Tsemessky bay plays an important role in Russian shipping industry, as a lot of passenger, commercial and naval ships operate there. Since 1829, when it was annexed to the Russian Empire after the victory over the Turks, it has been actively used by vessels of various purposes, because it is open for navigation all year round.
Mysterious and enigmatic Tsemessky bay of Novorossiysk
Harbor location
Tsemessky bay got its’ name from the river Tsemes which flows into the bay. Different bay depths, reefs near the coast line and a lot of shoals do not allow ships to enter it without pilotage. The disadvantages of Novorossiysk Bay include:
- Extremely strong northeastern winds, which are called bora. They cause terrible hurricanes, tear ships off their moorings, smash them against rocks.
- The same bad weather is onshore :
- stones fly around;
- winds tear roofs from the buildings: walls swing;
- trains fall.
In summer, when the weather is calm the guests of the city can admire the beauty of Tsemessky bay and take walk along the marvellous embankment.
A walk along the bay
The coastline stretches over 15 km, so it may take you several days to get from one end to the other.
At the entrance to the city there is a 12-meter monument devoted to the sailors defended our country during Civil War and Wold War II:
- this is a kneeling sailor with uncovered head, who is pressing to his heart the cap of his friend died in battles. In his right hand he holds his own sailor’s cap. His strong face is full of bitterness and sadness. Those people who intently stare the sailor often can’t hold their tears;
- across from the monument there is a viewing platform with a picturesque panorama of the bay;
- it is impossible not to visit the naval ship-museum “Mikhail Kutuzov”. As far back as 1950s this ship sailed the seas. But now having bought a ticket for a tour, you can thoroughly examine it and learn about our history over the past 100 years;
- the magnificent stela of the Marine Glory is well seen from the sea. Sculpture composition – a girl angel with our planet under her feet and sailing boat in her hands, which she guards from storms and misfortunes – is placed on a high granite column;
- Novorossiysk port is also a very attractive place to walk. Dock workers bustle around, ships arrive and depart, and one feels the power of this place;
- do not miss the sculptural composition “The Small Earth”, which is embodied in the form of a ship’s bow that breaks onto land – a monument to brave soldiers who fought for a year to liberate Novorossiysk from Wehrmacht troops.
What did the 20th century bring?
The entire fleet was scuttled here in 1918 by the order of Lenin.
In winter, 1973, a ship was staying at berth. It iced up all over and sank in a moment at a wind blow. A half of the crew barely got saved.
The “Curse” of Admiral Pavel Nakhimov
In the 1930s Admiral Nakhimov ordered to drown all ships in order to block the enemy from entering the Sevastopol harbor. Since then all named after him ships sink for unknowable reasons.
August,1986
Brightly sparkling with lights the passenger liner “Admiral Nakhimov” left Novorossiysk port at 10 o’clock in the evening. Just in several minutes after departure she collided with a huge cargo ship “Pyotr Vasev” and in eight minutes sank along with the passengers and the crew. The incident occurred in flat calm sea and at excellent visibility. Two experienced divers died while examining the wreck. Since then search operations on this ship have been forbidden.
Many anomalous phenomena occur in Novorossiysk itself too.