"Smuggling. Three centuries under water" - an exhibition from the underwater excavations of "Archangel Raphael

October 13 - IA "News» . Excavations of the German merchant ship Archangel Raphael, which sank in the Baltic at the beginning of the 18th century, began in 2014. Over three seasons, a team of research divers managed to erode more than eight meters of the interior space of the ship’s hull. A total of 267 artifacts were found, some of which are presented at the exhibition. Tools, weapon boxes, wardrobe items, dishes and other things that belonged to the crew of the sunken ship were recovered from the bottom of the Gulf of Finland, and then underwent the necessary conservation and restoration processes.

Professionals note that conservation periods can reach up to six months and largely depend on the size and material from which the found object is made. It is especially difficult to preserve tissue, but this task was overcome. For example, among the unique artifacts are the caftan and pants of a ship passenger. And they were saved from destruction by the tar that spilled during the crash. In a barrel with this “natural preservative”, the caftan went for restoration to specialists from the State Hermitage and was completely restored, including all 90 decorative buttons. Among the exhibits at the exhibition at the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society, a unique hat and boot deserve special attention, which were also brought to perfect condition by the restorers.

“Underwater archeology is not only an adventure, but also a science and quite painstaking work,” Roman Prokhorov, an archaeologist, restorer, and research diver at the Central Research Institute of the Russian Geographical Society, rightly noted on this occasion. — We have been “digging” this ship for four years. We work for 6-7 hours every day under cold water without a break. We use special equipment that requires a person to have many skills and specialties. And I want to emphasize that this is the work of a whole team: you need to organize the whole process, work under water, process the objects, then take them to the museum, where they will also be finalized and exhibited. Among other things, we get a lot of help from restorers of the highest class: the Hermitage and the All-Russian Art Scientific and Restoration Center named after I.E. Grabar.

It is known about the history of “Archangel Raphael” that he left St. Petersburg for Lubeck in October 1724, having paid a duty for a small amount of goods. However, the ship stopped beyond the customs border and then stood at anchor west of Kotlin Island for more than a month, accepting smuggled cargo from boats. According to the historian, scientific consultant of the Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society Andrei Lukoshkov, the ship left with about 120 bales of leather on board, and the peasants who dived from the ice after its sinking had already pulled out 350 bales, and moreover, it was said that this was only a small fraction cargo In November, the onset of frosts bound the ship with ice, as a result of which it was abandoned by the crew. According to researchers, it was the ship of the Dutch merchant Herman Meyer, which died at the end of November, having a much larger cargo on board. Although Russian authorities opened a special investigation into the crash, the investigation was not completed, likely due to the death of Emperor Peter the Great in January 1725.

Almost three centuries later, specialists from the Underwater Research Center were interested in several cases found in the Russian State Archives of the Navy. According to them, in the times of Peter the Great, a ship with the name either “Archangel Gabriel” or “Archangel Raphael” was crushed by ice in the Baltic waters. Thanks to the materials, it was possible to establish the supposed area of ​​death and find the remains of a wooden ship. There were no external signs by which the found vessel could be identified. Therefore, radiocarbon dating of the wood was carried out, showing the estimated time of felling of the ship. Taking into account the time it takes to dry the wood, this could well be the Archangel Raphael, known in the German archives, built in Lübeck in 1693. The second confirmation was the discovery on the ship of a dish with the image of the biblical Archangel Raphael and the numbers “1696”.

“What we are now opening here is a certain quintessence of our work,” Sergei Fokin, executive director of the Russian Geographical Research Center, emphasized at the opening of the exhibition. — Any of our activities is aimed at increasing cumulative knowledge, which without a specific addressee does not make much sense. And today we want to bring some of the very specific knowledge of history, of underwater archeology, which is still a young science and is in its formation stage. However, close attention is paid to it; it is not without reason that within the framework of the upcoming International Cultural Forum within the walls of the Russian Geographical Society a separate section will be held on the preservation of underwater cultural heritage, and this exhibition is an integral part of it. The fruits of three seasons of expeditions are presented here; work is still ongoing and does not stop. Unfortunately, we cannot show all the exhibits, but only those that have undergone the full process of conservation and restoration,” Fokin noted.

Exhibition “Smuggling. Three centuries under water" will last at the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society until January 31. After this, all exhibits will be transferred to the Kronstadt History Museum.

The depths of the sea hide many secrets. One of them was recently solved by specialists from the Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society. At the bottom of the Gulf of Finland, they managed to discover and explore a German merchant ship from the late 17th century, which sank in 1724 with a large cargo of contraband on board. Visitors to the exhibition “Smuggling. Three centuries under water."

The exhibition presents unique finds raised from the bottom of the sea and given a second life thanks to the skill of restorers. Part of the smuggled cargo, dishes, clothing and personal belongings of the crew, working and measuring instruments - all these objects, after three hundred years of silence, tell their unhurried story about life on the ship, about the tastes of their owners and contemporaries. Visitors will find many interesting facts about the laws of maritime trade, which did not always comply with state laws.

Guests of the exhibition will not only get acquainted with the way of life on a European ship of the 18th century, but will also be able, with the help of audiovisual accompaniment of the exhibition, to dive to the bottom of the sea and plunge into the world of the fascinating profession of an underwater archaeologist.

The exhibition features original and modern design. Its composition is intended to create in the visitor’s imagination the image of a found ship and the dynamic movement of the found artifacts from the depths of the sea to the surface.

"Contraband" travels through the best exhibition spaces in St. Petersburg and beyond. She began her journey at the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society on October 12, 2017. The artifacts were seen by more than 4 thousand St. Petersburg residents and city guests.

In July 2018, the opening of an exhibition took place in the Silver Vaults of Oranienbaum. This is an updated, expanded collection of "Archangel Raphael" artifacts. By the way, for the first time, a caftan and woolen trousers, which are stored in the State Hermitage after a complex restoration, are exhibited together with household items and tools. During the 4 months of the exhibition, almost 10,000 people came to learn about the amazing story that Peter I himself was interested in. We will tell you where “Three Centuries Under Water” will go next in the news on our social networks and on the website.

“Smuggling” is rushing abroad too. We are negotiating with the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg. Colleagues really want to see how the cargo of German merchants, with a 300-year lag, will still reach the shores of Germany. We are planning for 2019-2020.

13.10.2017

"Smuggling. Three centuries under water" - exhibition from the underwater excavations of "Archangel Raphael"

On Thursday October 12 an exhibition opened at the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg "Smuggling. Three centuries under water".

The exhibition was prepared by the team Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society, whose underwater archaeologists found a sunken merchant ship in the Gulf of Finland " Archangel Raphael». Entrance to the exhibition is free! Archeology lovers, divers and those who want to see the treasures of sunken ships are welcome!

« Archangel Raphael"was a late German merchant ship 17th century, which sank in 1724 with a large cargo of contraband on board. The history of the shipwreck is also notable for the fact that Peter I himself initiated an investigation into the wreck of this smuggling ship.

Unique artifacts from smuggled cargo, dishes, clothing and personal belongings of the crew, working and measuring instruments, barrels and wine lay for three hundred years at a depth of fifteen meters, and have now been raised and restored. Work at the site has been ongoing since 2014.

A secret revealed

Part of the smuggled cargo, dishes, clothing and personal belongings of the crew, working and measuring instruments - all these items were displayed at the exhibition “Smuggling. Three centuries under water”, which took place yesterday in St. Petersburg in the large hall of the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society. After three hundred years of silence, they tell their leisurely story about life on the ship and about their owners and contemporaries.

The Baltic Sea kept this secret for three centuries, and finally allowed underwater archaeologists to look into the past. Specialists from the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society discovered the ship at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland back in 2002. It all started with a found brick. From the mark on it, it became clear: the found ship was built at a German factory in Lübeck at the end of the 17th century. It turned out that this was the sensational “Archangel Raphael” in the times of Peter the Great.

– The ship left St. Petersburg in October, and in early December it was found chained and crushed in the ice of the Gulf of Finland. Soon after the discovery, suggestions arose that he was involved in smuggling, says Andrei Lukoshkov, director of scientific work at the National Center for Underwater Research of the Russian Geographical Society.

Thanks to the criminals

As it later turned out, this was so. Having gone beyond the customs border, the enterprising captain Jan Schmidt anchored. For 40 days, the ship's holds were filled with contraband goods, which were brought in by boat.

But Russian nature prevented the team from realizing their plans. Ice formed in the bay, first captivating the ship and then crushing its sides. Fleeing as best they could, the crew members abandoned not only their goods, but also their personal belongings.

The smuggling department and Peter the Great personally took up the investigation of this story. Only his unexpected death suspended the investigation. And only after almost three centuries the secret became clear. Today, leaving aside the assessment of the moral character of smugglers of the 18th century, underwater archaeologists cannot find words to thank them.

“Of course, such a find is a great success for us, and we should be grateful to these thieves,” Andrei Lukoshkov laughs.

Rare luck

Thanks must also be given to the Gulf of Finland. Its muddy, slightly salted water prevented sunlight from reaching the ship and became an excellent preservative for it. In addition, there are almost no undercurrents in this part of the bay. All these factors made it possible to preserve the ship and things in almost untouched form. The exhibition includes personal items, dishes, a gun box, shoes and clothing.

– We found a mitten with two thumbs on both sides. Perhaps this was necessary to put it on in a hurry, or maybe for something else,” says diver-researcher Igor Galayda.

But the main exhibit is an expensive European caftan from the early 18th century. By a lucky coincidence, it was preserved in almost original condition. During the crash, it was filled with tar from a fallen barrel. This allowed him to lie under water for 300 years without losing a single button.

Three seasons of expeditions and more than a hundred raised artifacts are behind us. Many are still under restoration, and some have been transferred to the Hermitage for storage. But diving work on the Archangel Raphael is not yet completed. In the near future, specialists from Germany will join them - for them the find is of incredible interest. This is not surprising - none of the sunken German ships is in such good condition. And in general, if you imagine how many secrets the Baltic Sea has accumulated over the entire history of navigation and take into account that only a few become obvious, you can imagine the joy of the researchers who discovered such an interesting find.