HISTORY
The cruiser Aurora was built between 1897 and
1900 in St. Petersburg and joined Russia's Baltic fleet in 1903. The
ship measures 126.8 meters in length, 16.8 meters in width and
weighs a staggering 7,600 tons. Maintaining a speed of 20 knots it
can travel independently for up to 1,440 sea miles.
In 1917, the Aurora took an active part in the
Revolution. On the night of October 25-26 1917, it fired a blank
shot at the Winter Palace (residence of the Provisional Government),
giving the signal to the rebellious workers, soldiers and sailors of
the city to storm the palace. That moment triggered a dramatic
episode in Russia's history and was the start of over 70 years of
Communist leadership. |