Russian Cruiser Aurora

On the night of 7-8 November, 1917, a salvo was fired giving the signal for the storming of the Winter Palace bringing the Bolsheviks to power in a coup that changed world history. That blank shot came from the protected cruiser Aurora, symbol of the Russian Revolution and the oldest surviving ship of the Russian Navy, having fought during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 1905, WWI and the Great Patriotic War when her cannons were used to defend Leningrad.

- Cesare de Villiers

Still bristling with armaments, the famous Aurora is permanently moored as a branch of the Central Naval Museum at the Petrograd embankment on the Neva River, as well as a training vessel for the Naval College.

The history and background of the museum ship is located throughout six rooms with about 300 museum objects including model ships, paintings, objects of seamanship and life at sea, documents and photographs depicting the unique role it played in Russian history. Artefacts such as uniforms and equipment as well as the documents, are representative of the ship's role from its first service in the Russo-Japanese War, its integral role in the October Revolution, and as the cruiser’s contribution to the defence of Leningrad (later the city became known as St Petersburg) during the lengthy German siege of the city in World War II.

A video of the Aurora’s participation during the Bolshevik Revolution is shown in one room. The clip is from Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein’s October: Ten Days That Shook The World.

Below and above deck

Multiple rooms below deck are dedicated to life upon the ship as well as the ship’s service throughout historic events. When construction began in the late 19th-century comfort was not on the Imperial Navy’s mind with the result that anyone taller than about six foot will need to watch their heads. On the upper deck visitors can get an up-close look at the ship’s features, the boats, a variety of armaments including fourteen 152 mm guns, and more. During the Siege of Leningrad these weapons were removed from the ship to participate in the city’s defence.