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Nicholay DreyerRussian navigator, captain of the patrol ship "Svyatogor".
Date of Birth: 31.12.1888
Country:  Lithuania |
Content:
- Nikolai Aleksandrovich Dreyer: A Russian Naval Legend
- Command of the "Svyatogor"
- Political Activism
- Confrontation with Allied Forces
- Execution and Legacy
- Significance
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Dreyer: A Russian Naval Legend
Early Life and CareerNikolai Aleksandrovich Dreyer, a scion of the Tver nobility, was born on December 31, 1888, in Dundaga, Latvia. In 1917, as a young officer in the General Naval Staff, he was tasked with traveling to England alongside Admiral Tsvigman to oversee the construction of the icebreaker "Svyatogor" for the Northern Arctic Fleet.
Command of the "Svyatogor"
After the February Revolution, Dreyer became the captain of "Svyatogor" while the Bolshevik Alexander Terëkhin assumed leadership as chairman of the ship's committee. Dreyer, who had fallen ill with typhus, was treated at the garrison hospital. Tragically, when his cousin, Captain Second Rank Georgy Ermolyevich Chaplin, visited him, Dreyer shot and killed him in the hospital courtyard.
Political Activism
Dreyer, a supporter of the Bolsheviks, was elected as a delegate to the Northern Arctic Fleet Congresses. He served on the Central Committee of the Fleet, known as Tsentroflot, and led the commission that disarmed the officer guards at Bakaritsa.
Confrontation with Allied Forces
In 1918, Dreyer urged participants at a rally in Solombala to oppose the arrival of Allied forces in Arkhangelsk. On August 1, English warships approached Mudyug Island and targeted its fortress artillery. The icebreakers "Svyatogor" and "Mikula Selyanovich" were deployed to assist the defenders. When the interventionists overwhelmed the Mudyug guns, the icebreaker captains were ordered to sink their vessels to block the enemy's path. However, the ships were not sunk precisely enough on the fairway, allowing the British to enter Arkhangelsk, seize the icebreakers, and take them with them.
Execution and Legacy
In May 1919, a military court stripped Dreyer of his ranks, titles, and privileges and sentenced him to death for his alleged role in attempting to sabotage the port of Arkhangelsk and prevent Allied forces from entering. Despite an appeal by Dreyer's attorney, the verdict was upheld. Dreyer's execution on May 26, 1919, serves as a somber reminder of the political turmoil that engulfed Russia during that tumultuous period.
Significance
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Dreyer's legacy remains complex and contested. He is remembered as a controversial figure who navigated the complexities of revolution and war with both courage and tragedy. Dreyer's life and actions have been immortalized in Valentin Pikul's novel "From the Deadlock," further cementing his place in Russian maritime history.
