Fight brig Y. 65x120 oil on canvas 2017-2021 Vladimir KosovMonument to Alexander Kazarsky in Sevastopol (A.P.Bryullov, 1839)
Merkurii (Russian: Меркурий, lit. 'Mercury') was a 20-gun, two-masted warship in the Imperial Russian Navy. It is famous for its lopsided battle with two Turkish ships, which took place on May 14, 1829.[1]
The name Pamiyat Mercuriya (literally In Memory of Mercury) was given to a number of ships of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Battle on May 14, 1829
Summary
Pursued by a Turkish fleet (6 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes), the Russian brig Merkurii engaged in a lopsided battle with the ships-of-the-lineSelimiye (110 guns) and Real-bei (74 guns) near the Strait of Bosphorus.[2] After damaging the ships one by one, the brig escaped pursuit.[3]
Brig "Merkurii" leading a battle with Two Turkish Ships / Бриг «Меркурий» ведёт бой с двумя турецкими судами
Brig "Merkurii" meets Russian Fleet after a victory over Two Turkish Ships on 15.05.1829 / Бриг «Меркурий» после победы над двумя турецкими кораблями встречается с русской эскадрой 15.05.1829, Oil-on-canvas, 123 х 190 cm. State Russian Museum, 1848
Several other artists created notable works featuring the Merkurii:
Barri: Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Two Turkish Ships / Барри: Бой брига «Меркурий» с двумя турецкими кораблями
Ivanov: Brig "Merkurii" / Иванов: Бриг «Меркурий»
A.N. Lubyanov: Brig "Merkurii" / А. Н. Лубянов: Бриг «Меркурий»
N.P. Krasovskiy: Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Two Turkish Ships / Н. П. Красовский: Бой брига «Меркурий» с двумя турецкими кораблями
Mikhail Stepanovitch Tkachenko: Battle of Brig "Merkurii" with Turkish Ships on May 14, 1829 / Бой брига "Меркурий" с турецкими кораблями 14 мая 1829 года, Oil-on-canvas, Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg, 1907
Critics of the Aivazovsky painting
The position of the ships portrayed by Aivazovsky in his work has been criticized as being historically inaccurate because of the brig's position between two significantly larger Turkish ships. Still, it's possible that Aivazovsky's artistic impression simply heightened the tension in the painting by accentuating the hopelessness of the brig's situation.
Paintings by other artists (Krasovskiy, Barri, Pechatin) of the same battle, though less known, portray a more realistic depiction of the battle.
External links
Draft schematics of 20-gun brig Merkurii, 1819, Russia