Out in to the cold (Picture heavy)

[Kapitan]

Dobrey Utra !

I have just returned from Moscow Tallin and Helsinki on a weekend trip, I have managed to get a couple of places done and ticked off my list.

First Stop Tallin and some people if your on facebook will know exactly why i am here, two reasons but the first is easy EML Lembit she is a world war II mine laying submarine her sister submarine Kalev was sunk during the war and she is the sole survivor.

She is no longer afloat and is housed like the U505 indoors (thank goodness) she has some ware and tare the deck plating bends under my 100kg feet but i wasn't about to let that stop me !

She is a very nice submarine in the sense she is pretty much intact, she has been restored and well worth a trip to the harbour to go and see, you do get a sense that she is being looked after and as the pictures show despite the fire in 2010 she remains largely intact and complete and no new entry points have been cut into her hull.

EML Lembit by Blair shaw, on Flickr


EML Lembit by Blair shaw, on Flickr


EML Lembit by Blair shaw, on Flickr


Outside the Sea Plane hanger lies another interesting ship the Sur Toll an ice breaker built in 1914 she has served under many flags including Russian Finnish Soviet and Estonian, she was used well into the 1980's under the Soviet flag decommissioned fully in 1988.

DSCN2520 by Blair shaw, on Flickr

DSCN2508 by Blair shaw, on Flickr

Here are some shots of ships around the port of Tallin

Tallin Estonia Misc by Blair shaw, on Flickr

Tallin Estonia Misc by Blair shaw, on Flickr

After Tallin i had to jump on a ferry to Helsinki, i was hoping to visit the submarine however i was told it is closed for winter, and also Aeroflot had cancelled my flight and re booked me on the earlier one so i spent less than 24 hours in Finland.

Moscow was a delight though 3rd time to the city 13th to Russia (Although 1st time in red square properly)

I had planned many things including seeing the famous Moninio Museum and also the submarine B-396 on the Moscow canal both were accomplished ! and i had less than 24 hours to do it (if your familiar with Moscow Moninio is one side The Moscow Canal the other and there is no easy way to get from A to B )

The submarine is home to the famous Caspian sea monster the Ekranoplan

B396 Tango Class by Blair shaw, on Flickr

You cannot go onboard it just outside but the Project 641B Som or Tango class SSK is fully open ! which is a god send because it is -9*c and i had already fallen over twice.

B396 Tango Class by Blair shaw, on Flickr

B396 Tango Class by Blair shaw, on Flickr

B396 Tango Class by Blair shaw, on Flickr

My final stop was to Moninio this museum was until 2000 off limits too all westerners it is now finally and thankfully open to the public and i made good use of my camera.

There are aircraft here experimental ones that ive never seen or heard of !

B396 Tango Class by Blair shaw, on Flickr

The mighty M-50 bounder

Moninio air museum Russia by Blair shaw, on Flickr

Some Hinds including the MI24A !

Moninio air museum Russia by Blair shaw, on Flickr

TU22 Backfire TU16 Badger TU4 Bull and over my head the MI12 or V12 Homer !

Moninio air museum Russia by Blair shaw, on Flickr

Sukhoi T4 was meant to match the XB70 Valkarie but like the XB70 this is as far as it got




all the pictures are available from the link in my signature and also just click the link on the picture happy viewing