Andrei Alexandrovich Popov
Andrei Alexandrovich Popov | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 21 September 1821 Russia |
| Died | 6 March 1898 Russia |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Service/ |  Imperial Russian Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Meteor |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War |
Andrei Alexandrovich Popov (Russian: Андрей Александрович Попов) (21 September 1821 - 6 March 1898) was an officer of the Imperial Russian Navy, who saw action during the Crimean War, and became a noted naval designer.
Popov trained for the navy, and commanded ships before and during the Crimean War. He rose to the rank of rear-admiral and was assigned to supervise warship design and construction. He was in command of a squadron in the Pacific during the Polish Crisis that followed the January Uprising in 1863, and was sent to North America on a goodwill mission, and in order to raid colonial possessions should war break out between Russia and other European powers. Though there was no war, Popov spent a year in San Francisco, where the Russian presence had a distinct impact on life. Popov turned to warship design after his return to Russia, and proposed a series of warships in an unconventional circular design. Only two were built, one of which, Vitse-admiral Popov, was named in honour of him. Their radical designs proved troublesome, and were not repeated.
Early life
Popov was born in
Pacific and San Francisco
Popov also served at sea, and by 1863 he commanded a squadron of Russian warships in the Pacific. The
War never came, though Popov remained at San Francisco until 1864, where he may have been influential in establishing the first permanent Eastern Orthodox parish in the city, and contributed furnishings and equipment to the Russian community in the city.[5] During the Russian squadron's stay in the city, a fire broke out in the wharves, which 200 Russian sailors volunteered to help fight, with possibly six of them losing their lives in doing so.[5][6] The city council unanimously adopted a resolution on 26 October 1863 thanking Popov and a number of his officers for their help in fighting the fire, and gold medals were awarded.[5][6] Popov also declared in either late 1863 or early 1864 that he was prepared to defend the city were it attacked by Confederate forces. The declaration was greeted with enthusiasm by the city's population, though Eduard de Stoeckl, the Russian Minister, urged Popov to be cautious and not to aggravate the situation.[7] Deterred by Popov's announcement, and the presence of the Russian squadron, Confederate raiders did not risk attacking the port.[7]
Unconventional designs
Russia had been banned from maintaining a battlefleet in the
Popov's involvement with warship design and construction led to him being made an honorary associate of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, in London.[1] He died in Russia on 6 March 1898.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Day, McNeil (eds.). Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. p. 568.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ a b c Saul. Russian-American Dialogue on Cultural Relations. p. 104.
- ^ Mayers. Dissenting Voices in America's Rise to Power. p. 143.
- ^ Russian San Francisco. p. 15.
- ^ a b c Russian San Francisco. pp. 16–7.
- ^ a b Mayers. Dissenting Voices in America's Rise to Power. p. 144.
- ^ a b Saul. Russian-American Dialogue on Cultural Relations. p. 106.
- ^ a b c d e Preston. The World's Worst Warships. p. 26.
- ^ a b c Paine. Warships of the World to 1900. p. 147.
- ^ a b Preston. The World's Worst Warships. p. 27.
- ^ Preston. The World's Worst Warships. p. 28.
- ^ Preston. The World's Worst Warships. p. 29.
References
- Lance Day, Ian McNeil, ed. (1998). Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-415-19399-0.
- Mayers, David Allan (2007). Dissenting Voices in America's Rise to Power. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-87255-3.
- Paine, Lincoln (2000). Warships of the World to 1900. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-395-98414-9.
- Preston, Antony (2002). The World's Worst Warships. Vol. 2. Conways. ISBN 0-85177-754-6.
- Saul, Norman E. (1997). Russian-American Dialogue on Cultural Relations, 1776-1914. Vol. 3. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-8262-1097-X.
- Zaverukha, Lydia B.; Bogdan, Nina; Ershova, Ludmila (2009). Russian San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7167-6.
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