Pious Peresviet

A stunning shot of Peresviet some time before 1905. The detail in this photo is exceptional for the time.

Peresviet and her sister, Oslyabya, were named after medieval warrior monks. The other of the class, Pobieda, is Russian for 'Victory.'

The sailor standing on the bow below the jack gives some idea of perspective. By the standard of five years later, they were small battleships - around 11,000 tons fully loaded.

Although the flag looks to be the British Union Jack, it's actually the Russian Naval jack. The crosses are blue and white on a red field - the opposite to the British. The ensign was the 'Andreievsky Flag,' blue St Andrew's cross on a white field. This flag was adopted back into the modern Russian Navy in 1994.

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