Novosibirsk. Office of G.M.Budagov and other houses on the street. Bolshevik. The Principality of Sealand is a micro-state located on an offshore platform in the North Sea
The original idea was to capture a no-man's sea platform and organize some kind of entertainment center like an amusement park on it. The gamble was interesting, albeit financially costly, but Paddy's two sidekicks Roy Bates and Ronan O'Reilly decided to take the risk and secure a source of constant income. Shortly after the 1966 landing, the friends differed and Bates sent O'Reilly “out of the blue,” claiming that from now on the platform was his only. However, the retired major of the British Armed Forces did not have money for a complete re-equipment of the platform, and he decided on a mind-blowing step - he declared the platform area equal to 1,300 square meters, the Principality of Sealand, and himself - the monarch and Prince Roy I. Do you think he is a potential patient of a mental hospital? Everything is much more complicated ...
The territory of the Sealand Principality in its "youth" served in the army and bore the name "Fort Maunsell" - the offshore platform was created and installed by order of the British Navy in 1942. There were several dozen similar platforms along coastline England, each housed a detachment of two hundred soldiers serving the anti-aircraft gun complex. With their help, Churchill and the British Admiralty hoped to seriously thin out the ranks of German bombers in the event of an air strike from Nazi Germany, to track the laying of minefields by enemy minelayers - the anti-aircraft gun platforms were something like the first line of British defense.
The second World War ended in victory for the allies and the line of defense from offshore platforms was dismantled, but "Fort Maunsell" remained in its place - guns and other army equipment were removed from it, but they had no right to remove it (there was still Nok John Fort, he is in the image below). The fact is that, according to international law, the maritime territory along the perimeter of the British Isles, which is owned by Great Britain, is limited to three nautical miles from the coastline. All other anti-aircraft gun platforms were exhibited within its limits, but "Fort Maunsell" was installed farthest - six nautical miles from the coast, exactly opposite the mouth of the Thames River. Those. England had no right to it and therefore could not dismantle it - the platform became no-man's, located in neutral waters.
Another post-war platform and fellow Sealand - Knock John Fort
In the media of the middle of the last century, the no-man's sea platform received the nickname "Hooligan Tower" or "Rafs Tower" - the platform is available, but it does not have an owner. And in 1966 this situation was changed by the British Bates and O'Reilly, they had reasons for that - both were in conflict with the law of Great Britain and were considered radio pirates for the illegal radio stations Radio Essex and Radio Caroline that regularly aired (lack of a license, non-payment taxes, copyright infringement, etc.). Returning to the former Major Roy Bates, who became the sole owner of the Rafs Tower, the first thing he did was re-launch his Radio Essex, enjoying freedom from the jurisdiction of England. But the euphoria did not last long - the structure of the platform was in a deplorable state and required constant repairs, and Bates, who, moreover, England refused to pay his pension, did not have money for this ... But he was found - after lengthy negotiations with lawyers and lawyers, a retired soldier declared himself prince and monarch of the Sealand principality, the territory of which was the sea platform and the three-mile sea zone around it.
The young principality immediately had two military conflicts - a former friend of O'Reilly tried to knock out a colleague-radio pirate and appropriate the platform for himself, the British Navy made a similar attempt, also trying to return the platform to its jurisdiction and expel the impudent invader along with family and friends, whom Bates by that time he had settled in the former army barracks of Sealand. We must pay tribute to the extraordinary courage and determination of the retired major, his family and friends - both attacks were repulsed! In the first case, the population of the platform fought off the attackers with the help of rifles, machine guns and flamethrowers (!), In the second, the British Coast Guard boats turned to the coast as soon as rifle bullets whistled over their heads (the captains of the Navy can be understood - get wounded just like that and fight with civilians they did not want, not the case).
Passport, coins and postage stamps of the Principality of Sealand
Now about the legal status of the Sealand Principality. Faced with armed resistance from the population of Sealand, representatives of the British Navy applied to the Essex court with a demand to release the platform illegally occupied by an English citizen. But the Essex judge made the opposite decision - in early September 1968, he ruled that the Sealand offshore platform was outside the jurisdiction of Great Britain, i.e. the laws of the country have no power over its population. This was the first success of the young principality, which Prince Roy I Bates immediately decided to consolidate by issuing his own postage stamps in 1969 (and demanding from the Universal Postal Union in Brussels to accept the principality of Sealand), starting to mint his own coin in 1972, and in 1975 - creating the Constitution of the Sealand monarchy, its coat of arms, flag and anthem.
Those. according to the international Montevideo Convention, adopted in 1933 at the 7th Pan American Conference, the principality of Sealand has all the features of an independent state, namely: it has its own territory, there is a permanent population, it has its own government and the principality is able (and has repeatedly tried!) to enter into diplomatic relations with other states.
So, since 1967 - already 45 years - the Sealand principality has existed in good health, and the "august" family of a retired British major, who exchanged his homeland for a princely title, has amassed a considerable fortune. I had a reasonable question - how much income can a principality, located on the high seas and on an area the size of a football field, bring? The first source of income was the pirate Radio Essex, then Roy I and his family switched to all sorts of promotional items - cups, T-shirts, posters, etc. Trade was greatly aided by the attempted coup d'état in Sealand in 1978, which brought incredible popularity to the microscopic principality and its population in the European media.
Crown Prince of Sealand Michael Bates
As the monarch of a sovereign state with all the necessary regalia, Roy I Bates, his wife, Princess Joan I Bates, the heir to the princely throne, Prince Regent Michael I and daughter Penelope are engaged in trade in titles and other attributes of the principality - to acquire the title and the corresponding documentation for it for 316 Anyone can $ can on the official website of the Principality of Sealand sealandgov.org. And the former putschist and Prime Minister of Sealand Count Alexander Gottfried Achenbach, a citizen of Germany, declared himself a "government in exile" and actively traded in fake passports of the principality, selling about 150,000 documents for $ 1,000 each (at the request of Interpol, Prince Roy I canceled the action all passports of Sealand several years ago). From 2000 to 2008, the servers of the HavenCo hosting company were located on the platform of the principality, which made a bet on an offshore zone and paid a tidy sum for rent.
Diploma for the title of the Principality of Sealand
Since 2007, the principality on an offshore platform has been sold for only 750 million euros; only one of the 27 citizens of Sealand is now permanently located on its territory. The elderly prince himself and his wife ten years ago moved on land to England - not the age to live on a platform in the middle of the sea.
One of the oldest and certainly the most famous microstate in the world was born back in 1967. And you know what is the most interesting? You too can become a citizen of Sealand - a freedom-loving principality off the coast of Great Britain.
Platform for life
During World War II, Great Britain did its best to fortify the coast. As part of this program, several platforms were built on the approaches. The Rafs Tower site housed an impressive garrison of 200 men and several anti-aircraft guns. It was only in the hustle and bustle that the British erected the very Rafs Tower outside their territorial waters, which served as the impetus for the further development of the situation.
Amusement park
Much after the war, in 1966, former warriors Paddy Roy Bates and Ronan O'Reilly looked for an abandoned platform to create an amusement park. The partners' plans were interrupted by a quarrel: Bates kicked Ronan off the platform and defended it for a while.
Pirate state
The winner did not build any amusement park. Instead, it was planned to locate Britain's Better Music Station, a pirate station, but the matter did not go further than plans. After living on the platform for several months, Roy suddenly announced the creation of a sovereign state. On September 2, 1967, the whole world was amazed to learn about the emergence of a new principality - Roy named it Sealand.
Problems with the authorities
Of course, the British authorities were not going to stand aside and give their property to some rogue. In early 1968, two military boats approached the platform, which were met with shots. Bloodshed was avoided: England decided to simply sue Bates, because formally he remained a British subject.
The tricks of the lawyers
The logical way out of this situation would be for Great Britain to expand its territorial waters. On September 30, 1987, this was officially announced: now Sealand fell under the jurisdiction of the country. However, the clever prince reacted to the new threat immediately - he also announced the expansion of the territory of the principality, to which the British snobs decided not to react. And it was a big mistake: in fact, for the rest of the world, Britain seemed to recognize Bates' right to sovereign control of its platform.
Scam with documents
For international crime, the existence of Sealand was a real boon. In 1997, Interpol came across a syndicate that was selling fake Sealand documents. Diplomatic passports, driver's licenses, ordinary civil documents - in Europe, with such papers they managed to buy weapons, open bank accounts and arrange whole scams. The operation to block the forged documents took several years and cost Interpol about $ 10 million.
Relentless element
For a long time, Sealand flourished. But on June 23, 2006, the history of this strange state almost came to an end. A sudden fire destroyed almost all of the structures on the platform, and it took the Sealands six months to rebuild the infrastructure.
Monarchy
The principality is governed as a constitutional monarchy. Until recently, the head was Prince Roy I Bates, and now he was succeeded by his heir, Michael I Bates. There is a complete constitution here, adopted on September 25, 1975. Life control is exercised by three ministries: Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Telecommunications and Technology.
Savor
You shouldn't think that Sealand is just one of the invented states. It has everything you need for a normal life: the country issues its own stamps, there is the Sealand Anglican Church and even its own football team. The latter, however, has not yet been recognized by any federation.
General-admiral-prince-president
After Roy's death, his only son, Michael Bay, became his heir. True, the politician did not move to the platform and prefers to spend time in the UK. In 2012, he was given the hereditary title of Admiral General of Sealand, Prince Michael I Bates.
Principality of Sealand (English Principality of Sealand) - a micro-state located on an offshore platform in the North Sea 10 kilometers off the coast of Great Britain, according to some sources, meets all the criteria for statehood specified in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, and is an unrecognized state
Prehistory of Sealand
Rafs Tower platform eng. Roughs Tower on which Sealand is located
Physically, the territory of Sealand emerged during the Second World War. In 1942, the British Navy built a series of platforms on the approaches to the coast. One of them was the Roughs Tower. During the war, anti-aircraft guns were located there and a garrison of 200 people was located. After the end of hostilities, most of the towers were destroyed, but the Rafs Tower, outside British territorial waters, remained intact.
Capturing platform and founding Sealand
In 1966, a retired major british army Paddy Roy Bates and friend Ronan O'Reilly chose the long-abandoned Rafs Tower platform to build an amusement park. However, after a while they quarreled, and Bates became the sole owner of the island. In 1967, O'Reilly tried to take over the island and used force for this, but Bates defended himself with rifles, shotguns, bottles of incendiary mixture and flamethrowers, and O'Reilly's attack was repulsed.
Roy did not build the amusement park, but chose the platform for the base of his pirate radio station Britain's Better Music Station, but this radio station never broadcast from the platform. On September 2, 1967, he announced the creation of a sovereign state and proclaimed himself Prince Roy I. This day is celebrated as the main public holiday.
Conflict with Great Britain
In 1968 the British authorities tried to take the platform. Patrol boats approached her, and the princely family responded with warning shots into the air. The case did not come to bloodshed, but a lawsuit was launched against Prince Roy as a British subject. On September 2, 1968, an Essex judge issued a historic ruling: he found the case to be outside British jurisdiction.
In 1972, Sealand began minting the coin. In 1975, the first constitution of Sealand entered into force. The flag and coat of arms appeared.
Attempted coup
In August 1978, a coup took place in the country. It was preceded by tensions between the prince and his closest associate, the country's prime minister, Count Alexander Gottfried Achenbach. The parties disagreed on attracting investments to the country and accused each other of anti-constitutional intentions. Taking advantage of the absence of the prince, who was negotiating with investors in Austria, Achenbach landed on the island with a group of Dutch citizens. The invaders locked the young Prince Michael in a basement and then took him to the Netherlands. But Michael escaped captivity and met with his father. With the support of loyal citizens of the country, the ousted monarchs managed to defeat the usurpers and return to power.
The government acted in strict accordance with the norms of international law. The captured foreign mercenaries were soon released, as the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Prisoners of War requires the release of prisoners after the end of hostilities. The organizer of the coup was removed from all posts and convicted of high treason in accordance with the Sealand laws, but he had a second - German - citizenship, so the FRG authorities became interested in his fate. The British Foreign Office refused to intervene in this matter, and German diplomats had to negotiate directly with Sealand. The senior legal adviser of the German embassy in London, Dr. Niemüller, arrived on the island, which was the pinnacle of the actual recognition of Sealand by the real states. Prince Roy demanded diplomatic recognition of Sealand, but in the end, given the bloodless nature of the failed coup, agreed to oral assurances and generously released Achenbach.
The losers continued to insist on their rights. They formed the Sealand government in exile (FRG). Achenbach claimed to be chairman of the Sealand Privy Council. In January 1989, he was arrested by the FRG authorities (which naturally did not recognize his diplomatic status) and handed over his post to Minister for Economic Cooperation Johannes W. F. Seiger, who soon became Prime Minister. Re-elected in 1994 and 1999.
Expansion of territorial waters
On September 30, 1987, Sealand announced the expansion of its territorial waters from 3 to 12 nautical miles. The next day, the UK made a similar statement. There was no reaction from the British government to the expansion of Sealand's territorial waters. From the point of view of international law, this means that the sea zone between the two countries should be divided equally. This fact is considered by supporters of Sealand's independence as a fact of its recognition. Although the lack of a bilateral agreement regulating this issue has caused dangerous incidents. So, in 1990, Sealand fired warning salvos at a British ship that had unauthorizedly approached its border.
Fake Sealand passports
The name of Sealand, unbeknownst to the government, was drawn into a grandiose criminal scam. In 1997, a branched international syndicate came to the attention of Interpol, which established a trade in fake Sealand passports (Sealand himself never sold passports and did not provide political asylum). Over 150,000 false passports (including diplomatic ones), as well as driving licenses, university diplomas and other forged documents were sold to citizens of Hong Kong (during the period of its transfer under the control of the PRC) and Eastern Europe. In several European countries, attempts were made to open bank accounts and even acquire weapons using Sealand passports. The cybercriminals' headquarters were located in Germany, the sphere of activity covered Spain, Great Britain, France, Slovenia, Romania and Russia. In the case, a Russian citizen Igor Popov appeared as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sealand. In the United States, a connection was discovered between this case and the murder of Gianni Versace (the killer committed suicide on a yacht whose owner had a fake Sealand diplomatic passport). The Sealand government fully cooperated with the investigation and after this unpleasant incident canceled the passports.
Sealand and HavenCo Collaboration
In 2000, HavenCo hosted its hosting in Sealand, in return, the government pledged to guarantee the inviolability of freedom of information legislation (with respect to the Internet, everything is allowed in Sealand except spam, hacker attacks and child pornography). HavenCo hoped that its location in a sovereign territory would save it from the restrictions of British Internet law. HavenCo ceased to exist in 2008
Fire on Sealand
On June 23, 2006, the State of Sealand suffered a terrible disaster throughout its history. A fire broke out on the platform, the cause of which is indicated by a short circuit. The fire destroyed almost all buildings. As a result of the fire, one victim was taken by a British BBC rescue helicopter to a hospital in the UK. The state was restored quickly enough: by November of the same year.
Sale of Sealand
In January 2007, the owners of the country announced their intention to sell it. Immediately after that, the Pirate Bay torrent site began raising funds for the acquisition of Sealand.
In January 2009, the Spanish real estate agency Inmo-Naranja announced its intention to put Sealand up for sale for 750 million euros. But soon the prince decided not to sell the "state"
Legal status
Sealand's position compares favorably with that of other virtual states. The Principality has a physical territory and has some legal basis for international recognition. The independence requirement is based on three arguments. The most fundamental of these is the fact that Sealand was founded in neutral waters before the entry into force of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, prohibiting the construction of man-made structures on the high seas, and before the expansion of the British sovereign sea zone from 3 to 12 nautical miles in 1987. year. Due to the fact that the Rafs Tower platform, on which Sealand is located, was abandoned and deleted from the lists of the British Admiralty, its occupation is considered as colonization. The settlers who settled on it believe that they had every right to establish a state and establish a form of government at their own discretion. Sealand meets all the criteria of statehood specified in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. According to international standards, the size of the state cannot be an obstacle to recognition. For example, the recognized British possession of Pitcairn Island has a population of only about 60.
The second important argument is the 1968 British court ruling that there was no British jurisdiction over Sealand. No other country has also claimed its rights to Sealand.
Thirdly, there are several facts of de facto recognition of Sealand. The Montevideo Convention states that states have the right to exist and defend themselves regardless of official recognition. In modern international practice, tacit (non-diplomatic) recognition is a fairly common phenomenon. It arises when a regime does not have sufficient legitimacy, but exercises actual power on its territory. For example, many states do not recognize the Republic of China diplomatically, but de facto view it as a sovereign country. There are four such pieces of evidence regarding Sealand:
Great Britain does not pay Prince Roy a pension for the period when he was in Sealand.
The UK courts declined to consider the 1968 and 1990 lawsuits against Sealand.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Federal Republic of Germany entered into negotiations with the Sealand government.
The Belgian Post recognized the Sealand marks for some time.
In theory, Sealand's position is quite convincing. If recognized, the principality would become the smallest country in the world and the 51st state in Europe. However, according to the founding theory, which is more common in modern international law, a state can exist only insofar as it is recognized by other states. Therefore, Sealand cannot be admitted to any international organization, cannot have its own postal address, domain name. None of the countries established diplomatic relations with him.
Sealand is trying to achieve recognition of independence by some major state, but did not try to achieve independence through the UN.
P.S. My name is Alexander. This is my personal, independent project. I am very glad if you liked the article. Want to help the site? Just check out the ads below for what you recently searched for.
Warning: This news is taken from here .. When using, please cite THIS LINK as a source.
Are you looking for this? Perhaps this is something that you have not been able to find for so long?
Total
% water surface
~ 0.001 km²
100%
Assessment ()
Density
11 people
people / km²
Roy did not build the amusement park, but chose a platform for the base of his pirate radio station Britain's Better Music Station, but this radio station has never broadcast from the platform. On September 2, 1967, he announced the creation of a sovereign state and proclaimed himself Prince Roy I. This day is celebrated as the main public holiday.
Conflict with Great Britain
In 1968 the British authorities tried to take over the platform. Patrol boats approached her, and the Bates responded with warning shots into the air. The case did not come to bloodshed, but a lawsuit was launched against Major Bates as a British subject.
Attempted coup
Fire on Sealand
On June 23, 2006, the State of Sealand suffered the worst natural disaster in its history. A fire broke out on the platform, the cause of which is indicated by a short circuit. The fire destroyed almost all buildings. As a result of the fire, one victim was taken by a British BBC rescue helicopter to a hospital in the UK. The state was restored quickly enough: by November of the same year.
Sale of Sealand
Sealand Tourism
The Sealand government on its announced the start of tourist trips from the summer of 2012. As of July 19, a government spokesman says in private correspondence that "the tourism program is in the final stages of preparation."
Michael (Michael) I Bates
Since 1999, Michael I Bates (son of Paddy Roy Bates; born 1952) has become the Prince Regent of Sealand, a British politician living in Sealand. Since 2012, he has inherited the title: "Admiral General of Sealand prince Michael I Bates».
Legal status
Sealand's position compares favorably with that of other virtual states. The Principality has a physical territory and has some legal basis for international recognition. The independence requirement is based on three arguments. The most fundamental of these is the fact that Sealand was founded in neutral waters prior to the entry into force of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, prohibiting the construction of man-made structures on the high seas, and before the expansion of the UK's sovereign sea zone from 3 to 12 nautical miles in 1987. year. Due to the fact that the Rafs Tower platform, on which Sealand is located, was abandoned and deleted from the lists of the British Admiralty, its occupation is considered as colonization. The settlers who settled on it believe that they had every right to establish a state and establish a form of government at their own discretion. According to international standards, the size of the state cannot be an obstacle to recognition. For example, the recognized British possession of Pitcairn Island has only about 60 inhabitants.
The second important argument is the 1968 British court ruling that there was no British jurisdiction over Sealand. No other country has also claimed its rights to Sealand.
Thirdly, there are several facts of de facto recognition of Sealand. The Montevideo Convention states that states have the right to exist and defend themselves regardless of official recognition. In modern international practice, tacit (non-diplomatic) recognition is a fairly common phenomenon. It arises when a regime does not have sufficient legitimacy, but exercises actual power on its territory. For example, many states do not recognize the Republic of China diplomatically, but de facto view it as a sovereign country. There are four similar pieces of evidence regarding Sealand:
- Great Britain did not pay Prince Roy a pension during the period when he was in Sealand.
- UK courts declined to consider the 1968 and 1990 claims against Sealand.
- The Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Federal Republic of Germany entered into negotiations with the Sealand government.
- The Belgian Post recognized the Sealand marks for some time.
In theory, Sealand's positions are very convincing. If recognized, the principality would become the smallest country in the world and the 51st state in Europe. However, according to the constitutive theory, the state can exist only insofar as it is recognized by other states. Therefore, Sealand cannot be admitted to any international organization, cannot have its own postal address, domain name. None of the countries established diplomatic relations with him.
Economy
Sealand has been involved in several commercial operations, including the issuance of coins, postage stamps and the provision of server space. HavenCo... Also, for some time, Sealand's camouflage passports were issued by a certain Spanish group. 
Coins
| Dignity | Material | Year of issue |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ dollar | bronze | 1994 |
| ¼ dollar | silver | 1994 |
| ½ dollar | copper-nickel | 1994 |
| ½ dollar | silver | 1994 |
| 1 dollar | bronze | 1994 |
| 1 dollar | silver | 1994 |
| $ 2½ | bronze | 1994 |
| 10 dollars | silver | 1972 |
| 10 dollars | silver | 1977 |
| 30 dollars | silver | 1972 |
| 100 dollars | gold | 1977 |
Sport
Write a review on Sealand
Notes (edit)
Links
Excerpt from Sealand
The peasants came up and took him by the shoulders and legs, but he groaned pitifully, and the peasants, exchanging glances, let him go again.- Take it, put it in, it's all one! - shouted someone's voice. Another time they took him by the shoulders and put him on a stretcher.
- Oh my god! Oh my God! What is it? .. Belly! This is the end! Oh my god! - voices were heard between the officers. “She buzzed by a hair's breadth,” said the adjutant. The men, having adjusted the stretcher on their shoulders, hurriedly set off along the path they had trodden to the dressing station.
- Keep in step ... Eh! .. peasant! - shouted the officer, stopping by the shoulders the peasants who were walking unevenly and shaking the stretcher.
- Fix it up, Khvedor, and Khvedor, - said the front man.
“That's it, it's important,” the back one said happily, hitting the leg.
- Your Excellency? AND? Prince? - Timokhin ran up in a trembling voice, peering into the stretcher.
Prince Andrew opened his eyes and looked from behind the stretcher, into which his head had sunk deeply, at the one who spoke, and again dropped his eyelids.
The militiamen brought Prince Andrey to the forest, where the trucks were stationed and where there was a dressing station. The dressing station consisted of three outstretched tents with rolled-up floors on the edge of a birch grove. There were trucks and horses in the birch grove. The horses in the ridges ate oats, and the sparrows flew to them and picked up the spilled grains. The crows, smelling the blood, croaking impatiently, flew over the birches. Around the tents, more than two tithes of space, lay, sat, stood bloody people in various clothes. Around the wounded, with gloomy and attentive faces, there were crowds of soldiers, porters, who were in vain driven away from this place by the officers in charge of the order. Not listening to the officers, the soldiers stood, leaning on a stretcher, and intently, as if trying to understand the difficult meaning of the spectacle, looked at what was happening in front of them. From the tents one could hear loud, angry screams, then plaintive groans. Occasionally, paramedics ran out of there to fetch water and pointed out those that had to be brought in. The wounded, waiting for their turn at the tent, wheezed, moaned, cried, shouted, swore, asked for vodka. Some were delusional. Prince Andrey, as a regimental commander, walking through the unbound wounded, was carried closer to one of the tents and stopped, awaiting orders. Prince Andrew opened his eyes and for a long time could not understand what was happening around him. The meadow, wormwood, arable land, the black spinning ball and his passionate outburst of love for life were recalled to him. Two steps away from him, speaking loudly and drawing general attention to himself, stood, leaning on a branch and with his head tied, a tall, handsome, black-haired non-commissioned officer. He was wounded in the head and leg by bullets. Around him, eagerly listening to his speech, a crowd of wounded and porters gathered.
- We otteda as we blasted, so we abandoned everything, the king himself was taken away! - shining black hot eyes and looking around him, shouted the soldier. - Come just that very time Leserva, his b, my brother, the title is not left, therefore I tell you correctly ...
Prince Andrew, like everyone around the narrator, gazed at him with a brilliant gaze and felt a comforting feeling. But isn't it all the same now, he thought. - And what will be there and what was it here? Why was I so sorry to part with my life? There was something in this life that I did not understand and do not understand. "
One of the doctors, in a bloody apron and with bloody small hands, in one of which he held a cigar between his little finger and thumb (so as not to stain her), left the tent. This doctor raised his head and began to look around, but higher than the wounded. He obviously wanted to rest a little. Moving his head to the right and to the left for a while, he sighed and lowered his eyes.
“Well, now,” he said to the words of the paramedic, who pointed out to him Prince Andrey, and ordered him to be carried to the tent.
A murmur arose in the crowd of awaiting wounded.
- It can be seen, and in the next world to live alone, - said one.
Prince Andrew was brought in and put on a table that had just been cleaned up, from which a paramedic was rinsing something. Prince Andrew could not make out separately what was in the tent. Complaining moans from all sides, excruciating pain in the hip, abdomen and back entertained him. Everything that he saw around him merged for him into one general impression of a naked, bloody human body, which seemed to fill the entire low tent, as a few weeks ago, on this hot, August day, the same body filled a dirty pond along the Smolensk road ... Yes, it was that very body, that very chair a canon [meat for cannons], the sight of which even then, as if predicting the present, aroused horror in him.
There were three tables in the tent. Two were occupied, on the third they put Prince Andrew. For some time he was left alone, and he involuntarily saw what was being done on the other two tables. On the near table sat a Tatar, probably a Cossack, in a uniform thrown beside him. Four soldiers were holding him. A doctor with glasses was cutting something in his brown, muscular back.
- Uh, uh, uh! .. - as if the Tatar was grunting, and suddenly, raising up his high-cheekbone black snub-nosed face, bared white teeth, he began to torn, twitch and squeal with a piercing, prolonged squeal. On another table, around which a lot of people crowded, on his back lay a large, plump man with his head thrown back (curly hair, their color and head shape seemed strangely familiar to Prince Andrey). Several paramedics piled on the man's chest and held him. The white large, full leg jerked rapidly and often without ceasing with feverish tremors. This man was sobbing convulsively and choking. Two doctors in silence - one was pale and trembling - were doing something over the other, the red leg of this man. Having dealt with the Tatar, over whom they had thrown an overcoat, the doctor with glasses, wiping his hands, went up to Prince Andrey. He looked into the face of Prince Andrey and hastily turned away.
- Undress! What are you standing? He shouted angrily at the paramedics.
The very first distant childhood was remembered by Prince Andrei, when a paramedic with hurried rolled up hands unbuttoned his buttons and took off his dress. The doctor bent low over the wound, felt it and sighed heavily. Then he signaled to someone. And the excruciating pain inside the abdomen made Prince Andrei lose consciousness. When he woke up, the broken bones of his thigh were taken out, chunks of meat were cut off, and the wound was bandaged. They sprayed water on his face. As soon as Prince Andrei opened his eyes, the doctor bent over him, silently kissed him on the lips and hurried away.
After the suffering he had endured, Prince Andrey felt a bliss that he had not experienced for a long time. All the best, happiest moments in his life, especially the most distant childhood, when he was undressed and put in a crib, when the nanny, lulling him, sang over him, when, burying his head in the pillows, he felt happy with one consciousness of life - he imagined himself imagination not even as the past, but as reality.
Doctors fussed about the wounded man, the outlines of his head seemed familiar to Prince Andrey; he was raised and calmed.
- Show me ... Oooh! about! oooh! - heard his groan, interrupted by sobs, frightened and resigned to suffering. Hearing these groans, Prince Andrew wanted to cry. Whether because he was dying without fame, whether because he was sorry to part with his life, whether from these irrecoverable childhood memories, whether because he suffered, that others suffered and this man moaned so pitifully before him, but he wanted to cry childish, kind, almost joyful tears.
The wounded man was shown a severed leg in a boot with caked blood.
- ABOUT! Ooooh! He sobbed like a woman. The doctor, who was standing in front of the wounded, blocking his face, walked away.
- Oh my God! What is it? Why is he here? - said Prince Andrew to himself.
In the unhappy, sobbing, exhausted man, whose leg had just been taken away, he recognized Anatol Kuragin. Anatole was held in his arms and offered him water in a glass, the edges of which he could not catch with trembling, swollen lips. Anatole was sobbing heavily. “Yes, this is it; yes, this man is somehow close and difficult to me, - thought Prince Andrew, not yet clearly understanding what was in front of him. - What is the connection of this person with my childhood, with my life? He asked himself, finding no answer. And suddenly a new, unexpected recollection from the childish world, pure and loving, presented itself to Prince Andrey. He remembered Natasha as he had seen her for the first time at the ball in 1810, with a thin neck and thin hands with a face ready for delight, a frightened, happy face, and love and tenderness for her, even more lively and stronger than ever, woke up in to his soul. He now remembered the connection that existed between him and this man, through the tears filling his swollen eyes, looking dimly at him. Prince Andrew remembered everything, and ecstatic pity and love for this man filled his happy heart.
Prince Andrew could no longer restrain himself and wept tender, loving tears over people, over himself and over their and his own delusions.
“Compassion, love for brothers, for those who love, love for those who hate us, love for enemies - yes, that love that God preached on earth, which Princess Marya taught me and which I did not understand; this is why I felt sorry for life, this is what still remained for me if I were alive. But it's too late now. I know it!"
The terrible view of the battlefield, covered with corpses and wounded, combined with the weight of the head and with the news of the killed and wounded twenty familiar generals and with the consciousness of the powerlessness of his formerly strong hand, made an unexpected impression on Napoleon, who usually liked to look at the dead and wounded, thus testing his mental strength (as he thought). On this day, the terrible sight of the battlefield defeated the spiritual strength in which he believed his merit and greatness. He hastily left the battlefield and returned to the Shevardinsky mound. Yellow, swollen, heavy, with dull eyes, a red nose and a hoarse voice, he sat in a folding chair, involuntarily listening to the sounds of gunfire and not looking up. He waited with painful longing for the end of the case, which he considered himself the cause, but which he could not stop. For a brief moment, personal human feeling prevailed over the artificial ghost of life that he had served for so long. He endured the suffering and death that he saw on the battlefield. The heaviness of his head and chest reminded him of the possibility of suffering and death for himself. At that moment he wanted neither Moscow, nor victory, nor glory for himself. (What more glory did he need?) The one thing he wanted now was rest, tranquility and freedom. But when he was at the Semyonovskaya height, the chief of artillery suggested that he put several batteries at these heights in order to increase the fire on the Russian troops crowded in front of Knyazkov. Napoleon agreed and ordered to bring him the news of what action these batteries would produce.
The adjutant came to say that, by order of the emperor, two hundred guns were aimed at the Russians, but that the Russians were still standing.
“Our fire tears them out in rows, and they stand,” said the adjutant.
- Ils en veulent encore! .. [They still want to! ..] - Napoleon said in a hoarse voice.
- Sire? [Sovereign?] - repeated the adjutant who did not listen.
“Ils en veulent encore,” Napoleon croaked in a hoarse voice, frowning, “donnez leur en. [I would also like to, well, ask them.]
And without his order, what he wanted was done, and he ordered only because he thought that orders were expected from him. And he was again transported into his former artificial world of ghosts of some kind of greatness, and again (like that horse walking on a sloping drive wheel imagines that it is doing something for itself) he humbly began to perform that cruel, sad and heavy, inhuman the role that was intended for him.
And not for this one hour and day alone were the mind and conscience of this man darkened, heavier than all the other participants in this case, who bore the whole burden of what was happening; but never, until the end of his life, he could understand neither goodness, nor beauty, nor truth, nor the meaning of his actions, which were too opposite to goodness and truth, too far from everything human, so that he could understand their meaning. He could not renounce his actions, which were praised by half of the world, and therefore had to renounce truth and goodness and everything human.
Not on that day alone, going around the battlefield laid by dead and mutilated people (as he thought, according to his will), looking at these people, he counted how many Russians there were for one Frenchman, and, deceiving himself, found reasons to rejoice that for one Frenchman there were five Russians. Not on that day alone did he write in a letter to Paris that le champ de bataille a ete superbe [the battlefield was splendid], because there were fifty thousand corpses on it; but on the island of St. Helena, in the quiet of solitude, where he said that he intended to devote his leisure time to recounting the great deeds that he had done, he wrote:
"La guerre de Russie eut du etre la plus populaire des temps modernes: c" etait celle du bon sens et des vrais interets, celle du repos et de la securite de tous; elle etait purement pacifique et conservatrice.
C "etait pour la grande cause, la fin des hasards elle commencement de la securite. Un nouvel horizon, de nouveaux travaux allaient se derouler, tout plein du bien etre et de la prosperite de tous. Le systeme europeen se trouvait fonde; il n "etait plus question que de l" organizer.
Satisfait sur ces grands points et tranquille partout, j "aurais eu aussi mon congres et ma sainte alliance. Ce sont des idees qu" on m "a volees. Dans cette reunion de grands souverains, nous eussions traites de nos interets en famille et compte de clerc a maitre avec les peuples.
L "Europe n" eut bientot fait de la sorte veritablement qu "un meme peuple, et chacun, en voyageant partout, se fut trouve toujours dans la patrie commune. Il eut demande toutes les rivieres navigables pour tous, la communaute des mers, et que les grandes armees permanentes fussent reduites desormais a la seule garde des souverains.
De retour en France, au sein de la patrie, grande, forte, magnifique, tranquille, glorieuse, j "eusse proclame ses limites immuables; toute guerre future, purement defensive; tout agrandissement nouveau antinational. J" eusse associe mon fils al "Empire ; ma dictature eut fini, et son regne constitutionnel eut commence ...
Paris eut ete la capitale du monde, et les Francais l "envie des nations! ..
Mes loisirs ensuite et mes vieux jours eussent ete consacres, en compagnie de l "imperatrice et durant l" apprentissage royal de mon fils, a visiter lentement et en vrai couple campagnard, avec nos propres chevaux, tous les recoins de l "Empire, recevant les plaintes, redressant les torts, semant de toutes parts et partout les monuments et les bienfaits.
The Russian war should have been the most popular in modern times: it was a war of common sense and real benefits, a war of peace and security for all; she was purely peaceful and conservative.
It was for a great purpose, for the end of accidents and for the beginning of peace. A new horizon, new labors would open up, full of prosperity and prosperity for all. The European system would be founded, the question would be only in its establishment.
Satisfied in these great matters and calm everywhere, I would also have my own congress and my sacred union. These are the thoughts that have been stolen from me. In this meeting of great sovereigns, we would discuss our interests in the family and would reckon with the peoples, like a scribe with a master.
Indeed, Europe would soon become one and the same people in this way, and everyone, traveling anywhere, would always be in a common homeland.
I would argue that all rivers are navigable for everyone, that the sea is common, that permanent, large armies are reduced solely to the guards of sovereigns, etc.
Returning to France, to my homeland, great, strong, magnificent, calm, glorious, I would proclaim its boundaries unchanged; any future defensive war; any new spread is antinational; I would add my son to the rule of the empire; my dictatorship would end, in the beginning of his constitutional rule ...
Paris would be the capital of the world and the French are the envy of all nations! ..
Then my leisure time and the last days would have been devoted, with the help of the empress and during the royal education of my son, to little by little visit, like a real village couple, on their own horses, all corners of the state, accepting complaints, eliminating injustices, scattering all sides and everywhere buildings and benefits.]
Total
% water surface
0.00055 km²
0
Total ()
Density
5 people
9100 people / km²
Total ()
Per capita
600000
Sealand, Principality of Sealand (Principality of Sealand) is a self-proclaimed micro-state in the North Sea 10 kilometers off the coast of Great Britain. Located on an offshore platform. Coordinates: Coordinates: / (G)51.894444 , 1.4825 51 ° 53'40 ″ s. sh. 1 ° 28'57 ″ in. etc. / 51.894444 ° N sh. 1.4825 ° E etc. (G)
Political system
Roy did not build an amusement park, but chose a platform to host his pirate radio Britain's Better Music Station. On September 2, 1967, he announced the creation of a sovereign state and proclaimed himself Prince Roy I. This day is celebrated as the main public holiday.
Conflict with Great Britain
Attempted coup
Expansion of territorial waters
Sealand territory with territorial waters
Sale of Sealand
Legal status
Sealand's position compares favorably with that of other virtual states. The Principality has a physical territory and has some legal basis for international recognition. The independence requirement is based on three arguments. The most fundamental of these is the fact that Sealand was founded in neutral waters prior to the entry into force of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, prohibiting the construction of man-made structures on the high seas, and before the expansion of the UK's sovereign sea zone from 3 to 12 nautical miles in 1987. year. Due to the fact that the Rafs Tower platform, on which Sealand is located, was abandoned and deleted from the lists of the British Admiralty, its occupation is considered as colonization. The settlers who settled on it believe that they had every right to establish a state and establish a form of government at their own discretion. Sealand meets all the criteria of statehood specified in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. According to international standards, the size of the state cannot be an obstacle to recognition. For example, the recognized British possession of Pitcairn Island has only about 60 inhabitants.
The second important argument is the 1968 British court ruling that there was no British jurisdiction over Sealand. No other country has also claimed its rights to Sealand.
Thirdly, there are several facts of de facto recognition of Sealand. The Montevideo Convention states that states have the right to exist and defend themselves regardless of official recognition. In modern international practice, tacit (non-diplomatic) recognition is a fairly common phenomenon. It arises when a regime does not have sufficient legitimacy, but exercises actual power on its territory. For example, many states do not recognize Taiwan diplomatically, but de facto view it as a sovereign country. There are four such pieces of evidence regarding Sealand:
- Great Britain does not pay Prince Roy a pension for the period when he was in Sealand.
- The UK courts declined to consider the 1968 and 1990 lawsuits against Sealand.
- The Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Federal Republic of Germany entered into negotiations with the Sealand government.
- The Belgian Post recognized the Sealand marks for some time.
In theory, Sealand's position is quite convincing. If recognized, the principality would become the smallest country in the world and the 49th state in Europe. However, according to the founding theory, which is more common in modern international law, a state can exist only insofar as it is recognized by other states. Therefore, Sealand cannot be admitted to any international organization, cannot have its own postal address, domain name. None of the countries established diplomatic relations with him.
Sealand is trying to achieve recognition of independence by some large state, but did not try to achieve independence through the UN.
Coins
Sealand coins, from left to right: ½ dollar, silver dollar and ¼ dollar
For numismatic purposes, the following coins were minted in the principality:
| Dignity | Material | Year of issue |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ dollar | bronze | |
| ¼ dollar | silver | |
| ½ dollar | copper-nickel | |
| ½ dollar | silver | |
| 1 dollar | bronze | |
| 1 dollar | silver | |
| $ 2½ | bronze | |
| 10 dollars | silver | |
| 10 dollars | silver | |
| 30 dollars | silver | |
| 100 dollars |
