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25.09.

1868: Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich’s Shipwreck

1868: Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich’s Shipwreck
Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons

Story Highlights

  • Historical event:
  • 25 September 1868
  • Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich was returning from Greece, where his cousin Olga had married the King of Greece.

This day in 1868 marked the shipwreck of the Russian warship “Alexander Nevsky” near the coast of Denmark.



Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, the son of the former Russian Emperor Alexander II (member of the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty), was its passenger at the time of the accident.

Sails and propeller played an important role regarding the ship’s drive system. “Alexander Nevsky” also carried about 50 guns, and was classified as a frigate. It was almost 83 meters long.

The ship was destroyed when it hit a reef near the coast of the Danish island of Jutland (near the village of Thyborøn). The ship was sailing from the Greek port of Piraeus to Russia (around Western Europe).

The local fishermen set sail and saved almost all crew’s members, but five sailors died due to drowning. Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, who was 18 years old at the time, was also a passenger, and survived the accident.




He was returning from Greece where his cousin Olga had married the King of Greece. Reportedly, he was describing that shipwreck during the rest of his life.

Later, Alexei received the rank of a General-admiral of the Russian Empire (it was the highest naval rank, equivalent to the rank of Field Marshal.

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