By Yury Pinchuk
Candidate of geographical sciences Alexey Yarotov tells us that the Belarusian Geographic Society has discovered the remains of famous Potemkin’s dock, from the late 18th century, in the River Sozh (near Krichev). The senior teacher of Physical Geography of World and Educational Technologies at the Belarusian State University continues, “We intended merely to check the hypothesis of its existence, yet discovered a true Belarusian Atlantis. Potemkin’s dock was on such a large scale that it was almost like a town, with workshops, a drafting room and warehouses along the River Sozh. From there, ships set off to the Mediterranean Sea via the River Dnieper. Yekaterina II made her voyage on these vessels from Kiev to the Dnieper Rapids. Later Desna battleship set off from here, becoming famous fighting the Turkish fleet.”
Over 20 rooms, 3m in width, were discovered underwater, near the bank of the River Sozh, their walls made from thick oak logs and with floors of smooth black stone. Various lifting mechanisms (including large gears) remain, as do shipbuilding elements, made from oak. The foundations of a range of buildings have been unearthed, assuring us that this is famous Potemkin’s dockyard.
Expedition initiator Eduard Kisil notes, “This unique object is so well preserved that it’s a true underwater museum — a possible ‘Mecca’ for divers.”
