on 2 october 1894 the ship, now under the command of captain zinovy rozhestvensky, was ordered back to the mediterranean. in view of the first sino-japanese war of 1894–95, the council of ministers ordered on 1 february 1895 that the mediterranean squadron reinforce the 2nd pacific squadron. she reached the chinese treaty port of chefoo on 16 april and became the flagship of rear admiral yevgeni ivanovich alekseyev, 2nd in command of the pacific fleet, on 13 may. "vladimir monomakh" remained at chefoo until late in the year before sailing to vladivostok and then to kobe, japan in january 1896.