"TURKKILAISEN MERSINA ALUKSEN VALTAAMINEN".
Sign. 15 Dec 1877. Öljy kankaalle 64,5x81,5 cm.
Suomalainen yksityiskokoelma.
Taide ja meri, 23.9.-19.11. 2000. John Nurmisen säätiö.
The painting depicts a historical event that took place during the Russian. Turkish war (1877-1878). On December 13th 1877, a Russian cruiser "Rossija" under the command of Nikolay Baranov made the greatest prize in all the history of the wars in the Black Sea- it captured a Turkish ship "Mersina". On "Mersina" there was a battalion of Turkish army, a lot of government money, silver ore, valuable assets and secret documents. "Rossija" and "Mersina" entered the Sevastopol harbor.
According to the literarture devoted to Aivazovsky, he represented the event twice; when both ships were near the Turkish port Penderakly; and when they were arriving to Sevastopol. The paintings differ in their compositions. The first variant is well-known: this painting is in the collection in the Navy museum in St. Petersburg. The second variant that belonged to a private collection in Finland is now presented at the current auction.