Ships were launched, stars were taken down, and Okean was sold: the incredible story of November 12

From 19th-century ships and Nazi executions to decommunization and the fight for the Ocean Shipyard

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11 Nov 2026

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November 12 for Mykolaiv is about more than today’s news on the Ocean Shipyard, the bridge over the Vitovka River, and water supply. On this day, warships were launched and a memorial was unveiled; during the Nazi occupation, two residents were executed, and a Mykolaiv-built cruiser suffered a fatal airstrike. Later, Ukraine left the ruble zone, while in the 21st century the city fought for transport, industry, and recovery after Russian attacks.

November 12, 1840: a battleship was launched and a frigate laid down in Mykolaiv

According to the modern calendar, on November 12, 1840 (October 31 Old Style), the Mykolaiv-built battleship “Uriil,” a ship of the 84-gun class, was launched at the Spassky Admiralty. On the same day, the frigate “Kagul” was laid down at the Mykolaiv Admiralty. Both ships were built under the supervision of master shipbuilder Alexei Semyonovich Akimov. Ship reference books list these dates according to both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

November 12, 1936: a monument to 61 Communards was unveiled in Mykolaiv

A monument to the 61 Communards was unveiled at what was then Communards’ Square in Mykolaiv—a memorial to those executed by White Guard forces in 1919. The newspaper Pravda reported on the ceremony the following day, November 13, 1936. This contemporary account confirms the exact unveiling date, although claims in the Soviet press about the size of the ceremony require separate verification.

November 12, 1941: occupiers executed two Mykolaiv professionals

In Mykolaiv, which was under Nazi occupation, engineer Dmytro Kostin and mechanic Serhii Vodash were executed. A field commandant’s office notice dated November 14, 1941, accused them of disobeying the occupation authorities’ orders and sabotage. The notice is preserved in the Mykolaiv Regional State Archives’ documentary collection “Mykolaiv Region during World War II” (document No. 91); the occupiers’ accusations are not proof of the victims’ guilt.

November 12, 1941: German aircraft fatally damaged a cruiser built in Mykolaiv

In Sevastopol, German bombers attacked the cruiser “Chervona Ukraina,” laid down at Mykolaiv’s Russud Shipyard in 1913 as “Admiral Nakhimov.” The ship, which was supporting the city’s defense, suffered severe damage on November 12 and, after its crew fought for a prolonged period to keep it afloat, sank at around 3:30 a.m. on November 13, 1941. The date of the airstrike and the date the ship sank are therefore different.

November 12, 1992: Ukraine finally abandoned the ruble

At 11 p.m., the Soviet ruble ceased to be legal tender throughout Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv. The Ukrainian karbovanets became the sole legal currency, represented in cash circulation by coupons issued by the National Bank. The move, mandated by a presidential decree dated November 7, 1992, marked Ukraine’s departure from the ruble zone and was an important milestone in its economic independence.

November 12, 2012: about 4,000 people called for the night train to be reinstated

At a meeting of municipal council committees in Mykolaiv, officials discussed restoring the night schedule for train No. 121, “Kyiv–Mykolaiv.” Activists collected 2,800 signatures, trade unions submitted another 300 requests, and about 1,000 people supported the initiative online. City council secretary Volodymyr Koreniuhin estimated that about 4,000 Mykolaiv residents were involved; participants included residents of the Korabelnyi District. Council members backed an appeal to railway officials, but did not approve the train’s reinstatement that day.

November 12, 2016: the Soviet star was removed from city hall and replaced with the trident

The Soviet star on the Mykolaiv City Council building was removed and replaced with Ukraine’s small State Emblem—the trident. The decision was made as part of the decommunization process during the mayoralty of Oleksandr Sienkevych. The work took several hours and sparked debate on social media. It was a visible change to the symbolism of the city’s main administrative building.

November 12, 2018: Ocean Shipyard prepared for a third attempt to sell it

Reports emerged that another auction was being prepared to sell the assets of Mykolaiv’s Ocean Shipbuilding Plant as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The first two auctions failed to attract any bids, and a third was scheduled for December 3, 2018. According to information published at the time, five companies had expressed interest in the business. This was a planned sale, not a completed change of ownership.

November 12, 2018: officials accused of derailing repairs to the bridge over the Vitovka River

At Mykolaiv City Hall, officials argued over the emergency condition of the bridge over the Vitovka River in the Korabelnyi District. The issue had already been raised for the fourth time, but work had not begun: the Housing and Utilities Department cited design work, funding, and geological surveys. District administration head Oleksandr Tsukanov said funding had been available but was reallocated. Officials acknowledged that repairs would not be completed by the end of 2018.

November 12, 2019: the Ocean Shipyard boiler house began to be decommissioned

The Mykolaiv Regional Heat Supply Utility announced that a large boiler house on the Ocean Shipyard grounds in the Korabelnyi District was being taken out of service. The utility described it as unsafe, inefficient, and loss-making; its customers were transferred to the boiler house at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant on Samoilovych Street. According to the utility, this was expected to reduce costs by about 15 million hryvnias a year. Individual heating substations had also been installed in 103 apartment buildings.

November 12, 2020: a tender was announced for a road through Balabanivka Forest

Mykolaiv City Hall announced a procurement for design and cost-estimate documentation for a road bypassing Balabanivka, from Bohoyavlensky Avenue to Aivazovsky Street. The estimated cost of the design work was 825,783 hryvnias. The terms of reference called for two traffic lanes and required the plans to account for heavy truck traffic. The project concerned the Korabelnyi District and Balabanivka Forest; the tender did not mean that construction itself was starting.

November 12, 2021: court heard a billion-hryvnia dispute over red sludge from the alumina plant

The Mykolaiv Court of Appeal heard appeals by the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant and the “STOP SLAM” public organization in a case involving compensation of more than 9 billion hryvnias awarded by a court of first instance. Among other things, the parties disputed the appearance of a technical waste passport in the case file. The hearing was adjourned until November 30, 2021; no final ruling on the appeal was issued that day. It was one of the most high-profile court cases involving the plant.

November 12, 2022: police returned to liberated Snihurivka

Following the de-occupation of Snihurivka, the National Police announced that it had resumed operations in the city. Officers began stabilization measures, assisting residents, and documenting possible war crimes committed by Russian occupiers, including torture, looting, destruction of homes, and other crimes. For residents of liberated areas of Mykolaiv Region, this was an important step in restoring public services.

November 12, 2022: news emerged of the death of Mykolaiv’s last surviving liberator

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych announced the death of Dmytro Pylypovych Ivanets—the last surviving participant in the liberation of Mykolaiv from the Nazis. The veteran was 97 years old. He had lived through World War II and, toward the end of his life, once again witnessed war and shelling in his hometown. The announcement did not give the exact date of his death, so November 12 is the date the news was published.

November 12, 2024: a day of mourning for five people killed in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, November 12 was declared a day of mourning for the five civilians killed in the Russian attack on November 11, 2024. The decision was announced the day before, and the victims were commemorated on November 12. The city community expressed its condolences to the families of those killed. It is important to distinguish between the date of the attack and the day on which its victims were honored.

This day in the world

On November 12, 2014, the Philae lander from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission made history by landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko for the first time. Confirmation reached Earth after a descent lasting about seven hours. It was an important milestone in space exploration.

November 12 spans more than 180 years of Mykolaiv’s history: from Admiralty slipways and the memory of victims of war to the struggle over the future of the Ocean Shipyard, water, roads, and the safety of residents of the Korabelnyi District.