Lembit Arrives in Final Showcase
The submarine Lembit has finally completed its journey to the seaplane hangar where it will be open to the public as the jewel of the Maritime Museum's crown.
Last week, the submarine began inching toward the seaplane hangar from a nearby port, a distance of just 250 meters, but rendered complicated by the age of the prewar vessel and the special conditions necessary for transporting a 650-ton submarine.
"Now the submarine Lembit is anchored in place and, in spite of the time consuming process, everything went as planned," said Estonian Maritime Museum director Urmas Dresen. "A big job has been finished."
As reported, the submarine was hoisted out of the water and rolled along air cushions. A Soviet armored vehicle, the BTS-4, which was borrowed from another museum, did the heavy lifting.
Before the submarine was placed in the hangar, but already on land, the finishing touches were made, and the bilges were painted and cleaned. Coverings for the torpedo tubes were prepared and minor repairs were performed on the hull.
Lembit will be fully open to the public when the museum complex opens, but this week the ship can already be glimpsed at through the window of the museum by visitors in conjunction with other events and exhibitions held near the port.
Kristopher Rikken