A trip to Aurora and back: the rector of the Manila Institute opens up new horizons on board the Aurora

On September 20, an informal visit of a delegation from the University of Manila (Philippines, Manila) to the famous cruiser Aurora, which is a symbol of the October Revolution and one of the most famous ships in the world, took place.

The delegation was headed by the President of the University of Manila, Mrs. Felma Carlos-Tria. The delegation also included Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ronald A. Herrera, Vice President for Administration Mr. Manfredo A. Marcellano, Vice President for Comptrollership Mr. Jeffrey F. Litan. The delegation also passed between the staff of the Information and Analytical Center (hereinafter IAC) "Remember everyone by name": the head of Savelieva Galina Sergeevna, coordinator Nesmeyanov Alexander Nikolaevich, volunteers Gashuk Anastasia Vladimirovna and Gashuk Vladimir Ivanovich.

Who was I during this tour? Russian Russian Filipino understanding link: translator from English to Russian and from Russian to English.

The Battle of Tsushima is the baptism of fire of Aurora. During this battle, the ship suffered serious damage, such as:

• several compartments were completely flooded;
• guns failed;
• there were several fires on board the ship.

Despite this, the cruiser remained in service. In this battle, the crew lost 15 people killed and 83 wounded. 

It was after the Battle of Tsushima that Aurora became world famous: for the first time during the battles on the ship, an X-ray machine was used to treat the wounded. 

During the war, the cruiser was forced to seek refuge from the pursuit of Japanese ships. The Aurora, along with the cruisers Oleg and Zhemchug, reached the port of Manila in the Philippines, which was under the protectorate of the United States of America

The Aurora has arrived in Manila. The American Navy, which cooperated with the Japanese, decided to interne its crew. This meant that all the crew members of the great naval ship were temporarily isolated from their families and the country. The crew had to spend four months in Manila. At the expense of the state of the Philippines, about 57 workers arrived in Manila to help the Russians carry out repair and restoration work. During this time, the ship could not participate in combat operations. But the Russians were being treated at the American naval hospital in the port of Cavite at that time.

Four months later, in September of the same year, when the Portsmouth Peace Treaty between Russia and Japan was signed, the port of Manila was liberated. The ship was able to continue its journey and return home.

Five Russian sailors died during treatment in the hospital. The IAC "Remember everyone by name" has been searching for the graves of five sailors who served on various Russian cruisers for many years:

We assume that all of them were buried in the Northern Cemetery of Manila, founded in 1904. No graves have been identified.

Since it is still unknown whether there are preserved graves or not, it was proposed to make a monument dedicated to the feat of sailors during the Battle of Tsushima in Manila.

Our journey began with a meeting between the rector, Mrs. Felma Carlos-Tria (Felma Carlos-Tria) in the Peter and Paul Fortress and the vice-rectors of the University of Manila. Alexander Nesmeyanov presented flowers to Madam President, and we went on an excursion.

After boarding the cruiser Aurora, where we felt like a part of the great maritime era, the tour began. It was conducted by Konstantin G. Muller, a researcher and worker Central Naval Museum . First he explained in Russian, and then I translated it. A sightseeing tour of the decks and cabins of the ship allowed us to plunge into the atmosphere of the past, learn about the heroic deeds and tragic events associated with this historic vessel.

Madame Tria, for example, was able to climb onto the cannon from which the famous shot was fired, which foreshadowed the beginning of the revolution.

She was also given the opportunity to try using the rudder to lift the boat. The stories told by the guide enlivened the pages of history, making every detail of the cruiser alive and real.

A visit to the sailors' cabin and the commander-in-chief of the ship, from where the ship was controlled, made a special impression (especially the wine tradition). Having felt the power and greatness of this place, all those present were imbued with respect for those who stood guard over the maritime borders of our Homeland.

The Philippine delegation was most interested in the section of the exposition dedicated to the stay of the detachment of the Russian cruisers Aurora, Pearl and Oleg in the port of Manila after the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. After the tour, a meeting was held where the projects of the monument to Russian sailors in Manila, designed by architect Rafael Dayanov (1950-2021), were discussed. Russian graves The participants decided to continue their joint search for the graves of Russian sailors in Manila.

In the evening, after a busy day, representatives of the University of Manila and the IAC "We Remember everyone by name" were waiting for dinner at the Ferma restaurant. The atmosphere was filled with a spirit of camaraderie. I also, on my own (and family's) initiative, presented souvenirs to the rectors and vice-rectors of the University of Manila. The delegation shared their impressions, and all those present discussed what they saw, enjoying delicious dishes of Russian cuisine.

Madame Tria also left her warm wishes in the book of honored guests of Aurora.

As a translator, I managed to hear Madame Tria's opinion about Russia.

First of all, she was impressed by the Russian cuisine. Unlike in the Philippines, vegetables and fruits in Russia, according to her, are "more natural." The dishes are more saturated with taste and aroma.

Secondly, she liked the Eurasian Women's Forum in St. Petersburg more than its earlier counterpart in China. This is due to the fact that, unlike the Chinese forum, there was more free time and a lot of representatives from European countries.

Thirdly, did you know that there is a monument to Pushkin at Manila University? It is dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of the great poet. And the rector also plans to introduce Russian as the main discipline.

Fourth, although the delegation's journey was short, they all recognized the beauty of St. Petersburg. "We will come here again!" promised Madame Tria.

This first international communication experience was interesting! But an incorrect situation occurred, which led me to worry.

Firstly, initially the vice-rectors incorrectly understood that there are many girls named Anastasia. Imagine the amazement of the escort in Moscow (who, ironically, was also called Anastasia) when representatives of the delegation from the University of Manila asked for information about Aurora. My namesake was very surprised! And I had to explain to the delegates for a very long time that they did not contact me, but another person...

Secondly, I did not translate the meeting place correctly, which was postponed many times. Important guests can be forgiven. But I made a mistake, and instead of the Peter and Paul Fortress, representatives of the IAC "We Remember everyone by name" went to the Catholic Cathedral of Peter and Paul. Well, I had to drive through all the traffic jams in St. Petersburg in order to get to the meeting place!

Thirdly, the excitement. I was tormented by fear and doubts for three days: that I will not succeed, that I will say something wrong, stumble, start talking quickly and fussily... What if I get tired and translate something incorrectly?

And then I realized that we are all human! We have the right to make a mistake, to translate something verbatim, to misunderstand. After all, the main thing is not absolute perfectionism, but the feelings that you put into this event!

And this unique international experience, gained for the first time by me, the IAC "We Remember Everyone by Name", the Rector of the University of Manila, Mrs. Felma Carlos-Tria and the Vice-rectors of the University of Manila on this day, turned out to be invaluable. We witnessed great history, learned a lot about the culture and traditions of Russia, and found new friends and partners. Admiration and pride for the heroes of the cruiser Aurora, as well as for the whole country, which brave sailors defended during the Russian-Japanese War, have remained with us forever.