Peter 1 naval fleet. Long before Peter I, Russia had its own powerful fleet. Our kochi were no worse

Prerequisites for creating a fleet

Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov was born on May 30, 1672. Unlike the older children, who were sickly and weak, the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich’s second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, had enviable health and interest in the world around him. Nikita Zotov began teaching the prince when he was not yet five years old. In addition to reading and writing, he interested Peter in stories about history, pictures of ships and fortresses. During the Streltsy uprising, the boy had to endure a considerable shock, which made him older than his years. Exiled with his mother to Preobrazhenskoye, removed from the life of the court, Peter early showed independence. The growing up prince forced the room attendants to play war, making them an amusing army.

Soon Peter had his own “campaign” in the village of Preobrazhenskoye and a German settlement near Moscow, where he began to visit more and more often: here lived the generals and officers whom he attracted to his “funny games”, various artisans. Among them are the Scottish General Patrick Gordon, the Swiss Franz Lefort, Alexander Menshikov, Apraksin - the future admiral, Golovin, Prince Fyodor Yuryevich Romodanovsky.

At Preobrazhenskoye on Lake Pereyaslavl, Peter did everything his own way. The Tsar himself, in a foreign uniform, took part in executions, quickly learned to shoot rifles and cannons, dig trenches (trenches), build pontoons, lay mines and much more. Moreover, he decided to go through all levels of military service himself.

During demonstration battles on land and maneuvers of the “fleet” on the water, cadres of soldiers and sailors, officers, generals and admirals were forged, and combat skills were practiced. On Lake Pereyaslavl, two frigates and three yachts were built, Peter himself built small rowing ships on the Moscow River. At the end of the summer of 1691, appearing on Lake Pereyaslavl, the tsar laid down the first Russian warship. It was to be built by Romodanovsky, who became an admiral by the will of the Tsar. Peter himself willingly participated in the construction. The ship was built and launched. But the size of the lake did not provide the necessary room for maneuver.

Undoubtedly, the experience gained during the creation of ships for amusing games played a huge role in the further development of domestic shipbuilding.

In 1693, with a small retinue, the tsar traveled to Arkhangelsk - at that time the only seaport in Russia. For the first time he sees the sea and real large ships - English, Dutch, German - standing in the roadstead. Peter examines everything with interest, asks about everything, thinks about the establishment of the Russian fleet, the expansion of trade. With the help of Lefort, he orders a large ship abroad. The construction of two ships is also starting in Arkhangelsk. For the first time in his life, the king sails on the White, northern, cold sea.

In the fall he is back in Moscow. He's having a hard time with his mother's death. In April 1694, Peter again traveled to Arkhangelsk. Sailing along the Northern Dvina on doshchanikas (river boats), to please himself, he calls them a fleet. He comes up with a flag for him with red, white and blue stripes. Upon arrival at the port, to the joy of the king, a ready-made ship was waiting for him, which was launched on May 20. A month later, the second one was completed and launched on June 28. On July 21, a ship made to his order arrived from Holland. Twice, in May and August, first on the yacht "St. Peter" and then on ships, he sails the sea. Both times there is danger during the storm. At the end of all the trials and celebrations, another admiral appears in the Russian fleet - Lefort. Peter put him at the head of the Great Embassy.

In March 1697, the embassy left Moscow. There were more than 250 people in it, among them 35 volunteers, including the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Pyotr Mikhailov - Tsar Pyotr Alekseevich, who decided to go incognito. The official goal of the embassy is to confirm the alliance directed against Turkey and Crimea. First in Saardam at a private shipyard, then in Amsterdam at the East India Company shipyard, he participated in the construction of the ship. In 1698, noticing that the Dutch shipbuilders did not have theoretical knowledge and were guided only by practice, Peter went to England and studied the theory of shipbuilding in Depford near London. The monarch intended to get acquainted with shipbuilding in Venice, but due to the uprising of the Streltsy, he urgently returned home, sending a group of volunteers to Italy.

From the embassy negotiations, it became clear that European policy does not give Russia any reason to count on support in the fight against Turkey for access to the southern seas.

Azov Fleet

By the end of the 17th century, Russia was still significantly behind the advanced countries of Europe in economic development. And the reason for this lag was not only the consequences of the long Tatar-Mongol yoke and the feudal-serf way of life, but also the ongoing blockade from the south - by Turkey, from the west - by Prussia, Poland and Austria, from the North-West - by Sweden. Breaking through to the sea was historically necessary, although it presented extreme difficulties. By this time, Russia already had the necessary forces to regain access to the Azov, Black and Baltic seas.

At first the choice fell on the southern direction. The campaign of the 30,000-strong Russian army to Azov, undertaken in 1695, ended in complete failure. The siege of the fortress and two assaults led to heavy losses and were not successful. The lack of a Russian fleet ruled out a complete blockade of Azov. The fortress was replenished with people, ammunition and provisions with the help of the Turkish fleet.

It became clear to Peter that without a strong fleet, closely cooperating with the army and under a single command, Azov could not be captured. It was then, on the initiative of the king, that the decision was made to build warships.

He personally selected sites for the construction of shipyards and paid special attention to Voronezh. The Voronezh River is a navigable tributary of the Don, at the mouth of which the Azov fortress was located. In addition, huge oaks, beech, elm, ash, pine and other tree species suitable for building ships grew in large areas in the area. Not far from Voronezh, Romanovsky, Lipetsk, Tula Krasinsky and other factories produced iron and metal products for ships. On an island in the Voronezh River, separated by a channel from the city, shipyards were erected, and an admiralty was established to manage the construction of ships. In a short time, several thousand serfs who knew carpentry, carpentry, blacksmithing and other crafts were gathered here. Ship craftsmen were brought from Arkhangelsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan and other cities. Over 26 thousand people were mobilized to harvest ship timber and build ships. At the same time, the fleet was being recruited with soldiers from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments and recruits.

At the Voronezh shipyards, two 36-gun frigates were built, the Apostle Peter, 35 meters long and 7.6 meters wide, and the Apostle Paul frigate, 30 meters long and 9 meters wide. The king instructed master Titov to build these ships. To train naval personnel and staff teams, Peter invited officers and experienced sailors from Western European countries. They urgently brought a galley from Holland, cut it into parts and using these parts, as if using templates, they began to make sections for 22 galleys and 4 fire ships in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. These sections were transported on horses to Voronezh, where ships were assembled from them. Petrovskaya galley is not a copy of the Mediterranean or Dutch galley, widespread in all European fleets. Considering that the struggle for access to the seas would take place in shallow coastal zones that hindered the maneuver of large ships, by order of Peter, changes were made to the structure of the galley: as a result, the galley reduced its draft, became more maneuverable and fast. Later, a variation of this rowing and sailing ship appeared - the scampaway.

The dimensions of the galleys and scampaways did not exceed 38 meters in length and 6 meters in width. The armament consisted of 3-6 guns, the crew was 130-170 people. The sail served as an additional means of propulsion for the ship. In Bryansk, Kozlov and other places, it was ordered to build 1,300 flat-bottomed barges, called plows, and 100 rafts for transporting troops and equipment.

In the spring of 1696, the Turks saw an army and an Imperial fleet near Azov, consisting of 2 frigates, 23 galleys, 4 raiders and over 1000 small ships. The general management of the Azov Fleet was entrusted to the Tsar's associate F. Lefort, and Peter was a volunteer on one of the frigates. The fleet blocked the approaches to Azov from the sea, the supply of troops and food stopped, and the army besieged the fortress from land. After intense cannon fire on the fortress from ships and the shore and its assault by Russian Cossacks, the Azov garrison July 12 (22), 1696. capitulated.

The capture of Azov was a major victory for the Imperial Army and the young navy. It convinced Peter more than once that in the fight for the sea coast, a powerful navy was needed, equipped with ships that were modern for that time and well-trained naval personnel.

On October 20 (30), 1696, Tsar Peter I “indicated” and the Duma “sentenced”: “There will be sea vessels” - a state act that officially marked the beginning of the creation of a regular fleet. Since then, this date has been celebrated as the birthday of the Russian Navy.

To gain a foothold on the Sea of ​​Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. By the end of the 17th century, Russia had already trained its own skilled shipbuilders, such as Sklyaev, Vereshchagin, Saltykov, Mikhailov, Popov, Palchikov, Tuchkov, Nemtsov, Borodin, Koznets and others.

During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many ships; large frigate ships of the “Fortress” type were built, which had a length of 37, a width of 7 and a draft of up to 2-3 meters. Armament: 26-44 guns, crew: 120 people. Bombardier ships had a length of up to 25-28 and a width of up to 8.5 meters and several guns. The size of the galleys increased significantly - their length reached 53 meters.

The presence of experienced shipwrights and a production base made it possible to lay down the first large battleships in 1698. At the Voronezh shipyard for the Azov Fleet, the 58-gun ship "Predistination" was built according to Peter's design and under his personal supervision. It was built by Sklyaev and Vereshchagin. Contemporaries spoke of this ship: “... very beautiful, very well proportioned, of considerable artistry and well built in size.” Peter introduced some innovations on this ship. He designed comfortable contours of the hull, which improved the ship’s maneuverability, and also used a retractable keel of a special device, which increased the seaworthiness of the vessel. A similar keel design began to be used abroad only a century and a half later.

And although the ship was only 32 meters long and 9.4 meters wide, it was considered one of the best at that time.

But the Azov Fleet did not last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to give the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov to the Turks, and pledged to destroy the Azov fleet. The creation of the Azov Fleet was an extremely important event for Russia. Firstly, it revealed the role of the navy in the armed struggle for the liberation of coastal lands. Secondly, much-needed experience was acquired in the mass construction of military ships, which made it possible to quickly create a strong Baltic Fleet. Thirdly, Europe was shown Russia's enormous potential to become a powerful maritime power.

Baltic Fleet

After the war with Turkey for possession of the Sea of ​​Azov, the aspirations of Peter I were aimed at the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, the success of which was predetermined by the presence of military force at sea. Understanding this very well, Peter I began building the Baltic Fleet.

Although a peace treaty was concluded with Turkey, instigated by Sweden, it violated it every now and then, creating an unstable situation in the south of Russia. All this required the continuation of the construction of ships for the Azov Fleet. The construction of new shipyards increased the consumption of iron, copper, canvas and other materials. Existing factories could not cope with increased orders. By order of Peter, new iron and copper foundries were built in the Urals and the existing ones were significantly expanded. In Voronezh and Ustyuzhin, the casting of ship cast-iron cannons and cannonballs for them was established. At the Syaskaya shipyard (Lake Ladoga), led by Ivan Tatishchev, six 18-gun frigates were laid down. 6 frigates were built at the Volkhov shipyard (Novgorod). In addition, about 300 barges for equipment and materials left this shipyard.

In 1703, Peter visited the Olonets shipyard, where the chief master was Fyodor Saltykov. 6 frigates, 9 ships, 7 transports, 4 galleys, one packboat and 26 scampaways and brigantines were built there. By the time the Tsar arrived, the new 24-gun frigate "Standart" had been launched.

Peter ordered individual warships to be transferred from the north and south to the Gulf of Finland, using rivers and portages for this purpose. So, for example, in 1702, Peter, together with 5 guards battalions and two frigates, traveled from Arkhangelsk to Lake Onega. The road (later it would be called the “sovereign road”) ran through dense forests and swamps. Thousands of peasants and soldiers cut clearings, paved them with logs and dragged ships along the flooring. The frigates were safely launched into the waters of Lake Onega near the city of Povelitsa. The ships arrived in the Neva and joined the newly created Baltic Fleet.

The ships built for the Baltic Fleet at new shipyards were somewhat different from the ships of the Azov Fleet. The largest of them had a high stern, in which guns were located in one or two battery decks. Such ships were poorly maneuverable, but had good weapons. The fleet included single-deck high-speed two-masted ships - shnyavas, with straight sails, armed with 12-16 small-caliber guns, barkalons and galleasses - three-masted ships up to 36 meters long, sailing and oared, armed with 25-42 guns, chukers - two mast ships for transporting goods, lifts and others. As in the Azov Fleet, the Baltic Fleet used lifting pontoons - kamels - to guide ships on the rifts and shallows of rivers, which were also used to repair ships.

To secure access to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on taking possession of the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the Neva. After a 10-day siege and a fierce assault, with the assistance of a rowing flotilla of 50 boats, the Noteburg (Oreshek) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). According to Peter I, this fortress “opened the gates to the sea.” Then the Nyenschanz fortress, located at the confluence of the Neva River, was taken. Oh you.

In order to finally block the entrance to the Neva for the Swedes, on May 16 (27), 1703, at its mouth, on Hare Island, Peter 1 founded a fortress called Peter and Paul and the port city of St. Petersburg. On the island of Kotlin, 30 versts from the mouth of the Neva, Peter 1 ordered the construction of Fort Kronstadt to protect the future Russian capital.

In 1704, the construction of an Admiralty shipyard began on the left bank of the Neva, which was destined to soon become the main domestic shipyard, and St. Petersburg - the shipbuilding center of Russia.

In August 1704, Russian troops, continuing to liberate the Baltic coast, took Narva by storm. Subsequently, the main events of the Northern War took place on land.

The Swedes suffered a serious defeat on June 27, 1709 in the Battle of Poltava. However, for the final victory over Sweden it was necessary to crush its naval forces and establish itself in the Baltic. This took another 12 years of persistent struggle, primarily at sea.

In the period 1710-1714. By building ships at domestic shipyards and purchasing them abroad, a fairly strong galley and sailing Baltic fleet was created. The first of the battleships laid down in the fall of 1709 was named Poltava in honor of the outstanding victory over the Swedes.

The high quality of Russian ships was recognized by many foreign shipbuilders and sailors. Thus, one of his contemporaries, the English admiral Porris, wrote: “Russian ships are in all respects equal to the best ships of this type that are available in our country, and, moreover, are more well finished.”

The successes of domestic shipbuilders were very significant: by 1714, the Baltic Fleet included 27 linear 42-74-gun ships. 9 frigates with 18-32 guns, 177 scampaways and a brigantine. 22 auxiliary vessels. The total number of guns on the ships reached 1060.

The increased power of the Baltic Fleet allowed its forces to win a brilliant victory against the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut on July 27 (August 7), 1714. In a naval battle, a detachment of 10 units was captured along with its commander, Rear Admiral N. Ehrenskiöld. In the Battle of Gangut, Peter I fully exploited the advantage of the galley and sailing-rowing fleet over the enemy's battle fleet in the skerry area of ​​the sea. The Emperor personally led an advance detachment of 23 scampavei in battle.

The Gangut victory provided the Russian fleet with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. It, like the Poltava victory, became a turning point in the entire Northern War, allowing Peter I to begin preparations for an invasion directly into Swedish territory. This was the only way to force Sweden to make peace.

The authority of the Russian fleet, Peter I as a naval commander became recognized by the fleets of the Baltic states. In 1716, in the Sound, at a meeting of the Russian, English, Dutch and Danish squadrons for joint cruising in the Bornholm area against the Swedish fleet and privateers, Peter I was unanimously elected commander of the combined Allied squadron. This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Rules over four, at Bornholm".

The victory of a Russian detachment of rowing ships over a detachment of Swedish ships at Grengam in July 1720 allowed the Russian fleet to further gain a foothold in the Åland archipelago and act more actively against enemy communications.

The dominance of the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea was determined by the successful actions of the detachment of Lieutenant General Lassi, which included 60 galleys and boats with a landing force of five thousand. Having landed on the Swedish coast, this detachment destroyed one weapons factory and several metallurgical plants, captured rich military trophies and many prisoners, which especially stunned the population of Sweden, who found themselves defenseless on their territory.

On August 30, 1721, Sweden finally agreed to sign a non-civilian peace treaty. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, its southern coast with the Gulf of Riga and the islands adjacent to the conquered shores went to Russia. The cities of Vyborg, Narva, Revel, and Riga became part of Russia. Emphasizing the importance of the fleet in the Northern War, Peter I ordered the words to be embossed on the medal approved in honor of the victory over Sweden: “The end of this war with such peace was achieved by nothing other than the fleet, for it was impossible to achieve this by land in any way.”

In 1725 four years after the signing of a peace treaty with Sweden, Peter died. By that time he had been ill for a long time. And not knowing which he indulged in without any measure, undermined his health. Painful attacks of stone disease, complicated by pain of a different origin, occurred from time to time as early as 1723, and in 1724 the suffering became intense and returned without long intervals. Under these conditions, an event occurred that dealt the final blow. Peter, already ill, spent several days in the cold autumn of 1724, either on a yacht, then on the shores of Lake Ilmen, or in old Ladoga, where he inspected the construction of the Ladoga Canal. Finally, on November 5, he returned to St. Petersburg, but did not get off the yacht, but ordered immediately, without allowing himself a rest from the long and difficult journey, to go to Lakhta, from where he wanted to go to Sestroretsk to inspect the weapons workshops, which he had always been keenly interested in.

It was then, near Lakhta, on a dark, very windy late evening, from the royal yacht that they noticed a boat with soldiers and sailors that had run aground. Peter immediately ordered to go to the boat to refloat it. But this intention turned out to be impracticable - the yacht had a very deep draft and could not, without risking running on the same ground, reach the boat.

Having convinced himself of this, Peter went on the boat, but the boat was also stopped by the shallows. Then the king unexpectedly jumped off the boat and, plunging waist-deep into the water, walked towards the boat. Others followed him. Everyone on the boat was saved. But being in the icy water had an impact on Peter’s already broken body, consumed by disease. For some time Peter struggled. The situation, however, soon became completely hopeless. On January 28, 1725, he died in an unconscious state that had occurred long before his death.

The victory in the Northern War strengthened Russia's international authority, promoted it to one of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire in 1721.

320 years ago, on October 30, 1696, on the proposal of Tsar Peter I, the Boyar Duma adopted the resolution “Sea vessels should be...”. This became the first law on the fleet and the official date of its founding.

The first regular formation of the Russian Navy was the Azov Flotilla. It was created by Peter I to fight the Ottoman Empire for access to the Azov and Black Seas. In a short period of time, from November 1665 to May 1699, in Voronezh, Kozlov and other cities located along the banks of rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov, several ships, galleys, fire ships, plows, and sea boats were built, which made up the Azov flotilla.

The date is conditional, since the Russians long before knew how to build river-sea class vessels. Thus, the Slavic Russians have long mastered the Baltic (Varangian, Venedian Sea). The Varangians-Rus controlled it long before the heyday of the German Hanse (and the Hanse was created on the basis of Slavic cities and their trade relations). Their heirs were the Novgorodians, the Ushkuiniki, who made campaigns all the way to the Urals and beyond. The Russian princes equipped huge flotillas that sailed the Black Sea, which was not for nothing then called the Russian Sea. The Russian fleet showed its strength to Constantinople. The Rus also walked along the Caspian Sea. Later, the Cossacks continued this tradition, walked along the seas and rivers, attacked the Persians, Ottomans, Crimean Tatars, etc.

Background

At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, navies began to play an increasingly important role. All great powers had powerful navies. Hundreds and thousands of ships were already crossing the sea and ocean spaces, new sea routes were being developed, the flow of goods increased, new ports, sea fortresses and shipyards appeared. International trade extended beyond the sea basins - the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Seas. With the help of fleets, huge colonial empires were created.

During this period, the first places in terms of fleet strength were occupied by England and Holland. In these countries, revolutions cleared the way for capitalist development. Spain, Portugal, France, Venice, the Ottoman Empire, Denmark and Sweden had strong fleets. All these states had extensive sea coasts and long-standing traditions of navigation. Some states had already created their own colonial empires - Spain, Portugal, others were building them in full swing - England, Holland and France. The resources of the plundered territories provided the opportunity for overconsumption for the elite, as well as for capital accumulation.

Russia, which had ancient traditions of navigation, during this period was cut off from the seas that in ancient times it had largely mastered and controlled - the Russian (Black) and Varangian (Baltic) seas. After the collapse of the Rurik Empire, our country was significantly weakened and lost many lands. During a series of wars and territorial conquests, the Russians were pushed deeper into the continent. In the northwest, Russia's main enemy was Sweden, which captured Russian lands in the Baltic states. The Kingdom of Sweden at that time was a first-class great power, with a professional army and a strong navy. The Swedes captured Russian lands along the shores of the Gulf of Finland, controlled a significant part of the southern Baltic states, turning the Baltic Sea into a “Swedish lake”. Only on the coast of the White Sea (hundreds of kilometers from the main economic centers of Russia) did we have the port of Arkhangelsk. It provided limited opportunities for maritime trade - it was remote, and in winter shipping was interrupted due to the severity of the climate.

Access to the Black Sea was closed by the Crimean Khanate (a vassal of the Ports) and the Ottoman Empire. The Turks and Crimean Tatars held in their hands the entire Northern Black Sea region, with the mouths of the Danube, Dniester, Southern Bug, Dnieper, Don and Kuban. Moreover, Russia had historical rights to many of these territories - they were part of the Old Russian state. The lack of access to the seas constrained the economic development of Russia.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Khanate, and Sweden were states hostile to Russia. The sea coast in the south and north-west was a convenient springboard for a further attack on Russian lands. Sweden and the Porte created powerful strategic fortresses in the north and south, which not only blocked Russia’s access to the seas, but also served as bases for a further attack on the Russian state. Relying on the military power of Turkey, the Crimean Tatars continued their predatory raids. On the southern borders there was an almost continuous battle with the hordes of the Crimean Khanate and other predators; if there were no major campaigns, then small raids and raids by enemy detachments were commonplace. The Turkish fleet dominated the Black Sea, and the Swedish fleet dominated the Baltic.

Thus, access to the Baltic and Black Seas was important for the Russian state from the point of view of military-strategic necessity - ensuring security from the southern and northwestern directions. Russia had to reach natural lines of defense. It was necessary to restore historical justice and return our lands. We must not forget the economic factor. Isolation from the main maritime trade routes of Europe (Baltic - North Sea - Atlantic, Black Sea - Mediterranean - Atlantic) had a detrimental effect on the economic development of the state. Therefore, the struggle for access to the seas became of paramount importance for the future of Russia.

Capture of Azov

By the time of the overthrow of Princess Sophia (1689), Russia was at war with the Ottoman Empire. Russia in 1686 joined the anti-Turkish Holy League, created in 1684. This union included the Holy Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1687 and 1689, under the leadership of Prince Vasily Golitsyn, campaigns were undertaken against the Crimean Khanate, but they were not successful. Hostilities ceased, but Russia and the Ottoman Empire did not make peace.

The continuation of the war with the Porte became a priority in Peter's foreign policy. The allies in the anti-Turkish alliance demanded that the Russian Tsar continue military operations. In addition, a war with Turkey seemed an easier task than a conflict with Sweden, which was closing access to the Baltic. Russia had allies, Turkey fought on other fronts and could not throw significant forces into the war with Russia. The Russian command decided to strike not at Crimea, but to attack Azov, a strategic Turkish fortress located at the confluence of the Don River into the Sea of ​​Azov. This was supposed to secure the southern borders of Russia from attacks by the Crimean Tatars and become the first step towards access to the Black Sea.

The campaign of 1695 did not lead to success. Command errors, lack of unity of command, poor organization, and underestimation of the importance of the Turkish fleet, which during the siege supplied the fortress with everything necessary and brought in reinforcements, had an impact. The 1696 campaign was much better prepared. Peter realized that it was necessary to block the fortress from the sea, that is, it was necessary to create a flotilla. The construction of a “sea caravan” (military and transport ships and vessels) began.

In January 1696, large-scale construction of ships and vessels began at the shipyards of Voronezh and Preobrazhenskoye (a village near Moscow on the banks of the Yauza River, where the residence of Peter’s father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, was located). The galleys built in Preobrazhenskoye were dismantled, transported to Voronezh, reassembled there and launched on the Don. Peter ordered the production of 1,300 plows, 30 sea boats, and 100 rafts by spring. For this purpose, carpenters, blacksmiths, and working people were mobilized. The Voronezh region was not chosen by chance; for the local population, the construction of river boats has been a common trade for more than one generation. In total, over 25 thousand people were mobilized. Not only craftsmen and workers traveled from all over the country, but they also brought materials - timber, hemp, resin, iron, etc. The work proceeded quickly; by the beginning of the campaign, even more plows had been built than planned.

The task of building warships was solved in Preobrazhenskoye (on the Yauza River). The main type of ships being built were galleys - rowing ships with 30-38 oars, they were armed with 4-6 guns, 2 masts, 130-200 crew (plus they could transport significant troops). This type of ship met the conditions of the theater of military operations; galleys, with their shallow draft and maneuverability, could successfully operate on the river, the shallow waters of the lower Don, and the coastal waters of the Sea of ​​Azov. Shipbuilding experience was used in the construction of ships: for example, the ship “Fryderik” was built in Nizhny Novgorod in 1636, and the ship “Eagle” was built in 1668 in the village of Dedinovo on the Oka River. In addition, in 1688-1692 on Lake Pereyaslavl and in 1693 in Arkhangelsk, several ships were built with the participation of Peter. Soldiers of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, peasants, and artisans who were called from settlements where shipbuilding was developed (Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Nizhny Novgorod, etc.) were widely involved in the construction of ships in Preobrazhenskoye. Among the craftsmen, Vologda carpenter Osip Shcheka and Nizhny Novgorod carpenter Yakim Ivanov enjoyed universal respect.

All winter in Preobrazhenskoye they made the main parts of ships: keels (the base of the hull), frames (the “ribs” of the ship), stringers (longitudinal beams running from bow to stern), beams (transverse beams between the frames), pillars (vertical posts supporting the deck ), boards for sheathing, deck flooring, masts, oars, etc. In February 1696, parts were prepared for 22 galleys and 4 fire ships (a ship filled with flammable substances to set fire to enemy ships). In March, ships were being transported to Voronezh. Each galley was delivered on 15-20 carts. On April 2, the first galleys were launched; their crews were formed from the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments.

The first large three-masted ships (2 units), with fairly strong artillery weapons, were also laid down in Voronezh. They required a large complex of shipbuilding work. They decided to install 36 guns on each of them. By the beginning of May, the first ship was built - the 36-gun sailing and rowing frigate "Apostle Peter". The ship was built with the help of the Danish master August (Gustav) Meyer (he became the commander of the second ship - the 36-gun Apostle Paul). The length of the sailing-rowing frigate was 34.4 m, width 7.6 m, the ship was flat-bottomed, so it could go out of the river into the sea. The ships were intended for the sea, but they were built far from it. The fairway of the Don tributaries, even in high water, prevented the advancement of ships with deep draft. In addition, the frigate had 15 pairs of oars in case of calm and for maneuver.

Thus, in Russia, far from the seas, in an extremely short period of time they created a “sea military caravan” - a military transport flotilla. At the same time, the process of strengthening the army was underway.

The flotilla acquired its first combat experience. In May 1796, the Russian flotilla entered the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off the fortress from sources of supply across the sea. Russian ships took up positions across the Gulf of Azov. When the Turkish squadron approached about a month later, the Ottomans did not dare to make a breakthrough and retreated. The enemy fleet abandoned attempts to help the besieged garrison. This played an important role - the fortress was cut off from the supply of food, ammunition, and reinforcements; in addition, the Turkish garrison realized that there would be no help, which undermined its morale. On July 19, the Azov fortress capitulated.

“Sea vessels will be...”

As a result, the Azov campaigns showed in practice the importance of the fleet for waging war. The capture of Azov was only the first step on a difficult and long path. The war with the Ottoman Empire continued. The Turkish fleet and army, the Crimean Khanate still posed a significant threat to the southern borders of Russia. To resist a powerful enemy, maintain access to the sea and achieve a profitable peace, a strong standing fleet was needed. Tsar Peter drew the right conclusions from this; he could not be denied organizational abilities and strategic thinking. On October 20, 1696, the Boyar Duma proclaimed “There will be sea vessels...”. An extensive military shipbuilding program of 52 (later 77) ships is approved.

The construction of the fleet was a task of great complexity, which could only be solved by a strong and developed power, with great attention from the government. It was necessary to create, in fact, a whole huge industry and infrastructure, to build new shipyards, bases and ports, enterprises, workshops, ships, to produce various equipment and materials. A huge number of workers were needed. It was necessary to create an entire system for training naval personnel - sailors, navigators, navigators, officers, gunners, etc. In addition to creating a production base, maritime infrastructure, and a specialized education system, colossal financial investments were needed. And yet the navy was created.

Tsar Peter I introduced a special ship duty, which was extended to landowners, merchants and traders. The duty included the delivery of ships, fully ready and armed. All landowners who had over 100 peasant households had to take part in the construction of the fleet. Secular landowners (classes of boyars and nobles) were obliged to build one ship for every 10 thousand households (i.e., together). Spiritual landowners (monasteries, the highest church hierarchy) were supposed to build a ship with 8 thousand households. Merchants and trading people of Russia had to jointly lay down and build 12 ships. Landowners who had less than 100 peasant households were exempt from construction, but were required to pay cash contributions - 50 kopecks from each household. These funds were called “half money”.

It is clear that ship duty and the introduction of “half money” were met with hostility by many landowners and merchants. Some wealthy merchants and large landowners were even ready to pay off ship duties so as not to burden themselves with such a problem. But the king demanded that the duty be fulfilled. When part of the merchants filed a petition with a request to “dismiss them from shipbuilding,” they were punished by being ordered to build two more ships. To build ships, landowners were divided into "kumpanstvos" (companies). Each company must build one ship and arm it. For example, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, which had 24 thousand households, had to build 3 ships. Smaller monasteries formed together to form one monastery. The composition of secular merchants usually included 2-3 large landowners and 10-30 middle-class nobles. The Posad and Chernososhy population were not divided into kumpanstvos. The townspeople of the cities and the black-growing peasants of Pomerania, as well as the guests and trading people of the living room and cloth hundreds, formed a single merchant community.

According to the initial program, it was planned to build 52 ships: 19 ships for secular landowners, 19 ships for the clergy and 14 ships for merchants. The merchants had to independently organize the entire range of preparatory and construction work, including the maintenance of workers and craftsmen, the purchase of all materials and weapons. For the construction of shipyards, places were allocated in Voronezh, Strupinskaya pier, in a number of settlements along the Voronezh and Don rivers.

The fourth builder of the fleet was the treasury. The Admiralty built ships with money collected from secular and spiritual feudal lords with estates of less than a hundred peasants. At first, the Admiralty was supposed to build 6 ships and 40 brigantines, but then this standard was increased twice, so that in the end it had to put 16 ships and 60 brigantines into the water. However, the government also raised standards for private businesses; in 1698 they were required to build 6 more ships. The guests (merchants) still managed to evade the obligation to build ships: instead of ships, the treasury agreed to accept money (12 thousand rubles per ship).

Since the spring of 1697, shipbuilding work was in full swing. Thousands of people flocked to Voronezh and other settlements where shipyards were created. As soon as one ship was launched, another was immediately laid down. Two- and three-masted warships with 25-40 guns on board were built. Voronezh became the real “cradle” of Peter’s fleet. Every year the pace increased, and by 1699 the construction of most of the ships was completed.

The conquest of Azov and the construction of the fleet was associated with the introduction of a new labor service: carpenters were brought from all over the country to the shipyards and to the construction of the Trinity Fortress and harbor in Taganrog. It is worth noting that this construction was carried out in extremely difficult conditions: without housing in autumn and winter conditions, with meager food supplies, peasants spent months cutting down forest, sawing boards, building roads, deepening the river fairway, and building ships. Between a third and half of the people, unable to withstand the harsh working conditions, fled. It happened that entire teams ran, down to a single person. When news of the plight of workers at the shipyards reached the counties where workers were being recruited, the population hid in the forests. The situation was especially difficult for the population in the regions adjacent to Voronezh.

A heavy burden also fell on the serf peasantry, on whom the landowners imposed the burden of ship duty. They had to ensure the supply of everything necessary for the construction of ships, working at the expense of agriculture and other activities that provided their livelihood. There were significant losses in horses - they were confiscated for transportation. As a result, the flight of people to the Don, Khoper, and other lands increased significantly.

Thus, Voronezh shipbuilding and the construction of the harbor and fortress in Taganrog marked the beginning of emergency taxes and labor duties in the era of Peter.

Development of the shipbuilding program

The first shipbuilding experience revealed serious shortcomings. Some merchants were in no hurry to complete their work, intending to evade their duties or delay the delivery of ships. The Tsar had to apply repression: for refusing to participate in the program, he ordered the transfer of estates and estates in favor of the treasury.

Many landowners, in order to save money or due to a lack of shipbuilding experience, treated the program formally (just to get it done). Often they did not pay attention to the choice of wood, other materials, and the quality of work. The quality of construction was also affected by the abuses of contractors and the inexperience of some craftsmen. One of the most disastrous results of haste was the fact that the ships were built from damp, undried wood. In addition, the shipyards did not have covered slipways and the ships were immediately exposed to bad weather; due to a shortage of iron, wooden fastenings were used instead of iron fastenings.

Peter’s hopes for foreign specialists, who had been invited to Russia since 1696, did not materialize either. A significant part of foreigners came to Russia to make money, having no experience in shipbuilding or little understanding of this issue. In addition, craftsmen of different nationalities (English, Dutch, Italians, etc.) had different shipbuilding techniques, which led to various conflicts and problems. As a result, many of the ships built were fragile or not sufficiently stable on the water, quickly deteriorated, and required many modifications, often immediate major reconstruction and repair.

The government took these mistakes into account. They abandoned the construction of ships by the Kumpans. In September 1698, some merchants were allowed to pay a ransom to the treasury instead of building on their own - 10 thousand rubles per ship. Soon this practice was extended to all the kompaniyas. With the funds received, as well as with the “fifty money,” more extensive construction was launched at state-owned shipyards. Back in 1696, the “Admiralty Court” was established in Voronezh. Already in 1697, 7 large ships and 60 brigantines (small one- or two-masted sailing and rowing vessels for transporting goods and troops in coastal areas) were laid down there. On April 27, 1700, at the shipyard of the Voronezh Admiralty, Peter personally launched a 58-gun ship (“Goto Predestination”, in Latin means “God’s Foresight”).

At the same time, the process of creating the foundations of the military organization of the fleet and its combat control was underway. In 1700, the “Order of Admiralty Affairs” was established, which was later transformed into the Admiralty Collegium. It was the central government body for managing the construction, supply and support of the fleet. Admirals and officers were appointed to all important positions by royal decrees. The first head of the “Admiralty”, who was in charge of construction affairs, was the steward A.P. Protasyev, then he was replaced by the Arkhangelsk governor, one of the tsar’s closest associates, Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin.

The appearance of the Russian fleet was one of the factors that forced Turkey to make peace with Russia. In the summer of 1699, the Russian ships “Scorpion”, “Open Gate”, “Strength”, “Fortress”, “Good Connection” and several galleys came from Azov to Taganrog. The head of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, E. Ukraintsev, boarded the Fortress. On August 4, the “sea caravan” of Admiral General F.A. Golovin weighed anchor. The first campaign of the Azov Fleet began. A total of 10 large ships were sent: the 62-gun "Scorpion" under the flag of Admiral General Fedor Golovin, "Good Beginning" (on which Vice Admiral K. Kruys held the flag), "Color of War" (on which Rear Admiral Kruys held the flag von Rez), “The Open Gate”, “The Apostle Peter”, “Strength”, “Fearlessness”, “Connection”, “Mercury”, “Fortress”. Most of the ships in the squadron were armed with 26-44 guns.

On August 18, near Kerch, completely unexpectedly for the Turkish governor of the city and the commander of the Turkish squadron, Admiral Hasan Pasha (a Turkish squadron was stationed near Kerch), ships of the Russian squadron appeared. The deputy commander of the Russian squadron, Vice Admiral Cornelius Cruys, described the impression that the arrival of the ships of the Azov Fleet made on the Turkish commanders: “Turkish horror could be seen from their faces about this unexpected visit with such a heavily armed squadron; and they worked hard to make the Turks believe that these ships were built in Russia and that Russian people were on them. And when the Turks heard that His Majesty had ordered his ambassador to be taken to Istanbul on his own ships, it gave the Turks even more horror.” This was an unpleasant surprise for Porta.

On September 7, the “Fortress” with the Russian envoy arrived at the Sultan’s palace in Istanbul. In the Turkish capital they were stunned by the appearance of a Russian ship, and even more surprise was caused by the news of a visit to Kerch by a Russian squadron. On September 8, the “Fortress” was inspected from the outside by the vizier, and the next day the Ottoman Sultan himself made the same inspection.

The negotiations were difficult. The ambassadors of England and Holland tried to thwart them, but in the end a peace agreement was signed. The peace treaty was signed in July 1700, its duration was determined to be 30 years. Azov and its region went to the Russian state. The newly built towns remained behind Russia - Taganrog, Pavlovsk city, Miyus. In addition, Moscow was freed from the long-standing custom of paying annual tribute (“gifts”) to the Crimean Khan. But it was not possible to agree on the free navigation of Russian ships in the Black Sea. Russia also renounced its claims to Kerch. The part of the Dnieper region occupied by Russian troops was returned to the Ottoman Empire. The Peace of Constantinople allowed Peter to start a war with Sweden without worrying about the southern direction.

The Russian Navy originates more than three hundred years ago and is inextricably linked with the name of Peter the Great. Even in his youth, having discovered in his barn in 1688 a boat donated to their family, later called the “Grandfather of the Russian Fleet,” the future head of state forever connected his life with ships. In the same year, he founded a shipyard on Lake Pleshcheyevo, where, thanks to the efforts of local craftsmen, the sovereign’s “amusing” fleet was built. By the summer of 1692, the flotilla numbered several dozen ships, of which the beautiful frigate Mars with thirty guns stood out.

To be fair, I note that the first domestic ship was built before the birth of Peter in 1667. Dutch craftsmen, together with local artisans on the Oka River, managed to build a two-deck “Eagle” with three masts and the ability to travel by sea. At the same time, a pair of boats and one yacht were created. These works were supervised by the wise politician Ordin-Nashchokin from the Moscow boyars. The name, as you might guess, was given to the ship in honor of the coat of arms. Peter the Great believed that this event marked the beginning of maritime affairs in Rus' and was “worthy of glorification for centuries.” However, in history, the birthday of our country’s navy is associated with a completely different date...

The year was 1695. The need to create favorable conditions for the emergence of trade relations with other European states led our sovereign to a military conflict with the Ottoman Empire at the mouth of the Don and the lower reaches of the Dnieper. Peter the Great, who saw an irresistible force in his newly formed regiments (Semyonovsky, Prebrazhensky, Butyrsky and Lefortovo) decides to march to Azov. He writes to a close friend in Arkhangelsk: “We joked around Kozhukhov, and now we’ll joke around Azov.” The results of this journey, despite the valor and courage shown in battle by Russian soldiers, turned into terrible losses. It was then that Peter realized that war was not child’s play at all. When preparing the next campaign, he takes into account all his past mistakes and decides to create a completely new military force in the country. Peter was truly a genius; thanks to his will and intelligence, he was able to create an entire fleet in just one winter. And he spared no expense for this. First, he asked for help from his Western allies - the King of Poland and the Emperor of Austria. They sent him knowledgeable engineers, shipwrights and artillerymen. After arriving in Moscow, Peter organized a meeting of his generals to discuss the second campaign to capture Azov. At the meetings, it was decided to build a fleet that could accommodate 23 galleys, 4 fire ships and 2 galleasses. Franz Lefort was appointed admiral of the fleet. Generalissimo Alexey Semenovich Shein became the commander of the entire Azov Army. For the two main directions of the operation - on the Don and the Dnieper - two armies of Shein and Sheremetev were organized. Fire ships and galleys were hastily built near Moscow; in Voronezh, for the first time in Rus', two huge thirty-six-gun ships were created, which received the names “Apostle Paul” and “Apostle Peter.” In addition, the prudent sovereign ordered the construction of more than a thousand plows, several hundred sea boats and ordinary rafts prepared in support of the land army. Their construction began in Kozlov, Sokolsk, Voronezh. At the beginning of spring, ship parts were brought to Voronezh for assembly, and by the end of April the ships were afloat. On April 26, the first galleas, the Apostle Peter, was launched.

The main task of the fleet was to block the non-surrender fortress from the sea, depriving it of support in manpower and provisions. Sheremetev's army was supposed to head to the Dnieper estuary and conduct diversionary maneuvers. At the beginning of summer, all the ships of the Russian fleet were reunited near Azov, and its siege began. On June 14, a Turkish fleet of 17 galleys and 6 ships arrived, but it remained indecisive until the end of the month. On June 28, the Turks plucked up the courage to bring in troops. The rowing ships headed towards the shore. Then, by order of Peter, our fleet immediately weighed anchor. As soon as they saw this, the Turkish captains turned their ships around and went to sea. Having never received reinforcements, the fortress was forced to announce capitulation on July 18. The first outing of Peter's navy was a complete success. A week later, the flotilla went to sea to inspect the conquered territory. The Emperor and his generals were choosing a place on the coast for the construction of a new naval port. Later, the fortresses of Pavlovskaya and Cherepakhinskaya were founded near the Miussky estuary. The Azov winners also received a gala reception in Moscow.

To resolve issues related to the defense of the occupied territories, Peter the Great decides to convene the Boyar Duma in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. There he asks to build a “sea caravan or fleet.” On October 20, at the next meeting, the Duma decides: “There will be sea vessels!” In response to the ensuing question: “How many?”, it was decided to “inquire at peasant households, for spiritual and various ranks of people, to impose courts on households, to write out merchant people from customs books.” This is how the Russian Imperial Navy began its existence. It was immediately decided to start building 52 ships and launch them in Voronezh before the beginning of April 1698. Moreover, the decision to build ships was made as follows: the clergy provided one ship from every eight thousand households, the nobility - from every ten thousand. The merchants, townspeople and foreign merchants pledged to launch 12 ships. The state built the rest of the ships using taxes from the population. This was a serious matter. They were looking for carpenters all over the country, and soldiers were assigned to help them. More than fifty foreign specialists worked at the shipyards, and a hundred talented young people went abroad to learn the basics of shipbuilding. Among them, in the position of an ordinary police officer, was Peter. In addition to Voronezh, shipyards were built in Stupino, Tavrov, Chizhovka, Bryansk and Pavlovsk. Those interested took accelerated training courses to become shipwrights and assistant workers. The Admiralty was created in Voronezh in 1697. The first naval document in the history of the Russian state was the “Charter on Galleys”, written by Peter I during the second Azov campaign on the command galley “Principium”.

On April 27, 1700, the Goto Predestination, the first battleship of Russia, was completed at the Voronezh shipyard. According to the European classification of ships of the early 17th century, it earned rank IV. Russia could rightfully be proud of its brainchild, since construction took place without the participation of specialists from abroad. By 1700, the Azov fleet already consisted of more than forty sailing ships, and by 1711 - about 215 (including rowing ships), of which forty-four ships were armed with 58 guns. Thanks to this formidable argument, it was possible to sign a peace treaty with Turkey and start a war with the Swedes. The invaluable experience gained during the construction of new ships made it possible to later achieve success in the Baltic Sea and played an important (if not decisive) role in the great Northern War. The Baltic Fleet was built at the shipyards of St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Uglich and Tver. In 1712, the St. Andrew's flag was established - a white cloth with a blue cross diagonally. Many generations of sailors of the Russian Navy fought, won and died under it, glorifying our Motherland with their exploits.

In just thirty years (from 1696 to 1725), a regular Azov, Baltic and Caspian fleet appeared in Russia. During this time, 111 battleships and 38 frigates, six dozen brigantines and even more large galleys, scamps and bombardment ships, shmucks and fireships, more than three hundred transport ships and a huge number of small boats were built. And, what is especially remarkable, in terms of their military and seaworthiness, Russian ships were not at all inferior to the ships of great maritime powers, such as France or England. However, since there was an urgent need to defend the conquered coastal territories and at the same time conduct military operations, and the country did not have time to build and repair ships, they were often bought abroad.

Of course, all the main orders and decrees came from Peter I, but in shipbuilding matters he was helped by such prominent historical figures as F.A. Golovin, K.I. Kruys, F.M. Apraksin, Franz Timmerman and S.I. Yazykov. The shipwrights Richard Kozents and Sklyaev, Saltykov and Vasily Shipilov have glorified their names throughout the centuries. By 1725, naval officers and shipbuilders were being trained in special schools and maritime academies. By this time, the center for shipbuilding and training specialists for the domestic fleet moved from Voronezh to St. Petersburg. Our sailors won brilliant and convincing first victories in the battles of Kotlin Island, the Gangut Peninsula, the islands of Ezel and Grengam, and took primacy in the Baltic and Caspian Seas. Also, Russian navigators made many significant geographical discoveries. Chirikov and Bering founded Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1740. A year later, a new strait was discovered, which made it possible to reach the western coast of North America. Sea travels were carried out by V.M. Golovnin, F.F. Bellingshausen, E.V. Putyatin, M.P. Lazarev.

By 1745, the bulk of naval officers came from noble families, and sailors were recruits from the common people. Their service life was lifelong. Foreign citizens were often hired to perform naval service. An example was the commander of the Kronstadt port, Thomas Gordon.

Admiral Spiridov in 1770, during the Battle of Chesme, defeated the Turkish fleet and established Russian dominance in the Aegean Sea. Also, the Russian Empire won the war with the Turks in 1768-1774. In 1778, the port of Kherson was founded, and in 1783, the first ship of the Black Sea Fleet was launched. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, our country took third place in the world after France and Great Britain in terms of the quantity and quality of ships.

In 1802, the Ministry of Naval Forces began to exist. For the first time in 1826, a military steamship equipped with eight cannons was built, which was named Izhora. And 10 years later they built a steam frigate, nicknamed “Bogatyr”. This vessel had a steam engine and paddle wheels for movement. From 1805 to 1855, Russian sailors explored the Far East. Over these years, brave sailors completed forty round-the-world and long-distance voyages.

In 1856, Russia was forced to sign the Treaty of Paris and eventually lost its Black Sea fleet. In 1860, the steam fleet finally took the place of the outdated sailing fleet, which had lost its former importance. After the Crimean War, Russia actively built steam warships. These were slow-moving ships on which it was impossible to carry out long-distance military campaigns. In 1861, the first gunboat called “Experience” was launched. The warship was equipped with armor protection and served until 1922, having been a testing ground for the first experiments of A.S. Popov via radio communication on the water.

The end of the 19th century was marked by the expansion of the fleet. At that time, Tsar Nicholas II was in power. Industry developed at a rapid pace, but even it could not keep up with the ever-increasing needs of the fleet. Therefore, there was a tendency to order ships from Germany, the USA, France and Denmark. The Russo-Japanese War was characterized by the humiliating defeat of the Russian navy. Almost all the warships were sunk, some surrendered, and only a few managed to escape. After failure in the war in the east, the Russian Imperial Navy lost its third place among the countries with the largest flotillas in the world, immediately finding itself in sixth.

The year 1906 is characterized by the revival of the naval forces. A decision is made to have submarines in service. On March 19, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, 10 submarines were put into operation. Therefore, this day is a holiday in the country, Submariner's Day. From 1906 to 1913, the Russian Empire spent $519 million on naval needs. But this was clearly not enough, since the navies of other leading powers were rapidly developing.

During the First World War, the German fleet was significantly ahead of the Russian fleet in all respects. In 1918, the entire Baltic Sea was under absolute German control. The German fleet transported troops to support independent Finland. Their troops controlled occupied Ukraine, Poland and western Russia.

The main enemy of the Russians on the Black Sea has long been the Ottoman Empire. The main base of the Black Sea Fleet was in Sevastopol. The commander of all naval forces in this region was Andrei Avgustovich Eberhard. But in 1916, the Tsar removed him from his post and replaced him with Admiral Kolchak. Despite the successful military operations of the Black Sea sailors, in October 1916 the battleship Empress Maria exploded in the parking lot. This was the largest loss of the Black Sea Fleet. He only served for a year. To this day, the cause of the explosion is unknown. But there is an opinion that this is the result of successful sabotage.

The revolution and civil war became a complete collapse and disaster for the entire Russian fleet. In 1918, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were partially captured by the Germans, partially withdrawn and scuttled in Novorossiysk. The Germans later transferred some of the ships to Ukraine. In December, the Entente captured ships in Sevastopol, which were given to the Armed Forces of Southern Russia (the group of white troops of General Denikin). They took part in the war against the Bolsheviks. After the destruction of the white armies, the remainder of the fleet was seen in Tunisia. Sailors of the Baltic Fleet rebelled against the Soviet government in 1921. At the end of all the above events, the Soviet government had very few ships left. These ships formed the USSR Navy.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet fleet underwent a severe test, protecting the flanks of the fronts. The flotilla helped other branches of the army defeat the Nazis. Russian sailors showed unprecedented heroism, despite the significant numerical and technical superiority of Germany. During these years, the fleet was skillfully commanded by admirals A.G. Golovko, I.S. Isakov, V.F. Tributs, L.A. Vladimirsky.

In 1896, in parallel with the celebration of the 200th birthday of St. Petersburg, the founding day of the fleet was also celebrated. He turned 200 years old. But the largest celebration took place in 1996, when the 300th anniversary was celebrated. The Navy has been and is a source of pride for many generations. The Russian Navy is the hard work and heroism of Russians for the glory of the country. This is the combat power of Russia, which guarantees the security of the inhabitants of a great country. But first of all, these are unbending people, strong in spirit and body. Russia will always be proud of Ushakov, Nakhimov, Kornilov and many, many other naval commanders who faithfully served their homeland. And, of course, Peter I - a truly great sovereign who managed to create a strong empire with a powerful and invincible fleet.

A meeting of the Boyar Duma was scheduled for November 4, 1696, for which Peter prepared a note with the title: “Convenient articles that belong to the captured fortress or farthesia of the Turks of Azov.” The Duma, assembled in Preobrazhensky, listened to the historical proposal of Peter 1: “... to fight by sea , since it is very close and convenient many times more than by land. In addition, there is a need for a fleet or a sea caravan, consisting of forty or more ships, which must be decided without delay: how many of which ships and from how many yards and trades and where do?". The Duma passed the following sentence: “There will be sea vessels...”.

All residents of the Moscow state need to participate in the construction of ships. The votchinniki, both spiritual and secular, landowners, guests and merchants were obliged to build the ships themselves in a certain number, and the small estates to help by contributing money. For this purpose, it was necessary that the spiritual owners from 8,000 peasant households, and the secular from 10,000 households, build one ship each, and guests and trading people, instead of the tenth of the money that was collected from them, would build 12 ships; small estates, who had less than a hundred households, had to contribute half a ruble per yard. The number of ships equipped in this way was also determined. It was ordered to build 80 of them, and the state intended to build another 80 at its shipyards. Their uniforms and weapons were also clearly marked. The construction of the ships was to be carried out in Voronezh and in neighboring marinas.

The shipbuilding business was going quite successfully. In 1698, the required ships were built.

The Azov victory led to many changes in Russia.

In addition, Peter sent 35 young people abroad, 23 of whom bore the title of prince, to study maritime affairs. Later, in December 1696, Peter came up with the idea of ​​sending an embassy abroad, entrusting him with organizing a coalition of European powers to continue the fight against the Ottoman Empire. The embassy, ​​in addition, had to hire specialists abroad for the Russian service, purchase weapons, and also assign a new batch of nobles for training.

Having entrusted the administration of the country to Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky and boyar Tikhon Stershnev, the embassy left Moscow on March 2, 1697. The embassy was called “great” because of its large size. It was headed by three ambassadors: Lefort, Golovin and Voznitsyn. Among the volunteers was Pyotr Mikhailov - this was the name of the tsar.

The embassy was accompanied by numerous service personnel: priests, doctors, translators, and bakers. Together with the guard soldiers, the total number was 250 people, and the convoy consisted of 1000 sleighs.

The embassy headed to Holland. The route there ran through Courland, Brandenburg, and Germany. Everywhere ceremonial receptions were held in their honor, and Peter sometimes failed to remain incognito.

At the beginning of August 1697, the embassy arrived in the shipbuilding center of Holland - the city of Sardam.

On the sixteenth of August 1697, the embassy entered Amsterdam, where an agreement was reached that volunteers would be trained in shipbuilding at the East India Company shipyard. The end of August and the beginning of September were spent mastering the intricacies of shipbuilding. On September 9, the frigate “Peter and Pavel” was laid down, which was launched in mid-November. In the certificate issued to the Tsar by the ship’s master Paul, it was certified that “Peter Mikhailov, who was in the retinue of the great Moscow embassy... was a diligent and intelligent carpenter...; in addition, under my supervision, his nobleness studied ship architecture and drawing plans so thoroughly that he could, as far as we ourselves understand, practice in both.”

But practice alone was not enough for the king. He decides to visit the “mistress of the seas” England, where he could study the craft of a shipbuilding engineer. In January 1698, Peter arrived in London. There Peter worked in shipyards, inspected enterprises, visited Oxford University, made several trips to the Greenwich Observatory and to the coin mint yard

Thus, one of the tasks of the embassy was completed: the volunteers learned the basics of shipbuilding. Great difficulties had to be overcome in purchasing weapons and hiring specialists. Nevertheless, we managed to purchase 10 thousand guns, 5 thousand muskets, 3200 bayonets, ship supplies, etc. 350 sailors, as well as boatswains, lock masters, etc., were hired for Russian service.

But the main task of the embassy was not completed: Holland refused to enter the war with Turkey on the side of Russia.

The Grand Embassy is sent to Vienna to prevent the possibility of the Austrians concluding a separate peace with the Ottomans and reaching agreement to continue the war with them. However, this also failed. Austria was already negotiating peace with the Ottoman Empire.

Peter had a glimmer of hope to persuade Venice to continue the war, but alarming news from Moscow destroyed all his plans. The Tsar had to return to Russia.

By the spring of 1699, all volunteers had returned from abroad. They arrived in Voronezh, where they were assigned to ships preparing for the Kerch campaign. At the end of April, Peter orders K. Kruys to carry out “exercises on the ship, as many as can be done while standing at anchor.” The captains in the presence of the Tsar demonstrate good skills and dexterity. As for the ability to control the ship and command the crew, here the students show their complete failure .

At the beginning of June 1699, the German resident Gvarient reported to his emperor from Moscow: “of the 72 nobles sent to study in Italy and Germany, only four passed the exam given by the sovereign himself in Voronezh. The remaining 68 are presented with either going to foreign lands a second time and staying there until they acquire the necessary information, at their own expense, or returning the days issued for the trip.

The international situation became increasingly complicated. And then came what everyone was waiting for: Russia entered the war with Sweden. It must be said that the beginning of this war was unsuccessful for the Russians. The disaster near Narva in 1700 made the Swedes think that Russia was weak and could not provide worthy resistance. But they were mistaken: defeat did not break Peter; on the contrary, he began to prepare for war with even greater zeal.

The Swedish fleet launched an invasion. The first battles of Russian ships with the enemy took place on the lakes. In August 1702, 30 Russian ships under the command of Alexander Menshikov defeated a Swedish squadron consisting of 9 large ships on Lake Ladoga. Two Swedish ships were burned, one was sunk, and two were captured in a fierce boarding battle. For this victory, the officers received gold medals with chains, and the soldiers received smaller gold medals without chains.

This defeat did not stop the Swedes. A large Swedish squadron appeared on Lake Peipus. In 1704, a battle took place during which 13 enemy ships were captured by Russian ships, and the Carolus yacht, which escaped this fate, was blown up by the Swedes themselves.

In 1702, Peter 1 took Noteburg (Shlisselburg), and in 1703 Nyenschanz, a fortress at the mouth of the Neva, which allowed the Russians to enter first the Neva River and then the Gulf of Finland.

The first victory of the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea was won at the mouth of the Neva. The day after the capture of Nyenskans, Peter 1 suddenly attacked the Swedish ships “Gedan” and “Astrild” who came to the aid of the besieged fortress with a load of food and landing troops. Both ships were boarded with the direct participation of the Tsar and A. Menshikov.

A few days later, the foundation of St. Petersburg was laid on the island of Yanni-Sari. From the sea, the new fortress was protected by three-tier batteries erected near the island of Kotlin.

The first Russian ships of the Baltic Fleet were built at the Olonets shipyard (Lodeynoye Pole), where Peter in 1703 laid down 7 frigates, 6 ships, 7 galleys, 13 half-galleys, 1 galliot and 13 brigantines. And in 1705, the Admiralty Shipyard began building ships in St. Petersburg itself.

At this time, Russia had a navy, but it did not consist of those ships that could carry out offensive operations on the high seas. This required battleships armed with dozens of cannons of various calibers. There were only a few such ships in the Russian fleet, although there were plenty of small ships intended for coastal navigation and defensive operations. The only shipyard in the country that produced large ships, Admiralteyskaya, could not replenish the Baltic Fleet with the required number of ships in the coming years.

There was another way to equip the fleet with new warships - purchasing them abroad. For the sake of accelerating the creation of the fleet, Peter did not neglect this method.

The creation of a powerful Russian fleet marked the beginning of mastery of the entire sea. In 1710, with the participation of naval forces, Vyborg, Riga, and about. Ezel, Revel. In 1713, with the capture of Helsingfors, the Swedes were finally driven out of the Gulf of Finland.

So, the Baltic Fleet was gaining strength. The tsar paid exceptional attention to his brainchild; he was a frequent guest of the main base of the Russian fleet, located on the island of Kotlin. There he spent entire weeks, observed reviews, mock battles, and trained officers and sailors in carrying out naval commands.

By the summer campaign of 1714, the Baltic Fleet had become so strong that it armed Peter with confidence in his ability to measure his strength with the Swedes at sea. The fleet consisted of 15 battleships armed with 42-74 cannons each, 5 frigates with 18-32 cannons and 99 galleys. By decree of Peter 1 of November 16, 1705, marine regiments were organized for the first time on ships.

On June 4, 1719, in the battle with the Swedes in the Strait of Ezel, the Russian fleet under the command of captain of the second rank N.A. Senyavin won the first victory without boarding, using only guns.

In July 1720, the Russian rowing fleet under the command of M. Golitsyn lured Swedish ships into the skerries off the island of Grengam. During a decisive boarding attack, the Russians won their second brilliant naval victory over the Swedish fleet. During the battle, 4 Swedish frigates with 104 guns and 400 sailors were captured. This victory accelerated the signing of the Peace of Nystad in 1721, which ended the Northern War.

By the end of the first quarter of the 18th century, Russia had become one of the strongest maritime powers. On January 13, 1720, Peter 1 issued the first naval charter.

The publication of the Naval Charter in Russia seemed to sum up a certain result of the country's maritime history: in the shortest possible time, a strong navy was created in the Baltic. Peter used all the best that was in Western shipbuilding. But he first of all took into account the peculiarities of the Russian theater of war and navigation off the coast of the Fatherland. Peter's fleet differed from European fleets primarily in that at first it consisted mainly of rowing ships, varying in size and armament. Peter proceeded from the fact that such ships are simple to build, relatively easy to control, and are well used to support the ground army. Only after the victory at Poltava did intensive construction of battleships begin in Russia. Only they could provide Russia with dominance in the Baltic Sea.

By 1725, the Russian fleet in the Baltic was one of the strongest fleets. It had 48 battleships and frigates, 787 galleys and other ships. The total number of teams reached 28 thousand people. Since 1716, midshipmen appeared in the fleet - graduates of the “School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences” opened in 1700.

The land country, which three decades ago did not have a single warship, turned into a mighty maritime power with the most powerful fleet in the Baltic Sea. The fleet reliably defended Russia's maritime borders, including the capital of the empire - St. Petersburg

It showed that the Swedes cannot be defeated unless they create their own navy. The Swedish fleet at that time was considered the strongest in the Baltic. Peter I in the “Naval Regulations” wrote: “He who has a land army has one hand, and he who has a fleet has both hands.”

Therefore, along with the transformations in the army, the construction of a navy was intensively underway in the country.

One shipyard in Voronezh was not enough. By the will of Peter I, shipyards appeared in Arkhangelsk, Olonetsk and the new city of St. Petersburg. They were created on them galleys(rowing warships) and large sailing ships - frigates.

Since the time of Peter the Great, the Russian fleet has been famous for its discipline and mutual assistance. The ships were kept clean. A white flag with a blue cross fluttered at the stern. It was called St. Andrew's - in honor of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. According to legend, this apostle came to the Slavic lands preaching Christianity. And today the Russian navy flies under this flag.

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