Russian Cruiser Boyarin (1901) - Operational Record

Operational Record

Boyardin arrived in Kronstadt on 6 October 1902, and Commander Sarychev was formally placed in command. On 8 October she was included in the Russian Pacific Fleet reinforcement squadron under the command of Admiral Baron Stackelberg, but broke down and had to be repaired in Denmark on the way. Upon rejoining the squadron on 19 November at Isle of Portland in England, Commander Sarychev reported to local authorities that his chief engineer had died of gunshot wounds. After passing through the Suez Canal, Boyardin was assigned to detached duty in a show of force in the Persian Gulf to reinforce Russian political interests and influence. This angered the British government, which refused to permit coaling rights at any British port, and the Russian government was forced to request that a French collier based in Djibouti escort Boyardin through the Indian Ocean. Boyardin reached Port Arthur on 13 May 1902.

She was assigned to maneuvers with the First Pacific Squadron in the Yellow Sea, followed in June by maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean. In August she participated in several training exercises. Viceroy Yevgeni Ivanovich Alekseyev praised her in his reports to Petrograd for her utility and low consumption of coal.

With the increasing diplomatic tension between the Empire of Japan and Russia, Boyardin was deployed to Chemulpo (now Incheon) in Korea in December 1903 to safeguard Russian interests. She was relieved by the arrival of Varyag on 30 December 1903 and returned to Port Arthur.