Motorboat ferry Estonia eyewitness death. Estonia (ferry)

The collapse of the ferry "Estonia" - what is hidden from us?

On the night of September 28, 1994, the sea passenger ferry "Estonia" crashed in the Baltic Sea. This tragedy is considered one of the largest maritime disasters and one of the most terrible secrets XX century. There were 989 passengers and crew members on board the Estonia. The ferry took 852 human lives to the bottom, 757 people were never found, 95 were identified as dead, 137 were rescued.

On the eve of the tragedy

The Baltic at the end of September 1994 was especially restless. There was a storm wind, its speed reached 20 meters per second, waves up to six meters high ran ashore, interfering with the mooring of small and medium-sized ships. The weather report, meanwhile, did not promise improvements. weather conditions. The wind was getting stronger, the water temperature was no more than 10-11 °C.

And even such a powerful ferry as the "Estonia", as high as a six-story building, designed for 2 thousand passengers, felt tangible wave resistance. On September 28, it departed from the Port of Tallinn on its next voyage to the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. The fog was thickening, blocking visibility. However, navigation in bad weather and high waves is the concern of the captain and crew. Passengers who were in warm and cozy cabins, restaurants and bars did not pay attention to the wind and waves. Someone else was dancing and drinking, others (overwhelmingly) were getting ready for bed: the time was approaching midnight.

"Estonia", which made flights to Stockholm three times a week, even with such a wave height that was this time in the Baltic, did not slow down. And now she was going at a speed of about 30 knots per hour.

The hull of the ferry trembled a little, its removable bow, held by powerful constipation, experienced tremendous pressure. Cars were located in two special holds, located at the level of the waterline. Maximum capacity ferries - approximately 460 cars or 52 trucks. In the parking lot, they usually enter the holds through the raised bow. Very convenient: I arrived at the port in my car, loaded it onto the ferry, and moved to a comfortable cabin myself. Upon arrival at the destination port, get into your car and drive further in the direction you need.

Ferry Facts

Nowadays, about 4,500 ships of this type are used in the world. True, they all have one common flaw - weak stability. High sides, superstructures where passengers are in cabins, and huge (2-3 decks) empty holds, which are mostly filled with cars. Of course, they must be thoroughly fixed, because if, God forbid, the cars shift in the holds, this can be fraught with rather tragic consequences.

During the operation of ships of this class, 12 crashed just because of the shift in the center of gravity. This is a very high figure. 1987 - in the port of Zeebrugge (Belgium) the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized. In the icy waters of this disaster, 134 people were killed on a one-day pleasure trip. A few years later, in the North Sea, near the German island of Rügen, the ship Jan Hevelius fell on its side. Both capsized ferries had a problem with their loading hatches. Sea water penetrated through loosely closed airlocks and flooded the loading decks. The cars that broke off the mounts rolled onto one side, which created a roll and this led to a rollover.

About the ferry "Estonia"

The ferry "Estonia" was built in 1980 at the German shipyard "Mayer Werft" in the city of Papenburg. The vessel met all international standards. For improvement seaworthiness it was repeatedly updated, even hydrofoils were attached. Then "Estonia" was equipped with the latest means of automation and electronics, satellite communication devices. The team was hired strictly on a competitive basis, and the crew was headed by a captain with 25 years of sea experience - Arvo Andersen.

fatal flight

In its holds this time there were 30 trucks, 2 buses and cars. There were still a few hours left before the ship arrived in Stockholm. Just enough to have time to sleep and put yourself in order in the morning. On the upper deck in the bar, music thundered, girls from the ballet ensemble dressed in bright masquerade costumes performed their dance program, men and women drank champagne sitting at the tables.

However, the pitching became stronger and stronger, the ship tossed from wave to wave with some incredible roar. The girls from the variety show lost their balance, fell to the floor, and the musicians barely managed to stay on their chairs. At about 12 o'clock at night, having apologized to the public, the musicians decided to finish the performance. Spectators and artists have already begun to leave the hall, intending to sleep and rest before arriving at the port.

But 852 people never made it to Stockholm, and they never returned to Tallinn either. That September night, the ferry "Estonia" became an iron tomb for them, taking them to a depth of 90 meters.

Everything happened very quickly

Passengers were still climbing upper deck to their cabins, when, apparently, the fastenings of the bow part could not stand from the strongest wave - the most vulnerable place of the vessel, which experienced the greatest loads. A roll formed. Probably, the gap in the bow was already there before, and water entered the hold through it. Its level gradually increased and reached 50 cm, which exceeded all permissible norms. It was the water that got into the hold that began to create that very dangerous roll. Poorly fixed passenger cars and some trucks that were not fixed at all, due to excessive pitching, moved from their place and “floated”. Rolling over to the other side, they apparently added a roll. A few minutes later, the list was already approaching 30 °, and soon the bow of the ferry was completely torn off and ice water poured into the holds.

Experienced captain Arvo Andersen hoped to straighten the ferry. He gave the command not to slow down, and the ship burrowed its bow into the water even more. Four turbines with a total capacity of almost 6 thousand horsepower continued to push the ferry forward, and water instantly filled all the cargo decks.

The roll increased very quickly. Soon the water penetrated into the engine room, a few minutes later the engines stopped, and then the emergency lighting turned off. Complete darkness ensued. The huge ferry rocked on the waves like a light chip. In this situation, there was only one thing left - to give an SOS signal and save people.

At 00 h 24 min. Finnish branch shipping company on the island of Ute, located 100 km from the city of Turku, suddenly received alarming call signs: “We are in distress! Help!”, “We are flooded!”. The ferry "Estonia", which was transmitting SOS signals, reported that all its cars suddenly failed and the power supply was cut off. This could mean only one thing, the ship lost all ability to resist the waves and became their prey. How long could it stay on the surface with a six-meter wave?

The distance to the crash site was approximately 35 km. Night, a storm at sea ... Where to send rescue ships? How to get help faster? Nevertheless, the Finns immediately organized a rescue: coast guard ships were sent to the sea, helicopters were raised into the sky. All ships at that time at sea were notified. A headquarters was set up in Turku to receive the rescued.

The ships and helicopters that arrived at the crash site of the ferry "Estonia" managed to pick up only 137 people and 42 stiffened corpses.

For several days and nights, 12 ships and 5 helicopters surveyed the area in the hope of finding survivors. The ferry sank at a depth of approximately 90 meters, and no one else could be found in the waves. Divers, having carefully examined the torn off bow of the ship, offered to raise it to the surface. The Estonian captains also agreed with this.

Possible versions of death

Who is guilty?

November 18, 1994 - The Finnish icebreaker Nordika lifted the torn off bow of the ferry Estonia from the bottom. A group of specialists began to study it. They were immediately able to detect that both parts - the bow and the hull - were jammed, as a result, the main lock (which is called the Atlantic) turned out to be non-functional. However, if the captain had not ordered to move at full speed, thereby allowing the waves to complete their destructive work, then much could have been saved. more people- almost everyone. After all, for all technical specifications in the event of an accident, the ferry could stay afloat for 5-6 hours. And just the beginning of the roll, became fatal for him.

The official version of the tragedy

The official commission of inquiry, which was composed of experts from Finland, Sweden and Estonia, came to the conclusion that the ferry ruined the bow visor - the surface part of the vessel that rises to receive cars and other cargo on board.

According to experts, on the "Estonia", built in 1979, the technical requirements for the safety and reliability of the nasal visor did not meet more modern requirements.

In the conditions of a strong storm and at a high speed of the ferry, his visor could not withstand the blows of oncoming waves, which led to his failure. After that, storm waves began to overwhelm cargo compartment. In a few minutes, this caused an increasing roll to starboard. When the team realized the danger of what was happening and gave an SOS signal, it was already too late - the ferry lay on the starboard side, and after a few minutes went to the bottom. The ferry "Estonia" died in just half an hour.

Drug smuggling?

All versions are somehow connected with a certain cargo carried by the ferry.

Some sources claim that just before the ship was sent, two trucks drove on board without customs clearance. What kind of cargo could be in them remains a question.

According to one of the most popular versions, the ship was used for drug smuggling. Allegedly, the ferry was carrying another batch on its last voyage, but the crew found out that the police were already waiting for them in Stockholm. Then the crew members involved in smuggling decided to open the nose visor and throw the cargo into the sea. Having completed their plan, they, however, could not close the visor, and as a result, the ferry filled with water, lay on its side and sank.

But, marine experts do not believe in such a possibility. Such a step in stormy conditions was tantamount to suicide, and the captain could not help but realize this.

A few more versions boil down to the fact that weapons that used to belong to the USSR were transported on the ship.

This possibility was indirectly confirmed by one of the heads of the Swedish customs authorities, Sven Peter Olsson, who later admitted that in 1994 the customs actually had an agreement with the Swedish army, according to which vehicles with a load of electronics purchased from Russian army and delivered from Tallinn to passenger ferry"Estonia".

True, in 2005 the Swedish government published a report of the commission of inquiry, which stated that there was no military cargo on the Estonia on the day of the crash.

Why didn't they raise the sunken ferry?

Supporters of a more radical version of the death of the ferry "Estonia" are sure that radioactive materials were transported on board, maybe even components of nuclear weapons.

And, oddly enough, this version has indirect confirmation. The fact is that the sunken ferry, by international agreement, was sealed at the bottom with a concrete sarcophagus, and the waters around it are a restricted area controlled by the Finnish Navy.

Disagree with official version the crash of the ferry "Estonia", draw attention to the fact that the authorities categorically refuse to attempt to raise the vessel, despite the fact that it lies not at the most prohibitive depth, approximately - 83 meters.

Officially, this is done out of respect for the memory of the dead. Opponents say that there is an international conspiracy of silence around Estonia, the purpose of which is to hide the true causes of the catastrophe.

Estonia"(previously " Viking Sally", « Silja Star», « Wasa King") - Estonian ferry of the shipping company Estline, was built in 1979 in Germany at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. It sank on the night of September 27 to September 28, 1994, as a result of the crash, 757 people were missing and 95 of the 989 passengers and crew on board were killed. It is the largest peacetime shipwreck in Europe. In terms of its consequences and the number of victims, it can only be compared with the largest maritime tragedy in the history of Estonia, which happened on August 24, 1941, when at the exit from the port of Tallinn after the attack German aircraft received holes and sank near the island of Prangli, the largest ship in Estonia, the steamer "Eestirand" (Russian "Estonian coast"), on which several thousand people left Tallinn before the advancing Wehrmacht (44 people died during the bombing and several hundred people jumped overboard).

Encyclopedic YouTube

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  The ferry was originally built for the company " Viking Line" and was named Viking Sally". It was supposed to run between Turku, Mariehamn and Stockholm. In 1986, it was sold to the company " Silja Line" and renamed to Silja Star», leaving it on the same route. In 1991, the ferry was operated by the company " Wasa Line which was wholly owned by Silja Line», and the ferry, now under the name " Wasa King", began to run between the Finnish city of Vaasa and Swedish city Umeå. In January 1993, to ensure ferry service between Tallinn and Stockholm the Swedish company " Nordström & Thulin" and owned by the Estonian state " Estonian Shipping Company ("Estonian Shipping Company", abbreviated - " ESCO") created a joint venture "Estline" ( EastLine A/S), which acquired the ferry " Wasa King", renaming it "Estonia" ( Estonia).

  crash

  « Estonia left the port of Tallinn on the evening of September 27, 1994, when a storm was raging in the sea, and the wind speed exceeded 20 meters per second. At midnight " Estonia" passed at sea with the Viking Line ferry Mariella"("Mariella"), on which the speed of the ferry " Estonia" considered too high. At half past one in the night the ship sent short message for help, soon the ship disappeared from the ferry's radar " Mariella". The sender of the message is believed to be the second or fourth navigator. It is clear from the message that the list of the ship at that moment was very dangerous - 20-30 degrees, and it is heard that the fog siren is turned on on the ship to wake up the passengers. The ferry sank between 00:55 and 01:50 (UTC+02). Modern navigational charts indicate the place of the ferry wreck 59°22.91′ s. sh. 21°40.60′ E d. HGIOL(depth 83 m).

  Timeline of the crash

  • 18:30 - Passengers are boarding at the terminal of the Port of Tallinn.
  • 19:15 - The ferry "Estonia" leaves the port, the sky is gloomy, the wind is rather fresh.
  • 20:00 - The ferry follows near the coast, the excitement at sea is noticeable.
  • 21:00 - The storm begins.
  • 23:00 - Ferry "Estonia" passed 135 km of the route. Sea waves are intensifying.
  • 00:30 - Strong rocking on the ship.
  • 00:55 - The locks of the 50-ton colossus-bow ramp / visor do not withstand the blows of the oncoming wave.
  • 01:00 - Ferry speed 14 knots.
  • 01:15 - List 15 degrees to starboard.
  • 01:20 - Roll increases.
  • 01:22 - Roll 60, 70, 80 degrees increases, the ship lies on the starboard side.
  • 01:35 - List 90 degrees, the ship lies on the starboard side, on the surface of the water.
  • 01:40 - The ferry "Estonia" plunges into the water.
  • 01:50 - "Estonia" lay on the bottom to a depth of 70 meters.
  • 02:00 - Strong wind, wind speed 90 km/h, storm. People do not have enough space on rafts. Those who do not have enough space die.
  • 02:12 - Passenger ferry Mariella approaches the crash site of the ferry "Estonia", sailors hardly pull people out of the water. 50 minutes have passed since the watchman on the bridge "Estonia" gave a distress signal SOS on the radio.
  • 03:00 - Helicopters hover in the sky. When lifting people out of the water, the cables burst and people fall into the water. Some people die already on board helicopters - from shock and hypothermia.
  • 09:00 - The last of the 137 rescued were removed from the water.
  • The ferry "Estonia" sank in half an hour.

  Rescue operation

  The Helsinki-Stockholm ferries located in the nearest waters hurried to the rescue: Silja Symphony, Silja Europa (Silja Europa), Isabella, Mariella, German passenger Finnjet. There was also an Estonian nearby cargo Ship but he continued on his way south. Later, the Finnish patrol boats "Tursas" and "Valpas" and the minesweeper "Uusimaa" with their divers arrived at the scene. There was such a strong storm at the crash site that the ferries that arrived first could not save everyone who was in the water. Survivors were forced to be collected from the surface by Coast Guard divers and air force Finland and Sweden, helicopters of the Helsinki Rescue Team, and helicopters of private individuals only in the morning.

  ships in place, for the most part on the Mariella, only 38 people were rescued. Finnish helicopters, mainly a Coast Guard Super Puma, rescued 49 people. Swedish helicopters - 50. In total, 13 Swedish, 12 Finnish, two Danish and one Russian helicopter. Most of the available lifeboats, but there were many self-inflating rubber rafts on the waves. The problem was that strong wind quickly carried life rafts from the crash site. Of the 989 on board (803 passengers and 186 crew members), 137 people (94 passengers and 43 crew members) were rescued. At the same time, 757 people (651 passengers and 106 crew members) went missing, and 95 dead (58 passengers and 37 crew members) were identified. 852 dead (including those missing) were citizens of 17 states.

  Investigation into the causes of the tragedy

  Documentary film

  • Secrets of the century: Who drowned "Estonia"? - Channel One, 2006
  • The death of the ferry "Estonia" -   Petersburg -   5th channel,   2008
  • Lost worlds. Baltic Titanic - TV 3, 2009

  Instant death of the ferry "Estonia"

  The Baltic at the end of September 1994 was especially turbulent. A storm wind was blowing, the speed of which reached 20 meters per second, waves up to 6 meters high ran ashore, preventing small and medium-sized ships from mooring. Meanwhile, the weather report did not promise any improvement in the weather. The wind increased, the water temperature did not exceed ten degrees.

  And even such a powerful ferry as the "Estonia" was, the height of a six-story building, designed for 2000 passengers, felt noticeable wave resistance. It left the port of Tallinn on September 28 for the next voyage to the Swedish capital Stockholm. The thickening fog obstructed visibility. But navigation in bad weather and high waves is the concern of the captain and crew of the ship. Passengers (there were 1026 people), who were in warm and cozy cabins, restaurants and bars, did not pay attention to the wind and waves. Some were still dancing and drinking, others (and they were the vast majority) were getting ready for bed - the time was approaching midnight.

  The ferry, which sailed to Stockholm three times a week, even with such high wave, which was this time in the Baltic, did not slow down. And now he was going at a speed of about 30 knots per hour.

  Monument to those who died on the ferry "Estonia" in Tallinn

  The hull of the "Estonia" trembled slightly, the removable bow of the ferry, held by powerful constipation, experienced tremendous pressure. In two special holds, located at the level of the waterline, there were cars. The maximum capacity of the ferry is approximately 460 cars or 52 trucks. In the parking lot, they usually enter the holds through the raised bow. Very convenient: I arrived at the port in my car, loaded it onto the ferry, and moved to a comfortable cabin myself. The next day after arriving at your destination port, get in your car and drive further in the direction you need.

  About 4,500 ships of this type are currently in use around the world. True, they all suffer from one common flaw - weak stability. High sides, superstructures where passengers are located in cabins, and huge (two or three decks) empty holds, which are mostly filled with cars. They, of course, must be thoroughly fastened, because if, God forbid, the cars move in the holds, this can lead to very tragic consequences.

  During the operation of ships of this class, twelve suffered disasters precisely because of the shift in the center of gravity. This is a very high rate. In 1987, the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. In the icy water, 134 people who made a one-day pleasure trip died then. A few years later, in the North Sea near the German island of Rügen, the Jan Hevelius ferry fell on its side. Both capsized vessels had problems with their loading hatches. Seawater entered through the loosely closed locks and flooded the loading decks. The cars, having broken off the mounts, rolled onto one side, created a roll and led to a capsizing.

  "Estonia" was built in 1980 at the German shipyard "Mayer Werft" in the city of Papanburg. The vessel met all international standards. To improve seaworthiness, it was updated more than once, even hydrofoils were attached. Then "Estonia" was equipped with the latest means of automation and electronics, devices for establishing satellite communications. The team was hired strictly on a competitive basis, and the crew was headed by a captain with 25 years of sea experience - Arvo Andersen.

  In the holds of "Estonia" this time there were 30 trucks, 2 buses and cars. There were still a few hours left before the ferry arrived in Stockholm. Just enough time to get enough sleep and put yourself in order in the morning. On the upper deck in the bar, music blared, girls from the ballet ensemble dressed up in bright masquerade costumes performed their dance program, men and women sat at tables and drank champagne.

  But the pitching became stronger, the ferry was thrown from wave to wave with some incredible roar. The girls from the variety show lost their balance, fell to the floor, and the musicians could barely keep their chairs. At about twelve o'clock in the morning, having apologized to the public, the musicians decided to end the performance. Spectators and artists were already leaving the hall, dreaming of getting enough sleep and rest before arriving at the port.

  But nine hundred people - passengers and crew members - never made it to Stockholm. They did not return to Tallinn either. On that September night, the ferry "Estonia" became an iron tomb for them, taking them to a depth of 90 meters.

  Everything happened very quickly. The public was still ascending to the upper deck to their cabins, when, apparently, the fastenings of the bow part, the most vulnerable place of the ferry, which experienced the greatest loads, could not withstand the strongest wave. A roll formed. Apparently, there was already a gap in the bow, and water entered the hold through it. Its level gradually increased and reached 50 centimeters, which exceeded all permissible norms. It was the water that penetrated into the hold that began to create that very dangerous roll. Poorly fixed cars and some trucks that were not fixed at all from immoderate pitching moved and “floated”. Rolling over to the other side, they obviously added a roll. A few minutes later, the roll was already approaching 30 degrees, and soon the bow of the ferry was completely torn off and ice water poured into the hold.

  Experienced captain Arvo Andersen hoped to straighten the ship. He gave the command not to slow down, and "Estonia" burrowed its nose into the water even more. Four turbines with a total capacity of almost 6,000 horsepower continued to push the ship forward, and water instantly filled all the cargo decks.

  The roll increased very quickly. Soon water entered the engine room, a few minutes later the motors stopped, and then the emergency lighting went out. Complete darkness ensued. The huge ship swayed in the waves like a light chip. Under these conditions, there was only one thing left - to give the SOS signal and save people.

  At 00:24 a branch of the Finnish Shipping Company on the island of Ute, located 100 kilometers from the city of Turku, unexpectedly received alarm call signs: “We are in distress! Help!”, “We are flooded!”. The ferry Estonia, which was transmitting SOS signals, reported that all its cars suddenly failed and the power supply went out. This meant that the ship lost all ability to resist the waves and became their prey. How long could it survive on the surface with a wave six meters high?

  The distance to the crash site was approximately 35 kilometers. Night, a storm at sea ... Where to send rescue ships? How to get help faster? Nevertheless, the Finns immediately organized a rescue: coast guard ships went to sea, helicopters were raised into the sky. All ships that were at sea at that time were notified. A headquarters was set up in Turku to receive the rescued.

  Ships and helicopters that arrived at the site of the death of the ferry were able to pick up only 139 people and 42 stiffened corpses.

  For several days and nights, twelve ships and five helicopters searched the area in the hope of finding some more survivors. The ferry sank at a depth of about 90 meters, and no one else could be found in the waves. Divers, having carefully examined the torn off bow of the ferry, offered to raise it to the surface. The Estonian captains also agreed with this.

  On November 18, 1994, the Finnish icebreaker Nordika managed to lift the severed bow of the ferry Estonia from the bottom. A group of experts began to study it. They immediately discovered that both parts - the bow and the hull - were jammed, as a result, the main lock (which is called the Atlantic) turned out to be non-functional. But if the captain had not given the order to move at full speed, thus allowing the waves to complete their destructive work, then many more people could have been saved - almost all of them. After all, according to all the technical characteristics, this ship could stay afloat for five to six hours in the event of an accident. And just the beginning of the roll became disastrous for him.

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  A few hours after the disaster, the formation of an international commission (JAIC) from representatives of Estonia, Sweden and Finland began. Estonian minister Andi Meister became its chairman. Four days later, the Swedes started talking about his lack of competence. Meister also said that the Swedish side is hiding the results of the survey of the sunken ferry, which were carried out with the help of underwater robots, and resigned. According to him, the footage of the captain's bridge disappeared from the film that the members of the commission received. As a result, water rushed through the huge gates and flooded the cargo room.
  This report did not suit many. The research team of the German shipyard Meyer Werft, where the ferry was built, conducted their investigation and concluded that Nordström & Thulin knew about the design defects, but did not begin to eliminate them.

  As a result, the existing malfunctions intensified, water entered the cargo deck before the disaster, which the ship's crew knew about. The Estonian and Swedish inspectors who inspected the ship were supposed to prohibit the ferry from going to sea.
  The report also noted that the divers conducting the inspection searched for and found a diplomat. It belonged to a man involved in the arms trade. In addition, other groups of divers secretly entered the corps with the consent of the Swedish authorities. The Germans also did not rule out that there could be explosions in the bow of the ferry.

  However, this fact can only be established by obtaining the original, and not edited, video recordings of the underwater inspection.
  Later it became known that a video film with filming in 1995 and 1996 was missing from the archives of the Swedish Shipping Department. The wreckage of the ferry was filmed by the MNC-konsortiet company, which studied the possibilities of concreting the ship.

  “In general, there were many oddities in this story - from the missing G8 team members to the categorical refusal of the three governments - Estonian, Swedish and Finnish - to accept Russia's help. The most important doubts about the official version of the commission of inquiry arose when, a few years later, they tried to close the drowned ferry with a concrete sarcophagus.

  At the end of 2004, Frihamnen Lennart Henriksson, the former head of the maritime customs of the port of Stockholm, stated in the Swedish television program “Investigation” that Soviet military equipment was on board the sunken ferry on the day of his death.

  According to him, in 1994, the ferry "Estonia" several times transported goods that were forbidden to be examined by customs officers. This was confirmed by other Swedish customs officials in an interview with local radio.
  The testimonies prompted the convening of a special committee of the Riigikogu to investigate the sinking of the ferry Estonia. The commission found that the ferry really carried military equipment. The information was confirmed by a representative of the Swedish Ministry of Defense. The vice-chairman of the commission, Evelyn Sepp, connects the cause of the death of the ferry with this fact. Evelyn SeppEvelyn Sepp
  In her opinion, some Estonian politicians also knew about the transport of weapons on board a civilian ship: Mart Laar, Juhan Parts, Andrus Ansip and Trivimi Velliste.

  The work of the fourth commission was terminated in 2009. The government concluded that it had failed to find new facts.

  On the night of September 27-28, 1994, a tragedy occurred in the Baltic Sea, which was destined to become the last maritime mystery of the outgoing millennium. A mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

  On September 27, 1994 at 19:15 local time, the ferry "Estonia" left the port of Tallinn, carrying 989 passengers and crew members. The ferry made by that time the already familiar flight from Tallinn to Stockholm.

  Despite the fact that the weather was bad and a storm began at sea, neither those who remained on the shore nor those who sailed on board the ferry felt any anxiety. For a vessel like the Estonia, the Baltic storm, as it was believed, could not pose any threat.

  At 1:30 a.m., the Estonia transmitted a brief distress signal, shortly after which it disappeared from radar.

  Morning releases of Estonian TV channels plunged the country into shock: the ferry "Estonia" died, there are numerous victims.

  As eyewitnesses recall, that morning, bewildered, depressed Tallinners went to the port, to the pier from which the Estonia left on its last voyage. They stood and looked at the sea, as if hoping that the Baltic would return the ship and people ...

  Regular flight

  The ferry "Estonia" was built in 1979 at the West German shipyard Meyer Werft in the city of Papenburg by order of the Finnish company Viking Line. The ship, named Viking Sally, cruised on the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm line. The ship went through several owners and Baltic routes until, in January 1993, it was acquired by the Swedish-Estonian joint venture Estline for a ferry service between Tallinn and Stockholm. After that, the ferry received its last name - "Estonia".

  No serious accidents were recorded during the flights of "Estonia" until September 27, 1994.

  And this time, by 23:00, the ferry safely passed 350 km of the route. The storm intensified, the ship rocked, but the situation did not cause any concern. The passengers went to bed peacefully.

  Around midnight, Estonia met with the ferry Mariella, owned by Viking Line, which was heading on a collision course. On the Maerilla, they noticed that the Estonia was moving at high speed, but this circumstance in itself did not pose a threat to the ship.

  Nightmare

  All the more unexpected was the distress signal received from the Estonia just an hour and a half later. It followed from it that the ship had a dangerous roll, and the crew was waking up the passengers with a siren.

  Not only "Mariella" immediately went to the place of disaster, but also several other ferries from Helsinki to Stockholm.

  The sailors saw a terrible picture: on rafts in the cold, raging sea, half-dressed, terrified to death, frozen people could hardly be kept. Passenger ferries are not the best vessels for rescue work, especially in stormy conditions, so it was not possible to raise everyone who was on the surface from the water.

  At about three o'clock in the morning, helicopters of the Finnish and Swedish military and rescuers arrived at the place of death of the "Estonia", which began to pull out of the water those who could not be helped by ferries.

  For some, help came too late - even people pulled out of the water died of hypothermia aboard ships and helicopters.

  A total of 137 people were rescued, 95 more were officially identified as dead. 757 people were declared missing.

  

  It's all about the visor

  The sinking of the ferry "Estonia" was the largest shipwreck in Europe that occurred in peacetime.

  What caused the tragedy?

  The official commission of inquiry, composed of experts from Finland, Sweden and Estonia, came to the conclusion that "Estonia" was ruined by the bow visor - the surface part of the ferry, which rises to take cars and other cargo on board.

  According to the members of the commission, on the "Estonia", built in 1979, the technical requirements for the safety and reliability of the nasal visor did not meet more modern requirements.

  In the conditions of a strong storm and at the high speed of the "Estonia", her visor could not withstand the blows of oncoming waves, which led to its failure. After that, storm waves began to overwhelm the cargo hold. Within minutes, this caused an increasing list to starboard.

  When the team realized the danger of what was happening and gave a distress signal, it was already too late - the ship lay down on the starboard side, and a few minutes later went to the bottom. "Estonia" died in just half an hour.

  When it became known about the conclusions of the commission, bow visors were tightly welded on all ferries of an identical design in order to avoid a repetition of the disaster.

  The German shipbuilders, who, in fact, were blamed for the disaster, did not agree with the conclusions. After conducting their own investigation, they stated that the Estonian nose visor was designed for much more serious loads, and its failure could only be the result of a deliberate explosion.

  No evidence of an explosion aboard the Estonia, however, was presented.

  

  The crew was involved in drug smuggling?

  If the German shipbuilders, speaking of a possible explosion, do not name those who could stand behind it, then others alternative versions much more detailed.

  All of them are connected in one way or another with a certain cargo that was transported by "Estonia".

  Some researchers claim that just before the ferry was sent on its last flight, two trucks drove on board without customs inspection. What kind of cargo was in them remains unknown.

  According to one of the most popular versions, "Estonia" was used for drug smuggling. Allegedly in his last flight the ferry was carrying another batch, but the crew became aware that the police were already waiting for them in Stockholm. Then the team members involved in smuggling decided to open the nose visor and throw the cargo into the sea. Having fulfilled their plan, however, they failed to close the visor, as a result of which the ship filled with water, lay on its side and sank.

  Marine experts, however, do not believe in such a possibility. Such a step in a storm was tantamount to suicide, and the captain could not help but understand this. In any case, a Swedish prison is better than the inhospitable bottom of the Baltic.

  A few more versions boil down to the fact that weapons that previously belonged to the Soviet Union were transported on board the Estonia.

  This possibility was indirectly confirmed by one of the heads of the Swedish customs authorities. Sven Peter Olsson, who later admitted that in 1994 the customs did indeed have an agreement with the Swedish army, according to which cars with a load of electronics purchased from the Russian army and delivered from Tallinn on the passenger ferry "Estonia" were not checked in the port of Stockholm.

  True, in 2005, the Swedish government published a report of the commission of inquiry, which stated that there was no military cargo on the "Estonia" on the day of the disaster.

  Supporters of the version about weapons on board the "Estonia" are divided into several groups. The former believe that some kind of secret Soviet weapon was exported on the "Estonia", the leakage of which to the West could not be allowed by the Russian special services, which staged a diversion on board. The latter are sure that the sabotage on board the Estonia is the work of the Western intelligence services, who were under the threat of exposing their weapons operations. former USSR and decided in literally the words "hide the ends in the water."

  

  Why didn't they raise the sunken ferry?

  Adherents of the most radical version of the death of "Estonia" are convinced that radioactive materials, possibly even components of nuclear weapons, were transported on board.

  And, oddly enough, this version has indirect confirmation. The fact is that the lost ship, by international agreement, was sealed at the bottom with a concrete sarcophagus, and the waters around it are a restricted area controlled by the Finnish Navy.

  Those who do not agree with the official version of the death of "Estonia" pay attention to the fact that the authorities categorically refused to try to raise the ferry, despite the fact that it lies not at the most prohibitive depth - 83 meters.

  However, in 1995 there was an Estonian-Finnish-Swedish agreement prohibiting any work in the area of ​​the death of the ferry "Estonia". Russia, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Great Britain have also joined this agreement.

  Officially, this is done out of respect for the memory of the dead. Opponents say that there is an international conspiracy of silence around Estonia, the purpose of which is to hide the true causes of the tragedy.

  Case closed, questions remain

  There are indeed more than enough oddities in the case of the death of the ferry "Estonia". So, the lists of found and rescued passengers and crew members were corrected, and people who seemed to have already been found and rescued disappeared again. For example, the second captain of the ship, Avo Pikht, first appeared and then disappeared from the list of survivors. Everything would be fine, there are few mistakes in such an environment, but the fact is that there is a video recording made during the delivery of the rescued to the port. On it, in an ambulance, TV journalists captured a man very similar to Captain Fir. Where did he disappear to then? And such seemingly surviving, and then missing members of the Estonian crew were counted by several people.

  In early 2009, the Estonian government dismissed the commission investigating the causes of the disaster after the publication of its fourth report. The conclusions of this report were no different from those made earlier - the most likely cause of the death of the ferry is its design flaws and severe weather conditions.

  With this, the official investigation into the disaster was finally closed.

  And the answers to all the questions of the doubters, obviously, will never be received.