On July 27 (August 7), 1714, Peter I was overjoyed beyond measure. The first victory in a naval battle had been won! Near the Hanko Peninsula, in a fierce boarding fight, the warriors of the galleys of the young Russian fleet captured ten Swedish vessels: the frigate "Elefant," six galleys, and three skerry boats. A monument was erected near the site where the Battle of Gangut took place on July 27, 1714, between Peter the Great’s galley fleet and the Swedish skerry flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral Nils Ehrenschiöld. In this battle, the Russians achieved a brilliant victory, capturing 9 enemy ships and taking over 500 Swedish soldiers and sailors prisoner. This was the first major naval victory of the regular navy created by Peter the Great, and Ehrenschiöld became the first prisoner of war of such a high naval rank.
Peter I equated this success with the victory of the land forces at Poltava. Its significance was not in the material damage inflicted on the Swedes, whose sailing fleet, anchored near Cape Gangut in calm seas, remained intact, unharmed, and still represented a formidable naval force. The victory of the Russian fleet morally broke the opponent, who had previously dominated the Baltic Sea unchallenged, and gave Russian sailors confidence in their abilities. Moreover, the outcome of the battle contributed to the final expulsion of Swedish troops from Finland and later ensured that military actions were transferred directly onto Swedish territory, which ultimately decided the successful conclusion of the Great Northern War.
In honor of this triumph, Peter ordered gold medals to be struck for the officers and silver ones for the "lower ranks" who participated in the battle, and a church of Saint Panteleimon to be built in Saint Petersburg (on the Fontanka Embankment), on the day when the "first fruits of the Russian fleet" were won. At the burial site of the fallen sailors and soldiers, on the rocks of the Rilax Fjord, a monument—a wooden cross—was erected. And then it was forgotten. For more than a century and a half. The cross decayed. The burial mound over the warriors’ ashes leveled with the ground. And this sacred place would probably have disappeared from the people's memory if, in 1869, on the eve of the 155th anniversary of the battle, during maneuvers near Gangut by the training squadron of the Naval School, its commander, the elder brother of the great Russian composer Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Rear Admiral Voin Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, had not had the fortunate idea to find this burial site. While his cadets on the frigate "Gromoboy," corvette "Gilyak," tender "Kadet," boats "Marevo," "Priboy," and launches reenacted all the actions of the Russian and Swedish fleets during the Battle of Gangut, he "spent considerable time and effort" searching for the burial place of the Russian sailors. On the evening of July 16 (old style), after the maneuvers, Rear Admiral V. Rimsky-Korsakov, Lieutenant General Count Aminov—the owner of the local estates—cadets of the school, volunteers, and officers went ashore and placed a simple wooden cross at the presumed burial site, made by sailors of the frigate "Gromoboy," with an inscription in Russian and Swedish: "In memory of those killed in the Battle of Gangut on July 27, 1714, from the training squadron of the Naval School."
After the military honors were paid, Rear Admiral V. Rimsky-Korsakov proposed to those present to erect here, from voluntary contributions of the squadron’s ranks, another monument, durable and made of more solid material—cast iron or stone. The admiral’s idea was received with great enthusiasm by all. Upon returning to Petersburg, without delay, V. Rimsky-Korsakov sent a "most humble report" to the manager of the Naval Ministry, General Admiral N. Krabbe, on which, on August 17, Alexander II wrote a resolution: "Highly commendable, and I will give from myself, remind about it...". The development of the monument project was entrusted to the famous Russian architect I. Monighetti. In less than three months, the project was ready.
The monument, according to the author’s design, was to be a granite cross with round cast-iron images carved from "two medals struck in memory of the Battle of Gangut."
The monument was created based on the project of architect Ippolit Monighetti and sculptor Nikolai Barinov. On the rock towering above the bay where (presumably) the battle took place, a granite cross 3.56 meters high was installed. On the front side of the pedestal, an inscription in Russian reads: TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE FALLEN IN THE BATTLE OF GANGUT ON JULY 27, 1714, BURIED NEARBY. Above the inscription, at the base of the cross, there is an applied metal medallion with a bust image of Peter I. On the back side of the pedestal, facing the forest, an inscription in Swedish reads: TILL MINNE AFDEM, SOM STUPADE I SJÖSLAGET VID HANGÖUDD DEN 27 JULI 1714, OCH ÄRO HÄR I NÄRHETEN BEGRAFNE. Above the inscription, at the base of the cross, there is a metal medallion depicting the Battle of Gangut from an engraving by A. Zubov. On the right side of the pedestal, the inscription reads: ERECTED ON JULY 27, 1870, BY THE EFFORTS OF THE TRAINING SQUADRON OF THE NAVAL SCHOOL. On the left side of the pedestal, the inscription reads: FROM THE OFFERINGS OF: THE EMPEROR, THE HEIR TSAREVICH, GRAND DUKE ALEXEI ALEXANDROVICH AND KONSTANTIN NIKOLAEVICH.
In mid-June, the monument was delivered on the corvette "Gilyak" to Rilax Fjord; on June 22, the laying ceremony took place, and on the 27th—the solemn unveiling.
Clearly outlined against the backdrop of the orderly ship forest, it crowned the ridge of coastal granite cliffs, reminding of the birthplace of the Russian fleet’s battle glory, earned in naval battles. On two sides of the pedestal, in Russian and Swedish, it was written: "In memory of those fallen in the Battle of Gangut, buried nearby," on the third side: "Erected on July 27, 1870, by the efforts of the training squadron of the Naval School." And so that the fourth side of the pedestal would not remain empty, the "loyal subjects" did not fail to immortalize the generosity of the royal family there: "From the offerings of: the Emperor, the Heir Tsarevich, Grand Dukes Alexei Alexandrovich and Konstantin Nikolaevich." The "voluntary offerings" of the squadron’s ranks were not mentioned—beside the names of the highest persons, they had no place.
Forty-four years passed. The 200th anniversary of the Gangut victory was approaching. During the planned celebrations for this significant date, it was intended to install four bronze plaques at the burial site with descriptions of the battle, a list of losses of Swedish ships, and a roster of battle participants, issue a jubilee medal, and lay wreaths at the monument.
However, on Russia’s western borders, the first signs of the impending war had already appeared, and by "highest order," the celebration was postponed to 1915. It never took place. In the turmoil of World War I, there was no time for ceremonial marches and festive salutes. After the October Revolution, on December 31, 1917, the Soviet government recognized Finland as an independent state. And the burial site of the heroes of Gangut found itself on foreign territory. Thus began a new period of oblivion in its history, especially since relations with the neighboring country remained tense until September 1944. There is probably another significant reason for the monument’s oblivion, which is not mentioned in Soviet historians’ works or encyclopedic publications. The campaign in the 1920s–30s against bourgeois cultural heritage, particularly monuments of old times expressed in religious forms, apparently led to the fact that we know little about the fact of the monument’s establishment.
In 1925, King Gustav V of Sweden arrived in Finland on an official visit with his wife. This was the first official visit of a foreign head of state to independent Finland, and it was conducted with all possible solemnity. On the return trip to Sweden, the destroyer "Vidar," on which the monarch traveled, accompanied by the Finnish torpedo boat S1, stopped in the Bromarv commune near the site of the Gangut battle. This was a visit of remembrance, a tribute to the feat of ancestors who died in these places fighting the Russian army. The guests also visited the monument. They saw a depressing sight—construction debris and parts of a new unfinished monument scattered across the site, the plaques describing the battle had darkened, inscriptions were almost unreadable, one of the plaques had completely disappeared, and climbing the unfinished staircase to the platform was somewhat dangerous.
The chairman of the Bromarv commune self-defense squad, Count Aminoff, expressed in his speech the desire to erect a monument here to Rear Admiral Ehrenschiöld to immortalize the feat of the Swedish naval officer who spared no life in defense of Finland. It should be noted that the population of the commune and nearby settlements was predominantly ethnic Swedish, so Count Aminoff’s proposal received warm approval.
The commune’s residents began restoration work. The staircase was completed, a large pier for ships was built, and the platform was expanded. Stone for the work was taken from a nearby rock. The project was supervised by the Finnish Museum Department. The metal plaques were dismantled and replaced with stone ones made by the local company Granit Oy, featuring the frigate "Elefant" and commemorative inscriptions honoring the feat of Nils Ehrenschiöld and the Swedish sailors.
On the front side of the pedestal is an image of the Swedish frigate "Elefant" with raised sails. On the right side of the pedestal, above two crossed swords, an inscription in Finnish reads: NIILO ERENSCHIÖLDIN HÄNEN ASETOVERIENSA SEKÄ HEIDÄN RIILAHDEN MERITAISTELUSSA 27 P:NÄ HEINAKUUTA 1714 SUORITTAMAINSA SANKARITEKOJEN MUISTOKSI. On the left side of the pedestal, above two crossed swords, an inscription in Swedish reads: TILL MINNE AF NILS EHRENSCHIOLD OCH HANS MAN OCH DERAS BRAGDRIKA STRID I SLAGET PÅ RILAX FJÄRD DEN 27 JULI 1714. In Russian, this means: In memory of Nils Ehrenschiöld and his men, who heroically fought in the battle at Riilahti on July 27, 1714.
On the back side of the pedestal, above two crossed swords, an inscription in Swedish reads: VORDANDE HJÄLTEMODET. OFFERVILJAN. TROHETEN EMOT FÄDERNESLANDET RESTE BROMARF SKYDDSKÅR DETTA MINNESMÄRKE ÅR 1928. Below, the same text in Finnish: KUNNIOITTAEN SANKARIMIELTÄ. UHRAUTUVAISUUTTA. USKOLLISUUTTA ISÄNMAATA KOHTAAN PYSTYTTI MUISTOMERKIN BROMARVIN SUOJELUKUNTA V.1928. The inscription reads: With respect to heroism, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to the Fatherland, the Bromarv self-defense guard erected this memorial in 1928.
The author of the new monument, which took the form of a strict obelisk with a cannonball at the top and drawings engraved on the plaques, was the famous artist and sculptor Bertel Nilsson. The finishing stone, as mentioned, was taken from a nearby rock, while the plaques were made of granite in the sculptor’s workshop in Lappvik. The total cost of the work was 37,000 marks.
The solemn unveiling of the monument took place on July 27, 1928, with a large gathering of people. Besides the civil ceremony, there was a naval parade. The Finnish Navy appeared in full force. Guests were also present—the newest destroyers of the Swedish Navy "Erenskiöld" and "Nordenskiöld."
The Russian monument was initially planned to be moved further into the forest; a massive slab (photo) was presumably built as its pedestal. However, this idea was later abandoned, and today both monuments stand peacefully side by side, reminding travelers of distant events and glorious naval battles of the Great Northern War.
Fortunately, in July 1984, on the eve of the 270th anniversary of the Gangut victory, the burial site of the participants of the Battle of Gangut was recalled by employees of the Soviet embassy in Finland. According to their report, near the old granite cross, the local commune had erected a monument to the Swedish sailors and built a small pier for mooring tourist boats. Time had not spared the old monument: the granite was covered with moss and growths, cracks had formed. But most importantly, one of the main elements of the monument—the bas-relief depicting Peter I—was lost.
In the fourth volume of the magazine "World Illustration" in 1870, it is stated that the medals were engraved on both sides: one side—the obverse, the other—the reverse. By that time, several types of medals had been issued in honor of the Battle of Gangut. The question arose: which one did the artist use in his work? Fortunately, a photograph of the monument dating back to 1913 was found in the archive. It clearly shows a bust portrait of Peter I and a profile (head turned left) with the St. Andrew’s ribbon across the shoulder. The composition of the bas-relief puzzled experts somewhat: its details were not identical to the details in images of Peter I on known medals. Specialists from the State Russian Museum concluded: "In the numismatic collection of the State Russian Museum, there are no medals whose compositional-plastic solution fully corresponds to the bas-relief (portrait of Peter I) shown in the photographs. The type of Peter I’s portrait can be compared with the image on the breast medals for the victory at Gangut. The inscription on the bas-relief most closely corresponds to the inscription on the reproduction of the commemorative medal of the eighteenth century, which was made in the mid-nineteenth century by medallist M. V. Kuchkin."
The dimensions of the medallion were also determined: diameter—177 mm, thickness—10 mm. The information found in archival documents allowed a complete picture of the original appearance of the monument to be composed. Based on this, Leningrad sculptor Cherniyenko made a duplicate of the lost medallion. It was installed on the monument in June 1985 during a friendly visit of a detachment of Soviet warships to Finland.
Fifteen years passed. In 1991, the USSR ceased to exist. It seemed that the monument on one of the capes of Rilax Fjord would again be forgotten for a long time. But in 1999, on the 285th anniversary of the Gangut victory, a group of cadets from the Naval Engineering Institute, led by Captain First Rank Iryutin, made a boat trip to the battle site. With the permission of local authorities, the burial site of those who died in the Battle of Gangut was put in order.
Sources:
HISTORY AND MODERNITY: O. I. Verbova, V. A. Saraev
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/zabytyy-pamyatnik/viewer
https://poxoronka.ru/forum/finlyandiya/67345-mogila-russkikh-moryakov-1714-g-gangut
https://petersmonuments.ru/europe/memorials/pamyatnik_pogibshim_uchastnikam_gangutskoy_morskoy_batalii_riilahden_monumentti/
