Certainly, first of all that unique finds at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland and the Ladoga have interested cinematographers. The television producer center "Shkola" has developed the concept of a documentary educational serial.
According to the plan each film of the serial is the story about secrets of wreckage of a ship of a certain epoch in the context of region history and history of Europe. As a result as a whole the serial will represent the history of all Northern Europe through navigation history. Each film consists of three 26-minute series, that allows to show both the sunken objects and a course of scientific expeditions and historical outline. We have prepared more than 50 stories having a fascinating historical plot for which there were good chances to find objects in a suitable for shooting condition.
The last requirement was also very important as it was necessary for films to get ships having its original shape and external features and showy details which can be recognized by viewers. Today we have managed to do it. Cine objects for 17 films in-process have already been found and are ready for film production.
In due time these lost ships belonged to the Russian Empire, the Swedish Kingdom, Republic of the United Provinces of Northern Netherlands, the British Empire, various German Princedoms and the German Empire, the Finnish Republic, RSFSR, the USSR and even to the North-American United States. The selected plots refer to the period of XVIII, XIX and XX centuries. Certainly, we have interesting plots referring to more ancient times, but there are cinema problems. The ancient ships are not suitable enough for shootings – first, they had small dimensions, and secondly they are usually hardly destroyed. Both facts cause problems of video series of film. It is necessary to find not one, but several ancient vessels to meet cinematographers’ requirements. Frankly speaking, this problem is solved step by step. Nevertheless it is much harder to search for ancient vessels. It is difficult to say anything about period of the serial distribution as it is producers’ prerogative, but as to heroes of the films, the ships found at serial shooting, we shall say in advance that the world have never seen such objects yet.
Film 1. Two Archangels
The plot of film refers historically to the beginning of XVIII century and is connected with St.-Petersburg foundation and its transformation into the main sea trade centre of the Russian Empire. We managed to find the documents given a basis for the detective investigation connected with Peter I in Russian State Archive of the Navy.
It narrates about search for a merchant vessel sunk in Peter times. In the end of November, 1724 in Byorke-Zund Passage an ancient merchant vessel was crushed by ices. Some secret was connected with its loss. Even the name of the ship was not known for sure. According to some documents it was named "Archangel Gabriel", according to the other - "Archangel Rafail” (see publications). Even in 18 century an investigation for the wreckage curcumstances clearing up was started. Peter 1 entrusted Count Tolstoy - the chief of terrible and omnipotent Secret Office - with this task. But after the death of the Great Reformer it has not been finished.
Contemporary archival investigations have allowed to define provisional region of wreckage. In the summer and autumn of 2002 expedition "Secrets of the Sunken Ships" executed searches at-sea and managed to find a vessel of that epoch at the bottom. The unique equipment allowed to find the sunken object quickly. Divers researchers made the first divings. The ancient ship appeared at videocameras of 21 century people. Because of a bad water transparency it was necessary to finish the work. Experts defined the ship type, executed radio-carbon analysis of the body wood and primary examination of finds. It allowed to prove that that the found ship is "Archangel".
But what Archangel? "Archangel Gabriel" or "Archangel Rafail"? There were still many questions left. The analysis of customs papers of XVIII century allowed to draw a conclusion there was something that the vessel freighters - Dutch merchants Meyer and Van-Dort concealed. Most likely Count Tolstoy came to the same conclusion in due time. Still it was necessary to continue investigating all this... For that moment a bold decision on diving directly from the ice was made. And in March, 2003 a camp was organized directly on the ice above the stern of the mysterious stranger... Within two weeks underwater investigation of the wreckages were executed and filmed. Good transparency of cold water – up to 12 meters allowed to get unique shots. And the ship constructed in 1693 at shipyard of Luebeck appeared to be rather valuable. Viewers of the film will see it almost 300 years after the loss. And the solution of the secret connected with the ship make the plot of the film rather intriguing.
Film 2. The Tale of Dead Oleg
The second film of the forethought serial is devoted to accident of a 57-gun screw sailing frigate "Oleg" lost in August, 1869. The protagonist of film is certainly the frigate itself, the largest wooden ship standing at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in a perfect state. “Oleg” is a unique object. There is nothing similar in level anywhere in the world and the main aim of film is to show this the most beautiful wreck. But the plot is based on investigation of accident circumstances and finding out of its reasons. For this purpose detailed 3D-animation of the frigate and other ships in accident constructions was made in Petersburg on the basis of the found drawings of the frigate. And then a computer detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of manoeuvre at which there was a crash of the frigate "Oleg" with armoured battery "Kremlin" was also made. Detailed studying of archival documents and the made reconstruction have led to interesting results about which it is told in the film. The plot of film and the biography of two captains participated in the accident allowed to show in the film also the sunken bodies of two more ships of that time. These are screw sailing clippers "Dzhigit" and "Naezdnik" on which the main characters of a historical part of film sailed at Far East expeditions. We also managed to find original photos in archives – one of the first in Russia in which the ships victims of the incident and Russian seamen on their board are represented.
Owing to skill of champions of Russia, technodivers Igor Galajda and Roman Prokhorov, viewers can see not only the main deck of the frigate, but also look into internal rooms – into artillery and accommodation decks, captain's compartment, bedroom and cabinet, officers’ wardroom, warehouse, weapon room...
To put it briefly, film is expected to give viewers absolutely unique shots of places seen by only 2 persons in the world yet.
Film 3. The Aurora’s Secret
This film is devoted to the Swedish military ships and the transport vessels lost at Vyborg battle in 1790 finds. It was the largest sea battle in the history of the Baltic sea (see section “Battles Reconstruction”) at which more than 100 burgees including 3 capital ships, 2 battle frigates, 3 galleys and a lot of other combat ships of different types were lost. The majority of them were found by us, that allows to create a very rich video series representing various wreckages of combat ships of the end of XVIII century.
The history of the Swedish yacht “Aurora” loss connected with secret struggle for power between brothers – King Gustav III and Great Admiral Duke Charles - was considered to be the basis of the plot. As we managed to found out this deadly feud of two Swedish commanders defined a course of Vyborg battle.
The historical comment here is very interesting and could be a basis of a novel like Alexander Dumas (père) or Edward Radzinsky’s novels. But we shall not anticipate the events...
Wreckages of yacht “Aurora” and 10 more Swedish ships will be shown in the film. Very vivid component of a video series will be a three-dimensional computer animation of the basic moments of the battle, built-to-scale, against the background of a real geographical landscape. This virtual reconstruction was made on the basis of detailed studying of logbooks of Russian ships participated in Vyborg battle. Certainly, we could show only separate episodes of the 30-hour battle, but also these episodes amaze with beauty and dimension.