Russalka facts for kids

The Russalka was a special kind of warship. It belonged to the navy of the Russian Empire. Its job was to protect the coast in the Baltic Sea.

History of the Russalka

The ship Russalka was built in a city called St. Petersburg. This happened in 1867. The ship was about 62 meters long. That's like two basketball courts end to end!

It had six powerful cannons. A crew of 178 sailors worked on board.

On September 7, 1893, the Russalka was sailing to Helsinki. The weather was very bad. The ship sank in the Gulf of Finland. Everyone on board was lost.

Three days later, on September 10, the navy announced the ship was missing. All the sailors were gone.

Finding the Russalka

The Russian government ordered a big search. About 15 ships helped look for the Russalka. The search lasted until October 16, 1893. But they could not find the ship.

Many years later, on June 22, 2003, something amazing happened. A ship was found deep in the sea. It was about 30 meters down. This ship was the Russalka.

Images for kids

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  Ivan Kramskoi, Русалки (Rusalki), 1871

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  Witold Pruszkowski Rusałki, 1877

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  Rusalka by Ivan Bilibin, 1934

See also

In Spanish: Rusalka para niños