out, during which the state of the boat was monitored, as well as work to ensure radiation safety. The boat's reactor was found to be securely shut down, and it currently poses no threat to the environment.

In 1998, the investigation into the sinking of the Komsomolets submarine was suspended due to “the failure to identify the person to be brought as a defendant” and the fact that “it is not possible to establish the true causes of the fire and flooding before the submarine was raised and inspected” .

Time is a sworn enemy that inexorably takes away into oblivion the names of people who died doing their job, turning the tragedy into another date on the pages of history. Almost two decades have passed since the moment when the Kursk submarine sank, and 118 people died with it.

Submarine "Kursk"

The nuclear project "Antey", K-141 "Kursk", was designed in 1990 in Severodvinsk at the "Northern Machine-Building Enterprise". Two years later, the chief designers of the project I.L. Baranov and P.P. Pustyntsev made some changes to the development of the nuclear submarine, and already in May 1994 the submarine was launched. At the end of December of this year, the Kursk was put into operation.

From 1995 to 2000, the nuclear submarine was part of the Russian Northern Fleet and was based in Vidyaevo. It is interesting to note the fact that the crew was formed back in 1991, the first commander of the Kursk was Captain Viktor Rozhkov.

The submarine was in service in the Navy from August 1999 to October 15, 2000, when the nuclear submarine was scheduled to enter the Mediterranean Sea. But when the Kursk submarine sank, only records in the protocols began to remind of this campaign.

Tragedy

So where did the Kursk submarine sink? She met her death 170 kilometers from Severomorsk in the Barents Sea, falling to the bottom at a depth of 108 meters. All crew members died, and the ship itself was raised from the ocean floor only in the second half of 2001. In world history, this accident was the second largest in the number of dead soldiers of the navy in peacetime.

But back on August 10, the Kursk was successfully carrying out combat training tasks next to Captain Lyachin, then the ship was commanded, his task was to conduct combat exercises. The morning of August 12 began with an attack by a squadron led by the cruisers Admiral Kuznetsov and Peter the Great. According to the plan, preparatory work was to begin at 9.40 in the morning at the Kursk nuclear submarine, and exercises were held from 11.40 to 13.40. But the last entry in the logbook dates back to 11 hours 16 minutes, and at the appointed time, the nuclear submarine "Kurs" did not get in touch. In 2000, the Kursk submarine sank during an exercise. How did such a tragedy happen? Why the submarine "Kursk" sank, claiming more than a hundred lives.

August 12, 2000 (Saturday)

On the day when the submarine "Kursk" sank, the crew of the ship did not get out of contact. The military, observing the course of the exercises, noticed that the planned attacks did not follow at the appointed time. There was also no information that the submarine surfaced. At 2:50 pm, Navy ships and helicopters began sweeping the perimeter in an attempt to locate the submarine, but the attempts were in vain. At 17.30, the captain of the submarine "Kursk" was supposed to report on the exercise, but the crew of the nuclear submarine did not get in touch.

At 23.00, the military leadership already realized that the submarine had crashed, when the second time the captain of the Kursk did not get in touch. Half an hour later, the nuclear submarine is declared emergency.

August 13, 2000 (Sunday)

The next morning began with the search for the Kursk. At 4.51 am, the echo sounder of the cruiser "Peter the Great" discovered an "anomaly" at the bottom of the sea. Subsequently, it turned out that this anomaly is the Kursk submarine. Already at 10 am, the first rescue ship was sent to the scene of the tragedy, but based on the depth at which the Kursk submarine sank, the first attempts to evacuate the crew did not bring the desired results.

August 14, 2000 (Monday)

Only on Monday at 11 o'clock in the morning the navy reports for the first time about the tragedy on the Kursk. But further on, the testimony of the military is confused: in the first official statement, it was indicated that radio contact was established with the crew. Later, this information was refuted, saying that communication occurs through tapping.

Closer to dinner, rescue ships rush to the scene of the tragedy, the news reports that the power supply has already been cut off on the submarine, and the bow is completely flooded. Probably, in order to avoid panic, the military is beginning to actively deny the possibility of flooding the bow of the submarine. However, when talking about the time of the accident, they say Sunday, although communication problems began in the afternoon on Saturday. Obviously, it is not profitable for someone to disclose the whole truth about the death. Why did the Kursk submarine sink? Even today, when almost two decades have passed since the tragedy, many questions remain unanswered.

At six o'clock in the evening, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Kuroyedov, confirmed that the submarine had received serious damage and the chances of saving the crew were very low. On the evening of this day, they begin to put forward assumptions about the causes of the death of the sunken submarine Kursk. According to one version, she collided with a foreign submarine, but this information was refuted, as it later became known that an explosion had occurred on board the submarine.

On the same day, Britain and the United States offered their help in the rescue operation.

August 15, 2000 (Tuesday)

On this day, a full-scale rescue operation was supposed to begin, but because of the storm, rescuers cannot start work. At 9 o'clock in the morning, a message came from the military that the sailors in the Kursk submarine were alive, and besides, the Russian fleet was able to independently conduct a rescue operation without interfering with foreigners.

After three o'clock in the afternoon, when the storm subsided, a rescue operation began, the sailors reported that there was not much oxygen left on the Kursk. At 9 pm, the first rescue capsule began to dive, but because of the storm that broke out again, all manipulations had to be stopped. On the evening of this day, representatives of the Russian military forces meet with their counterparts from NATO.

August 16, 2000 (Wednesday)

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the President of Russia declares the situation on board the Kursk critical, shortly after that, Deputy Prime Minister I. Klebanov reported that no signs of life were found on the submarine.

At 4:00 pm, Admiral Kuroyedov announced that Russia would ask for help from Great Britain and other friendly states. A few hours later, official requests for help were sent from Moscow to London and Oslo. The government of Norway and the UK reacted quickly, already at 7 pm a rescue ship with an LR-5 (mini-submarine) was delivered to Trondheim (Norway).

August 17, 2000 (Thursday)

When the submarine "Kursk" sank, several attempts were made to save her. According to official sources, there were 6 such attempts, but, in fact, there were 10 of them, and all failed. Weather conditions did not allow attaching an escape pod to the hatch of the submarine.

On August 17, a rescue ship leaves Trondheim. According to the plan, he will not be at the disaster site until Saturday. Also, another rescue crew was sent from Norway, which planned to arrive at the scene on Sunday evening.

Negotiations have begun with NATO, in particular with representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance. For a long 8 hours, the authorities discussed the plan for the rescue operation.

August 18, 2000 (Friday)

From the very morning, the military began to carry out rescue operations, but weather conditions prevented this, just like last time.

In the afternoon, Colonel-General Yu. Baluevsky (Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces) said that the crash of the Kursk nuclear submarine, although it reduced the potential of the flotilla by a military unit, the tragedy had no effect on the reduction in combat power. Many residents were outraged by such a statement, because at that time it was necessary to think about saving the sailors that were on the ship. In addition, the public was more interested in the truth, why did the Kursk submarine sink?

The information that the submarine could collide with other waterfowl objects was completely refuted. Alexander Ushakov said that at the time of the military exercises, there was not a single third-party object in the Barents Sea area.

The list of crew members is still not published, the leaders of the Navy motivate this by the fact that a rescue operation is underway. In the evening, the situation on the Kursk was already called "supercritical", but rescue operations were not canceled.

August 19, 2000 (Saturday)

The President of Russia returns from the Crimea with a statement that there is practically no hope left to save at least someone from the Kursk. At 5 pm, Admiral M. Motsak announced that there were no more living people on board the submarine.

Rescue operations continue. Already in the evening, a rescue crew from Norway arrives at the place where the submarine sank. The next morning we plan to dive LR-5. The military suggests that the submarine experienced an explosion of live shells when it hit the seabed.

August 20, 2000 (Sunday)

On Sunday morning, the rescue operation resumed. British and Norwegian military forces joined the Russian navy. Although in the morning the head of the government commission, Klebanov, said that the chances of saving at least someone from the crew of the Kursk were "only theoretical."

But, despite such a pessimistic statement, the Norwegian robotic arm reached the sunken submarine at 12.30. The robot is followed by divers in a capsule. At 5 pm, the headquarters of the naval forces receives a message that the submariners managed to get to the hatch of the Kursk, but they cannot open it. Along with this, a message appears: the divers are sure that someone was in the lock chamber and tried to get out.

August 21, 2000 (Monday)

After receiving information that someone was in the lock chamber, on the night of August 21, Klebanov claims that it is impossible to manually open the hatch. However, the Norwegian rescuers say that this is quite real, and this is what they will do early in the morning.

At 0745, the Norwegians did open the hatch of the Kursk submarine, but found no one. Throughout the day, divers try to break into the sunken submarine to save at least someone. At the same time, he notes that the ninth compartment, to which the second hatch leads, is probably flooded, because there will be no survivors.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the news agency reported that the divers managed to open the hatch to the ninth compartment, as previously assumed - it is filled with water. Half an hour after the opening of the hatch, a camera is placed in the airlock, with its help, experts tried to understand the state of the 7th and 8th compartments. In the 9th compartment, a video camera recorded the body of one of the crew, and already at 17.00 M. Motsak made an official statement that the entire crew of the Kursk nuclear submarine had died.

In the yard was August already such a distant 2000, that's the year the submarine "Kursk" sank. For 118 people, that summer was the last of their lives.

Mourning

According to the decree of the President of Russia, issued on August 22: 23.08 - declared a day of national mourning. After that day, they began to prepare an operation to raise the dead sailors. It started on October 25th and ended on November 7th. The submarine itself was raised a year after the tragedy (photos of the sunken Kursk submarine are presented in the article). On October 10, 2001, the Kursk, which had sunk into the depths of the sea, was towed to the Roslyakov Shipyard. During all this time, 118 people were removed from the submarine, three of whom remained unidentified.

To find out what caused the tragedy, 8 investigation teams were formed, which began to inspect the submarine as soon as the water was pumped out of the compartments. On October 27, 2001, the Prosecutor General of Russia, V. Ustinov, stated that, according to the results of the inspection, it can be concluded that an explosion occurred on the submarine, and the fire that followed spread throughout the submarine. Experts found that at the epicenter of the explosion, the temperature exceeded 8000 degrees Celsius, as a result, the boat was completely flooded 7 hours later, after it settled to the bottom.

But even today it is unknown, someone believes that the submarine was inadvertently “shot by their own” during the exercises, someone believes that the explosion happened by itself. But this does not change the fact that the boat sank, and more than a hundred people died with it.

Naturally, the families of the victims received compensation, and the crew members were awarded medals for Courage posthumously. In different cities of Russia, monuments and memorials have been erected in memory of the dead sailors who served on the Kursk. This event will forever remain in the memory of the relatives of the victims and will become another date in the history of Russia. The criminal case on the death of the Kursk was closed due to the lack of corpus delicti. Who is guilty of the tragedy remains a mystery: either the villain-fate gloated, or human negligence was well hidden by the authorities.

The distant and tragic year 2000 - this is the year in which the Kursk submarine sank. 118 dead sailors and a new date on the pages of history. These are just numbers, but unfulfilled hopes, unlived lives, unreached heights - this is really a terrible grief. A tragedy for all mankind, because no one knows if there was a person on board the Kursk who could change the world for the better.

The press service of the Navy reports that during the planned exercises of the Northern Fleet on August 12, 2000, the multi-purpose nuclear submarine of project 949 A "Kursk" did not contact at the scheduled time. As a result of promptly taken measures, it was possible to quickly determine the exact location of the damaged nuclear submarine: latitude 69° 36′ 59.6" north, longitude 37° 34′ 28.7" east and start a rescue operation under the leadership of the commander of the Northern Fleet, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov . Unfortunately, a multi-day rescue operation with the subsequent involvement of Norwegian and British rescuers did not allow saving the crew of the Kursk nuclear submarine, since the submarine received damage that did not allow the use of its own rescue equipment and made it extremely difficult to use the resources of the Navy rescue ships.

The results of the rescue work led to the conclusion that the entire crew of the nuclear submarine "Kursk" died. But, despite this, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet Vladimir Kuroyedov, ordered the operation to be carried out until the body of the last sailor was removed from the compartments of the submarine

death version

More than 3 months have passed since the sinking of the submarine. But the reasons for the death of the nuclear-powered ship are still a mystery to the general public. From media reports it is known that:

1. The submarine received a hole in the bow of the pressure hull in the 1st and 2nd compartments in the area of ​​​​the 24th frame.

2. The edges of the hole are bent inward, and the destruction is very extensive. Raised retractable devices, including the periscope.

3. Seismic stations in Norway and Russia recorded 2 underwater explosions with an interval of 2 minutes 15 seconds.

4. Arriving at the scene, Russian rescuers found 2 underwater objects of comparable size, one of which was identified as the emergency submarine "K-141" "Kursk".

5. All compartments of the submarine are flooded, there are traces of fire in the examined ones. The personnel remaining after the explosion in the amount of 23 people grouped in the end 9th compartment.

None of the widely discussed versions of the death stand up to scrutiny.

In total, there are more than a dozen major versions. Here are the main ones:

1. "Kursk" was hit by an anti-ship missile from the nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great" or another ship of the Northern Fleet, which was at the site of the exercises. An anti-ship missile cannot hit a submarine at a depth of 11 meters. If it were not an anti-ship missile, but some other weapon, for example, an anti-submarine missile, a depth charge or a torpedo, then the naval command would immediately know the place and time of the accident and the rescuers would not have to look for the submarine until the evening of August 12. Yes, and it is not currently practiced during the period of exercises for firing weapons with a warhead, it is usually replaced by a weight equivalent.

2. "Kursk" was killed as a result of the explosion of his own torpedo, which he was supposed to shoot according to the exercise plan, that is, "an emergency situation on board." The torpedo, which was planned to be fired according to the exercise plan, did not have combat equipment, and the explosion of the propulsion unit of this torpedo cannot make a hole in a strong hull. Since the edges of the hole are bent inward, it is unequivocally clear that the root cause is an external influence. Even if we assume that the fired torpedo was aimed at the Kursk due to a malfunction of the guidance system (and such cases took place, for example, on the wheelhouse of the lead cruiser of the same K-525 project, Arkhangelsk, there is still a mark from its own torpedo, which was also in inert equipment), then even then it is not clear where such significant damage came from.

3. "Kursk" was blown up by a floating mine during the war. A wartime floating mine cannot inflict such damage on the top of a pressure hull.

4. "Kursk" rammed by a surface ship. If it were a surface ship of the Northern Fleet or another vessel, then with a large hole in the underwater part, it could not go far and hide, if at all it would remain afloat.

5. The press published assumptions that the surface vessel only touched the light hull of the submarine, damaging only the tanks of the main ballast, jammed the rudders to dive and the Kursk crashed into the rocky ground, which is why it died. But then where did the hole come from in the solid case, and even in its upper part?

6. "Kursk" rammed by a submarine. This version of the discussed is the most plausible. But it is unlikely that an American or British submarine with a displacement of about 9000 tons received less damage than a nuclear submarine with more than twice the tonnage. Moreover, American and British submarines similar in design have the strength of hull structures and much lower survivability reserves. Imagine, for example, that a Zhiguli car crashed into a KamAZ, after which the KamAZ was left lying on the side of the road broken, and the Zhiguli, although with difficulty, drove on. Or another example. On February 11, 1992, while working out combat training tasks in the Barents Sea, a Russian submarine of Project 945 (currently called Kostroma) collided in a submerged position with the US Navy SSN 689 "Baton Rouge" submarine. Our submarine received damage to the cabin fence, periscope and fairing of the HAC and returned to the base under its own power. The damage was soon repaired. "Baton Rouge" also, albeit with difficulty, but reached its native shores, after which, due to a serious crack in a strong hull, it was withdrawn from the Navy, decommissioned and soon cut into metal. So where is the second submarine?

Now let's try to present another version which explains everything or almost everything.

As is known, foreign submarines were in the area of ​​the Russian naval exercises on August 12, 2000. This is a common practice and it is not a secret for anyone. Russian submariners have long been accustomed to the presence of uninvited "probable partners" and do not waste time on them when working out their tasks. So this time, the Kursk carried out strictly defined activities according to the exercise plan, and even if it detected a foreign submarine, it would not waste time and effort on an anti-submarine operation. Having completed rocket fire and preparing for torpedo fire, the Kursk maneuvered at a shallow depth. Nearby was a foreign submarine, which was aimed at the Kursk area by NATO base patrol aircraft and Norwegian reconnaissance ships Marjata or Sverdrup-2, which are almost constantly in neutral waters near the combat training areas of the Northern Fleet.

The foreign submarine did not have constant hydroacoustic contact with the Kursk and therefore accidentally ended up in the firing sector at a short distance. At this time, torpedo firing is carried out. Imagine the commander of a foreign submarine, to whom the acoustician suddenly reports a shot and the approach of a torpedo. What should he do at this moment? A foreign submarine is on combat patrol in immediate readiness to start hostilities, there are nuclear weapons on board, and there are only a few seconds to think, and no one knows that the approaching torpedo is without a warhead! Another important point: the American commander is allowed to use weapons at his discretion. At this moment, the foreigner turns on her hydroacoustic station in active mode for radiation, because it seems that there is no point in remaining secretive, she accurately measures the distance to the torpedo and the Kursk and, based on the information she has, the commander, or maybe the watch officer, who was at that moment in the central post, considers the training firing of the Kursk to be combat and orders to respond from the on-duty torpedo tubes with the already combat remote-controlled torpedoes MK-48 along the bearing of the going torpedo, hoping to destroy it. To no avail. "MK-48" continue to move towards the "Kursk". The commander of the Kursk detects them and, unable to evade or expose sonar countermeasures due to the minimum distance, turns the cruiser to meet the torpedoes head-on, believing that this will reduce the impact of the explosion. That is why the rudder of the Kursk has been shifted to starboard. This was seen in one of the frames of the report on the work of divers on the aft emergency hatch. But the torpedoes go above the hull and explode above the bow of the Kursk at the junction of the 1st and 2nd compartments. The first torpedo makes a hole in a light hull, and the second is already in a strong one. Both nasal compartments die instantly. No one even managed to blow out the tanks of the main ballast either remotely or manually. The control panel of the power plant and the power plant itself have not yet been damaged. From the information of foreign media, it is known that one of the American submarines recorded both explosions and noises before and after the explosion. They claim that the first explosion was double! These are explosions of two torpedoes with a small interval. After that, sharply increased noises of the Kursk propellers were heard.

It is logical to assume that the surviving officers on the power plant control panel independently attempted to perform an emergency maneuver by reversing both turbines for the entire supply of steam. But alas. The boat acquired a negative buoyancy of about 4000 tons and rushed into the ground from a height of a hundred meters. After 2 minutes or so, the hull hits the rocky ground. At this moment, perhaps, there was an explosion of ammunition in the first compartment. The version that the Kursk was re-torpedoed by several torpedoes 2 minutes after the first is untenable, since it is no longer possible to direct them into the bow, at best into the stern at the noisy propellers, and there these damages would certainly have been noticed by Norwegian divers. As a result of explosions and impact on the ground, the Kursk received damage to all emergency devices. It was no longer possible to save the remaining crew, because there are no ship-lifting equipment capable of quickly raising such a submarine from such a depth. Therefore, hysterical cries about "the betrayal of the admirals who interfere with the salvation of people", "delay in asking for help from the West", etc., are nothing more than the nonsense of hysterics like Valeria Novodvorskaya (see MK No. 47 (171) for 15 - 22 November 2000, p. 11), which sober-minded people should not pay attention to.

The remaining compartments after some time, approximately three days, were also filled with water under a pressure of 10 atmospheres, filtering through leaks in bulkhead fittings formed after hull shaking. In the 9th compartment, counterpressure was not created from the compressed air reserves, otherwise it would not have been flooded under the very ceiling. This means that the remaining divers, in addition to sealing the bulkhead, did not fight the incoming water, as they died very soon, poisoned by carbon monoxide, because the supply of the breathing mixture in one IDA-59M apparatus is enough for no more than 5 hours of breathing, provided that the pressure in the compartment is normal . Statements that the aft compartments are flooded due to destruction at the exit of the shaft lines, which were displaced by inertia at the time of impact, are also not logical. In the 9th compartment there are thrust bearings that take on the movement and emphasis from the rotating propeller through the shaft line. The force with which the shaft line presses the submarine at full speed is much greater than the force that was created at the moment the boat hit the ground. Therefore, the lines of the shafts could not move and destroy anything.

On January 27, 1961, the Soviet diesel boat S-80 with the entire crew sank in the Barents Sea near the place of the death of the Kursk due to the ingress of water into the pressure hull through the RDP mine valve that did not close. Then, after hitting the ground, the first, sixth and seventh compartments remained unflooded, which, due to water filtration through leaky bulkheads, nevertheless filled up. The seventh - by the end of the day, and the first - much later. 14 divers gathered in the 7th compartment died while trying to exit through the aft emergency hatch by flooding the compartment, and the personnel of the 1st compartment in the amount of 5 people died due to the depletion of air supplies in the volume of the compartment and IDA-59 devices . Now let's remember the second object lying next to the "Kursk" and the buoy, which was seen from the board of the "Peter the Great".

It remains to be assumed that the foreign submarine also received damage and lay on the ground for some time, until it coped with them. But the cause of the damage is not a collision, but the very practical torpedo that was fired by the Kursk. A steel cigar weighing almost 2 tons, moving at the speed of a courier train, is quite capable of breaking through the solid hull of an American boat. We know that shortly after these events, the American Los Angeles-class submarine Memphis entered the Norwegian port of Haukosvern “as planned” and docked as planned. But according to the system of cyclical use of American submarines, the submarine is planned to dock only after returning from combat service and only after the change of the crew, which goes on vacation. And the second crew prepares the boat for the next cycle. So why rush to the dock, especially in the nearest Norwegian port? Naturally, Memphis did not have much damage. Somehow there was a message in the press that she also did not have an emergency rescue buoy at a regular place. But the possibility is not ruled out that Memphis performs only demonstrative actions, diverting attention from the real culprit - also the American Toledo submarine, which is hiding from prying eyes in some kind of shelter.

And a few more questions that we will leave unanswered.

What did the presidents of the United States and Russia talk about on the phone immediately after the tragedy?

How to explain the urgent arrival of the director of the CIA in Moscow after this?

Why was the resignation of the Minister of Defense, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy and Commander of the Northern Fleet not accepted?

Why was the order signed to reward the submariners before the end of the investigation?

Where did the “extrabudgetary” money come from to help relatives, urgent organization of an ineffective operation to raise the bodies of the dead, an operation to raise the corps and to upgrade the rescue forces?

Why was it promised on November 8, that is, after receiving the preliminary results of the vote on the choice of the President of the United States, to unambiguously name the cause of the accident?

But let's not be like journalists who have begun to accuse the command of the Navy of all conceivable and unimaginable sins. Let's leave it up to them. This is their bread. But God forbid someone should be in the place of the Commander of the Northern Fleet. On TV they showed an interview with him recorded on August 11, that is, a day before the tragedy, and then on August 16 they showed a live report from the place of the rescue operation. During these five days, Admiral Vyacheslav Alekseevich Popov has aged ten years. He was not afraid for his prestige and the admiral's chair. He submitted his resignation. Yes, the command knows more about the accident than we do.

Read carefully the interview with Popov in Komsomolskaya Pravda. Not a word of untruth. Yes, he left many of the journalist's questions without comment. Yes, for the first time in his interviews he stated his assumptions on the basis of the information available at that time about the situation on board the sunken ship, until the last moment believing in the possibility of saving at least someone. But where does the lies and concealment of the truth? Of course, the dead cannot be returned, the pain of loss is incommensurable with anything. But does anyone really think that by satisfying the curiosity of the townsfolk, making public all the known details of the disaster, something could be changed? The commander not only gives orders, he also bears full responsibility for the consequences of his orders, for his actions or inactions. And above all, he is responsible to himself, to his conscience. The time will come and all will be known. You don't trust the commander? But then we have a president. He is well aware of everything. He did not accept the resignation, did not begin to tear off shoulder straps from anyone. You don't trust the president? Then why is he popularly elected? And in general, is it really from whether we find or not the most important culprit will make it easier for everyone?

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list of personnel

TRAVELING HEADQUARTERS
Captain 1st Rank Bagryantsev Vladimir Tikhonovich - Chief of Staff of the Submarine Division, born in 1958, ChVVMU, VMA im. N. G. Kuznetsova
Captain 2nd rank Belogun Viktor Mikhailovich - Deputy NEMS, born in 1960, SVVMIU
Captain 2nd rank Yury Tikhonovich Shepetnov - flagship missile officer, born in 1964, ChVVMU
Captain 2nd rank Isaenko Vasily Sergeevich - NEMS assistant, born in 1961, SVVMIU
Captain 3rd rank Baygarin Murat Ikhtiyarovich - Acting flagship miner, born in 1964, VVMUPP

CREW K-141 "KURSK"

SHIP COMMAND
Captain 1st rank Lyachin Gennady Petrovich - commander of the nuclear submarine, born in 1955, VVMUPP
Captain 2nd rank Dudko Sergei Vladimirovich - senior assistant commander, born in 1969, VVMURE
Captain 2nd rank Shubin Aleksandr Anatolyevich - deputy commander for educational work, born in 1959, SVVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Repnikov Dmitry Alekseevich - assistant commander, born in 1973, VVMUPP

COMBAT-1
Captain-Lieutenant Safonov Maxim Anatolyevich - commander of BCH-1, born in 1974, VVMUPP
Senior Lieutenant Tylik Sergey Nikolaevich - commander of the ENG, born in 1975, VVMUPP
Senior Lieutenant Bubniv Vadim Yaroslavovich - ENG engineer, born in 1977, St.Petersburg Military Medical Institute
Senior midshipman Ruzlev Alexander Vladimirovich - senior boatswain, born in 1976, Vidyaevo village
Senior midshipman Fesak Vladimir Vasilyevich - ENG technician, born in 1962, Donetsk region, Shakhtersk
Midshipman Kozyrev Konstantin Vladimirovich - ENG technician, born in 1976, Vidyaevo settlement
Michman Polyansky Andrey Nikolaevich - ENG technician, born in 1974, Tikhoretsky
Foreman of the 2nd article of the contract service Leonov Dmitry Anatolyevich - commander of the helmsman department, born in 1979, Moscow region, Yakhroma
Sailor Mirtov Dmitry Sergeevich - steering signalman, born in 1981, Komi Republic, Ukhta

COMBAT -2
Captain 3rd rank Andrey Borisovich Silogava - commander of BCH-2, born in 1970, KVVMU
Captain-Lieutenant Shevchuk Aleksey Vladimirovich - Commander of the Main Directorate, born in 1974, VVMUPP
Senior Lieutenant Panarin Andrey Vladimirovich - engineer of the State University, born in 1975, St.Petersburg VMI
Captain-lieutenant Geletin Boris Vladimirovich - commander of the GS, born in 1975, KVVMU
Senior Lieutenant Uzkiy Sergey Vasilievich - Commander of the Main Control Center, born in 1977, St. Petersburg Military Medical Institute
Michman Vishnyakov Maxim Igorevich - technician of the State Central University, born in 1977, Krivoy Rog
Midshipman Keslinsky Sergey Alexandrovich - SG technician, born in 1974, Kostroma region, Tarecha village
Foreman of the 2nd article of the contract service Anenkov Yury Anatolyevich - mechanic, born in 1979, Kursk region, village of Podazovka
Sailor Kotkov Dmitry Anatolyevich - mechanic, born in 1981, Vologda region, village Novinki
Sailor Pavlov Nikolai Vladimirovich - mechanic, born in 1980, Voronezh region, p. Leskovo

COMBAT-3
Senior Lieutenant Ivanov-Pavlov Aleksey Aleksandrovich - Commander of BCh-3, born in 1977, St. Petersburg Military Medical Institute
Senior midshipman Ildarov Abdulkadyr Mirzaevich - foreman of the torpedo team, born in 1960, Republic of Dagestan, p. Huchni
Sailor Nefedkov Ivan Nikolaevich - commander of the torpedo squad, born in 1980, Sverdlovsk region, p. Red Mountain
Sailor Borzhov Maxim Nikolaevich - torpedo pilot, born in 1981, Vladimir region, Murom

COMBAT-4
Captain 3rd rank Rudakov Andrey Anatolyevich - commander of BCH-4, born in 1968, TOVVMU
Captain-Lieutenant Fiterer Sergey Gennadievich - commander of the GKS, born in 1976, KVVMU
Captain-lieutenant Nasikovsky Oleg Iosifovich - commander of the GZAS, born in 1971, KVVMU
Senior warrant officer Chernyshev Sergey Serafimovich - GKS technician, born in 1968, Sevastopol
Senior warrant officer Kalinin Sergey Alekseevich - GZAS technician, born in 1970, Kyiv region, p. Lilyaki
Senior midshipman Svechkarev Vladimir Vladimirovich - GZAS technician, born in 1973, Nizhny Novgorod

COMBAT-5
Captain 2nd rank Sablin Yury Borisovich - commander of BCh-5, born in 1966, SVVMIU
Captain 3rd rank Murachev Dmitry Borisovich - commander of the DD, born in 1969, SVVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Kolesnikov Dmitry Romanovich - commander of the TG DD, born in 1973, VVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Andrey Evgenievich Vasiliev - commander of the GA DD, born in 1972, VVMIU
Senior Lieutenant Mityaev Aleksey Vladimirovich - engineer of the Civil Aviation Department, born in 1977, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts
Lieutenant Commander Pshenichnikov Denis Stanislavovich - commander of the GDU-1, born in 1974, VVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Lyubushkin Sergey Nikolaevich - commander of the GDU-2, born in 1972, VVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Sadilenko Sergey Vladimirovich - engineer of GDU-1, born in 1975, VVMIU
Senior Lieutenant Alexander Vladimirovich Brazhkin - engineer of GDU-2, born in 1977, VVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Aryapov Rashid Ramisovich - commander of the TG DD, born in 1971, VVMIU
Captain 3rd rank Shchavinsky Ilya Vyacheslavovich - ETD commander, born in 1969, VVMIU
Captain 3rd rank Belozerov Nikolai Anatolyevich - ETG commander, born in 1968, VVMIU
Senior Lieutenant Kuznetsov Vitaly Evgenievich - ETG-1 engineer, born in 1976, VVMIU
Senior Lieutenant Rvanin Maxim Anatolyevich - ETG-2 engineer, born in 1975, VVMIU
Captain 3rd rank Milyutin Andrey Valentinovich - commander of the J, born in 1972, VVMIU
Lieutenant Commander Vitaliy Mikhailovich Solorev - commander of the Civil Aviation Institute, born in 1974, VVMIU
Captain-Lieutenant Kokurin Sergey Sergeevich - commander of the TG DZh, born in 1973, VVMIU
Senior Lieutenant Kirichenko Denis Stanislavovich - Engineer J., born in 1976, VVMIU
Senior warrant officer Kuznetsov Viktor Viktorovich - foreman of the turbinist team, born in 1972, Kursk
Senior warrant officer Kozoderov Vladimir Aleksevich - turbinist technician, born in 1967, Lipetsk
Michman Ishmuradov Fanis Malikovich - turbinist technician, born in 1974, Republic of Bashkiria, village of Bakhtigarievo
Senior Warrant Officer Borisov Andrey Mikhailovich - GA DD technician, born in 1970, Ryazan region, p. Perkino
Michman Balanov Aleksey Gennadievich - foreman of the hold team, born in 1978, Republic of Chuvashia, p. Anastasovo
Michman Ivanov Vasily Elmarovich - foreman of the team of electricians, born in 1977, Republic of Mari El, village of Chuksollo
Michman Shablatov Vladimir Gennadievich - electrical technician, born in 1977, Yoshkar-Ola
Senior warrant officer Tsymbal Ivan Ivanovich - electrical technician, born in 1970, Luhansk region, Makartetino village
Senior Warrant Officer Gorbunov Evgeniy Yurievich - Diesel Technician, born in 1964, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Zavolzhye settlement
Michman Khivuk Vladimir Valerievich - technician, born in 1974, Kursk region, p. Belitsa, st. Pinery
Michman Baybarin Valery Anatolyevich - foreman of the hold team, born in 1975, Chelyabinsk region, Kopeysk
Michman Bochkov Mikhail Aleksandrovich - bilge technician, born in 1977, Sevastopol
Chief ship foreman of the contract service Gesler Robert Alexandrovich - commander of the turbinist department, born in 1978, Republic of Bashkiria, Zapadny settlement
Foreman 2 articles of the contract service Sadovoy Vladimir Sergeevich - commander of the turbinist department, born in 1979, Nizhny Novgorod region, Yuganets village
Sailor Kubikov Roman Vladimirovich - turbinist born in 1978 Kursk
Matros Nekrasov Alexey Nikolaevich - turbinist, born in 1981, Kursk region, Tim
Sailor Martynov Roman Vyacheslavovich - turbinist born in 1981, Komi Republic, Ukhta
Sailor Sidyuhin Victor Yurievich - turbinist, born in 1980 Komi Republic, Ukhta
Sailor Borisov Yuri Alexandrovich - turbinist, born in 1981, Republic of Komi., Blagoevo village
Sailor Naletov Ilya Evgenievich - turbinist, born in 1981, Vologda region, village of Ivachino
Foreman 2 articles of the contract service Anikeev Roman Vladimirovich - spec. bilge, born in 1978, settlement of Vidyaevo
Chief foreman of the contract service Mainagashev Vyacheslav Vissarionovich - special. hold, born in 1976, Republic of Khakassia, settlement of Nizhny Kurlugash
Sailor Borkin Alexey Alekseevich - spec. bilge, born in 1981, Arkhangelsk
Chief foreman of the contract service Neustroev Alexander Valentinovich - electrician, born in 1979, Tomsk region. Loskutovo
Foreman of the 1st article of the contract service Zubaidulin Reshid Rashidovich - electrician, born in 1979, Chelyabinsk region, Mezhozerny settlement
Sailor Dryuchenko Andrey Nikolaevich - electrician, born in 1979, Severodvinsk
Sailor Larionov Alexey Aleksandrovich - bilge man, born in 1981, Komi Republic, Yemva
Sailor Shulgin Aleksey Vladimirovich - bilge man, born in 1981, Arkhangelsk region, Kotlas
Sailor Tryanichev Ruslan Vyacheslavovich - bilge, born in 1980, Cherepovets
Sailor Staroselydev Dmitry Vyacheslavovich - bilge officer, born in 1980, Kursk
Sailor Khalepo Alexander Valerievich - turbinist, born in 1981, Komi Republic, p. Ust-Lyzha
Sailor Loginov Igor Vasilyevich - turbinist born in 1980, Komi Republic, Blagoevo village
Sailor Kolomeytsev Alexey Yurievich - turbinist, born in 1980, Republic of Komi, Pyt-Yakh

COMBAT-7
Captain 3rd rank Sadkov Alexander Evgenievich - commander of BCH-7, born in 1967, TOVVMU
Captain-lieutenant Loginov Sergey Nikolaevich - commander of the GAG, born in 1973, TOVVMU
Senior Lieutenant Korovyakov Andrey Vladimirovich - engineer GAG-1, born in 1976, VVMURE
Senior Lieutenant Korobkov Alexey Vladimirovich - engineer GAG-2, born in 1975, VVMURE
Captain-Lieutenant Radionov Mikhail Olegovich - commander of the VG, born in 1973, VVMUPP
Senior Lieutenant Erakhtin Sergey Nikolaevich - VG engineer, born in 1977, VMIRE
Senior Lieutenant Gudkov Alexander Valentinovich - commander of the GRR, born in 1977, KVVMU
Senior midshipman Fedorichev Igor Vladimirovich - foreman of the radiometric team, born in 1973, Tula region, Olchisin
Michman Tavolzhansky Pavel Viktorovich - GAG technician, born in 1976, Belgorod region, p. Klinentsy
Michman Paramonenko Viktor Alexandrovich - GAG technician, born in 1973, Nikolaevsk
Michman Zubov Aleksey Viktorovich - GAG technician, born in 1974, Dnepropetrovsk region, Pavlograd
Michman Belov Mikhail Alexandrovich - GAG technician, born in 1974, Nizhny Novgorod region, Bogorodsk
Midshipman Gryaznykh Sergey Viktorovich - technician of the VG, born in 1978, Severodvinsk
Senior warrant officer Vlasov Sergey Borisovich - technician of the GR RR, born in 1957, Vidyaevo village

MEDICAL SERVICE
Captain of the medical service Stankevich Aleksey Borisovich - head of the medical service, born in 1974, Military Medical Academy
Midshipman Romanyuk Vitaliy Fedorovich - paramedic, born in 1971, Sevatopol

CHEMICAL SERVICE
Captain 3rd rank Vyacheslav Alekseevich Bezsokirny - chemical service officer, born in 1970, SVVMIU
Michman Troyan Oleg Vasilievich - technical technician, born in 1971, Baku
Michman Rychkov Sergey Anatolyevich - Technician, chemical engineer, born in 1965, Tashkent
Senior midshipman Hafizov Nail Khasanovich - senior instructor, x / s, born in 1960, Republic of Bashkiria, p. Slack

SUPPLY SERVICE
Senior midshipman Kichkiruk Vasily Vasilyevich - foreman of the supply team, born in 1967, Zhytomyr region, p. Old Maidan
Senior midshipman Belyaev Anatoly Nikolaevich - senior cook-instructor, born in 1954, Ryazan region, Proletarsky village
Chief ship foreman of the contract service Yansapov Salovat Valerievich - commander of the Kokov department, born in 1977, Republic of Bashkiria, Ishimbay
Sailor Vitchenko Sergey Alexandrovich - cook, born in 1980, Leningrad region, Kirovsk
Matros Evdokimov Oleg Vladimirovich - cook, born in 1980, Kursk

SECRET PART
Midshipman Samovarov Yakov Valerievich - head of the secret unit, born in 1977, Arkhangelsk region, Lupovetsky village
Senior warrant officer Erasov Igor Vladimirovich - SPS, born in 1965, Voronezh

BONDED
Senior Lieutenant Borisov Arnold Yurievich - Leading Engineer of the Air Defense Ministry, born in 1976, VVMUPP
Gadzhiev Mamed Ismailovich - representative of the Dagdiesel plant, born in 1958, Republic of Dagestan, p. oink