She showed that the Swedes cannot be defeated if you do not create your own navy. The Swedish fleet at that time was considered the strongest in the Baltic. Peter I wrote in the "Naval Charter": "Whoever has a land army, has one hand, who has a fleet, has both hands."

Therefore, along with the transformations in the army, the construction of the navy was intensively going on in the country.

One shipyard in Voronezh was not enough. By the will of Peter I, shipyards appeared in Arkhangelsk, in Olonetsk and in the new city of St. Petersburg. They were created 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 flew at the stern. It was called Andreevsky - in honor of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. According to legend, this apostle came to the Slavic lands with the preaching of Christianity. And today the Russian navy flies under this flag.

Pictures (photos, drawings)

On this page, material on the topics:

Maritime anniversaries

Memorable dates from the history of the Russian fleet

Part I

From the book of Ammon Georgy Alekseevich "Marine Memorable Dates"

Attention! For all dates of the XVI - XXX centuries according to the old style, there is a rule for transferring them to a new style (Gregorian calendar): you need to add to the dates of the old style: XVI century - 9, XVII - 10, XVIII - 11, XIX - 12, XX and XXI - 13 days.
1696, 20.10 Official date of birth of the regular Russian fleet
On this day, at the insistence of Peter I, the Boyar Duma issued a “verdict” (decree) “Convenient articles that belong to a taken fortress or fortification from the Turks of Azov”, in which it decided “to be sea vessels”. It was a decision of historical importance. As a result of its implementation, Russia - the largest continental state - was also to become a maritime power. In fact, the construction of the fleet by Peter I in Voronezh was started as early as the end of 1695, after returning from the unsuccessful first Azov campaign, according to the "council" (Military Council of three commanders (P. Gordon, F. A. Golovin, F. Ya. Lefort), whose decisions were approved by Peter I.) generals. On 4.11, according to the "verdict" of the Duma and the decree of Peter I, the construction of the regular Russian fleet began, in which the nobility (18 kumpanstvo) and the clergy (17 kumpanstvo) were grouped. The responsibilities of the Kuppanstvo included the construction, armament, maintenance and repair of ships. The clergy had to build one ship from 8 thousand households, and the nobility - from 10 thousand households. The nobles, who had less than 100 households, contributed annually half a ruble from each household. On December 11, 1696, a decree was issued on the construction of 12 ships by merchants, townspeople and foreign merchants. In total, the Kumpanstvo were to build 52 ships of various ranks and galleys. With the money collected from the population, the ships were built by the state. Soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments, carpenters from all over the country, 50 foreign craftsmen were appointed to build the ships. The organization of the construction of ships was entrusted to the Military order-rank, headed by the governor T. N. Streshnev. In order to study shipbuilding and maritime affairs, in 1697 Peter I, under the guise of a constable of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Peter Mikhailov, went to Holland and England as part of the Great Embassy and sent about 100 young people there. Shipwrights and artisans were trained in Russia. The construction of the Azov fleet was carried out at shipyards in Voronezh, Tavrov, Stupino, Bryansk, Chizhovka, Pavlovsk. In 1697, Voronezh was established. In the autumn of 1698, part of the ships was launched, and in the spring of 1699, 10 ships entered the Sea of ​​Azov (These sailing ships had a length of up to 35 m, a width of 8-10 m, a draft of 2-2.5 m, were armed with 26-44 guns) and several courts. In August, on one of them, 46-gun ship "Fortress" , Peter I sent the Duma clerk E. I. Ukraintsev to Constantinople for negotiations and personally accompanied him with a squadron (10 ships, 2 galleys, 2 ships) to Kerch. This demonstration of the Russian fleet contributed to the signing of the 3.7 1700 peace treaty with Turkey. By 1700, 40 sailing ships and 113 rowing ships were built for the Azov Fleet. By decree of April 20, 1700, the construction of the ships was transferred to the state, and the merchants had to contribute money. The construction of the Azov fleet continued until 1711. A total of 215 ships were built, including 44 58-gun ships. After the Prut Treaty (1711), according to which Azov and Taganrog were transferred to Turkey, the Azov fleet ceased to exist. The experience gained during its construction was used on the Baltic Sea, which played important role in the Northern War. Ships for the Baltic Fleet were built at the shipyards of St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Olonets (Lodeinoye Pole), Uglich, Arkhangelsk and Tver (Kalinin). For 30 years (1696-1725) a regular fleet of Russia was created. In total, 111 battleships, 38 frigates, 60, 8, 67 large ships, a significant number (semi-galleys), , , , up to 300 transport ships and many small ships were built. In terms of combat and seaworthiness, Russian battleships (the best of them were and), the construction of which began in 1708, were not inferior to foreign ones, and galleys successfully operated in skerry areas Baltic Sea against the Swedish ships. All important orders regarding shipbuilding and the creation of a fleet came from Peter I, whose main assistants were F. A. Golovin, F. M. Apraksin and K. I. Kruys, and for the supply of ships - Franz Timmerman and treasurer S. I. Languages. Of the ship masters (this rank was equated to the rank of captain of the 3rd rank), the “master of good proportions” F. M. Sklyaev and Richard Kozents, as well as Vasily Shipilov, F. S. Saltykov, G. A. Menshikov and apprentices Ivan Nemtsov, were especially famous, Mokey Cherkasov, Konstantin Yuriev, F. P. Palchikov, Yuri Koluenov. By 1718, most of the command posts in the fleet were occupied by Russian people who had the necessary knowledge, experience and distinguished themselves in battle. In this regard, in January 1721, by decree of the Senate, it was forbidden to accept foreigners for service in the fleet. By 1725, the number of personnel in the fleet reached 7215 people. The officers and shipbuilders were trained in specially created schools (Navigation, Admiralty) and the Naval Academy. St. Petersburg became the main center of shipbuilding and personnel training for the Russian fleet. In 1696-1725, the Azov and Baltic fleets, the Caspian flotilla were created. The Russian fleet during these years won the first major victories in naval battles at Fr. Kotlin, the Gangut peninsula, the Ezel and Grengam islands, won dominance in the Baltic and Caspian Seas.

1698, 11.12 Creation in Moscow of the order of the military navy
This order was headed by F. A. Golovin. In 1700 it was renamed the order of the Military Naval Affairs (headed by F.M. Apraksin), in 1708 it was renamed the Admiralty Order. The Admiralty Order was in charge of the construction, armament and supply of the fleet. Since 1712, in connection with the development of shipbuilding in St. Petersburg, it was transformed into an economic body - the Moscow Admiralty Office, and its functions were transferred to the St. Petersburg Admiralty Office (1707-23) and the Office of the Navy. Shipbuilding, armament, supply and repair of warships were assigned to the St. Petersburg Admiralty Office. Its first chief (1707-12) was the admiralty adviser A. V. Kikin. The office of the Navy, headed by I. Tormasov, was subordinate to Admiral General F. M. Apraksin. Its functions included the acquisition of the fleet, uniforms, financial and medical support for personnel, as well as legal obligations. The Moscow Admiralty Office was in charge of raising money for the needs of the fleet, factories, supplies, orders, a forest yard, supply depots, and the Navigation School. In 1715, Peter I created the Naval Commissariat and distributed duties between Vice Admiral K. II. Kruys and Major General G.P. Chernyshev. The first was in charge of shipbuilding, artillery, lastov (cargo) ships of the Admiralty, sawmills. The second was subordinate to the entire personnel of the fleet, the cities assigned to the admiralty, hospitals, pharmacies, he disposed of the provisions supplied from the provinces, and all income. In addition, the position of chief commissar was established to manage the buildings of the maritime department, money intended for contracts, purchases for the fleet and shipyards, salaries for employees and contract provisions. With the further growth of the fleet in St. Petersburg, in addition to the Office of the Navy and the St. Petersburg Admiralty Office, provisional, uniform, crew, Ober-Sarvaer (shipbuilding) offices, counting and forestry offices were formed. In 1723, all the offices were renamed into offices and became part of the Admiralty Colleges.

1699, 30.11 Establishment by Peter I of the St. Andrew's flag - the stern flag of the ships of the Russian fleet
The cloth of the flag was originally divided into three horizontal stripes (from top to bottom - white, blue, red), covered with an oblique blue cross, symbolizing the first Russian military order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, established in 1699. In addition to the flag, ship pennants were established, the color of which differed by squadrons (from 1797, by divisions) of ships. In 1700, new stern flags were introduced for the ships of the three squadrons of the fleet: the vanguard, the corps de battle, and the rear guard. The field of these flags had respectively blue, white and red colors, and in the roof (in the upper corner near the flagpole) on a white background there was a blue St. Andrew's cross. Squadron admirals were assigned topmast flags corresponding to squadron flags. Since 1797, due to the increase in the fleet, divisions (squadrons) began to differ in the color of the flag: the vanguard wore blue flags, the corps de battalion - white, and the rearguard - red. White was introduced in 1712 St. Andrew's flag with a blue diagonal cross , which existed until 1917. The sailors of the Russian fleet fought under this flag for 200 years, glorifying it heroic deeds for the glory of the Motherland.

1701, 14.1 Decree of Peter I on the establishment in Moscow of a school of mathematical and navigational sciences - the first naval educational institution in Russia.

From June 1701 the school was located in the Sretenskaya (Sukharev) tower, convenient for astronomical observations. Boyar F. A. Golovin was placed at the head of the school. It taught arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, drawing, fencing. Marine sciences were considered the highest level: navigation, astronomy, geography. They also taught the keeping of a log book and the dead reckoning of the ship's path. By the summer of 1702 there were 180 students, and by January 1703 there were already 300 students. They were mostly children of nobles and guards soldiers. The duration of the course has not been set. The sciences were studied sequentially: those who studied arithmetic were transferred to the geometry class, then to trigonometry, then to nautical classes. The brightest finished school in four years. Among the first teachers was a talented teacher L.F. Magnitsky - a linguist, mathematician, physicist, geographer, astronomer, specialist in the humanities. In 1703 he published "Arithmetic" - the first domestic work on mathematics and nautical astronomy, created textbooks, manuals, tables. In 1705, the first graduation took place (64 people). Most of them were appointed to public service to military and civilian institutions, and the rest were sent to the Baltic Fleet, which was under construction at that time. School graduates distinguished themselves in the Northern War (K. N. Zotov, P. Chikhachev and others), became associates of Peter I in the creation of the Russian fleet (S. Lopukhin, F. I. Soymonov), navigators (A. I. Kozhin, S. G. Malygin, G. Zolotarev), scientists. (Before that (from May 1698) there was the first navigation school near Azov. It was built by order of Peter I in 1692-95. The name was given in honor of L.P. territory of the current Kolkhoznaya Square.) By decree of Peter I dated October 1, 1715, 200 students of the senior (nautical) classes were transferred to St. Petersburg, where the Naval Academy (Academy of the Marine Guard) was opened. Another 100 people were taken on the spot. The Academy trained naval officers, surveyors, and cartographers. Its graduates were awarded the rank of midshipman. Initially, the academy was located in the house of the merchant Kikin (on the current Palace Square). In 1733 she was transferred to Vasilievsky Island. In 1743, she received the palace of Field Marshal B.K. Minikh on the corner of the Neva embankment and the 12th line of Vasilyevsky Island. On December 15, 1752, the Naval Academy was transformed into the Naval Szlachta (Noble) Cadet Corps, which existed until the Great October Socialist Revolution. Remarkable naval commanders, outstanding navigators, scientists and cultural figures, revolutionaries who brought well-deserved glory to the national fleet came out of its walls. Among them are G. A. Spiridov, F. F. Ushakov, D. N. Senyavin, P. S. Nakhimov, V. A. Kornilov, V. I. Istomin, A. I. Kazarsky, G. I. Butakov, V. S. Zavoiko, A. I. Chirikov, S. I. Chelyuskin, S. G. Malygin, D. Ya. Laptev, Kh. P. Laptev, I. F. Kruzenshtern, F. P. Wrangel, O. E. Kotzebue, Yu. F. Lisyansky, F. F. Bellingshausen, M. P. Lazarev, G. I. Nevelskoy, V. I. Dahl, II. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, K. M. Stanyukovich, A. P. Bogolyubov, V. V. Vereshchagin, A. A. Popov, A. N. Krylov, Yu. M. Shokalsky, A. I. Berg, N. A. Bestuzhev, K. P. Thorson, A. P. Arbuzov, P. P. Schmidt. In October 1918, on the basis of the Naval Cadet Corps, the first educational institution of the RKKF was created - Command Staff Courses. Now it is the Higher Naval Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Order of Ushakov School named after M.V. Frunze. oldest naval school graduated from many outstanding Soviet naval commanders and figures of the fleet, heroes of the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars, commanders of fleets and flotillas, admirals and officers. Among them are the first leaders of the Navy in the period civil war and foreign intervention V. M. Altfater, E. A. Berens, A. K. Vekman, M. V. Viktorov, A. V. Nemitz, M. V. Ivanov, A. P. Zelenoy, commanders and leaders of the Navy in years of the Great Patriotic War People's Commissar of the Navy N. G. Kuznetsov, Admirals V. A. Alafuzov, L. M. Galler, Admiral of the Fleet Soviet Union S. G. Gorshkov, Admirals A. G. Golovko, F. S. Oktyabrsky, V. F. Trpbuts, Vice Admirals V. V. Grigoriev and V. S. Cherokov, as well as Fleet Admirals G. M. Egorov, V. A. Kasatonov, S. M. Lobov, N. D. Sergeev, N. I. Smirnov, V. N. Chernavin, Admirals N. N. Amelko, F. V. Zozulya, V. V. Mikhaylin, A E. Orel, V. S. Sysoev, V. A. Fokin and others. Many Frunze workers were awarded orders and medals, more than 70 of them became Heroes of the Soviet Union, several people became Heroes of Socialist Labor. The school is preparing a worthy successor to the successors of the work of the older generations of Soviet military sailors. The main tradition of the Frunze people is selfless service to the Motherland, the party, and the people.

1701, 25.6 Defense of Arkhangelsk from the Swedes.
At the beginning Northern war When Russia did not yet have warships on the White Sea, the Swedes decided to launch a surprise attack on Arkhangelsk, the only port through which Russia's trade relations with Europe were maintained. Anticipating this danger, in 1700 Peter I ordered the installation of coastal batteries, the creation of fortifications, the strengthening of the garrison, the deployment of observation posts and control over foreign ships in the White Sea. At the mouth of the Northern Dvina, the Novodvinsk fortress was built. Unaware of this, the Swedish squadron of 7 ships under the command of Vice Admiral Sheblad approached the mouth of the Northern Dvina on June 24, 1701. As pilots, the Swedes tried to use the captured Pomors - Ivan Ryabov and Dmitry Borisov. Under the guise of English and Dutch merchant ships, 3 Swedish ships (shnyava and 2 galliots) began moving towards Arkhangelsk. The Russian patriots I. Ryabov and D. Borisov, knowing the fairway very well, put the shnyava and galliot aground against the Novodvinsk fortress. Both ships were damaged by coastal fire. D. Borisov was killed, and I. Ryabov, wounded, escaped by swimming. Russian soldiers, planted on karbas, captured these ships, one galliot managed to go to sea. Trophies were taken: 5 flags, 13 guns, 150 cores, 50 hand grenades. Having failed, the Swedes abandoned the attack on Arkhangelsk. Having ruined several coastal villages, the Swedish squadron left the White Sea.

1702, May The beginning of the creation of the Baltic Fleet - the foundation on the river. Sias shipyard and the laying of the first ships
During the Northern War of 1700-21, Russian troops and fleet, having freed the mouth of the Neva from the Swedes, returned Rossip back to the Baltic Sea. On May 16, 1703, the Peter and Paul Fortress was laid and St. Petersburg (Leningrad) was founded, in the fall of 1703 Fort Kronshlot was laid (the first fortification of the Kronstadt fortress - since 1724 the main base of the Baltic Fleet). Ships for the Baltic Fleet were built at the Olonetskaya (on the Svir River, in Lodeynoye Pole, founded in February 1703), Kronverkskaya (St. Petersburg, from the summer of 1703), Luga (from 1704) and Novoladozhskaya (from 1708) shipyards. On November 5, 1704, the construction of a shipyard and the Main Admiralty in St. Petersburg began. Until 1725, 29 ships of the line (50% of the total composition) were built here. The fleet increased due to the transfer of ships from the White Sea and their purchase abroad. At the same time, a rowing fleet was being built for operations in skerry areas. During the Northern War, Russian troops, with the assistance of the fleet, took the fortress of Vyborg, the ports of Revel (Tallinn), Pernov (Pärnu), Riga, Helsingfors (Helsinki) and Abo (Turku), as well as the Moonsund Islands. The BF won victories over the Swedes at Gangut, Ezel and Grengam. All this allowed Russia to establish itself in the Baltic Sea and become a major maritime power. In 1721, the BF included 32 battleships, about 100 other sailing ships and up to 400 rowing ships. In the Seven Years' War of 4756-63, ships and vessels of the Baltic Fleet took part in the capture of Memel (Klaipeda) and Kolberg (Kolobrzeg). During the Russian-Turkish wars of the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. the Baltic squadrons of G. A. Spiridov, D. N. Senyavin, S. K. Greig operated in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Greek arch., won major victories over the Turkish fleet in the Chesme, Athos and Navarino battles. V Russian-Swedish war 1788-90 The Baltic Fleet repelled the attack of the Swedish squadrons, which sought to capture Kronstadt and St. Petersburg, won victories at Gogland, Rochensalm, Reval and Vyborg. During Crimean War In 1854-1855, the attempts of the Anglo-French fleet, which had mainly steam ships, to destroy the Baltic Fleet, capture Kronstadt, Sveaborg, Helsingfors and blockade St. Petersburg were thwarted. The Baltics used minefields for the first time in history. Since 1861, Russia launched the construction of a steam armored fleet. By the end of the century, the BF had 19 battleships, 4 coast guard battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 39 destroyers. In the 19th century, BF ships made round-the-world and long-distance voyages. Outstanding success was achieved by the scientific expeditions of I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky, F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev, F.P. Litke, G.I. Nevelsky and others. During the Russo-Japanese War, the 2nd Pacific Squadron was formed from the BF, which made the most difficult transition of 18 thousand miles. The squadron fought heroically at Tsushima, but was defeated. During the First World War, the Baltic Fleet carried out major minefield operations, during which about 35,000 mines were delivered, acted on enemy communications, prevented the German fleet from breaking into the Gulf of Finland and Riga, assisted the ground forces, and defended Petrograd from the sea. Sailors of the Baltic Fleet actively participated in the revolutionary movement. Among them are the Decembrist naval officers N. A. Bestuzhev, A. P. Arbuzov, K. P. Torson, members of the Social Democratic circles of 1902-03, participants in armed uprisings in the revolution of 1905-07 in Libava (Liepaja), Kronstadt, Sveaborg , on the cruiser "Memory of Azov". During the February Revolution, the Baltic sailors took the side of the insurgent people. By July 1917, there were 15 thousand members of the RSDLP (b) in the fleet. 19.9 Tsentrobalt, chaired by P. E. Dybenko, passed a resolution refusing to follow the orders of the Provisional Government. In the Moonsund operation of 1917, the Baltic Fleet inflicted significant damage on the German fleet, preventing its breakthrough into the Gulf of Finland, towards Petrograd. The sailors of the Baltic played an important role in the October armed uprising in Petrograd (more than 10 thousand sailors and 11 warships took part in it). 25.10 (7.11) the gun of the cruiser "Aurora" gave the signal to storm the Winter Palace. The radio station of the cruiser transmitted the appeal of the Military Revolutionary Committee "To the citizens of Russia!" about the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Thus ended the glorious history of the Russian Baltic Fleet and began the heroic history of the Soviet Baltic Fleet. The heroic page of the annals of the Baltic Fleet is the Ice Campaign during the Civil War. From June 1918 to January 1919 the fleet led fighting against the Whites and interventionists, contributed to the creation of a number of flotillas on rivers and lakes. The Baltics bravely fought on the fronts of the civil war. On February 23, 1928, the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for revolutionary and military merits. In the interwar period, the fleet was re-equipped, replenished with new ships, submarines, aircraft, the Fleet Air Force, air defense and coastal defense were created. The KBF served as a base for the deployment of the Northern and Pacific Fleets. In the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40, the KBF assisted the troops of the Leningrad Front in breaking through the Mannerheim Line and attacking Vyborg, which decided the outcome of the war, carried out blockade operations in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, and struck at enemy bases and fleets. For courage and heroism shown in battles, 23 Baltics were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the KBF included 2 battleships, 2 cruisers, 2 leaders, 19 destroyers, 48 ​​torpedo boats, 69 submarines, the Navy Air Force (656 aircraft), coastal defense, air defense units, and a marine brigade. During the war, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, together with the ground forces, defended Liepaja, Tallinn, Hanko, the Moonsund Islands, pinned down 100,000. enemy group advancing on Leningrad. From o. Sarema (Saaremaa) long-range bombers of the fleet launched the first strikes on Berlin in August 1941. The role of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the battle for Leningrad was great, almost all ships, aircraft and personnel of the fleet took part in it. 100 thousand Baltics fought on land. Naval and coastal artillery contributed to the disruption of the enemy offensive in September 1941, strengthened the defense of the city, participated in breaking through the enemy blockade and defeating the enemy near Leningrad. LVF, which was part of the KBF, successfully provided transportation on Lake Ladoga. (The road of life). The KBF took an active part in the offensive operations of 1944-45 (Vyborg, Svir-Petrozavodsk, Baltic, Moonsund landing). The actions of ships, submarines, aviation and coastal artillery of the KBF contributed to the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Baltic States, East Prussia, and East Pomerania. During the war years, over 100 thousand Baltic people were awarded orders and medals, more than 150 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. More than 20 ships and units of the KBF were awarded the title of guards, 58 were awarded orders, 14 formations were given honorary names in honor of the liberated and captured cities. In February 1946, the KBF was divided into two independent operational formations - the 4th and 8th fleets, and in December 1955 it was restored to its former organization. In connection with the 20th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, on May 7, 1965, the KBF was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner. The Soviet BF was commanded by: A.V. Razvozov (7.7-5.12 1917; 13-20.3 1918), A.A. Ruzhek (7.12 1917-13.3 1918), A.M. Zarubaev (27.5 1918-18.1 1919), A. P. Zelenaya (18.1 1919-2.7. 1920), F. F. Raskolnikov (2.7. K. Kozhanov (3.3-4.5 1921), M. V. Viktorov (4.5 1921-24; 1926-32), A. K. Vekman (1924-26), L. M. Galler (1932-37), A K. Sivkov (1937), I. S. Isakov (1937-38), G. I. Levchenko (1938-39; 1946-47-4th Navy), V. F. Tributs (1939-46; 1946 -47-8th Navy), V. A. Andreev (1947- 52-4th Navy), A. G. Golovko (1952-56-4th Navy; 1956-KBF), f. V. Zozulya (1947-50-8th Navy), N.M. Kharlamov (1950-54-8th Navy; 1956-59 - KBF), V.A. Kasatonov (1954-56 - 8th Navy ), A. E. Orel (1959-67), V. V. Mikhaylin (1967-75), A. M. Kosov (1975-78), V. V. Sidorov (1978-81), I. M. Kapitanets (1981-85), K. V. Makarov (1985), V. P. Ivanov (since January 1986).

1702, 17.8 Start of movement along the "sovereign road".
This route, leading from the Nyukhcha pier on the White Sea to Povenp on Lake Onega, was intended for the delivery of small frigates "St. Spirit" and "Courier", built in Arkhangelsk, on Lake Ladoga. and to the Neva to assist the troops in the capture of the Swedish fortresses. The road was explored along the ancient Novgorod route and laid through swampy forests by order of Peter I by the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment M.I. Five battalions of the guard (4 thousand people) participated in the work. Peter I supervised the work. The frigates were unloaded, pulled ashore and put on skids. The road was dilapidated, and ships were slowly dragged along it. On the tenth day, having covered 185 versts, the caravan reached Povenets, where the frigates were launched into Lake Onega. During the Northern War, the Sovereign Road was used to deliver troops and cargo, mainly guns, from the Olonets Territory to Arkhangelsk and from Arkhangelsk to St. Petersburg. In the 19th century the road was abandoned. In 1933, the route of the White Sea-Baltic Canal passed through these places.

1702, 11.10 Capture of the Noteburg fortress (formerly Oreshek). To capture this fortress, captured by the Swedes in 1611, troops (4 thousand people) and 2 small frigates were transferred along the Sovereign's Road. After a long siege and a stubborn assault, the garrison of the fortress (500-600 men, 140 guns) surrendered. Peter I renamed Noteburg into Shlisselburg - as a sign that this fortress is the key to the Baltic Sea. About its capture, he wrote: "This nut was very cruel, but, thank God, it was happily gnawed."

1703, 7.5 Naval battle at the mouth of the Neva.
After the capture of the Nyenschanz fortress (1.5 1703), Peter I received news of the approach to the mouth of the Neva by the Swedish squadron of Vice Admiral Numers, consisting of 9 ships. Not knowing about the capture of Nyenschantz by the Russians, Numers ordered the 10-gun galliot "Gedan" and the 8-gun shnyava "Astrild" to enter the river. Having entered the shallow water, they anchored off the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva. On the night of 7.5 a flotilla of 30 fishing boats with two companies of soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments under the command of the bombardier captain Pyotr Mikhailov (Peter I) and lieutenant A. D. Menshikov, taking advantage of the darkness and rain, suddenly attacked the Swedish ships. After a fierce boarding battle, in which 8 boats directly participated, despite heavy artillery fire from the Swedes, their ships were captured. Peter I was the first to climb onto the deck of the Astrild with a grenade in his hands and forced the Swedes to surrender. "Gedan" was captured by a boarding team led by Menshikov. For this victory, they were awarded the highest order - St. Andrew the First-Called by the Military Council. All participants in the battle were awarded medals with the inscription "Unprecedented happens": officers - gold, soldiers - silver. The Swedish squadron after this battle went to sea and never returned. First of all, it was a major moral victory, which was of great importance for the Russian troops and fleet.

1704, 7.5 Founding of Kronstadt - the first Russian fortress on the Baltic Sea.
On this day, over Fort Kronshlot, built south of about. Kotlin, the flag was raised. Fort Kronshlot - the first fort of Kronstadt - was founded in October 1703 to protect St. Petersburg from the sea. Understanding the meaning of Kotlin for the defense of St. Petersburg, the Swedes tried to land on it in the summer of 1705, but were defeated by a detachment of Colonel F. S. Tolbukhin. In 1723, the built fortress was named Kronstadt, and from 1724 became the main base of the Baltic Fleet. Kronstadt, repeatedly repelling attempts by enemy ships to break through to the city, for many decades was a major naval base on the Baltic Sea. Famous naval commanders F.F. Ushakov, P.S. Nakhimov, V.A. Kornilov, G.I. Butakov, S.O. Makarov and many other admirals and officers of the Russian fleet served here. From here the ships of the Baltic Fleet went on military campaigns and scientific voyages. On the raids of Kronstadt, new samples of naval weapons and equipment were tested. In 1895, the inventor of the radio, AS Popov, worked in Kronstadt. The advanced officers and sailors of Kronstadt participated in the revolutionary movement, in the revolution of 1905-07 and the February Revolution. After the overthrow of the autocracy, the revolutionary sailors of Kronstadt became the backbone of the Bolsheviks. By order of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet and the Central Balt, the Kronstadters sent ships and detachments of revolutionary sailors to Petrograd to participate in the October armed uprising. During the civil war and foreign intervention, the ships and forts of Kronstadt repulsed the attacks of the White Guards and interventionists from the sea against Petrograd, and participated in the defeat of Yudenich. During the period of peaceful socialist construction, Kronstadt was one of the main centers for the revival and construction of the fleet, a forge of its personnel. During the Great Patriotic War, relying on Kronstadt, the KBF played an important role in the defense of Leningrad, breaking through and eliminating the blockade and defeating the enemy. In 1954, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of its founding and for services in protecting the sea approaches to Leningrad, Kronstadt was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

1705, 4.6-16.7 Defense of St. Petersburg during the Northern War.
The Swedes, not resigned to Russia's access to the Baltic Sea, made an attempt to capture St. Petersburg, inflicting a simultaneous blow from the sea and land. The Swedish squadron under the command of Admiral Ankerstern entered the Finnish Hall. To prevent its breakthrough to St. Petersburg, a detachment of ships of Vice Admiral K.I. Kotlin and Kronshlot. To protect against firewalls, floating slingshots were installed in front of the frigates. By 1.6 on about. Kotlin built four coastal batteries. 4.6 Swedish squadron (7 battleships, 6 frigates, 9 other ships) anchored 3 miles from Kronshlot, and then tried to break through to the mouth of the Neva. The fire of Russian ships and coastal batteries forced the Swedes to withdraw. Their two attempts to land troops on about. Kotlin were also reflected. However, the Swedes were able to land troops (1 thousand people) on the Koporsky coast, and the troops of Lieutenant General Maidel (10 thousand people) approached St. Petersburg from Vyborg. The Swedish detachment (1 thousand infantry, 900 cavalry) raided about. Stone and returned to the main forces. On June 6, 10 and 15, the Swedish squadron again attacked Russian ships, which, with the support of coastal batteries, repelled all attempts by the Swedes to break through to St. Petersburg and began to prepare for a counterattack. In the current situation, the Swedish squadron chose to leave for Björkö (Primorsk). On 23.6 Maydel's troops again approached St. Petersburg. On about. A battle broke out in Kamenny, but, unable to withstand the artillery fire, the Swedes retreated on 24.6. 14.7 Ankerstern squadron, divided into two columns, from the north and south began shelling the Russian troops on the Kotlin Spit, and then landed troops (1 thousand people). Having lost 560 people killed and drowned, 114 wounded from the fire of five Russian coastal batteries, the Swedes retreated and left for Sweden on the night of 16.7. The attempt of the Swedes to take St. Petersburg was repulsed by the heroic actions of the Russian army and the newly created Baltic Fleet.

1705, 16.11 Decree of Peter I on the creation of a naval regiment, which marked the beginning of the organization of the marines of the Russian fleet.
The first regiment of marines, formed at the Baltic Fleet, consisted of two battalions of five companies each. The regiment had 45 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers and 1250 privates. In service with Marines consisted of guns with baguettes (the prototype of a bayonet, inserted into the muzzle) and edged weapons (cleavers, sabers). In the Northern War, the marines were widely used in naval battles and landings. In 1712, instead of a regiment, five battalions of 22 officers were formed, up to 660 privates and non-commissioned officers in each. Three battalions were included in the ship squadrons, one - in the galley, one carried out guard duty in the bases. In the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-74, detachments of the marine corps of the squadron of Admiral G. A. Spiridov liberated the island of the Greek architect from Turkish rule, distinguished themselves in the Battle of Chesme, participated in the capture of the Navariv fortress, the fortress and the city of Beirut. During the war with Napoleonic France, the marines of the squadron of Vice Admiral F.F. Ushakov bravely acted in the Mediterranean. They participated in the landings that liberated several islands and the fortress of Corfu. The landing detachment of Lieutenant Commander G. G. Belli liberated Naples from the French. In the Patriotic War of 1812, in the Battle of Borodino, the Guards (Navy) crew, awarded the St. George banner, showed exceptional courage and stamina. With battles, he reached Paris. The 75th Black Sea naval crew participated in a number of battles of the 1813-14 campaign and in the capture of Paris. During the First World War, battalions of marines were formed in the Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet. During the war, they were reorganized into brigades, and then into divisions of the Marine Corps, which were used in landing operations, in the defense of ports and other objects on the coast. During the October armed uprising, detachments of revolutionary sailors stormed the Winter Palace and other important objects of Petrograd. During the civil war, detachments, battalions and brigades of sailors (totaling about 100 thousand people) were organized in the fleets and flotillas, who fought with the troops of the White Guards and interventionists on land fronts, seaside, lakeside and river directions. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Navy included a Marine Corps brigade, created in 1940 at the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. During the war, a significant number of detachments, battalions and brigades of marines numbering about 100 thousand people were formed. As part of the fleets and flotillas, they actively acted in defense and offensive in coastal, lakeside and river directions, they were the advanced units during the landings of more than 100 amphibious assaults. In addition, up to 500 thousand military sailors were sent to the land fronts. Formations and units of the marines and naval rifle brigades, artillery and mortar battalions participated in operations on the land front. They especially distinguished themselves in the defense of hero cities, in landing operations. The motherland highly appreciated the exploits of the marines. Five brigades and two battalions of the marines were transformed into guards, nine brigades and six battalions were awarded orders, many units were given honorary titles. Tens of thousands of marines were awarded orders and medals, 122 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Navy has marine units armed with modern military equipment, mobile and capable of active operations in coastal areas as part of amphibious assault forces, as well as the defense of naval bases, ports and other tasks.

1709, 13.1 Decree of Peter I on the foundation in St. Petersburg under the admiralty of a model-camera - the first maritime museum in Russia (now the Central Naval Museum).
In 1702-25, Peter I issued a number of decrees on the collection and careful storage of domestic and captured models of ships, guns, banners and other material evidence of the history and victories of the Russian fleet. In 1805 the Model Chamber was transformed into the Maritime Museum. Its first leaders were an expert on maritime affairs, a master modeller, Lieutenant A. Ya. Glotov, and the first historiographer of the Russian fleet, a Decembrist captain-lieutenant N. A. Bestuzhev. In December 1818, a model workshop was established at the museum. The museum's expositions were designed mainly for naval specialists. In the 19th century The museum has grown significantly. The collectors were P. V. Chichagov, A. S. Greig, I. F. Krusenstern, F. F. Bellingshausen, M. P. Lazarev, V. M. Golovnin, Yu. F. Lisyansky, F. P. Litke , A. A. Popov, G. I. Butakov, S. O. Makarov and other figures of the Russian fleet. After establishing Soviet power The museum was nationalized and passed under the protection of the state. Its opening took place on February 24, 1918, and on 9.41919 the Council of People's Commissars, chaired by V. I. Lenin, adopted a resolution on the allocation of funds for the museum. It began to be regularly updated with materials on shipbuilding, the daily and combat activities of fleets and flotillas. In 1939, the museum was transferred to the building of the former Stock Exchange, which housed an extensive exposition documenting the heroic history of the Russian and Soviet Navy. The world's best collection of models of domestic and foreign ships is of great historical value. The exposition also includes one of the oldest ships in the world - found on the territory Kievan Rus an oak boat-one-tree (X century BC) and a small boat of Peter I. The museum funds include more than 700 thousand exhibits (including over 2 thousand ship models, more than 7 thousand samples of weapons and equipment, over 2500 banners and flags, about 8 thousand documents, more than 1.4 thousand works of fine art). Among them are unique engravings of the late 17th-early 18th centuries, paintings by prominent marine painters I. K. Aivazovsky, A. P. Bogolyubov, A. K. Beggrov, sculptural decorations of sailing ships, portraits of famous ship commanders, navigators, naval commanders and other works of art. . The museum has branches: the cruiser "Aurora", the Kronstadt fortress, "Road of Life", "Chesme Victory". In 1975, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star for his great contribution to the patriotic education of workers and soldiers and the promotion of military and revolutionary traditions of the Navy.

1710, 13.6 Capture of the fortress of Vyborg during the Great Northern War.
The siege began on 22.3. The Swedish garrison (over 6,000 men, 151 guns) was besieged from land by the troops of Admiral General F. M. Apraksin (about 13,000 men, 13 guns). On May 9, the Russian fleet under the command of Peter I and Vice-Admiral K.I. Kruys (8 ships, about 250 auxiliary ships) approached Vyborg, delivering reinforcements, guns, ammunition and food (about 5 thousand people, 108 guns). On June 1, a general bombardment of the fortress from sea and land began. Lacking reinforcements, the Swedes capitulated on 12.6 without waiting for the assault. The victory was won thanks to the skillful interaction of the army and navy, high training and endurance of Russian soldiers and sailors.

1714, 27.7 Gangut naval battle during the Northern War.
By the spring of 1714, the main forces of the Russian army were concentrated in Abo (Turku), and a further offensive was planned in Finland. The main task - the capture of the Aland Islands (Ahvenanma) and the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Sweden - was assigned to the fleet. In order to prevent the Russians from invading the Abo-Aland region, on April 25, 1714, the Swedish fleet took up a position near the Gangut (Khanko) peninsula. The Russian rowing fleet under the command of Admiral General Apraksin (99 galleys and scampaways with 15 thousand people on board) anchored on June 29 near the town of Tverminne. The path to Abo was blocked by the Swedish fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Vatrang (29 ships, including 15 ships of the line, 3 frigates, a detachment of rowing ships). Peter I, who arrived from Revel (Tallinn), where the sailing squadron was stationed, decided to make a breakthrough in Abo with the forces of the galley fleet. For the transfer of galleys to the skerries north of the Gangut peninsula, he ordered the construction of a wooden flooring - a 2.5 km long crossing across the isthmus of the Gangut peninsula. Upon learning of this, Vatrang sent a detachment of Shoutbenacht N. Ehrenskiold (frigate, 6 galleys, 3 skerry boats, a total of 116 guns) to the Rilaksfjord to the place where the galleys were launched into the water. The detachment of Vice-Admiral Lillier (8 battleships, 2 bombardment ships) was sent to Tverminna to strike at the main Russian forces. Taking advantage of the division of enemy forces, Peter I sent 20 scampaways under the command of Captain-Commander M. Kh. Zmaevich on the morning of July 26 to break through. The Swedish squadron stood close to the shore. Taking advantage of the calm, the Russian avant-garde bypassed the Swedish ships more seaward, out of range of their artillery fire. In an effort to interfere with the Russians, the Swedes began to tow their ships with boats in the direction of the breakthrough of the Russian scampaways. The Lillier detachment, called by Vatrang to connect with the main forces, could not approach the breakthrough site due to the calm. Following the vanguard, Peter I sent a detachment of brigadier Lefort (15 scampaways), which also passed seaward of the Swedish squadron. Having received a report about the appearance of Swedish ships at the crossing under construction, Peter I ordered the construction to be stopped, and Zmaevich's detachment to block and attack the Ehrenskiöld detachment. By noon, using a weak southeast wind, the Swedish fleet formed up in two lines at the site of the breakthrough of the Russian scampaways. In the evening, calm came again. The military council of the Russian fleet decided to break through the main forces in the ranks of the wake column as close to the coast as possible. On 27.7 at 4 o'clock in the morning the breakthrough began. Because of the fog, the Swedes missed the start of the Russian movement. 98 scampaways with 15,000 landing force made a breakthrough into the Abo skerries. By the time the main forces of the Russian rowing fleet approached the Rilaks Fjord, Zmaevich's detachment was preparing to attack the Ehrenskiöld detachment, which had built ships along a concave line, so that both flanks of the detachment rested on the islands. In the center was the flagship 18-gun frigate "Elephant", from the bow and stern of it - 3 galleys (84 guns), in the 2nd line there were 3 skherbots (14 guns). Due to the small width of the fjord, the Russians could not deploy the entire rowing fleet and allocated a vanguard of 23 scampaways for the attack, dividing it into three detachments (11 ships in the center, 6 ships on the right and left). In fact, the battle was led by Peter I, who was in the galley behind the center of the avant-garde, commanded by General Weide. Behind the vanguard, as a reserve, were the main forces of the rowing fleet under the command of F. M. Apraksin. After Ehrenskiöld rejected the offer to surrender, 11 scampaways of the Russian avant-garde attacked the enemy. Two attacks were repulsed by fierce fire from the Swedish ships. The third attack was directed at the flank ships of the Swedes, which did not allow them to use the advantage in artillery. Going for rapprochement, the Russians fired artillery and rifles. Having fallen on board with the end galleys of the Swedes, they captured them one by one. After stubborn resistance, he lowered the flag and the flagship frigate Ehrenskjöld. All 10 Swedish ships were taken prisoner. The loss of the Swedes amounted to 361 people killed, 587 captured. The Russians lost one galley, which ran aground during the breakthrough, 124 people were killed, 342 were wounded. On July 28, the main forces of the Swedish fleet went to Alandsgaf to cover the coast of Sweden from Russian landings. The battle of Gangut was the first major victory of the regular Russian fleet over the Swedish fleet. Skillful use of the advantages of the rowing fleet in the skerries, the correct choice of the breakthrough site, the decisiveness of the actions of the command, the heroism of officers and sailors allowed the Russians to defeat part of the enemy forces in the presence of superior forces of the Swedish fleet. As a result, the Russian fleet received freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and Bothnia. The Aland Islands were occupied without resistance, the Abo garrison was reinforced. The victory at Gangut was of great military and political importance, ensuring the successful operations of the troops in Finland and creating the conditions for the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Sweden. Peter I highly appreciated the victory at Gangut, equating it to Poltava. A special medal was instituted and the church of St. Panteleimon in St. Petersburg (now the Gangut Memorial Museum). Peter I received the rank of Vice Admiral. 130 officers were awarded gold medals, 3284 lower ranks - silver. On the front side of the medals was a portrait of Peter I and his title. The inscriptions on the medals read: “Diligence and fidelity greatly exceeds”, “The first fruits of the Russian fleet. Naval victory at Aland on July 27, 1714. In 1871, a monument was erected at the burial place of the dead soldiers in the Rilaksfjord.

1715, 27.10 Founding of the St. Petersburg Hospital (now the 1st Naval Hospital).
Initially, the hospital was located on the right bank of the Neva (now the Vyborg side) in the premises of the former Cossack barracks. By the beginning of October 1715, its equipment was completed, and the hospital accepted the first patients. The official opening took place on October 27, 1715. In the autumn of 1835, the treasury bought a plot and a house for Princess Shakhovskaya “opposite the second naval barracks”, near the Kalinkin bridge on the river. Fontanka, and from October 1, 1836, the St. Petersburg Admiralty Hospital was transferred there. It was the first naval medical institution in Russia and for a long time the only school for the training of medical personnel for the fleet. The 1st Leningrad Naval Hospital has a rich history. The founders of domestic therapy M. Ya. Mudrov and domestic epidemiology D. S. Samoilovich, a prominent hygienist A. G. Bakherakht and others worked in it. During all the wars, the hospital received wounded and sick sailors from the fleets and fronts. They were provided with good care and treatment. The heroic work of the team during the Great Patriotic War and the blockade of Leningrad made it possible to return 86% of the wounded and 96% of the sick sailors to service. On May 31, 1944, the hospital was awarded the Order of Lenin for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command.

1717, 11.12 Establishment by decree of Peter I of the Admiralty Board - the highest collegial body for managing the fleet and the naval department in Russia. The Admiralty Board supervised the construction and armament of ships, the construction of ports, harbors, canals, the training of naval officers, and the protection of forests. The meetings of the collegium began on April 4, 1718. It consisted of: the president - an associate of Peter I, General Admiral F. M. Apraksin, the Vice President - Vice Admiral K. I. Kruys and two assessors - Major General G. P. Chernyshev and Colonel Norov. The composition of the Admiralty Boards was further expanded. According to the state, it included combatant ranks of the fleet: the president, vice president, 5-7 flagships and captain-commanders "from the old or crippled, who are already not very convenient for military service." According to regulations 1722, she was additionally ordered to supply ships, build admiralties, record and train personnel, recruit ships and parts of the fleet with personnel, finance, hydrography and pilotage. The collegium was in charge of several offices and offices: naval, admiralty, ober-sarvaer (shipbuilding), contracting, controller, audit, etc. The heads of the offices could not be members of the Admiralty collegiums, but were required to attend meetings for reports and advice when the affairs of the institutions entrusted to them were discussed. The special duties of the president of the Admiralty Colleges included weekly inspection for troubleshooting of all admiralty works, the fleet in Kronstadt - monthly, in Revel (Tallinn) and Rogervik (Paldiski) - once a year. In 1802, the Admiralty Board was renamed the Ministry of the Naval Forces and the collegiate principle was replaced by a sole one. In 1815 it was renamed the Naval Ministry. In 1827 it was transformed into an advisory body under the Minister of the Navy - the Admiralty Council. It was abolished by a decree of the Soviet government in 1917.

1718 Peter I received a petition from a peasant in the Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo village near Moscow, E.P. Nikonov, about the construction of a "hidden" vessel - a prototype of a submarine.
Almost 60 years before the construction of the submarine by the American D. Bushnell, the carpenter of the state-owned shipyard, E.P. Nikonov, undertook to make a warship that “would walk secretly in the water”, approach enemy ships “to the very bottom” and “drive ships from a shell, at least ten or twenty. The inventor asked to be allowed "to make a sample for that ship, how many guns it will have ...". At the direction of Peter I on January 31, 1720, the Admiralty Board issued a decision: “Send the peasant Yefim Nikonov to the office of Major General Golovin and order an exemplary ship to be made ...”. In the spring of 1724, the world's first "hidden ship Morel" built by Nikonov from wood (Supposedly, length 6-8 m, width 1.5-2 m, height not less than 1-1.5 m, volume 8-12 m3, engine-muscular power crew) in the presence of Peter I, “admirals, captains, officials and little people of a simple rank” was launched and sank to a depth of 3-4 m. However, the wooden bottom of the vessel was damaged from hitting the ground, the hull was broken. The ship and its inventor managed to be saved. Peter I ordered the master to strengthen the corps and ordered that "no one should blame him for embarrassment." Work continued until 1728, but after the death of Peter I, Efim Nikonov, for a number of reasons, was unable to complete his project. "For invalid buildings" Admiralty Board demoted Nikonov to the rank and file "Admiralty workers" and exiled to a remote Astrakhan port.

1719, 24.5 Battle near about. Ezel during the Great Northern War.
On the night of 24.5, a detachment of ships under the command of Captain 2nd Rank N. A. Senyavin (6 battleships, shnyava, 330 guns) discovered a detachment of Swedish ships (a battleship , frigate, brigantine, 97 guns) under the command of Captain-Commander Wrangel. Senyavin attacked the Swedes with two ships. The flagship 50-gun Russian battleship Portsmouth forced the frigate and the brigantine to surrender with precise volleys of buckshot. The 50-gun ship "Devonshire" (captain 3rd rank K. N. Zotov) attacked the 52-gun flagship of the Swedes "Wachtmeister", which shot down the sails at the "Portsmouth" with return fire and began to leave. The ships "Yagudiel" and "Raphael" sent in pursuit caught up with the "Wachtmeister" and forced to surrender. The Swedes lost 50 people killed, 14 wounded, 337 people were taken prisoner, led by Captain-Commander Wrangel. The Russians had 7 people killed and the same number wounded. The victory was won thanks to skillful maneuvering and brilliant use of artillery. N. A. Senyavin was promoted through the rank to captain-commander, K. N. Zotov - to captain of the 2nd rank, all officers were awarded gold medals. 30 midshipmen who participated in the battle were promoted to midshipmen. The victory was marked in St. Petersburg with a salute from naval and fortress artillery. Peter I called this first victory of Russian sailing ships on the high seas without boarding "a good initiative of the Russian fleet."

1720, 13.4 Edition of the first maritime charter - "The book of the maritime charter about everything related to good governance, when the fleet was at sea."
The charter was created under the leadership of Peter I on the basis of a generalization of the rich experience of the Northern War and all the best that was in the charters of foreign fleets. The charter contained a decree of Peter I dated 13.1 on the importance of the fleet in the system of the armed forces and on the appointment of the charter, "Foreword to the willing reader", an oath, "regulations", explaining the concepts of "fleet" and "combat formations of the fleet". The text of the charter consisted of five books, which summarized the basic organizational principles of the regular Russian fleet, the rights and obligations of the commanders of the fleet and its units, instructions on the tactics of the squadron in battle, the organization of daily and combat service on the ship, the rights and duties of the crew from the captain to the sailor , tactics of the ship in battle, disciplinary punishments for violations of the charter. The appendix gives a set of daily and combat signals of the fleet. The charter was imbued with the ideas of patriotism, loyalty to the oath, vigilance, and strict keeping of military secrets. It was emphasized that under no circumstances should Russian warships surrender to the enemy. The finalized charter was reissued in 1724 and was valid until 1797 with minor changes. Many generations of Russian military sailors learned the art of defeating the enemy according to the Naval Charter.

1720, 27.7 Battle near Grengam Island during the Northern War.
By order of Peter I, a galley fleet (66 rowing ships, 52 guns, 11 thousand troops) under the command of General M. M. Golitsyn arrived at the Aland Islands to drive the Swedes out of the islands. Golitsyn led his ships into the skerries in order to take a convenient position, but was attacked by a Swedish squadron (a 52-gun ship of the line, 4 frigates, 3 galleys and 6 small ships, 156 guns, over a thousand people). The commander of the Swedish squadron, Vice Admiral Schöblad, carried away by the pursuit, brought his ships into a narrow shallow strait, where they could not maneuver. Taking advantage of the favorable situation, the Russian galleys launched a counterattack. All Swedish frigates were boarded, the flagship managed to escape. The Swedes 103 people were killed, 407 were captured; the Russians had 82 men killed, 203 wounded, 42 galleys damaged. Peter I awarded all participants in the battle with a specially embossed medal: officers - gold, sailors - silver with the inscription "Diligence and courage surpass strength", and Golitsyn - with a sword "for a good team." The Russian victory in the Battle of Grenham weakened the Swedish fleet and made a strong impression on the European states, especially on England, whose ships were in the Baltic Sea. Sweden was forced to start peace negotiations with Russia.

1721, 30.8 Signing of the Treaty of Nystadt.
Sweden, whose economy was completely upset by the war, under the threat of Russian landings on its territory, accepted the peace conditions put forward by Russia. Victory in the Northern War was achieved by Russia as a result of a long and stubborn struggle, in which, along with the regular army, an important role was played by the navy, which was created in a short time on the Baltic Sea. Under the treaty, almost all the lands conquered during the Northern War went to Russia: Livonia with Riga, Estonia with Revel (Tallinn), part of Karelia with Kexholm (Priozersk) and Finland with Vyborg, Ingermanlandia (Izhora land), Ezel Islands (Saaremaa) ), Dago (Huma), Moon (Muhu). Finland, with the exception of the Vyborg region, returned to Sweden. As compensation for Livonia, Russia had to pay Sweden 2 million efimki. Russia regained the vast Baltic coast, which belonged to Novgorod and Pskov since ancient times, and received a vital outlet to the sea - a “window to Europe”. K. Marx wrote that "Russia received only what was absolutely necessary for the normal development of his [Peter I] country."

1721, September Founding of a rowing port in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great.
After the conclusion of the Nystadt peace treaty, the numerous rowing fleet built for operations in the skerry areas of the Baltic Sea needed a sheltered parking lot. The sailing fleet wintered at the mouth of the river. Fontanka under the protection of the Peter and Paul Fortress. For galleys and scampaways, of which there were more than 200, a pool 527x150 m was dug in the coastal part of Vasplsvsky Island, connected by a canal to the Gulf of Finland. Warehouses and workshops were built on the shore. The creation of the Rowing Port at the mouth of the Neva was of great importance for the defense of St. Petersburg. Currently, the Leningrad Marine Station is located in this place.

1722, 24.1 Introduction of the Table of Ranks.
Peter I introduced the Table of Ranks, according to which court, civil and military ranks(ranks) of the command staff of the Russian regular army and navy; most of them lasted until 1917. The ranks (classes) of junior officers in different time changed. Among the naval ranks were: general admiral (1708-1908) - 1st class, admiral (1699-1917) - 2nd class, vice admiral (1699-1917) - 3rd class, rear admiral (1699-1917) - 4th class, captain-commander (1707-1827) - 5th class, captain of the 1st rank (1713-1917) - 6th class, captain of the 2nd rank (1713-1917) - 7- 1st class, captain of the 3rd rank (XVIII century) - 8th class, captain-lieutenant (1706-1911) - 8-9th class, senior lieutenant (1907-17) - 8-10th class, lieutenant ( 1701-1917) - 9-10th class, midshipman (1713-1917) - 10-14th class. Midshipmen and junior officers were not included in the Table of Ranks.

1722, 4.11 Creation of the Caspian flotilla, the beginning of the construction of the Astrakhan military port.
The first attempt to create a military flotilla on the Caspian Sea dates back to 1667, when the construction of the Oryol ship and other ships and vessels began “for parcels from Astrakhan to the Khvalynsk Sea”. From 1713, warships were built in Astrakhan for the expedition of Prince A. Bekovich-Cherkassky, who set off in October 1716 by sea to Guryev, and from there to Khiva. In 1721, after the victory in the Northern War, Peter I began preparations for a campaign in the Caspian Sea in order to expand trade relations between Russia and Eastern countries by restoring the Baltic-Caspian waterway, to assist the Transcaucasian peoples in the national liberation struggle. The study and description of the theater was carried out, the first maps of the sea were compiled. For the Persian campaign, 59 ships were built. On July 18, 1722, 274 ships and more than 170 boats with landing forces (about 22 thousand infantry) left Astrakhan, 9 thousand regular cavalry were sent by land from Tsaritsyn (Volgograd). Having united at the Agrakhan Bay, the troops under the command of Peter I and F. M. Apraksin occupied Derbent on August 23. On November 6, 1722, a detachment of 14 ships under the command of Captain-Lieutenant F.I. Soymonov left Astrakhan with a landing force of 1 thousand people, commanded by Colonel I.A. Shipov, to capture the city of Rasht. In December, Russian troops landed in the Anzelian Hall. and occupied Rasht. In June 1723, the Caspian flotilla (20 ships, 4,000 men) under the command of Major General M. A. Matyushkin left Astrakhan to take Baku. On July 26, 1723, after a four-day bombardment, the city was occupied by Russian troops. Successful military operations of the army and flotilla contributed to the fact that on September 12, 1723 in St. Petersburg a peace treaty was concluded with Persia (Iran), according to which Derbent, Baku with the adjacent lands, the provinces of Gilan, Mazenderan and Astrabad departed to Russia for eternal possession. By the end of the campaign, the flotilla numbered 80 ships and vessels. After the death of Peter I, hostilities were suspended and the flotilla fell into disrepair. V late XVII 1st century The Caspian flotilla is being strengthened again. In 1780, a detachment of three 20-gun frigates, a bombardment ship, and boats was formed under the command of Captain 2nd Rank M.I. Voinovich. In May - June 1796, with the support of the ships of the flotilla, Russian troops again captured Derbent and Baku, the rest of the coastal provinces, including Gilan. In 1805, during the Russo-Iranian War of 1804-13, a detachment of ships (7 military ships, 11 transport ships) under the command of Lieutenant Commander F.F. Veselago transported troops from Astrakhan, which, under cover of ship fire, captured the Anzali (Pahlavi) fortress. In 1805 Baku was occupied for the third time, and in 1813 the Lankaran fortress. The ships of the flotilla participated in the shelling and storming of the fortifications. On October 12, 1813, the Gulistan Peace Treaty was signed, according to which Georgia, Dagestan and Northern Azerbaijan were ceded to Russia. Russian and Persian merchants were allowed to trade freely in the territories of both states. The right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea was granted only to Russia. During the Russian-Iranian war of 1826-28, the Caspian flotilla under the command of Major General P. G. Orlovsky provided significant assistance to the Russian Caucasian army. The war ended with the Turkmanchay Treaty, according to which the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates, part of the Caspian coast to the river. Astara and confirmed the exclusive right to keep warships in the Caspian. By 1828, the flotilla consisted of 14 ships, 6 transports and 12 auxiliary ships (2 of them steam). During the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29, the ships of the flotilla delivered reinforcements and cargo to the western shores of the Caspian Sea for the Russian army operating in Transcaucasia. Since 1867, Baku has become the main base of the flotilla. In the Akhal-Teke expedition (April 1880 - March 1881), General M. D. Skobelev, an important role was played by a detachment of sailors of the Caspian flotilla under the command of Captain 2nd Rank S. O. Makarov. The sailors of the detachment, artillerymen of the naval battery and miners of the subversive team distinguished themselves during the assault on the fortress of Geok-Tepe. The sailors of the Caspian flotilla actively participated in the revolutionary events in Russia. So, in 1905 there was an uprising of sailors of the Caspian crew in Baku, supported by a strike of workers. In 1907-11, the flotilla was strengthened - 2 destroyers, diesel gunboats "Kars" (from 19.5 1920 - "Lenin") and "Ardagan" (from 1.12.1927 "Red Azerbaijan") arrived from Kronstadt along the Mariinsky system to Baku and 4 support vessels. During the Great October Socialist Revolution, the sailors of the flotilla joined the struggle for the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan. On November 3 (November 16), 1917, the 1st Congress of the KVF opened in Baku, at which a Bolshevik resolution was adopted, welcoming the revolution and supporting the Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. The Baku Council attached exceptional importance to the flotilla. Ship committees were renewed on the ships, and Bolshevik sailors were nominated as commissars. However, after the fall of the heroic Baku Commune on July 31, 1918, the counter-revolutionary nationalist bourgeoisie seized power. A Musavatist government was created in Baku. On August 4, British troops entered Baku. The warships of the flotilla were captured by the invaders. In October 1918, the Astrakhan-Caspian Flotilla was created, which fought against the White Guards and interventionists.

1724, 17.1 Foundation of the archive of the Admiralty Board - one of the oldest archives in the country, which laid the foundation for the Central Archive of the Navy.
After the Admiralty Boards were replaced by the Ministry of the Naval Forces (1802), its archive was transformed into the General Archive of the Naval Department (from 1815 - the Naval Ministry), which accepted for storage documents of central maritime institutions, fleets and military ports, published important documents. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, in accordance with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR "On the reorganization and centralization of archives" dated June 1, 1918, it was transferred to the formed Unified State Archival Fund. TsGAVMF was formed in 1941 (Leningrad, Khalturina st., 36). It contains documents on the history of the Russian fleet starting from the end of the 17th century. until 1940 (more than 1.5 million cases). The main reference book of the archive is the inventory of cases (more than 5,000 volumes). In the catalog of the archive there are departments: the Russian fleet, the Soviet Navy, nominal. In addition, thematic lists are being created: "Lenin and the Fleet", "Decembrists", "Shipbuilding", "Sailors in the Great October Socialist Revolution" and others. Periodically, the archive publishes collections of documents (25 collections have been published since 1945).

1724, 23.12 Peter's teaching about the equipment of the expedition to Kamchatka - the 1st Kamchatka expedition 1725-1730.
The expedition was conceived to clarify the question "about the road through the Arctic Sea to China and India", "whether America came together with Asia." Peter I appointed V. I. Bering as its head. His assistant was Lieutenant A. I. Chirikov. The expedition (69 people) set off on January 24, 1725 from St. Petersburg and by April 1727 arrived in Okhotsk. In the summer of the same year, on the Shitik Fortuna, its participants went to the Bolsheretsky prison (the western coast of Kamchatka). Bering did not dare to continue his journey by sea around Kamchatka, and in winter the dog sledding expedition reached the Lower Kamchatka Ostrog (at the mouth of the Kamchatka River). Hence 13.7 1728 on the boat "St. Gabriel" the expedition went to sea. The weather was favorable for swimming. Traveling northeast along the coasts of Kamchatka and Chukotka, Expedition 1.8 discovered a bay called Zal. Holy Cross, and 10.8 - Fr. St. Lawrence. Then, on August 13, 1728, through the strait between Asia and America, she entered the Arctic Ocean, where in the Chukchi Sea, on August 15, she reached the parallel of 67 ° 18 "N. On the way back, St. Diomede Island was discovered.After wintering, on June 5, 1729, Bering and Chirikov set out on a new campaign to the east in search of land, as they had heard from local residents that there was land opposite the mouth of the Kamchatka River, but they did not find any land They explored the sea, rounded the southern cape of Kamchatka (cape Lopatka), put it on the map and arrived in Okhotsk on 23.7. In March 1730, Bering returned to St. Petersburg and, after the report of the Admiralty Collegiums, was promoted to captain-commander. study of the northern part Pacific Ocean(now the Bering Sea).

1731, 10.5 The beginning of the creation of the Okhotsk (from 1850 the Petropavlovsk, and from 1856 - the Siberian military flotilla. Decree on declaring Okhotsk a military port.
The flotilla was created to protect the eastern coast of Russia. The first commander of the port of Okhotsk and the flotilla was G. G. Skornyakov-Pisarev. Since 1799, the ships of the flotilla began to be equipped with military teams. Until 1851, the base of the flotilla was Okhotsk, then - the Petropavlovsk Port (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), from April 1855 - the Nikolaev Post (Nikolaevsk-on-Amur) and from February 1871 - Vladivostok. The flotilla played an important role in the development of the Far Eastern Pacific Ocean. During the Crimean War, its ships took part in the defense of the Peter and Paul Port. Since 1860, in addition to the Siberian flotilla, a squadron of BF ships was constantly in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Before the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, the squadron was significantly reinforced and took part in the fighting. The sailors of the flotilla took part in the Vladivostok uprisings of 1905, 1906, 1907. During the First World War, the ships of the Siberian Flotilla (7 VRC, 9 EM, 15 M, 13 PL) escorted transports en route from the USA to Vladivostok. In December 1917, the flotilla went over to the side of Soviet power. In July 1918, 12 destroyers and auxiliary vessels were captured in Vladivostok by the interventionists and taken to Manila and Pusan ​​(Pusan).

1732, December 28 Decree of the Senate on the organization of the Great Northern Expedition (1733-1743).
The expedition plan was developed and carried out under the leadership of the President of the Admiralty Collegiums, Admiral N.F. Golovin, with the participation of the compiler of the Atlas of the All-Russian Empire, I.K. Kirillov. The tasks of the expedition were grandiose: exploration of the entire Northern Sea Route, finding sea routes to America and Japan, drawing the border of Russia from the White to the Sea of ​​Japan. The Senate allowed the construction of 10-12 ships, ordered the Academy of Sciences to include its representatives in the expedition, proposed the Admiralty Colleges to appoint the best graduates of the Navy as commanders of detachments. In 1733-43, detachments of the expedition under the command of the brave Russian navigators lieutenants S. G. Malygin, D. L. Ovtsyn, V. V. Pronchishchev, P. Lassinius, Kh. P. and D. Ya. Laptev, navigators S. I. Chelyuskin, I. Elagin, M. Petrova, F. A. Minin, D. V. Sterlegova compiled maps of the shores of the Arctic Ocean from the river. Pechora to Chukotka (m. B. Baranov). An important part of the Great Northern Expedition was the 2nd Kamchatka expedition of V. Bering - A. I. Chirikov. The Great Northern Expedition was attended by an academic detachment consisting of G. F. Miller, I. G. Gmelin, S. P. Krasheninnikov, A. D. Krasilnikov, G. V. Steller, F. Popov, A. Tretyakov, L. Ivanov, A. Gorlanova, D. Odintsova, 3. Medvedev and others. Their work has brought great benefits to science. In particular, research in the Siberian archives led to the discovery of S. I. Dezhnev’s “replies” about his voyage in 1648 and about the discovery of the strait separating Asia and America. Scientists and sailors - members of the nine detachments of the Great Northern Expedition completed a colossal amount of work in ten years: they made a detailed inventory of the coast of the Arctic Ocean, surveyed many rivers flowing into the ocean and determined the astronomical coordinates of important points in the Far North of three continents - Europe, Asia, America , carried out meteorological observations, geological and ethnographic studies of Siberia, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, were the first to map the Aleutian Islands and the northwestern shores of the mainland North America began research on the Northern Sea Route. The Fatherland highly appreciated the merits of the participants of the Great Northern Expedition - the names of many of them are immortalized on the map of the Arctic.

1733, 7.9 Creation of the Don (Azov) military flotilla. Decree of the Senate on the construction of ships for the flotilla.
The construction of brigantines and galleys began in Tavrov as early as 1723, but after the death of Peter I, it was stopped. From 1733 construction resumed. In 1734, 15 prams, 35 galleys, 59 boats and boats were launched. In September 1735, Rear Admiral P. P. Bredal was appointed commander of the flotilla. On March 19, 1736, part of the troops of the Don armies began to blockade the Turkish fortress of Azov (garrison 5.9 thousand people). At the end of April, the main forces of the army and ships of the flotilla arrived at Azov, delivering artillery and other supplies. 8.5 began the siege of the fortress. In eight days, more than 6,400 shells were fired from the ships, causing significant damage. In June, about 28 thousand troops and 146 guns were concentrated near Azov. By this time, the flotilla consisted of 9 large 44-gun prams, 6 small 8-gun prams, 35 galleys and 29 small ships (a total of 2.2 thousand people). Turkey sent a detachment of ships to help the garrison, but because of the shallow water they could not enter the mouth of the Don, and the Don flotilla did not allow the transport of reinforcements to the fortress on rowboats. A detachment of Turkish ships left without completing their task. On June 19, 1736, the garrison of Azov capitulated. In the campaign of 1737, the flotilla assisted the Don Army (about 40,000 men) of Field Marshal 11. P. Lasi, which was sent to prevent the capture of the Crimea by the Turks. The flotilla (449 boats) with 10.6 thousand troops, ammunition and food left Taganrog on 19.5. Having crossed the river Kalmius 14 infantry regiments, 30.5 she moved along the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov to Genichi (Genichesk), covering the army from the sea and delivering food and equipment to it. On the floating bridge built by the flotilla across the Sivash, on June 27 the troops crossed to the Arabat Spit and moved to the Crimea. The flotilla provided the troops with food and drinking water. On June 27, a detachment of Turkish ships (2 ships of the line, a frigate, 15 galleys and several ships) approached the anchorage of the flotilla and fired at the Russian camp. On June 30, Turkish rowboats, under the cover of ship fire, tried to approach the shore, but the fire of Russian batteries forced the Turks to abandon the landing. The Don Flotilla played an important role in providing for the Russian army. On August 26, having twice successfully repulsed the attacks of Turkish ships, she returned to Azov for the winter camp. On April 18, 1738, the flotilla (100 boats), having received troops and cargoes, left Azov for Genichi to assist the Lasi army. In early June, 16 Turkish ships tried to encircle the Russian flotilla near Fedotova Spit. However, under the cover of the Cossack detachment and coastal batteries, the sailors dug a ditch through the scythe, along which the boats were transferred, and continued on their way to Genichi. On June 15, a detachment of Turkish ships (7 battleships and a frigate, 15 galleys, more than 100 rowboats) blocked the Russian flotilla, but Rear Admiral Bredal ordered the boats to be pulled out to the shallows and take up defense on the shore. The Turkish attacks were repulsed by gunfire. On July 15, the Russians burned their boats and, taking the guns, returned to Azov by land. The lack of a flotilla deprived the Lasi army of communication with the base, its supply deteriorated, and the army was forced to leave the Crimea. After the conclusion of a peace treaty with Turkey, the Don Flotilla was abolished on October 15, 1739. Again the flotilla was created at the beginning Russian-Turkish war 1768-74 (132 ships). Under the command of Vice Admiral A. N. Senyavin, she successfully fought the Turkish fleet in the Azov and Black Seas, interacted with the ground forces in the capture of Kerch and Yenikale, repelled the attempts of the Turks to land troops in the Crimea. In 1783, the flotilla was disbanded, and its ships were transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, which was created in May of the same year.

the site tells how the construction of the Baltic Fleet began, and is it true that the emperor's excessive love for the sea brought him to the grave.

"Oars and ingenuity"

In 1720, the "Naval Decree of Peter I" was issued. For many centuries this document became the moral and even the criminal code of Russian sailors.

The Baltic Fleet was born during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. The construction of galleys was started by order of Emperor Peter Alekseevich in 1702 at shipyards located on the rivers Syas, Luga and Olonka. In order for the Swedes not to destroy the shipyards, at first the territory was guarded by ships bought Russian Empire Abroad. The war with the Swedes was in full swing, the Russians were forced to attack the enemy's large ships in fragile boats. Regular clashes took place near Arkhangelsk, on Lake Ladoga and Lake Peipus. Many ships were recaptured from the Swedes, as they say, with the help of "oars and ingenuity."

The construction of six frigates began urgently on the Syas River. Peter I understood perfectly well that without a strong fleet it was impossible to take possession of the banks of the Neva and its mouths. The first St. Petersburg governor-general Alexander Menshikov went on reconnaissance and found a very convenient place for new shipyards - on the Svir River in Lodeynoye Pole. “The forests are very fair,” the prince wrote to the emperor. Peter personally went to this remote place and worked tirelessly for six weeks, laying down and starting construction of 7 frigates, 5 shnyavs, 7 galleys, 13 semi-galleys, 1 galliot and 13 brigantines with his own hands. In addition to Lodeynoye Pole, ships were built on the Luga River, in Selitsky Row.

Peter I understood perfectly well that without a strong fleet it was impossible to take possession of the banks of the Neva and its mouths. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

At the same time, the tsar ordered on the Volkhov and Luga rivers "to make 600 plows for the Svei service" ("Sveiskoy" means Swedish). Enormous forces were thrown into the implementation of these grandiose plans, craftsmen came to this swampy region from all over Russia. Strugas are small flat-bottomed sailing and rowing vessels that were designed to move along rivers. On the Luga, things went quickly, after a few months 170 plows were ready, but on the Volkhov, work stalled, Count Sheremetyev had to go to the site and personally supervise the work.

The Russian ships of the Petrine fleet were built according to the best English and Dutch designs. But the quality of the first of them was not up to par. The fact is that the material brought was not the most suitable for shipbuilding, the workers did not differ in experience. But the main thing is that Peter hurried the masters so much that they were forced to sacrifice quality for the sake of speed.

Gallows for lumberjacks

The first Shtandart-type frigates were 27 meters long and 7 meters wide, armed with 28-30 guns. On this legendary sailboat, the standard of Peter the Great with a double-headed eagle was hoisted, in the paws and on the wings of which were depicted maps of the four seas: the Baltic, White, Caspian and Azov, access to which was made in Peter's times.

The first Shtandart-class frigate Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The remoteness of the shipyards on the Svir, Syasi, Volkhov worried the tsar very much, so he began to strengthen the mouth of the Neva. He laid the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island, and fortifications on Kotlin Island. The main base of the new Baltic Fleet was named Kronshlot.

For some 10-15 years, in the conditions of the ongoing war with the Swedes, St. Petersburg grew up in a deserted and swampy region. From the Tambov, Voronezh, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod provinces, people came in a continuous stream, the forest was rafted. In the vicinity of St. Petersburg, oak forests were planted, which, under pain of death, were forbidden to be cut down. And so that some would not disobey, gallows were erected along the banks of the Neva for violating lumberjacks. I must say that the people were reluctant to go to St. Petersburg: they paid here with delays, living conditions in the swamps left much to be desired. Various epidemics constantly broke out, workers died by the thousands in this difficult environment.

Waist deep in ice water

In 1707, a new shipbuilding program was adopted for the Baltic Fleet: 27 battleships, from 50 to 80 guns each, six 32-gun frigates and six 18-gun ships. The first Russian battleship was the Poltava, which was laid down at the end of 1709 at the Main Admiralty in St. Petersburg and launched in the summer of 1712. The construction of the ship was led by Peter I himself.

The first sailors of the Russian fleet were people from the "amusing troops". These young people grew up next to the future emperor, studied military and civil sciences with him and participated with Peter in the first exercises. 30 of the best traveled with the king in Holland and England. Hundreds of sailors and officers were hired in Holland.

The emperor did not spare funds for the creation and maintenance of the fleet. In 1712, 400 thousand rubles were allocated for these needs; in 1715 - already 700 thousand, in 1721 - more than a million rubles, from 1722 to 1725 - over one and a half million annually.

Living in St. Petersburg, Peter daily looked into the Admiralty, estimated the drawings, gave the builders practical instructions, argued about one or another detail of the ship being built for the fleet.

The naval operations of the Baltic Fleet at that time were regular, the emperor did not allow ships to stagnate on the piers.

Historians highlight the actions of Russian ships near Vyborg in 1710, the Gangut battle in 1714, the cruising of Captain Bredal in the Baltic Sea in 1715 and Apraksin's raid on the coast of Sweden in 1719.

Ironically, the sea became one of the causes of the emperor's death. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Peter I adored the sea. Ironically, it became one of the causes of the emperor's death. In November 1724, a boat with soldiers and sailors ran aground near Lakhta. Pyotr was just passing nearby, heading to the arms factory in Sestroretsk. The ship was swept by high waves, it was on the verge of destruction. Despite a serious illness, the emperor threw himself into the ice porridge. Being waist-deep in water, he led the rescue of people. Everyone was saved, but Peter caught a bad cold and died two months later at the age of 52.

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 bold sea voyages in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Sea voyages became especially active after the formation of Kievan Rus. In 907, as the chronicles testify, 2000 boats with 80 thousand soldiers participated in the campaign of Prince Oleg against Byzantium. Having passed from the Dnieper along the Black Sea to the Bosporus and laid siege to Constantinople, Oleg forced him to surrender and made peace, according to which the Greeks paid the winners a rich tribute.

Navigation contributed to the establishment of profitable economic and cultural ties between Kievan Rus and Byzantium, the adoption of Christianity in Russia in 988. For military campaigns in the middle of the 12th century. in service with the squad there are already special printed combat boats, closed by a deck.

Sea routes also played an important role in the life of Veliky Novgorod, and, being in the union of the Hanseatic cities, the city conducted extensive trade with the Baltic countries. 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 sailors.

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 to the seas, as the most profitable routes of communication, was interrupted for almost two centuries by the Tatar-Mongol invasion, which cut off Russia from the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas. Only in 1380, with the acquisition of independence, Russia began to collect fragmented lands.

By 1505, the unification of the Russian principalities was basically completed and a centralized state was formed, headed by Moscow. The struggle for access to the open spaces of the sea flares up with renewed vigor. Now Ivan the Terrible, in order to protect the Narva trade route and navigation on the Baltic Sea, starts a privateer fleet. However, after an unsuccessful 25-year war with Sweden, by 1595 Russia was losing Narva, Koporye, Ivan-gorod, and in 1617 it was completely cut off from this sea. Understanding the importance of sea 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. So, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the Oka in the village of Dedinovo near Kolomna, the first Russian warship "Eagle" is being built, armed with 22 guns.

At the same time, for Russia on the river. Several small warships were built near the city of Kokenhausen in the Dvina, 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 XVII century. Russia in economic development still lagged far behind the Western European countries. The reason for this was not only the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but also the ongoing exhausting wars: in the south - with Turkey, in the west - with Poland, in the north-west - with Sweden. The only outlet for the country to the foreign market was the port of Arkhangelsk, founded in 1584.

Peter I

To reach the shores of the Black and Baltic Seas was a historical necessity for Russia. So for Peter I, who ascended the throne in 1682, a goal was predetermined, the achievement of which became the content of his state activity.
Initially, the choice fell on the southern direction. The campaign of the 30,000th Russian army to Azov, undertaken in 1695, ended in complete failure. The siege of the fortress and two assaults led to heavy losses and did not bring success. The absence 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 interacting with the army and under a single command, Azov could not be captured. It was then, at the initiative of the king, that it was decided to build warships. The construction of ships was carried out near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhensky, in Voronezh, Kozlov, Dobry, Sokolsk. Especially large construction unfolded in Voronezh, where the Admiralty was created. More than 26,000 people were mobilized to harvest ship timber and build ships. At the same time, the fleet was being recruited with soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, recruits. At the end of April, a 76,000-strong army led by voivode A.S. left Voronezh for Azov. Sheiny (promoted to generalissimo), and a few days later - a galley flotilla under the command of Peter I. The general leadership of the Azov fleet was entrusted to an associate of the tsar F. Lefort. The fleet blocked the approaches to Azov from the sea, and the army besieged the fortress from land. After intensive cannon fire on the fortress from ships and shore and its assault by Russian Cossacks, the garrison of Azov capitulated on July 12 (22), 1696.

The young fleet of Russia 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 on the Sea of ​​Azov.

A. Shkhonebek. Azov. The siege of the fortress in 1696

On October 20 (30), 1696, Tsar Peter 1 "instructed", and the Duma "sentenced": "There will be sea vessels" - a state act that officially laid the foundation for the creation of a regular fleet. Since then, this date has been celebrated as the birthday of the Russian Navy.

In order 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 ships. But he did not last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to give the Turks the shores of the Sea of ​​​​Azov, and undertook to destroy the Azov fleet.

Engraving by an unknown artist. Azov. The siege of the fortress in 1696

The creation of the Azov Fleet was an extremely important event for Russia. First, it revealed the role of the navy in the armed struggle for the liberation of coastal lands. Secondly, the much-needed experience in the mass construction of military ships was acquired, which made it possible to quickly create a strong Baltic Fleet in the future. Thirdly, Europe was shown Russia's enormous potential to become a powerful maritime power.

28-gun frigate "Standard". 1703

After the war with Turkey for the possession of the Sea of ​​Azov, the aspirations of Peter 1 were directed to the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, the success of which was predetermined by the presence of military force at sea. Knowing this very well, Peter 1 set about building the Baltic Fleet. At the shipyards of the Syaz, Svir and Volkhov rivers, river and sea warships are being laid down, seven 52-gun ships and three 32-gun frigates are being built at the Arkhangelsk shipyards. New shipyards are being created, and the number of iron and copper foundries in the Urals is growing. In Voronezh, the casting of ship cannons and cores for them is being established. In a fairly short time, a flotilla was created, which consisted of battleships with a displacement of up to 700 tons, a length of up to 50 m. Up to 80 guns and 600-800 crew members were placed on their two or three decks.

Frigates, which had three masts, one or two decks, belonged to more maneuverable and fast ships. The length of these ships did not exceed 35 m, they were armed with guns (up to 40 units). The most massive warships were galleys, capable of operating particularly effectively in skerry areas.

For a confident exit to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on mastering 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 (Nutlet) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). In the words of Peter I, this fortress "opened the gates to the sea." Then the Nyenschanz fortress was taken, located at the confluence of the Neva river. 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 laid 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, on the left bank of the Neva, the construction of the Admiralty shipyard began, 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, stormed Narva. In the future, the main events of the Northern War took place on land.

On June 27, 1709, the Swedes suffered a serious defeat in the battle of Poltava. However, for the final victory over Sweden, it was necessary to crush all naval forces and establish themselves in the Baltic. It took another 12 years of stubborn struggle, primarily at sea.

In the period 1710-1714. By building ships at domestic shipyards and buying 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. So, one of his contemporaries, 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, more fairly finished."

P.N. Wagner. 1912

The successes of domestic shipbuilders were very significant: by 1714, 27 linear 42-74-gun ships were included in the Baltic Fleet. 9 frigates with 18-32 guns, 177 scampaways and brigantines. 22 support vessels. The total number of guns on the ships reached 1060. (Scampaway is a small fast galley with 18 pairs of oars, with one or two guns and one or two masts with oblique sails). The increased power of the Baltic Fleet allowed its forces on July 27 (August 7), 1714 to win a brilliant victory against the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut. In a naval battle, a detachment of 10 units was captured along with Rear Admiral N. Erenskiold, who commanded them. In the battle of Gangut, Peter I fully used the advantage of the galley and sailing and rowing fleet over the enemy's linear fleet in the skerry region of the sea. The sovereign personally led the advance detachment of 23 scampaways in battle. The Gangut victory provided the Russian fleet with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and Bothnia. She, like the Poltava victory, became a turning point in the course of the entire Northern War, which allowed Peter I to begin preparations for an invasion directly into the territory of Sweden. 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 united Allied squadron. This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Reigns over four, at Bornholm". In 1717 troops from northern Finland invaded Swedish territory. Their actions were supported by large amphibious assault forces landed in the Stockholm area.

The victory of the Russian detachment of rowing ships over the detachment of Swedish ships at Grengam in July 1720 allowed the Russian fleet to further gain a foothold in the Aland 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, Lieutenant General Lassi, which included 60 galleys and boats with a 5,000-strong landing force. Having landed on the Swedish coast, this detachment defeated one weapons and several metallurgical plants, captured rich spoils of war 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 departed to Russia. The composition of Russia included the cities of Vyborg, Narva, Revel, Riga. Emphasizing the significance of the fleet in the Northern War, Peter I ordered that the medal, approved in honor of the victory over Sweden, be engraved with the words: "The end of this war by such a world was received by nothing else than the fleet, because it was impossible to achieve it 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 the international prestige of Russia, promoted it to the ranks of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire since 1721.

Having achieved the approval of Russia on the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turns 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 adjacent lands, which went to Russia under a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For a permanent basing the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military port and the Admiralty in Astrakhan. In the Petrine period, the center of Russian maritime trade moved from the White Sea from Arkhangelsk to the Baltic to St. Petersburg, which became the country's largest commercial port. This made it necessary to intensify measures to protect the region from possible attacks. The work that had not stopped since the laying 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 decreed "to keep to the last strength and stomach, as the most important thing."

"The Hidden Vessel" Efim Nikonov (1721)

To imagine the grandeur of the accomplishments of Peter the Great, it is enough to note that during his reign, more than 1,000 ships were built at Russian shipyards, not counting small ships. The number of teams on all ships reached 26 thousand people. It is interesting to note that there is archival evidence dating back to the reign of Peter I, about the construction by a peasant Efim Nikonov of a "hidden vessel" - a prototype of a submarine. In general, about 1 million 200 thousand rubles were spent on shipbuilding and maintenance of the fleet by Peter I. So, by the will of Peter I in the first two decades of the eighteenth century. Russia has become one of the great maritime powers of the world. Peter I was not only a statesman, but also a skilled shipbuilder. Taking part in the creation of ships with his own hands, he constantly sought new methods for their rapid and high-quality construction. The method of work of the Dutch shipbuilders, with whom Peter I got acquainted in 1697, enriched him with practical skills, but did not completely satisfy him. In January 1698, the Russian sovereign went to England, where there were the greatest achievements in shipbuilding. In this country, in particular, even before the ship was launched, builders could determine the waterline (displacement) by appropriate calculations. Traveling around Europe, Peter I not only collected books on shipbuilding and navigation, but also inquisitively studied them. The knowledge gained led him to realize the need for the development of astronomical sciences and mechanics in Russia, which, in turn, required deep mathematical knowledge. Therefore, an extremely important step of Peter I was the creation in 1701 of the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, which was formed in Moscow and was located in the building of the Sukharev Tower. The school became the first secular educational institution in Russia and the first real school in Europe. It trained cadres of officers of the fleet and partly of the army. Attracting foreign teachers and shipbuilders, Peter I went his own way in many ways, creating national school shipbuilding.

Peter I came up with the idea of ​​creating "two fleets": a galley fleet for operating jointly with the army in coastal areas and a ship fleet for predominantly independent operations at sea. In this respect military science considers Peter I an expert in the interaction between the army and the navy, unsurpassed for his time. At the dawn of the domestic state shipbuilding for operations in the Baltic and Azov Seas, Peter had to solve the problem of creating ships of mixed navigation, i.e. those that could operate both on rivers and at sea. Other maritime powers did not need such military vessels.

The complexity of the task lay in the fact that navigation along shallow rivers required a small draft of the vessel with its relatively large width. Such dimensions of ships when sailing at sea led to a sharp pitching, which reduced the effectiveness of the use of weapons, worsened the physical state teams and troops. 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 driving 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.

The struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, access to the Sea of ​​Azov and Black Sea

At the end of the 17th century, the economic and political situation in Russia urgently required free access to the Baltic, Azov and Black Seas. At that time, the only sea route that connected the huge Russian state with Western European countries, passed through the White Sea. But this long and inconvenient way for navigation could not satisfy the increased needs of the country. “Not a single great nation,” wrote K. “Marx, was located at such a distance from all the seas as the empire of Peter the Great was at the beginning. No one could imagine a great nation cut off from the sea coast. Russia could not leave in the hands of the Swedes, the mouth of the Neva, which was a natural outlet for the sale of products "K

The implementation of the task of Russia's access to the sea belongs to Peter I, who understood that for this it was necessary to have powerful armed forces on land and at sea.

Peter expressed his view on the importance of naval power (in the upcoming struggle, with the words: “Every potentate (state), which has a single land army, has one hand, and which the fleet has has two hands.” The struggle of the Russian state for access to the seas was a brilliant example of the joint combat work of "both hands" - the army and the navy.At first, Peter I made an attempt to get access to south seas. In 1695, Peter went on a campaign to capture the Turkish fortress of Azov, which blocked the exit from the Don to the Sea of ​​Azov. In the first campaign, Russian troops could not take a powerful fortress without the support of the fleet. However, this failure did not stop Peter. He began energetic preparations for a new campaign. During the winter of 1695/96, 1 ​​ship, 23 galleys and four firewalls were built in Voronezh. In the spring of 1696, the troops and fleet, approaching Azov, surrounded it from land and from the sea. This time, the Turkish garrison could not withstand the joint attacks of the army and fleet, and capitulated in July.

In the war with the Turks, the young Peter's army and navy received a combat "decision. And Peter I begins vigorous preparations for a war with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea and the return of lands that have belonged to the Russian people since ancient times. This war began in 1700 and was called the Northern. It lasted 21 years.

After the very first military successes on land, Peter proceeds to build the Baltic Fleet. In 1702-1703, shipyards were founded on the Syas and Svir rivers. Taking possession of the Swedish fortresses Noteburg and Nyenschanz, on May 16, 1703, Peter I founded the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Neva and the new capital - the city of St. Petersburg.

To protect St. Petersburg from the sea, south of Kotlin Island, the Kronshlot fortress was built on the shallows. How much importance Peter I attached to this fortress can be judged from the instructions given by him to the commandant of Isronshlot. “To maintain this citadel,” this instruction said, “with God's help. more likely to happen, even to the last man" x. Built then on the island (Kotlin Kronstadt) still stands like a granite cliff, blocking the way to the east.

In an effort to further secure Petersburg, Peter began in 1704 offensive operations on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, culminating in the capture of Derpt (ancient Yuryev^ and Narza (ancient Kolyvan). At the same time, Russia firmly took possession of the Neva River and "the part of the coast of the Gulf of Finland adjacent to its mouth.

In 1704 and 1705, the Swedes “made repeated attacks on the island of Kotlin and Petersburg, but failed each time. Then the Swedish king Charles XII decided to strike from the side of Ukraine and Belarus, hoping to reach Moscow through Smolensk. But in decisive battles in Belarus near the village of Lesnaya (1708) and near Poltava (1709), the Swedes were defeated.

The Poltava victory was of the greatest military and political significance. She broke the forces of Sweden and in the subsequent struggle contributed to the strengthening of Russia on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Victories of the Russian fleet at Gangut (1714). Ezel (1719) and Grengam (1720)

After the Poltava victory, Peter I intensified military operations in the northwest. He set the immediate task of capturing Vyborg, which served as a constant threat to Petersburg. In 1710, Vyborg was taken by the joint efforts of the army and navy, and the Swedish fleet lost a convenient base, and the Russians were given free access to the Finnish skerries. Riga, Revel, Pernov were occupied in the Baltic states. the islands of Ezel and Dago. This was already the biggest step towards the destruction of the Swedish fleet.

In 1714, the Baltic galley fleet defeated the strongest Swedish squadron off the Gangut Peninsula. It was Peter himself who led the preparations for the battle. On July 27, 1714, the vanguard of the Russian fleet under the command of Peter attacked the detachment of Rear Admiral Ehrenschild, consisting of the 18-gun frigate Elefant, six galleys and three shhsrbots. The Swedes offered stubborn resistance and beat off the attackers twice. But the Russian officers, sailors and soldiers, inspired by Peter's personal example, rushed at the enemy for the third time and boarded the Swedish ships.

“Truly,” Peter noted, “it is impossible to describe the courage of the Russian troops, both initial and ordinary, because they are boarded so cruelly (i.e., furiously) mended that from enemy cannons some soldiers are not with cannonballs and buckshot, but with the spirit of gunpowder torn apart by cannons.

After a three-hour fierce battle, the Swedish ships, one by one, began to lower their flags. The battle ended with the complete defeat of the enemy. All Swedish ships with surviving sailors and officers, led by the wounded Admiral Ehrenschild, were taken prisoner. The Gangut victory was described by Peter as "the first fruits of the Russian fleet", and it is no coincidence that Peter himself compared it in importance with the Poltava victory.

In mid-May 1-719, a detachment of four ships under the command of the captain of the 2nd rank Senyaviya left Reval to search for enemy ships. On May 23, a Swedish detachment consisting of a battleship, a frigate and a brigantine was discovered off Ezel Island. The detachment was commanded by Captain-Commander Wrangel. Senyavin chased the enemy, overtook him and opened heavy fire. “The well-aimed fire of the Russians caused great damage to the Swedes. The Swedish ships lowered their flags and surrendered. For the victory won, the participants in the battle were generously awarded, and Senyavn was promoted to captain-commander. The victory near Ezel Island was the first victory of the Russian naval fleet.

Success in the battle of Ezel was achieved thanks to the excellent combat skills and bravery of the sailors and officers.

Senyavin, after the "battle, reported to Peter:" All this ... was done without a great loss of people; I am going with the whole squadron and the Swedish ships taken to Revel ... "

Peter I called the Ezel victory "a good initiative of the Russian fleet."

It was the twentieth year of the Northern War. The Baltic Fleet, after victories at Gangut and Ezel, expelled the enemy from the Gulf of Finland and above.! to the wide expanses of the Baltic Sea. The war was approaching the Swedish shores, but the enemy continued to resist, hoping to regain their former dominance at sea.

In an effort to force the enemy to peace, Peter I undertook several landing operations on the Swedish coast. So, in May 1720, a landing operation against the Swedish coast in the Umeå region, ending with the defeat of enemy fortifications and the capture of several ships.

In mid-July 1720, on the orders of Peter I, a fleet of 61 galleys and 29 boats under the command of General L1. Golitsyn went to the Aland skerries in search of the enemy and on July 27, cruising between the islands, he unexpectedly met at Grsngame with a detachment of Swedish frigates of Vice Admiral Sheblat. Knowing the advantages of the Swedish ships in maneuver and artillery fire, Golitsyn decided to withdraw. Raising the sails, the Swedish frigates chased the rowing Russian ships and, carried away by the pursuit, also<вошлн в пролив, который -был опасен для плавания парусных кораблей.

Russian sailors, maneuvering between the islands, continued to lure the enemy into a narrow strait. Soon two Swedish frigates ran aground. The Swedes realized what a trap the Russians had lured them into, turned back and tried to leave. Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, as well as the fact that his ships had lost the ability to "maneuver," Golitsyn ordered to go on the offensive. Rapidly attacking the enemy, the galleys surrounded the Swedish sailing ships. Russian sailors and paratroopers rushed to board. After a fierce hand-to-hand fight, 4 frigates were captured. The rest of the ships, having received damage, fled.

The Swedes lost 103 killed and 407 captured.

In memory of the Grengam victory, a medal was stamped with the image of Zoya and the inscription: "Diligence and courage surpasses strength."

The victory at Grengam was one of the final battles of the Northern War. In 1721, the Russian command launched a landing operation on the Swedish coast. From 60 galleys and Ostrov boats, 5,000 infantry and 450 Cossacks were landed. The landing force destroyed up to 40 enemy ships defending the coast, and destroyed military factories and shipyards.

The transfer of hostilities to the territory of the enemy forced “the Swedish government to begin peace negotiations, which ended in August 1721 with the conclusion of the Nystadt peace. According to this peace, Russia received the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland with Vyborg on the northern coast and its entire southern coast with the Gulf of Riga.

These victories were not easy. During the war with the Swedes, Russian sailors had to create their own regular fleet: build and arm ships, learn naval affairs and master naval art. But no matter how difficult all these tasks were, the Russian sailors solved them with honor. In the work of creating a fleet, they were stubborn, inventive and worked tirelessly. Tireless, quick-witted and persistent in their studies, they not only borrowed the best that was in the fleets of other states, but also contributed to everything of their own, Russian, original.

They dared, abandoning the established patterns in maritime affairs, introducing such innovations into marine science and practice that were not known to the enemy.

In fierce battles, Russian sailors from an ordinary sailor to an admiral were distinguished by fearlessness and assertiveness. They weren't afraid to take risks, but they didn't rush into business recklessly either. In trouble they never left each other: they died, but rescued a comrade. Like the apple of their eye, they guarded the honor of their flag and the honor of the ship. punished cowards and violators of the order.

These qualities of Russian sailors of the regular fleet, created by Peter I, were passed down from generation to generation.

Peter I was rightly proud of his soldiers. Summing up the results of the military operations of the army and navy in the war with the Swedes, he “said:“ Which of you, my brothers, even dreamed about 30 years ago ... that we will live to see such brave and victorious soldiers and sailors Russian blood.

As a result of the victorious war with the Swedes, Russia established its dominance in the Baltic and ensured reliable communication with Europe. In a long and difficult struggle, Peter I, according to Marx, acquired everything that was necessary for the development of Russia. The age-old injustice was eliminated, and the Russian people “returned what had belonged to them for centuries, and the Baltic Fleet, created by Peter and matured in battles, became the basis of Russia’s sea power.