Photographs of Russian naval activities are practically unobtainable. Two years ago, however, a British news photographer, Joseph McKeown, was granted permission to fly to the Soviet naval base of Kalinigrad near Boltisky on the Baltic and take pictures of the Sverdlov which was then being prepared to represent Russia in the naval review at Spithead in connection with the British coronation celebrations.*
Commissioned in 1952, the Sverdlov is a 12,800-ton cruiser, 665 feet in overall length, armed with four triple 6-inch gun turrets, and reputedly capable of 35 knots. At the time she was certainly the spit-and-polish ship of the Soviet Navy.
Among the items which impressed Mr. McKeown when he was photographing the activities of 1050 officers and men who manned the cruiser were the luxury of the officers’ quarters, the minor difference between the Soviet and Royal Navy routine, and the general conformity of life aboard a warship regardless of flag flown. His observations are generally incorporated in the captions of his photographs reproduced here by special arrangement with Odhams Press Limited.
It is believed that readers of the Proceedings will find this the most complete pictorial coverage of a Russian ship made available in the past decade. Mr. McKeown was not permitted to photograph the bridge, or machinery spaces, or special equipment; nevertheless, those details which are revealed would indicate that the Sverdlov is competently manned and in every respect a fine ship.
* Sec “The British Coronation Naval Review (Pictorial Section)” in the October, 1953, number of the U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, which includes a profile photograph of the Sverdlov (p. 1126).