Here’s my shot of a group of sailors from Vladivostok, Russia, recently in Vancouver (aboard the Varyag and Irkut ships) for Remembrance Day. I have more photos on Flickr; sadly I didn’t have time to board one of the two ships before they left to return home to Russia. The Varyag was open to the public on November 9 and 10, from 9 am to noon.
This is the first time in 35 years that a Russian naval ship has been in Canadian waters. The Varyag is a missile cruiser while the Irkut is (merely) a tanker. The Russians participated in the Victory Square Remembrance Day ceremony on Friday. Captain First Rank Sergey Zhuga (commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet) laid a wreath at the cenotaph while a group of sailors and officers marched in the parade.
These men at sea have been away from home for over two months. Time to sail home!
