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“Every potentate [ruler] who has one land army has one hand
has, and whoever has a fleet has both hands.”
Peter I.
Peter I went down in history as a reformer, commander and naval commander, the first emperor of Russia. But his role in creating the fleet of the young empire is especially noticeable. Peter understood that without a fleet his country would not be able to enter the “club” of great powers. And he began to do his best to correct the situation. Thus, first the Azov Fleet appears, the historical significance of which simply cannot be underestimated, and 7 years later, in 1703, the Baltic Fleet is created - the strongest naval unit of modern Russia.
The first steps of the Russian fleet
It cannot be said that before Peter there were no attempts to create a naval force. There were, but they were very unorganized, unsystematic and, as a result, unsuccessful. Ivan the Terrible, for example, actively used the river fleet in his campaigns against the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates.
Later, during the war with the Swedes of 1656-1661, the Moscow kingdom became concerned with building a full-fledged fleet capable of operating in the Baltic waters. Voivode Ordin-Nashchekin especially distinguished himself in its creation. But under the terms of the peace signed in 1661, the Russians had to destroy all ships and shipyards. Having failed in the north, Ordin-Nashchekin turned the attention of Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich to the south of the kingdom.
Meanwhile in the world...
Alexey Petrovich is born - the eldest son of Peter I
The first warship in Rus' is launched - Botik Peter I
Peter I builds the first state shipyard in Arkhangelsk
The most interesting thing for you!
There it was decided to build a flotilla for the Caspian Sea and even began this ambitious project - in 1667-1668. The three-masted sailing ship "Eagle" was built, the "great-grandfather" of the Russian sailing fleet (displacement 250 tons, length 24.5 meters, width 6.5 meters).
It had two decks, the artillery armament consisted of 22 guns, about the tests of which a note has been preserved:
« the guns were shot, and according to the shot, the guns were all intact and fit for the ship».
Unfortunately, the fate of the ship was tragic - it served little, and was later completely burned by Razin’s rebels right in the harbor. The creation of a real fleet had to be postponed for several decades.
"Grandfather of the Russian Navy"
A significant event for the entire Russian fleet happened in 1688 in the village of Izmailovo near Moscow. 16-year-old Peter found a small boat (6 meters long, 1 meter wide) in an old barn. This little boat was brought from England as a gift to Tsar Alexei. Peter subsequently wrote about the amazing find:
« It happened to us (in May 1688) to be in Izmailovo, in the flax yard and, walking through the barns, where the remains of things from the house of Nikita Ivanovich Romanov’s grandfather lay, between which I saw a foreign ship, I asked Franz (Timerman) [Peter’s Dutch teacher], what kind of ship is this? He said that it was an English bot. I asked: where is it used? He said that with ships - for riding and carriage. I asked again: what advantage does it have over our ships (I have seen it in a manner and strength better than ours)? He told me that he sails not only with the wind, but also against the wind; which word brought me into great surprise and supposedly incredible».
Having repaired the boat, Peter immediately took a short walk along the Yauza River. Later, the “grandfather of the Russian fleet” (as Peter himself called the boat) was moved to different places (Prosyanoye Lake, Pleshcheev Pond, Pereyaslav Lake), as the prince’s skill in shipping grew. He built a shipyard right on Lake Pereyaslavl and in 1692, in addition to the boat, two small frigates and three yachts sailed on the lake. The construction of the Amusement Flotilla was carried out by craftsmen under the leadership of the Dutchman Karsten Brant, who was hired by Peter’s father Alexei Mikhailovich to build the Caspian Fleet. It is interesting that for a long trip to the lake, Peter had to lie to his mother Natalya Kirillovna: “Where I asked my mother to go to the Trinity Monastery under the image of a promise.”
First trip to the sea
In 1689, the internal crisis was resolved - Princess Sophia was removed from power and tonsured as a nun. Peter actually became the ruler of an entire country. By this time, the idea of organizing a fleet had completely taken possession of the king. He worked diligently, studied everything that could be useful for the king-military leader - geometry, navigation, carpentry, cannon casting and other sciences. And all this time he did not abandon his passion for the fleet. But the lake was clearly not enough for the young king and he decided to go to Arkhangelsk, to the White Sea.
In 1693, the road from Moscow to Arkhangelsk took as much as 24 days - from July 6 to July 30, Peter was on the road. Despite his mother’s promise not to leave the shore, the young king broke it without any qualms of conscience. According to various sources, either on the first day of his arrival, or towards the end of the visit, he went out to sea on the 12-gun yacht “St. Peter” to escort Dutch and English merchant ships. This journey took 6 whole days and made a huge impression on the king.
In the same 1693, he built the first state shipyard in Arkhangelsk - Solombala. And he immediately laid down the 24-gun ship “St. Apostle Paul” there. This was not enough for Peter and he bought the 44-gun frigate “Holy Prophecy” in Holland. The trip to Arkhangelsk was an important milestone in the development of the young ruler’s hobbies. The real sea, foreign ships and sailors, the construction of the shipyard - all this made a strong impression. But it was time to return - after being absent for almost three months, on October 1 the tsar returned to Moscow.
However, in January 1694, Peter's mother dies. Of course, this was a strong emotional shock for the king. But already at this age he showed his nature - without indulging in excessive sadness, on May 1 Peter left for Arkhangelsk for the second time, at the beginning of summer navigation. This time he was accompanied by soldiers of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, who, as planned by the sovereign, were to become sailors on his ships.
Upon arrival, Peter personally supervised the armament of the St. Paul and inspected the frigate Holy Prophecy, which had arrived from Holland (both ships were later converted into merchant ships). In general, the tsar spent a lot of time “in the field” - he was constantly on ships, participated in repair and rigging work, and communicated with foreign sailors.
The beginning of developed navigation among our ancestors - the Eastern Slavs - dates back to the 6th-7th centuries. On their one-tree boats they made daring sea voyages in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Sea voyages became especially active after the formation of Kievan Rus. In 907, Prince Oleg’s campaign against Byzantium involved, as chronicles indicate, 2,000 rooks with 80 thousand warriors. Having marched from the Dnieper along the Black Sea to the Bosphorus and besieged Constantinople, Oleg forced it to surrender and concluded a peace under which the Greeks paid rich tribute to the victors.
Navigation contributed to the establishment of profitable economic and cultural ties between Kievan Rus and Byzantium, the adoption of Christianity in Rus' in 988. To conduct military campaigns in the middle of the 12th century. The squad now has special armored combat boats, covered with a deck.
Sea routes also played a major role in the life of Veliky Novgorod, and, being in the union of Hanseatic cities, the city conducted extensive trade with the Baltic countries. The Novgorodians often had to make military campaigns on their armed ships in response to the predatory raids of the Swedes and Livonians, who sought to obstruct the enterprising and skillful Russian merchant seafarers.
There is indisputable evidence of the development of the shores of both the White and Barents Seas by Russian pioneers. However, the natural desire of the Slavs for the seas, as the most profitable routes of communication, was interrupted for almost two centuries by the Tatar-Mongol invasion, which cut off Rus' from the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Only in 1380, with the acquisition of independence, Rus' began to collect the fragmented lands.
By 1505, the unification of the Russian principalities was basically completed and a centralized state led by Moscow was formed. The struggle for access to the sea is flaring up with renewed vigor. Now Ivan the Terrible, in order to protect the Narva trade route and navigation in the Baltic Sea, starts a privateer fleet. However, after an unsuccessful 25-year war with Sweden, by 1595 Russia lost Narva, Koporye, Ivan-gorod, and in 1617 it found itself completely cut off from this sea. Understanding the importance of maritime trade routes and the need for their armed protection leads the Russian autocrats to the decision not only to arm merchant ships, but also to create special - military - ships. Thus, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the first Russian warship "Eagle", armed with 22 guns, was built on the Oka River in the village of Dedinovo near Kolomna.
At the same time, for Russia on the river. Several small military ships were built on the Dvina near the city of Kokenhausen, intended to conquer Riga in a new attempt to reach the shores of the Baltic Sea, which, however, also ended unsuccessfully.
At the end of the 17th century. Russia was still significantly behind Western European countries in economic development. The reason for this was not only the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but also the ongoing grueling wars: in the south - with Turkey, in the west - with Poland, in the northwest - with Sweden. The country's only access to the foreign market was the Arkhangelsk port, founded in 1584.
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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.
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The young Russian fleet received a baptism of fire and clearly demonstrated its effectiveness. The capture of Azov was the first major victory of the newly created regular army and navy of Russia. Russia received Azov with adjacent lands and the right to free navigation in the Sea of Azov.
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To gain a foothold on the Sea of Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many battleships and frigates, galleys and bombardment ships, fire ships and small vessels. But it didn't 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.
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More maneuverable and fast ships included frigates, which had three masts and one or two decks. The length of these ships did not exceed 35 m, they were armed with cannons (up to 40 units). The most popular warships were galleys, capable of operating especially effectively in skerry areas.
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 Kotlin Island, 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 all naval forces and establish a foothold 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.”
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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". In 1717, troops from Northern Finland invaded Swedish territory. Their actions were supported by large amphibious landings in the Stockholm area.
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 the Treaty of Nystad. 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.” The tsar himself, who had the rank of vice admiral, “as a sign of the labors incurred in this war,” was promoted to admiral. 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.
Having achieved the establishment of Russia in the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turned his gaze to the south of the state. As a result of the Persian campaign, Russian troops, with the support of flotilla ships under the general leadership of Peter I, occupied the cities of Derbent and Baku with adjacent lands, which went to Russia according to a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For permanent basing the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military port and the Admiralty in Astrakhan. During the Peter the Great period, the center of Russia's maritime trade moved from the White Sea from Arkhangelsk to the Baltic to St. Petersburg, which became the country's largest commercial port. This forced us to intensify measures to protect the region from possible attacks. The work, which had not stopped since the foundation of the fortress on Kotlin Island, was basically completed in 1723. This is how the fortress city of Kronstadt arose, the defense of which Peter I, by his decree, decided to “maintain to the last strength and stomach, as the most important matter.”
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Peter I came up with the idea of creating “two fleets”: a galley fleet - for action together with the army in coastal areas, and a ship fleet - for predominantly independent actions at sea. In this regard, military science considers Peter I an unrivaled expert in his time on the interaction between the army and navy. At the dawn of domestic state shipbuilding for operations in the Baltic and Azov Seas, Peter had to solve the problem of creating mixed navigation vessels, i.e. such that could operate both on rivers and at sea. Other maritime powers did not require such military vessels.
The complexity of the task lay in the fact that navigation along shallow rivers required a shallow draft of the vessel with a relatively large width. Such dimensions of ships when sailing at sea led to a sharp pitching, reducing the effectiveness of using weapons, and worsened the physical condition of the crew and landing party. In addition, for wooden ships the problem of ensuring the longitudinal strength of the hull was difficult. In general, it was necessary to find a “good proportion” between the desire to obtain good performance by increasing the length of the vessel, and to have sufficient longitudinal strength. Peter chose the ratio of length to width equal to 3:1, which guaranteed the strength and stability of the ships with a slight decrease in speed.
Russia is a continental state, but the length of its borders along the water surface is 2/3 of their total length. Since ancient times, Russians knew how to sail the seas and knew how to fight at sea, but the real naval traditions of our country go back about 300 years.
There is still debate about the specific event or date from which the history of the Russian fleet originates. One thing is clear to everyone - this happened in the era of Peter the Great.
First experiments
The Russians began to use waterways to move armed forces in a country where rivers were the main routes of communication a very long time ago. Mentions of the legendary path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” go back centuries. Epic epics were composed about the campaign of Prince Oleg’s “lodians” to Constantinople.
The wars of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes and German crusaders had one of the main goals of establishing Russian settlements near the mouth of the Neva in order to be able to freely navigate the Baltic Sea.
In the south, the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks fought for access to the Black Sea with the Tatars and Turks. Their legendary “gulls” successfully attacked and captured Ochakov in 1350.
The first Russian warship "Eagle" was built in 1668 in the village of Dedinovo by decree of Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich. But the Russian navy owes its real birth to the dream and will of his son, Peter the Great.
Home dream
At first, the young king simply liked to sail on a small boat found in a barn in the village of Izmailovo. This 6-meter boat, given to his father, is now kept in the Naval Museum of St. Petersburg.
The future emperor later said that the Russian imperial fleet originated from him, and called him “the grandfather of the Russian fleet.” Peter himself restored it, following the instructions of the craftsmen from the German settlement, because there were no shipbuilders of his own in Moscow.
When the future emperor became a real ruler at the age of 17, he began to truly realize that Russia could not develop without economic, scientific and cultural ties with Europe, and the best routes of communication were sea.
An energetic and curious person, Peter sought to acquire knowledge and skills in various fields. His greatest hobby was the theory and practice of shipbuilding, which he studied with Dutch, German and English masters. He delved into the basics of cartography with interest and learned to use navigation instruments.
He began to invest his first skills in creating a “funny flotilla” on Lake Pleshcheyevo in Pereslavl-Zalessky near Yaroslavl. In June 1689, the boat “Fortune”, 2 small frigates and yachts were assembled at the shipyards there.
Access to the ocean
A huge land giant that occupied a sixth of the earth's land, Russia at the end of the 17th century could less than other countries lay claim to the title of sea power. The history of the Russian fleet is also the history of the struggle for access to the world's oceans. There were two options for access to the sea - two “bottlenecks”: through the Gulf of Finland and where strong Sweden ruled, and through the Black Sea, through the narrow one under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
The first attempt to stop the raids of the Crimean Tatars and Turks on the southern borders and lay the foundations for a future breakthrough to the Black Sea was made by Peter in 1695. located at the mouth of the Don, withstood the attacks of the Russian military expedition, and there were not enough forces for a systematic siege, there were not enough means to cut off the supply of supplies to the surrounded Turks by water. Therefore, in preparation for the next campaign, it was decided to build a flotilla.
Azov Fleet
Peter set about building ships with unprecedented energy. More than 25 thousand peasants were rounded up to work at the shipyards in Preobrazhenskoye and on the Voronezh River. Based on a model brought from abroad, under the supervision of foreign craftsmen, 23 rowing galleys (katorgi), 2 large sailing ships (one of which was the 36-gun “Apostle Peter”), more than 1,300 small ships - barques, plows, etc. d. This was the first attempt to create what is called a "regular Russian imperial fleet." He perfectly fulfilled his tasks of delivering troops to the walls of the fortress and blocking the encircled Azov from the water. After a month and a half siege, on July 19, 1696, the fortress garrison surrendered.
“It’s better for me to fight by sea...”
This campaign showed the importance of interaction between ground and naval forces. He was decisive in deciding on the further construction of ships. “There will be ships!” - the royal decree on the allocation of funds for new ships was approved on October 20, 1696. From this date, the history of the Russian fleet begins its time countdown.
Grand Embassy
The war for the southern access to the ocean by capturing Azov had just begun, and Peter went to Europe in search of support in the fight against Turkey and its allies. The Tsar took advantage of his diplomatic tour, which lasted a year and a half, to expand his knowledge of shipbuilding and military affairs.
Under the name of Peter Mikhailov, he worked in the shipyards of Holland. He gained experience together with a dozen Russian carpenters. In three months, with their participation, the frigate Peter and Paul was built, which later sailed to Java under the flag of the East India Company.
In England the king also works in shipyards and machine shops. The English king arranges naval maneuvers especially for Peter. Seeing the coordinated interactions of 12 huge ships, Peter is delighted and says that he would like to be an English admiral, and from that moment on, the dream of having a powerful Russian imperial fleet was completely strengthened in him.
Russia is young
Maritime business is developing. In 1700, Peter the Great established the stern flag of the ships of the Russian fleet. It was named in honor of the first Russian order - St. Andrew the First-Called. The Russian Navy is 300 years old, and almost all this time the oblique blue cross of St. Andrew's flag has been overshadowing Russian sailors.
A year later, the first naval educational institution opened in Moscow - the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences. A Naval Order is established to govern the new industry. The Naval Charter is adopted and naval ranks are introduced.
But the most important thing is the Admiralty, which is in charge of the shipyards - new ships are being built there.
Pyotr Alekseevich’s plans for further seizures of ports on the Black Sea and the establishment of shipyards there were thwarted by a more formidable enemy from the North. Denmark and Sweden started a war over disputed islands, and Peter entered it on the Danish side, with the goal of opening a “window to Europe” - access to the Baltic Sea.
Battle of Gangut
Sweden, led by the young and cocky Charles XII, was the main military force of the time. The inexperienced Russian Imperial Navy faced a severe test. In the summer of 1714, a Russian squadron of rowing ships led by Admiral Fyodor Apraksin met with powerful Swedish sailing ships off Cape Gangut. Being inferior to the enemy in artillery, the admiral did not dare to engage in a direct clash and reported the situation to Peter.
The tsar made a diversionary maneuver: he ordered to build a flooring for crossing ships on land and show his intention to go through the isthmus to the rear of the enemy fleet. To stop this, the Swedes divided the flotilla, sending a detachment of 10 ships around the peninsula to the transfer site. At this time, the sea was completely calm, which deprived the Swedes of the possibility of any maneuver. Massive, stationary vessels lined up in an arc for frontal combat, and ships of the Russian fleet - fast rowing galleys - broke through the coast and attacked a group of 10 ships, trapping them in the bay. The flagship frigate "Elephant" was boarded, Peter personally participated in the hand-to-hand attack, leading the sailors by personal example.
The victory of the Russian fleet was complete. About a dozen ships were captured, more than a thousand Swedes were captured, and over 350 were killed. Without losing a single ship, the Russians lost 120 people killed and 350 wounded.
The first victories at sea - at Gangut and, later, at Grenham, as well as the land victory at Poltava - all this became the key to the signing by the Swedes of the Treaty of Nystad (1721), according to which Russia began to dominate the Baltic. The goal - access to Western European ports - was achieved.
Legacy of Peter the Great
The foundation for the creation of the Baltic Fleet was laid by Peter ten years before the Battle of Gangut, when St. Petersburg, the new capital of the Russian Empire, was founded at the mouth of the Neva, conquered from the Swedes. Together with the military base located nearby - Kronstadt - they became gates, closed to enemies and wide open to trade.
In a quarter of a century, Russia has traveled a path that took several centuries for the leading maritime powers - the path from small ships for coastal navigation to huge ships capable of crossing the world's expanses. The flag of the Russian fleet was known and respected on all oceans of the earth.
History of victories and defeats
Peter's reforms and his favorite brainchild - the first Russian fleet - faced a difficult fate. Not all subsequent rulers of the country shared the ideas of Peter the Great or possessed his strength of character.
Over the next 300 years, the Russian fleet had the opportunity to win great victories during the times of Ushakov and Nakhimov and suffer severe defeats at Sevastopol and Tsushima. After the most severe defeats, Russia was deprived of its status as a maritime power. The history of the Russian fleet and past centuries knows periods of revival after complete decline, and
Today the fleet is gaining strength after another destructive timelessness, and it is important to remember that it all began with the energy and will of Peter I, who believed in the maritime greatness of his country.
The Navy as an independent branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation emerged from the end of the 17th century. until the beginning of the 20th century.
The creation of a regular military fleet in Russia is a historical pattern. It was due to the urgent need of the country to overcome the territorial, political and cultural isolation that became at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries. the main obstacle to the economic and social development of the Russian state.
The first permanent grouping of forces - the Azov Fleet - was formed from ships and vessels built in the winter of 1695-1696. and was intended to assist the army in the campaign to capture the Turkish fortress of Azov. On October 30, 1696, the Boyar Duma, on the proposal of Tsar Peter I, adopted the resolution “Sea vessels shall be...”, which became the first law on the fleet and recognition as the official date of its founding.
During the Northern War of 1700-1721. the main tasks of the fleet were determined, the list of which remains practically unchanged to this day, namely: the fight against enemy naval forces, the fight on sea communications, the defense of one’s coast from the sea direction, assistance to the army in coastal areas, striking and ensuring invasion of territory enemy from the sea direction. The proportion of these tasks changed as material resources and the nature of armed struggle at sea changed. Accordingly, the role and place of individual branches of the fleet that were part of the fleet changed.
Thus, before the First World War, the main tasks were carried out by surface ships, and they were the main branch of the fleet. During the Second World War, this role for some time passed to naval aviation, and in the post-war period, with the advent of nuclear missile weapons and ships with nuclear power plants, submarines established themselves as the main type of force.
Before the First World War, the fleet was homogeneous. Coastal troops (marines and coastal artillery) existed from the beginning of the 18th century, however, organizationally they were not part of the fleet. On March 19, 1906, submarine forces were born and began to develop as a new branch of the Navy.
In 1914, the first naval aviation units were formed, which in 1916 also acquired the characteristics of an independent type of force. Navy Aviation Day is celebrated on July 17 in honor of the first victory of Russian naval pilots in an air battle over the Baltic Sea in 1916. The Navy as a diverse strategic association was finally formed by the mid-1930s, when the Navy organizationally included naval aviation, coastal defense and air defense units.
The modern system of command and control bodies of the Navy finally took shape on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. On January 15, 1938, by resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars, the People's Commissariat of the Navy was created, within which the Main Naval Headquarters was formed. During the formation of the regular Russian fleet, its organizational structure and functions were unclear. On December 22, 1717, by decree of Peter I, an Admiralty Board was formed for the day-to-day management of the fleet. On September 20, 1802, the Ministry of Naval Forces was formed, which was later renamed the Naval Ministry and existed until 1917. The bodies of combat (operational) control of the Navy forces appeared after the Russian-Japanese War with the creation of the Naval General Staff on April 7, 1906. The Russian fleet was led by such famous naval commanders as Peter I, P.V. Chichagov, I.K. Grigorovich, N.G. Kuznetsov, S.G. Gorshkov.
Permanent groupings of forces in maritime theaters took shape as the Russian state solved historical problems related to the acquisition of access to the World Ocean and the inclusion of the country in the world economy and politics. In the Baltic, the fleet existed continuously since May 18, 1703, the Caspian flotilla - from November 15, 1722, and the fleet on the Black Sea - from May 13, 1783. In the North and the Pacific Ocean, groupings of fleet forces were created, as a rule, on a temporary basis or, without receiving significant development, were periodically abolished. The current Pacific and Northern fleets have existed as permanent groupings since April 21, 1932 and June 1, 1933, respectively.
The fleet received its greatest development by the mid-1980s. At this time, it included 4 fleets and the Caspian Flotilla, which included more than 100 divisions and brigades of surface ships, submarines, naval aviation and coastal defense.
Currently, the Navy is the main component and basis of the maritime potential of the Russian Federation, one of the instruments of the state's foreign policy and is intended to ensure the protection of the interests of the Russian Federation and its allies in the World Ocean by military methods, maintaining military-political stability in the adjacent seas , military security from sea and ocean directions.
The main combat training event for the Navy in 2010 was the participation of the Pacific Fleet in cooperation with the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy of the Northern Fleet and the guards missile cruiser Moskva of the Black Sea Fleet in the operational-strategic exercise Vostok-2010. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, observed the exercises in the Sea of Japan from aboard the heavy nuclear cruiser Pyotr Velikiy.
Cooperation with the fleets of foreign countries continues to intensify in the field of ensuring navigation safety, combating piracy, drug trafficking, smuggling, providing assistance to ships in distress and saving lives at sea.
In 2010, the Baltic Fleet took part in the international exercises "BALTOPS-2010", the Northern Fleet - in the Russian-Norwegian exercises "Pomor-2010". The large anti-submarine ship "Severomorsk" of the Northern Fleet, together with warships of the US, British and French navies, participated in the international naval exercises "FRUCUS-2010", which are taking place in the Atlantic.
For the first time, the forces of the Northern and Pacific fleets practiced interaction as part of groupings on long ocean voyages.
In the military-diplomatic sphere, the demonstration of St. Andrew's flag during visits to the seaports of foreign countries played and continues to play a significant role. The Russian Navy continued its regular presence in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden. Warships of the Northern, Pacific and Baltic fleets have carried out and continue to conduct convoys of civilian ships through areas of increased piracy activity.
Beginning of the reign of Peter I; Azov campaigns: “there will be a Russian fleet”; Azov Fleet; Baltic Fleet of Peter I; "south direction"; fleet after the death of Peter the Great
THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF PETER I
Peter I
At the end of the 17th century. Russia was still significantly behind Western European countries in economic development. The reason for this was not only the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but also the ongoing grueling wars: in the south - with Turkey, in the west - with Poland, in the northwest - with Sweden. The country's only access to the foreign market was the Arkhangelsk port, founded in 1584. Access to the shores of the Black and Baltic seas was a historical necessity for Russia.
Thus, for Peter I, who removed Sophia from the Russian throne in 1682, a goal was predetermined, the achievement of which became the content of his state activities. Most of all, the young king was attracted to maritime affairs.
Contemporaries and descendants were always surprised how Peter, living in Preobrazhenskoye, having never seen not only the sea, but also a large lake, became so addicted to maritime affairs that it overshadowed all other hobbies. There is a version that the origins of this passion for the tsar, who was afraid of water since childhood, are connected with his acquaintance with the astrolabe, as well as with an old boat found by Peter I and Franz Timerman in N.I.’s barn. Romanov in the village of Izmailovskoye. The advantage of the boat, which Peter would later call “the grandfather of the Russian fleet,” was that the sails on it were designed in such a way that they made it possible to sail against the wind.
Peter subsequently wrote about this find: “We happened (in May 1688) to be in Izmailovo, in a linen yard and, walking through the barns, where the remains of things from the house of Nikita Ivanovich Romanov’s grandfather lay, between which I saw a foreign ship, I asked Franz (Timerman) [Dutch teacher Peter] what kind of ship is this? He said that it was an English bot. I asked: where is it used? He said that with ships - for riding and carriage. I asked again: what advantage does it have over our ships (I have seen it in a manner and strength better than ours)? He told me that he sails not only with the wind, but also against the wind; which word brought me into great surprise and supposedly incredible.”
"Grandfather of the Russian Navy"
It is also known that 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 Franz Lefort (the first admiral of the Russian fleet, but then still a doorman from his amusing “campaign”), he orders a large ship abroad. The construction of two ships is also starting in Arkhangelsk. For the first time in his life, the Tsar sails on the White, northern, cold sea.
AZOV CAMPAIGNS: “THE RUSSIAN FLEET TO BE”
The awareness of the need to create a regular navy in Russia came to Peter after the defeat of the Russian army near the Turkish fortress of Azov in the first Azov campaign in 1695. Having sent an army of thirty thousand, Peter I suffered a complete defeat. The siege of the fortress only led to major losses. One of the main factors of the defeat was that the Turkish fleet delivered new soldiers, ammunition, and provisions to the besieged fortress. Then Peter realized that Azov could not be taken without support from the sea.
Throughout the winter of 1696, Peter I prepared the Russian army for a new campaign. Returning from Azov, Peter convened a council at which it was decided to build a fleet in Preobrazhenskoye: 22 galleys based on the Dutch model, 4 fire ships, 3 frigates and 2 galleasses and transport them for assembly to Voronezh; at the rafting sites closest to Voronezh - Kozlov, Dobroy, Sokolsk - make 1300 rafting plows for the army, 300 boats and 100 rafts; in Voronezh to establish an Admiralty and a workshop, to lay down 2 ships and to continuously build houses for working people.
Everything was ready by spring. The second Azov campaign began. In May 1696, on the new 34-oar galley “Principium”, Peter appeared near Azov at the head of an entire flotilla, and the ground forces, replenished and rested, again besieged the fortress from land and built batteries at the mouth of the Don.
Sign in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol
This time the Turks failed to fight back, although they defended desperately. The Russian fleet prevented the supply of ammunition and food to the besieged fortress. The Turks had to surrender. For the first time in the history of Russia, a brilliant victory was achieved with the help of the fleet. This happened on July 18, 1696. Russia received Azov with adjacent lands and the right to free navigation in the Sea of Azov.
The capture of Azov was a major victory for the Russian army and its 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, 1696, the Boyar Duma proclaimed “Sea vessels will be...” Since then, this date has been celebrated as the birthday of the Russian Navy. The fleet built for the second Azov campaign, and the ships built during Russia's possession of Azov, are usually called the Azov Fleet.
AZOV FLEET
To gain a foothold on the Sea of Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. And the Azov fleet is gradually being replenished with multi-gun ships.
The organization of “campanships” (companies) in the Voronezh region in 1696-1697 and the help of foreign craftsmen turned out to be insufficiently effective measures for the speedy construction of the Azov Fleet, so it was decided to build the fleet using only state funds and only with the help of domestic specialists.
Thus, in a letter dated December 7, 1698, the ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire, Gwarient, reported his observations to Vienna:
“... The heat and delight with which they were preparing for the coming war have almost cooled; The Emperor is exclusively occupied with the remodeling and construction of ships. Expensively built ships are bad and are more suitable for merchant cargo than for military operations.”
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.
In 1697 - 1698, as part of the Great Embassy in Holland, Peter I worked as a carpenter at the shipyards of the East India Company, with the participation of the tsar, the ship “Peter and Paul” was built.
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Goto Predestination»
Such circumstances favored the appearance of a new type of ship in the Russian fleet. So in November 1698, Peter I laid down the 58-gun ship “Goto Predestination” (“God’s Providence”).
From the journal of the office of Peter I, 1698:
“...on the 19th day of November, in memory of the holy martyr Obadiah, a ship called “God's Foresight” was laid down. The keel was laid 130 feet long and 33 feet wide.”
It was built according to an English drawing (proof of this version is the presence of a round spigot, which at that time only English ships had), however, since the ships built according to these drawings were intended to sail in shallow water, Peter I made changes to the drawings. The ship's draft was reduced. The keel of the Goto Predestination had a unique design for that time, which prevented leaks in the ship's hull when it hit the ground.
So on April 27, 1700, the first Russian battleship created in Russia without the participation of foreign specialists - the ship "Goto Predestination" - was launched from the Voronezh shipyard.
Almost simultaneously, two more ships were laid down: the Turtle and the Great Galleas. The construction of the “Turtle” was led by the English master Osip Nye, and the construction of the second ship was led by the Venetian Jacob Moreau. The construction of the Goto Predestination was at first supervised by Peter I. Thus, in the Russian fleet, thanks to the simultaneous construction of three ships, a kind of competition began between Russian, English and Venetian shipwrights.
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 access to the seas. 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 as a powerful maritime power.
After the war with Turkey for the possession of the Sea of Azov, Peter I's aspirations 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.
During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many battleships and frigates, galleys and bombardment ships, fire ships and small vessels. But it didn't last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to give the coast of the Sea of Azov to the Turks, and pledged to destroy the Azov fleet.
Engraving from the “Diary” of I. Korb “Azov Fleet”. End of the 17th century.
BALTIC FLEET OF PETER I
The need for Russia to access the Baltic Sea resulted in the “Northern War” with Sweden in 1700: a country with a strong navy, which served as a strong argument for the creation of a navy in the Baltic Sea.
In the winter of 1702, construction began on a shipyard on the Syas River, which flows into Lake Ladoga. Here the first warships were laid down for the new fleet - six 18-gun sailing frigates and 9 auxiliary ships. In the same 1702, the Olonetsky shipyard was founded in the Olonetsky district on the Svir River.
Peter I's capture of the Swedish ships Gedan and Astrild at the mouth of the Neva
The founding date of the Baltic Fleet is considered to be May 18, 1703. It was on this day, under the command of Peter I, that a flotilla of 30 boats with soldiers from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments won their first military victory, capturing two Swedish warships at the mouth of the Neva River.
All participants in the battle received special medals with the inscription “The Unprecedented Happens.”
On August 22, 1703, the first battleship, the 28-gun frigate “Standard,” was launched at the Olonets shipyard; 7 frigates, 5 shnavs, 7 galleys, 13 half-galleys, 1 galliot and 13 brigantines were also launched.
In the same year, the base of the Russian fleet in the Baltic was founded - Kronstadt, and the Admiralty School was opened in Voronezh. In 1704, construction began on the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg, which became the center of shipbuilding in Russia.
A characteristic feature of the naval architecture of that time was the abundance of various external decorations. Carvings generously decorated not only the stern and bow, but also the sides of the ship in the fleet of Peter I. Usually the stern was decorated with the state coat of arms and allegorical figures related to the name of the ship; The nasal figure also corresponded to the name.
In 1704, the Baltic Fleet had 10 frigates armed with 22 to 43 6-pounder cannons, and 19 other warships.
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Battleship of the Baltic Fleet "Poltava"»
In 1706, the Baltic Fleet with small forces participated in the siege of the Swedish fortified city of Vyborg, which was unsuccessful for the Russian side. In 1708, two battleships “Riga” and “Vyborg” were laid down for the Baltic Fleet on the Svir River. And in Arkhangelsk, the construction of seven 52-gun battleships and three frigates began for the Baltic Fleet.
The Swedes suffered a serious defeat on June 27, 1709 in the Battle of Poltava. In honor of this event, in 1709, the first 54-gun battleship Poltava was laid down at the Admiralty Shipyard.
At the stern of this ship, allegorical figures were carved, glorifying the glorious Poltava Victoria.
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.
As a result, during the period 1710-1714, by building ships at domestic shipyards and purchasing them abroad (16 battleships and 6 frigates were purchased for the Baltic Fleet in England and Holland), a fairly strong galley and sailing Baltic Fleet of 27 battleships was created, 9 frigates and about two hundred other smaller ships. The total number of guns on the ships reached 1060.
The high quality of Russian ships was recognized by many foreign shipbuilders and sailors. In 1710, the entire Russian fleet of 250 ships took part in the successful siege of Vyborg for Russia, blocking the fortress from the sea.
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 increased power of the Baltic Fleet allowed its forces to win a brilliant victory against the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut on July 27, 1714.
Scampavea- a small high-speed galley with 18 pairs of oars, one or two cannons and one or two masts with oblique sails
In a naval battle, a detachment of 10 enemy ships was captured along with the rear admiral who commanded them. 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 and Peter I as a naval commander was recognized by the Baltic states. In 1716, when planning the landing in Sconia, a joint Russian-English-Danish-Dutch squadron (20 Russian ships, 19 English, 17 Danish and 25 Dutch) under the command of Peter I was assembled in Copenhagen, which made a trip to Bornholm, as a result of which the planned The large landing did not take place, but they managed to land a small detachment of Cossacks on the southern coast of Sweden for reconnaissance purposes. This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Rules over four, at Bornholm."
On May 24, 1719, the Swedish fleet was defeated in the Battle of Ezel, and in the same year several troops were landed on the Swedish coast near Stockholm. One of the large landing forces approached the Swedish capital at a distance of 15 miles.
Battle of Ezel Island
The victory of a Russian detachment of rowing ships over a detachment of Swedish ships at Grengam (southern group of the Åland Islands) in July 1720 allowed the Russian fleet to gain an even stronger foothold in the Åland archipelago and act more actively against enemy communications. The Battle of Grenham was the last major battle of the Great Northern War.
Battle of Grenham
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 the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Northern War.
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.” The tsar himself, who had the rank of vice admiral, “as a sign of the labors incurred in this war,” was promoted to admiral.
Flag of the Navy of the Russian Empire
After the victory in the Northern War, Russia became an empire, Peter I became an emperor, and the entire Russian fleet began to be called the “Russian Imperial Navy.”
As a result of the Northern War, Russia regained access to the Baltic Sea; in the battles of the war, the Baltic Fleet was born and strengthened, becoming the core of the Russian Navy. During the Northern War, a network of bases for the fleet was created, the main of which was St. Petersburg. The advanced naval base on which the fleet relied before occupying the entire southern coast of the Gulf of Finland was Revel (Tallinn - the current capital of Estonia). The rowing fleet was based in Vyborg and the ports of Finland - Helsingfors (Helsinki) and Abo. In 1723, the construction of the Kronstadt naval base was completed, which since 1724 has become the main base of the fleet.
During the Northern War, the Russian fleet reached the peak of its combat effectiveness, which resulted in an attempt to introduce a new fleet staff. Thus, in 1723, the first 100-gun battleship in Russia, Peter the Great and the Second, was laid down.
However, the pace of shipbuilding has decreased sharply since 1723. From 1722 to 1725, 9 battleships, 3 frigates, one shnyava, 22 auxiliary ships and one rowing vessel were built. In 1724, the Baltic Fleet included 32 battleships (from 50 to 96 guns each), 16 frigates, 8 ships, 85 galleys and many small sailing and rowing ships. At the same time, since 1722, the pace of shipbuilding has sharply decreased. In the last years of Peter's reign, no more than 1-2 ships were laid down per year.
Comparison of the Russian Baltic Fleet in the 20s of the 18th century with the fleets of European countries (combat-ready battleships):
"SOUTH DIRECTION"
Having achieved the establishment of Russia in the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turned his gaze to the south of the state. As a result of the Persian campaign, Russian troops, with the support of the ships of the flotilla under the general leadership of Peter I, occupied the cities of Derbent and Baku with the adjacent lands, which went to Russia under a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12, 1723. The Russian regular fleet appeared in the Caspian Sea in 1722 - it was from this moment that the modern Caspian military flotilla began its existence.
FLEET AFTER THE DEATH OF PETER THE GREAT
The position of the Russian naval fleet after the death of Peter I deteriorated sharply. In 1726, only one 54-gun battleship was laid down, and over the next 4 years not a single ship was laid down.
1728, from the report of the Swedish ambassador in Russia to his government: “Despite the annual construction of galleys, the Russian galley fleet, compared with the previous one, is greatly reduced; the naval industry is in direct ruin, because the old ships are all rotten, so that more than four or five battleships cannot be put to sea, and the construction of new ones has weakened. There is such negligence in the admiralties that even in three years the fleet cannot be restored to its previous condition, but no one thinks about it.”
At the end of 1731, the naval fleet included 36 battleships, 12 frigates and 2 ships, but only about 30% of the ships were fully combat-ready, and another 18.5% could operate in the Baltic only in favorable conditions. Ships of large ranks (90, 80, 70 - cannon) were out of action.
The condition of the galley fleet was more favorable: in 1728, 90 galleys were constantly afloat and another 30 were stored with timber already prepared for quick assembly.
The fleet of Peter II, the grandson of Peter I, who ruled the Russian Empire from 1727 to 1730, was not interested. Large sailing ships were not built under him at all, but only rowing ships were built. In April 1728, at a meeting of the Supreme Privy Council, the emperor ordered that out of the entire Russian fleet, only four frigates and two flutes should constantly go to sea, and another five frigates should be ready for cruising. Other ships, to “save the treasury,” had to remain in ports. The French diplomat M. Magnan informed his government that in response to the arguments of the sailors about the need to constantly keep the fleet at sea, the tsar replied: “When need requires the use of ships, then I will go to sea; but I don’t intend to walk around it like grandpa.”
From 1725 to 1729, the fleet received less than one and a half million rubles. The issuance of salary and clothing allowances was systematically delayed. The rank and file did not receive uniforms for several years, the food supply deteriorated, embezzlement and bribery of naval department officials flourished.
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