Velieri

The author of this majestic depiction of the Black Sea Fleet is the Armenian Hovhannes Kostandini Ayvazyan (in Russian: Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky), one of the most celebrated marine painters of all time. In his youth, Aivazovsky accompanied the Russian imperial fleet on numerous campaigns, tasked with portraying its splendor.

Painted when the artist was nearly seventy years old in 1886, the painting immortalizes an event in which he personally participated in 1849, accompanying the General Staff in the presence of Tsar Nicholas I.

The flagship in the forefront is the "Twelve Apostles". Equipped with 120 cannons, it was the most modern and refined achievement of Russian naval engineering and shipbuilding at the time.

The "Twelve Apostles" was only surrendered during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855, when it was deliberately scuttled to block the main access channel to the city and its crew deployed as ground defense troops.

The other ships in the fleet were the "Rostislav", the "Svyatoslav", and the "Yagudill", each with 84 cannons. Presumably joining them were the "Tri Svyatitelya", "Gavriil", "Selafail", and "Uriil".

In the bottom left corner, a group of officers observes the parade from the deck of the "Vladimir". Leaning against the railing is Tsar Nicholas I, with Vice Admiral Kornilov (Chief of Staff of the Fleet), Grand Duke Konstantin (the Tsar's brother), Lieutenant General Berkh (member of the Admiralty Council), and Admiral Lazarev (commander of the Black Sea Fleet and governor of Sevastopol and Nikolaev) nearby.

The painting is currently housed at the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg.