Russian cruiser Varyag (Varangian), (ex-Chervona Ukraina), is the third ship of the Slava class

Slava class cruiser

The Slava class cruiser, Soviet designation Project 1164 Atlant, is a large conventionally-powered warship, currently operated by Russia.-Design:...

 of guided missile cruisers built for the Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy

The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

 now serving the Russian Navy.

History

Laid down in 1979 at 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant (Shipyard 445) in Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv , also known as Nikolayev , is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe.-Name of city:...

 as Chervona Ukraina ("Red Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

"), was launched in July 1983, and commissioned October 16, 1989. Joined the Pacific Fleet in 1990 and was listed as having only a caretaker crew up to 2002.

Re-entered service in the Pacific Fleet in early 2008 after an overhaul.

In 2009 the cruiser led a fleet of foreign warships participating in a parade to mark the -60th anniversary of China's Navy

People's Liberation Army Navy

The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...

.

In June 2010, Varyag, under the command of Captain Eduard Moskalenko and with the Commander Northern Fleet Combined Forces Rear-Admiral Vladimir L. Kasatonov embarked, made a port call to San Francisco. The visit, the first by a Russian navy surface combatant in 147 years, featured a plaque dedication ceremony to commemorate six Russian Imperial Navy sailors who died fighting a fire in San Francisco in 1863. This visit also coincided with President Medvedev visiting Silicon Valley and he once again visited the Varyag as he had in Singapore in 2009.

On 19 November 2010, during a 4-day informal visit to South Korea, 24-year old Lieutenant Ivan Yegorov reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself. According to Roman Martov, head of Russian Navy Pacific Fleet Press Service, the reason of suicide was a conflict between the lieutenant and his wife. The crewman's brother doubts that is was suicide, and told reporters that his brother had phoned him several hours before the death: "His voice was high-spirited and he boasted of gifts which he was going to bring his family".

From November 8-11 2011 the Varyag, accompanied by the tanker Irkut, made a port visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, to commemorate servicemen killed in armed conflicts. Varyag was escorted into Vancouver by the Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

 destroyer HMCS Algonquin

HMCS Algonquin

Several Canadian naval units have been named HMCS Algonquin. was a V class destroyer active from 1944 to 1970. is an Iroquois class destroyer active from 1973 to date.Battle Honours*Norway, 1944.*Normandy, 1944.*Arctic, 1944-45....

, and the Varyags crew engaged in friendly sports matches with their Canadian counterparts from the Algonquin.

See also

• Chervona Ukraina for another ship named for Red Ukraine.