True replica of Peter the Great ship to visit Limassol

Russian sail training frigate Shtandart, from the same crew who built the Black Pearl used in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, will arrive in Сyprus this week and will be open for visits and sailing trips, it was announced on Wednesday.

The vessel, an exact replica of the ship Russian Tsar Peter the Great built in 1703, will be open to the public for training courses and tours between November 26 and December 5.

The Shtandart is an exact copy of the warship built by the tsar for the defence of St Petersburg and was finished at the same time of the city was established in 1703, a press release said.

The modern Shtandart was built by a team of enthusiasts led by naval architect and sailor Vladimir Martus.

As a student, Martus built a copy of the historic schooner St Peter in 1999 which ended up as the Black Pearl in the Pirates of the Caribbean. After this he started on a replica of the Shtandart frigate. Martus and a group of like-minded people built an exact replica of the first warship of the Baltic Fleet, exactly as ships were built under Peter the Great.

“Everything here is authentic, right down to the carvings embellishing the navigator’s deckhouse,” the press release added.

The vessel can be visited as a museum as it gives visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with the life of seafarers of the 18th century.

“On the other hand, it is a training ship — you can join the crew, learn to work with straight sails and learn how to steer a real tall ship!”

The Shtandart is also an experienced actor, its promoters said, as it has taken part in more than 20 movies, including The Sovereign’s Servant (2007, Russia), The Secret Service Agent’s Memories (2011, Russia), Nova Zembla (2011, Netherlands), Michiel de Ruyter (2015, Netherlands), 22 ángeles (2016, Spain).

The vessel will be in Cyprus between November 26 and December 5.

More information on excursion costs and training can be found at https://forms.gle/792iYj6WRS9ctp3P8