The Nadezhda frigate, which belongs to Admiral Nevelsky Nautical University and is assigned to port of Vladivostok set off on its circumnavigation on January 25th, 2003. In the course of 14 months and 3 days the frigate covered approximately 45,000 nautical miles, visited 30 ports and 20 countries of the world.
On February 18th this the frigate passed the Vladivostok longitude in the Pacific Ocean and made a full circle around the globe. During the voyage the Nadezhda passed the equator three times.
The current circumnavigation was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the first expedition of the Russian sailors on the sloops the Nadezhda and the Neva under the command of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yury Lisyansky.
Along with the crew and cadets on board of the Nadezhda Russian scientific expedition was conducting research work on the ecological problems of the World Ocean.
During the first stage of the circumnavigation the frigate set off from Vladivostok to St Petersburg across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Suez Channel and Atlantic Ocean.
After the participation in the celebrations, dedicated to the 300th Anniversary of St Petersburg, the frigate visited England, the Canary Islands, Brazil, the Falkland Islands, Chile, Tahiti, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki and Pusan.
According to rector of the Nautical University Vyacheslav Sedykh, in the course of the numerous stops in various ports of the world, citizens of Asia, Europe and America were guests on board of the frigate. Many of them met Russians for the first time and appreciated their kindness and hospitality.
An unpleasant surprise was waiting for the Russian crew at the South Korean port of Pusan, where the frigate was detained for several hours, Mr. Sedykh said. The captain of the vessel was presented with a written notification, stating that the Nautical University owes $60,000 to some Club of reciprocal insurers, which was registered in the offshore zone of the Bermuda Islands.
"The above mentioned company never presented the University any kind of documents or other notifications on the subject. The accusations of the club of reciprocal insurers were groundless and it was proved by the Court of Pusan, which gave the Russian vessel the permission to leave Korean territorial waters," Vyacheslav Sedykh noted.
