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l o a d i n g

Icebreaker “Krishjanis Valdemars”

Technical Data
  • Latvian icebreaker, built in 1925 in Glasgow (England) by Beardmore
  • Gross tonnage: 1,932 GRT
  • Length: 60 m, Beam: 17 m
  • Speed: 14.4 knots
  • Two steam engines, bow and stern propellers
  • Lost on August 28, 1941
  • First discovered by Estonian researcher Vello Mass in 2011
  • Surveyed by our team in 2021
  • Depth: approximately 90 m
Historical Background

The icebreaker Krishjanis Valdemars was named after a prominent 19th-century Latvian public figure. Built in 1925 by Beardmore in Glasgow, England, she was the pride of the Latvian fleet — the only new steamship built for Latvia at the time. She was used to clear shipping lanes in the freezing Riga port and also served as escort for the president and government officials during foreign visits.

After the occupation of Latvia in 1940, the ship was nationalized. On June 27, 1941 she was evacuated to Tallinn as part of a convoy. The icebreaker was carrying staff of the front-line newspapers and representatives of the Baltic Fleet political directorate.

Krishjanis Valdemars sailed as part of Convoy No. 1. Around 6:00 PM on August 28, the ships began approaching the western edge of the Juminda mine barrage. The first to hit a mine was the hospital transport Ella. Krishjanis Valdemars rushed to help and herself struck a mine. The massive icebreaker rapidly assumed a near-vertical position and went under within minutes. According to historian Radiy Zubkov, 87 passengers and 50 crew members perished. Among those lost was the maritime poet and war correspondent Yuri Inge.

Condition on the Seabed

The icebreaker rests at a depth of about 90 meters, her bow deeply buried in the silt. Only the distinctive stern is accessible for inspection, featuring structural details unique to Krishjanis Valdemars. The wreck was first discovered by Estonian underwater archaeologist Vello Mass in 2011.

Photos from the Seabed
History without politics

Underwater Exploration Team

Our team

Konstantin Bogdanov

Founder, mastermind and main driving force behind the team

Russian Geographical Society’s “Person of the Year” in 2015. Has been diving since the year 1812, prefers Inspiration Vision. CMAS instructor.

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Mikhail Ivanov

Universal soldier and walking encyclopedia, all in one

Knows everything about any events connected with the Gulf of Finland and military activity around it from any time period. Able to find things in archives and perform the most complex tasks under water. Holds the honorary title "High Efficiency". Special interest: submarines.

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Ivan Borovikov

Diver, underwater photographer and videographer

The team’s chief beard, GUE-fanatic and part-time expeditionary medic. Dives with JJ-CCR in GUE modifications.

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Alexei Ivanov

Irreplaceable gasblender and tech guru

Military composure and liver training. IANTD instructor, diving since 2005, prefers CCR Inspiration.

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Innokentiy Olkhovoy

Diver, underwater cameraman, priest

In real life — a priest and steward of the Danilov Monastery. Team member since 2017. Prefers JJ-CCR, faithfully serves as the ship's chaplain, and in rare moments of rest writes songs and sings them with a guitar.

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Olga Akulova

Irreplaceable team member, photographer and, more recently, land-based expedition operator

Charming lady who cannot be found with fewer than two cameras in her hands 🙂 Doesn’t dive, but strongly sympathizes.

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Evgeny Abramov

Better known as “John”

Chief dolphin master, old soul, cupbearer and diver with vast experience.

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Sumbat Alexandrov

Laugher in Chief

Professional diver. Cave dweller, handiman and a giant of a man with huge experience.

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Evgeny Tutynin

Hydroacoustics expert, eyes and ears of the team

Began diving relatively recently and is now exploring the objects he finds not only on a sonar screen, but also in real life.

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Nikolai Kudryashov

Producer

Enthusiastic open-cycle diver. Always ready in difficult times to offer support, help, stage bottles or snacks.

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Murat Kurbanov

Photoshop god

Doesn’t dive. Takes care of all the difficult jobs involving images (such as the “Lefort” mosaic), master of imagery, design guru, helps support dives.

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M-96 Submarine

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Transport “Ausma”

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Patrol Ship “Cyclone”

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Icebreaker “Krishjanis Valdemars”

The icebreaker Krishjanis Valdemars rests at about 90 meters depth, her bow deeply buried in silt. Only the distinctive stern is accessible for inspection.

Transport “Naissaar”

Transport Naissaar was to take aboard 1,500 soldiers defending Tallinn. During the Breakthrough, she struck a mine near Juminda. Found and identified in July 2021.

Transport “Everita”

The transport Everita was evacuating the Naissaar Island garrison. She struck a mine near Cape Juminda and sank almost instantly. About 1,500 people perished.

Transport “Balkhash”

One of the first transports to perish near Cape Juminda. About 4,000 people died — the Paldiski garrison and their families. Identified August 2021.

Transport “Atis Kronvalds”

A Latvian steamship built in 1900. Took aboard 800 people in Tallinn. Sunk by air strikes August 29. Discovered June 2021.

Transport “Jarvamaa”

An Estonian steamship built in 1894. Took aboard 800 naval personnel. Severely damaged by air strikes August 29, burned all night, sank August 30. Discovered June 2021.

Hospital Transport “Alev”

Sank near transport Kalpaks on August 29, 1941. Beside the ship lies a passenger car that fell from the deck. Discovered June 2021.

Hospital Transport “Kalpaks”

Kalpaks sank August 29, 1941 at 4:46 PM after three bomb hits. Captain and first mate reports describe her heroic and tragic loss. About 1,500 perished.

German Submarine Hunters (U-Bootjager)

Four German submarine hunters from the 12th Flotilla, guarding the Seeigel mine barrage. Discovered during the search for submarine M-96.

L-2 submarine

L-2 submarine sunk after she hit the mines near Juminda peninsula in 1941. All crew, including famous poet, navigating officer of L-2 Alexander Lebedev, died with the ship.

Sch-302 submarine

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Destroyer “Kalinin” (“Pryamislav”)

Kalinin (until February 5, 1925 known as Pryamislav) was an Izyaslav-class destroyer, belonging to the second series of Novik-type destroyers. She was lost during the Tallinn Breakthrough and discovered by our team in 2018.

Destroyer “Novik” (“Yakov Sverdlov”)

A destroyer, hero of World War I, and the central figure of Valentin Pikul's novel "Moonzund." The destroyer Novik was sunk by a mine in 1941 during the Tallinn Breakthrough, under the name Yakov Sverdlov.

Sch-308 submarine

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Sch-405 submarine

Sch-405 was the unluckiest of the Soviet Baltic fleet subs of WWII times. She survived two commanders, and the third one died with the submarine. She managed to take part in one war patrol, nearly survived and sunk on her way to the second one by Nazi mine in Soviet-controlled waters.

“Kalinin” destroyer (formerly “Pryamislav”)

Destroyer "Kalinin" was sunk during Soviet fleet evacuation from Tallinn on August 28, 1941, soon after she hit a German mine on Juminda minefield in Gulf of Finland.

S-12 submarine

S-12 Soviet WWII submarine was one of five subs sent with order to break thru the German minefields, crossing the Gulf of Finland in 1943. She struck the mine and was torn apart by the explosion. Submarine wreck is laying at 87 meters depth.

Sch-317 submarine

This WWII-era Soviet Shchuka-class submarine is probably our most unexpected find of 2017, from a historical perspective.

Sch-406 submarine

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Sch-320 submarine

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Sch-408 submarine

Probably one of the most tragic tales of the Baltic submarine fleet. Sch-408 "Baltic Varyag" was forced to engage in an artillery battle with three German ships and submerged without lowering its flag.

Sch-324 submarine

This legendary Shchuka-class submarine – a veteran of the Finnish war – embarked on a unique 30-mile passage under the frozen Gulf of Finland with no navigational references, and was later sunk during its first WWII combat patrol.

M-95 submarine

The Malyutkas were one of the most numerous classes of WWII-era Soviet submarines. The M-95's crew fought to save their sub for two days and only attempted to abandon ship after exhausting every opportunity for survival...

Vaindloo freighter

One of the many victims of the so-called "Russian Dunkirk" – the Soviet evacuation of Tallinn. A huge number of ships in several waves broke through the minefields, aviation attacks and artillery fire at Kronstadt. Many of them did not make it, leaving the route from Tallinn to Kronstadt strewn with sunken ships, many of which have yet to be found.

XIX-century tall ships

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MKT T-387 minesweeper

This Soviet naval minesweeper, which sank in 1944 after being hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat, was quite a puzzler. The extensive damage made it rather difficult for us to identify it and uncover its history.

Pallada armored cruiser

This giant armored cruiser with a crew of 550 tragically sank within minutes of a submarine attack, marking Russia's entry into WWI in the Baltic region.

Akula submarine

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T-18 torpedoboot

The German T-18 torpedoboot sank as a result of a skip-bombing attack by Soviet bombers near the Finnish port of Hanko. The ship's hull is broken into two parts that stand on the seafloor almost vertically, in a V shape. This was the only successful skip-bombing attack conducted by the Soviet Air Force in the Baltic theater. Our team found and identified the ship on 16 June 2014.

Vzryv and Provodnik minesweepers

WWI showed all of the world's governments that the rules of war at sea had completely changed. Mines, torpedoes, submarines, steamships and long-range artillery forced all naval powers to reconsider their shipbuilding plans. The need for a special class of ships appeared: minesweepers. This is the story of the Russian Imperial Fleet's very first minesweepers.

S-9 submarine

This S-class Soviet submarine was one of five that tried to break out of the Gulf of Finland in 1943. The sub's history is full of strange and surprising facts: she sank twice, was shelled and torpedoed, but remained in service until the very end.

Lefort – Russian wooden battleship

The last real wooden battleship of the Russian Imperial Fleet. This giant was considered unsinkable but went down in minutes, taking over 800 souls with her. This was the largest peacetime sea tragedy before the sinking of the Titanic and Estonia ferry. The event inspired Ivan Aivazovsky to create one of his best-known paintings, the Sinking of the Lefort. The nearly forgotten ship was found 150 years after the tragedy.

P-1 “Pravda” submarine

The Pravda submarine's developers envisioned a huge submarine, the size of a destroyer, surfacing among enemy ships and taking part in an artillery battle. We will tell the story of the sole attempt to send a P-class submarine on a combat patrol.

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