HISTORY. A brief history of Sealand.

The proclamation of the monarchy, the conflict with the world power, the coup and the fire: that was in a state that never was.

Long before the modern fascination with nanotechnology, States have appeared in the policy space, the size of which requires the prefix "Nano". Is this the famous Kingdom of Sealand. Virtual Nano powders located 10 km from the coast of the UK.

Prehistoric period

A hundred years ago, even the territory on which its Nano stores were spread out did not exist. It appeared only in 1942, when the British Navy built to defend its coast and protect against German miners four offshore platforms. On each of them were placed 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, 6-inch guns, radar equipment and a garrison of a couple of hundred people.

One of them stood out in the sea farther than the other, being outside the territorial waters of great Britain. Apparently, therefore, after the war, when the platform was destroyed, Roughs Tower just waved his hand. The last British seaman left this reinforced concrete island in 1956.

Technically, the Roughs Tower platform is something of a large, submerged ship. It was built in the same 1942 at The London red Lyon shipyards. The structure consists of a pair of hollow concrete "towers" mounted on a pontoon base. On the wall deck built the necessary facilities. Inside of each tower has seven floors, which were used by the military for various purposes. As living rooms, dining rooms, barracks, ammunition storage and placement of generators. Finished design towed to the place, then the pontoons filled with water. And the platform is firmly on the seabed.

On the photo: Roughs Tower Platform

State formation

For 11 years after the sailors abandoned the platform, it remained forgotten and abandoned by everyone. The beginning of the future Sealand put... pirates. No, not a team of brutal sea corsairs, but a group engaged in illegal radio broadcasting. At first, they placed their equipment on small ships broadcasting from neutral waters outside British jurisdiction. Soon, however, when it was necessary to come up with some kind of landing pad for the helicopter, delivering from the shore the necessary supplies and equipment, they came across Roughs Towers.

Everyone liked the place, and for some time the pirates made a pretty serious struggle for the possession of it. Among the competitors were the luckiest couple. A retired major of the Navy Bates (Roy Bates) and his partner Ronan O Raley, which was intended to organize on the platform of the amusement Park. Their Union proved to be unsustainable: pushing rivals, they fought themselves, and Bates had to repel the attack of O'reilly and his supporters, even using a firearm and a flamethrower. However, the victory remained for him, and in the same 1967 Bates, waving his hand at the Park, decided to place here his pirate radio station Britain's Better Music Station.

He had enough experience in this regard: before the former seaman worked at the pirate station Radio Essex, broadcasting from the sea barge. Unfortunately, the ship entered the coast guard's area of responsibility, and Bates earned a criminal record. Not surprisingly, learning about the "uncountable" UK marine platform, he collected the equipment, took 15-year-old son Michael and spared no effort to master it.

However, The base for the radio Roughs Towers has not become: even before the start of Britain's Better Music Station, the British Parliament adopted amendments to the legislation, according to which illegal and broadcast from outside the 3-mile zone. If Bates were to start broadcasting, would he be waiting to meet with the police and officials again. And the retired military obviously didn't want it. You had to come up with something new. And Bates came up with. He declared independence.

On the photo: On 23 June 2006, the largest natural disaster in the history of Nano-state occurred in Sealand. The short circuit led to a fire that destroyed the country almost entirely. A rescue helicopter from the British Navy took one of the victims to the hospital, and a ship arrived from the nearest port, whose crew helped the citizens of Sealand to cope with the fire. However, by November Nano-statehood was restored.

Approval of the monarchy

Despite the nanoscale time and territory, the history of Silent. From pirate raids to the present rusty condition. Full of dramatic events. The beginning referred to September 2, 1967, when Roy Bates declared Sealand an independent state, a constitutional monarchy and himself. His rightful Prince Roy First.

Like any good improvisation, this one was well prepared in advance. Bates consulted with counsel, who found a loophole in British law that allowed for the proclamation of statehood: the land born in 1942 was outside the territorial waters of all existing countries, and none of them sought to declare their sovereignty over it. Place was empty. It remained to take it and issue all legally.

Unexpected move Bates could hardly undermine the power or security of the UK, but the trend authorities, of course, did not like. Legally, they could not do anything, and only hastily destroyed the second platform, also abandoned in neutral waters, until it was empty and became the subject of the same unpleasant incident.

The next time the attitude of the authorities of Albion To the self-proclaimed Nano-Kingdom proved to be a few months later. When the British patrol boat Trinity House approached directly to the territory of Sealand, Michael Bates made a warning shot in the air, driving it away. Soon the incident caused the arrest of his father, Roy, who went to the "mainland" to replenish supplies.

The case against Michael and Roy Bates went to court, but nothing could be done: Sealand formally remained outside the area of British jurisdiction, and neither the judge nor her Majesty had power over its inhabitants. Nobody wanted to set a precedent, and on September 2. Exactly one year after the proclamation of the monarchy, Bates had to be released. The Nano-state of Sealand began to take shape in reality.

On the photo: Platform occasionally run an unusual competition ? such as the throwing of eggs, in which silendra no equal.

Golden age

After a successful "diplomatic" resolution of the conflict with a powerful neighbor, peace reigned in Sealand for a long time. The Bates were approached several times by dark people who wanted to use the neutral territory for their own dark purposes. Instead of what promised to recognize the "sovereignty" of the First Roy and pay him "taxes".

But Bates demonstratively behaved as a responsible player in the international arena, and he refused to dark people: he did not want to base the young country on smuggling and drug trafficking. And maybe he understood that if it turns into a real problem for the UK, the neutrality of the surrounding "state" waters, it is easy to close your eyes.

In 1975, Sealand acquired its Constitution and all the necessary attributes: the national flag and anthem were adopted, stamps and passport forms were printed, as well as its own currency. The great state seal vividly imprinted the motto of the Nano-state:" E Mare Libertas"? "From the sea. Freedom." Everything went well, but soon the money brought new serious problems.

Coup attempt

Foreign capital was not without it: in August 1978, Sealand received an extremely attractive offer from influential jewelry dealers from Germany and the "diamond capital" of Europe, Amsterdam. To discuss it, Roy first flew with his wife to Austria. However, here the situation began to develop completely as a spy detective.

At the airport, the princely couple were met by five people who took them to the hotel and agreed to meet later, on the same day. However, neither in that nor in the following days no one else appeared. Concerned monarchs tried to contact the heir left "on the farm". Phones on the platform, of course, was not, and tried to establish contact with the help of local fishermen. One of them told Bates that "over Sealand stuck healthy a helicopter." It was all very suspicious.

A few days later, when the Bates finally received a message from Michael, their suspicions were confirmed. After the departure of the first swarm to the platform flew a helicopter, requesting landing ? he allegedly delivered a message from the head of the country. However, when the helicopter descended, jumped out strong guys, the head of which was Prime Minister of Sealand, Alexander Achenbach Goffredo (Alexander Gottfried Achenbach), and at his order they quickly made the state of Nano-revolution. Michael was locked in a cabin, where he was held for three days, and then landed on the shore in the Netherlands ? without money and documents.

But neither Michael nor Roy First usurpation was not accepted. The expelled monarch began to look for help, including armed. Having recruited a team of like-minded people and hiring a helicopter, the legitimate rulers of Sealand went to return their possession. The first on the cable on the platform went down the heir himself. It was quickly joined by loyal citizens. The rebels were demoralized: after the first shot they handed over their weapons.

Legal power was quickly restored, and the usurpers were released. In strict accordance with international law (according to the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war must be released after the end of hostilities). And fled to his native Germany treacherous Minister Achenbach was organized by the Sealand government in exile.

Again over Sealand peace, which the Prince and his subjects have appreciated the most. Even in 1982, during the British-Argentine conflict over the Falkland Islands, when Argentines offered a fair amount for the purchase of the Nano-territory, they were denied.

Modern times

In spite of everything, the sovereignty and legitimacy of Sealand was still not recognized by any state in the world. In 1987, when the United Kingdom announced the expansion of its territorial waters from 3 to 12 nautical miles, the country's territory began to fall into this zone. And the authorities of Sealand made a similar statement. In accordance with international law, in this case, the Maritime territory should be divided equally between them. And Sealand, to the best of his ability, holds to this, relying on the old decision of the British court of justice on its independence from the neighboring monarchy.

However, Sealand, occupying an area of about 550 square meters, has become the most famous of the unrecognized States of the world. The United Kingdom, which, as recently published archives of the 1970s showed, initially planned to destroy the platform by force, decided not to contact nano-country, fearing a negative reaction from society.

However, without crime was not: although the distribution of their passports to anyone the authorities of Sealand did not indulge, instead of them it was engaged in a Grand criminal syndicate. In 1997, Interpol uncovered a network for the production and sale of false Sealand documents (interestingly, the wording itself implies that the passports issued by Roy The first were real, valid). According to police, it was made and distributed more than 150 thousand. diplomatic and civil passports, diplomas, driver's licenses and other documents for which some rather successful swindlers managed to get Bank loans and even to acquire weapons.

Fundamentally deciding not to do anything illegal and "relatively legitimate" like the trade of passports, the authorities of Sealanda found another way of earning. In 2000, the platform hosted the servers of HavenCo, which offered its clients unique hosting services that do not fall under British jurisdiction (in Sealand itself, only child pornography, spamming and hacker attacks are prohibited).

By the way, about the legislation. The Sealand is a non-Smoking and consumption of alcohol, and a shower of savings cannot be taken more than three times a day ? five minutes to wash. Most of the fresh water here is collected during the rains, and it has to be treated carefully. However, the population of Sealand is still rarely more than five people, and guests are not welcome here.

"It's even good for us ? spoke in 2001, the founder of HavenCo Ryan lackey (Ryan Lackey). ? Many people today are too frightened by the draconian measures taken in the US." HavenCo promised Them not only to be placed on a marine platform, but also to prevent the destruction of data in case of any attempt to gain physical access to them.

However, HavenCo went bankrupt in 2008, and Sealand, including the princely family, had to move to his native Kingdom. And the health of citizens is not the same: in 1999, Prince Roy retired, and the Prince Regent was Michael the First. In October 2012, when the elderly founder of nano-state dies, Michael will take the full title: Admiral General Sealand Prince Michael I Bates. He grows up born in 1986, the heir. An empty platform rusts into the sea.