Imperial Yacht "Polar Star" Keel Laying Commemorative Plate/Закладная доска яхты "Полярная Звезда"

Fake plate https://asiamedals.info/threads/fak...-poddelnye-zakladnye-doski.27400/#post-368254

Silver.
Size 130 x 92 mm.

Collection of State Historical Museum, Moscow.

Plate was made by the P. Ovchinnikov firm in collaboration with the E. Kortman workshop. The plate is engraved with an image of a yacht against a background of waves, with the inscription below: "Imperial yacht "Polar Star". Laid down in St. Petersburg at the Baltic Shipyard on May 20, 1888, in the presence of Their Imperial Majesties the Sovereign Emperor and Empress, His Imperial Highness General Admiral Alexei Alexandrovich." On the reverse side: "Manager of the Naval Ministry, General Adjutant I.D. Shestakov, Commander of the St. Petersburg Port, Rear Admiral Shefner, Chief Naval Engineer of the St. Petersburg Port, Senior Shipbuilder Subbotin, Supervising Construction, Naval Engineer, Junior Shipbuilder Titov./Императорская яхта «Полярная звезда». Заложена въ С. Петербурге на верфи Балтийского завода 20-го мая 1888 года, въ присутствии Ихъ Императорскихъ Величествъ Государя Императора и Государыни Императрицы, Его Императорского Высочества Генералъ Адмирала Алексея Александровича".​

Marks.

 

The Polar Star was the imperial yacht of Alexander III and Nicholas II, and later a submarine base in the Soviet Navy. In 1884, by order of Admiral I.A. Shestakov, the head of the Naval Ministry, the design of a cruising yacht with appropriate artillery armament began, which in peacetime would be capable of "fully meeting all the service requirements of a modern imperial yacht." The Polar Star was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard on May 20, 1888, in the presence of the imperial couple and senior officials of the Naval Ministry, and launched on May 19, 1890. After mooring and sea trials in March 1891, it was accepted into the Baltic Fleet and assigned to the Guards Crew. In 1891–1914, the yacht served the imperial family during their visits to the capitals of European states, and took part in Baltic Fleet reviews and ceremonial meetings of foreign heads of state. During World War I, the yacht was stationed in Petrograd, and in early June 1917, it was transferred to Helsinki, where the Central Committee of the Baltic Fleet was located on it.
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"The Russian Imperial Yacht Polar Star in the Harbour of Copenhagen", painted by Holger Lübbers.

During the First World War, the yacht was docked in Petrograd, and in early June 1917 moved to Helsingfors. In 1920, the "Polar Star" was mothballed.
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A rare photograph of the two former Imperial Yachts, "Polar Star" (left) and "Standart" (right) together in dry-dock in Helsingors (Helsinki) in early April, 1918. Photograph by Gunnar Lönnqvist from the collection of the Helsinki City Museum.

The yacht’s commander, Captain 1st Rank M.M. Lyalin, became the first elected commander of the Baltic Fleet. In September–October 1917, the yacht hosted the 2nd Congress of Representatives of the Baltic Fleet. In 1918, it took part in the Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet. From 1920, it was mothballed. In the early 1930s, it was converted into a floating submarine base. During the Winter War, it served as a floating base for the 2nd Submarine Brigade. It was stationed in the Tallinn Minnaya Harbor, providing submarines with combat missions. In early July 1941, together with the submarines, it moved to Ust-Luga, and then to Leningrad. From 1942, it was a floating base of the 3rd submarine division. In 1944, it was stationed in Turku and provided combat activities for the submarine brigade. In 1954, it was converted into a floating barracks, and in 1961, into a target ship for testing anti-ship missiles. In October-November 1961, while testing anti-ship missiles, it sank in the Gulf of Riga at the Baltic Fleet test site (Kihnu and Ruhnu islands area).​