Ruslan (in archaic Russian spelling: Русланъ; in today's accepted spelling: Руслан) which bore the name of the Russian hero Ruslan from Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Ludmila[1] was the first officially organized ship that sailed from the former Russian Empire to Palestine in 1919, after the end of the First World War. On board were 671 passengers, many of whom would become pioneers in Israeli culture, which is why the Ruslan is nicknamed the "Mayflower" of Israel.[2][3]
Ruslan is considered the first ship to open the Third Aliya period, referring to the third migration of European Jews to Palestine. Despite this, it was one of the last ships to arrive at the shores of Jaffa that year.
- ^ "אונייה אגדית או סתם אגדה?". הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
- ^ "הגעת האנייה "רוסלאן" - הארכיון הציוני". www.zionistarchives.org.il. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
- ^ "Cultural Pioneers aboard the Ruslan | The Israel Museum, Jerusalem". www.imj.org.il. Retrieved 2023-10-20.