Varna & Cape Kaliakra · Bulgaria · Wreck
Lieutenant Pushchin
A First World War destroyer broken in two by a Bulgarian mine
Lieutenant Pushchin is a Russian destroyer of World War I that struck a Bulgarian mine off the coast in 1916. The blast broke the ship in two, and both halves now rest deep on the Black Sea floor, which makes it a dive for trained deep divers.
Also known as Leytenant Pushchin, Pushtin, Zadornai.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Varna & Cape Kaliakra and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The wreck lies at 33 m, its hull split into two separate sections by the mine blast that sank the destroyer in 1916, so divers meet two broken halves of the ship on the seabed rather than one intact hull.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Lieutenant Pushchin
- Type
- Destroyer
- Sunk
- 1916
- Cause
- Hit a Bulgarian mine during a battle
- Lies
- Broken in two on the seabed at 33 m
The Russian destroyer was first named Zadornai and later renamed Lieutenant Pushchin. On 25 February 1916, during one of the battles off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, she hit a Bulgarian mine. The blast broke her hull in two and the ship went down, and the wreck still lies broken in two on the bottom.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Varna & Cape Kaliakra: The season runs April to November; June to September is the best stretch, with the sea near 24 °C.
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Lieutenant Pushchin wreck need?+
The wreck lies at 33 m, so the dive needs Advanced Open Water certification with deep training.
Sources
- Diving in Bulgaria — Scuba Travel
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