This article will focus on an outstanding person - Istomin Vladimir Ivanovich. Admiral Istomin immortalized his name by showing incredible courage and courage during the heroic defense of Sevastopol during the hardest Crimean war of the nineteenth century.
Childhood and youth
Istomin was born in 1809 in a poor noble family, in the village of Lomovka, Mokshansky district, Penza province, but some consider the Estland province (the city of Revel) to be the birthplace, where his father served in the Chamber Court. Vladimir was the fourth child, and there were seven children in the family.
Having been educated at home, in 1820 Vladimir submitted a petition to Emperor Alexander Pavlovich with a request to be enrolled in the Naval Cadet Corps, where his two older brothers had already studied. The future Admiral Istomin studied in the Naval Corps from 1823 to 1827 and was released with the rank of midshipman, since he could not be awarded the military rank of midshipman due to his age.
The beginning of the battle path
Midshipman Istomin was assigned to the battleship "Azov", which, as part of the squadron, was heading toshores of Greece, to assist the Greeks who rebelled against Turkish rule. Commanded "Azov" M. P. Lazarev, a famous naval commander who made three trips around the world. In a fierce four-hour battle in Navarino Bay on October 8, 1827, the Russian squadron, together with the allies (27 ships), destroyed 62 warships of the Turkish-Egyptian squadron.
The Azov was especially distinguished, which sank 5 ships on its own, and one more - together with the British. For this battle, Admiral Heyden personally hung the Badge of the Military Order on Vladimir Istomin's chest and promoted him to midshipman. The Russian squadron returned to Kronstadt three years later, and in 1831 the Azov, which received many damages, was decommissioned. The crew of the ship was transferred to the new ship "Memory of Azov" and transferred the St. George flag, which was awarded to the old ship for the first time in history.
Istomin's service from 1832 to 1853
The young midshipman continued his service on the 44-gun sailing frigate "Maria", which is part of the B altic Fleet. At the request of Admiral Lazarev, Istomin, who became a lieutenant, was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet in 1835. For the next two years, he served on various ships. As commander of the schooner "Swallow" Istomin participated in the transportation of landing troops, reconnaissance and sentinel service in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1840 he was promoted to lieutenant commander.
Vladimir Ivanovich continued his service in the Caucasus, where he was awarded the rank for differences in military operationscaptain of the 2nd rank, and then ahead of schedule of the captain of the 1st rank. In 1849, Istomin was appointed commander of the new 120-gun ship Paris. Participating in the battle of Sinop (1853), the crew of the "Paris" sank 4 enemy ships, and the commander's personal courage and bravery were marked by the assignment of the admiral's rank. Rear Admiral Istomin made a significant contribution to ensuring the dominance of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
Crimean company
Declaring war on Russia in 1854, England and France, together with Turkey, landed 61,000 troops in Evpatoria. After the battle on the river Alma, with almost twice the enemy forces, the Russian army retreated, opening the way to Sevastopol. The naval base, well fortified from the sea, was defenseless against an offensive from land. The defense of the city was divided into 4 distances, and Admiral Istomin was appointed commander of an extremely important and at the same time the most defenseless distance - Malakhov Kurgan.
With the direct energetic participation of Istomin, Malakhov-Kurgan became impregnable in the shortest possible time, reliably protecting the city from invasion. Vladimir Ivanovich literally lived on the defensive lines, constantly endangering his life. On March 7, 1855, Istomin's head was blown off by a cannonball. The memory of the hero is immortalized in the names of the streets, the name of the bay opened by Russian sailors near the Korean Peninsula. A granite obelisk was erected at the site of the death of the admiral. The biography of Admiral Istomin, who died at the age of 45, is very short and is the clearest exampleselfless heroic service to their Motherland.
