Derzhava (yacht)

• Dvina

The derzhava (Russian: Держава, German: State power, but here orb ) was the imperial yacht of the House of Romanov. The ship was laid in 1866 at Kiel in 1871 and ran from the stack. The derzhava in the Baltic Sea and the Livadia in the Black Sea were the last paddle steamer built as a yacht for the Romanovs. The derzhava remained until 1898 as a state yacht in the service and was then converted into a training ship. As such, the name Dvina received.

The derzhava was laid at the shipyard of the New Admiralty in St. Petersburg on April 28, 1866 Kiel. The keel laying of the Russian Emperor Alexander II was present. The construction of the yacht leaned against the HMY Victoria and Albert II, who had been launched on 16 January 1855. The construction of the derzhava was lengthy, it was only after five years, on 31 July 1871 from the deck. The two steam engines, which were designed and built in Russia, issued a combined capacity of 720 PSI and gave the ship a speed of 16.72 knots.

On the deck of the derzhava two free-standing structures were located. At the rear, the rooms were for the Russian Emperor, at the bow for the General Admiral of the Russian Fleet. The design of the interiors was Ippolit Monighetti ( Ипполит Антонович Монигетти ), a Russian artist and architect, transferred. The order for the figurehead went to Mikhail Ossipowitsch Mikeshin. Mikeshin suggested an allegorical female figure holding sword and orb in his hands. Alexander declined in 1867, however, such proposals and ordered Mikeshin to make one of the usual Russian double-headed eagle. Mikeshin delivered in accordance with instructions in July 1870, the figure from, but his sculpture differed significantly from the usual in Russia of that time double eagles.

The crew of the derzhava consisted of no less than 200 men. In 1888 were among its 238 people, including 93 mechanics and heater, 65 musicians and 15 chorus singers, while maintaining the personal service of the imperial family had not yet been considered, which included approximately 50 staff.

The derzhava was used until 1898 as a yacht. Then, it was converted into a training ship and renamed Dvina. The Dvina was finally decommissioned in 1905.