First Marine Fleet. The history of the creation of the Russian fleet by Peter I
Russia is a continental state, but the length of its borders along the water surface is 2/3 of their total length. Since ancient times, Russians knew how to sail the seas and knew how to fight at sea, but the real naval traditions of our country go back about 300 years.
There is still debate about the specific event or date from which the history of the Russian fleet originates. One thing is clear to everyone - this happened in the era of Peter the Great.
First experiments
The Russians began to use waterways to move armed forces in a country where rivers were the main routes of communication a very long time ago. Mentions of the legendary path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” go back centuries. Epic epics were composed about the campaign of Prince Oleg’s “lodians” to Constantinople.
The wars of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes and German crusaders had one of the main goals of establishing Russian settlements near the mouth of the Neva in order to be able to freely navigate the river. Baltic Sea.
In the south, the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks fought for access to the Black Sea with the Tatars and Turks. Their legendary “gulls” successfully attacked and captured Ochakov in 1350.
The first Russian warship "Eagle" was built in 1668 in the village of Dedinovo by decree of Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich. But the Russian navy owes its real birth to the dream and will of his son, Peter the Great.
Home dream
At first, the young king simply liked to sail on a small boat found in a barn in the village of Izmailovo. This 6-meter boat, given to his father, is now kept in the Naval Museum of St. Petersburg.
The future emperor later said that the Russian imperial fleet originated from him, and called him “the grandfather of the Russian fleet.” Peter himself restored it, following the instructions of the craftsmen from the German settlement, because there were no shipbuilders of his own in Moscow.
When future emperor at the age of 17 he became a real ruler, he began to truly understand that Russia cannot develop without economic, scientific and cultural ties with Europe, and the best routes of communication are sea.
An energetic and curious person, Peter sought to acquire knowledge and skills in various fields. His greatest hobby was the theory and practice of shipbuilding, which he learned from Dutch, German and English masters. He delved into the basics of cartography with interest and learned to use navigation instruments.
He began to invest his first skills in creating a “funny flotilla” on Lake Pleshcheyevo in Pereslavl-Zalessky near Yaroslavl. In June 1689, the boat “Fortune”, 2 small frigates and yachts were assembled at the shipyards there.
Access to the ocean
A huge land giant that occupied a sixth of the earth's land, Russia at the end of the 17th century could less than other countries lay claim to the title of sea power. The history of the Russian fleet is also the history of the struggle for access to the world's oceans. There were two options for access to the sea - two “bottlenecks”: through the Gulf of Finland and where strong Sweden ruled, and through the Black Sea, through the narrow one under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
The first attempt to stop the raids of the Crimean Tatars and Turks on the southern borders and lay the foundations for a future breakthrough to the Black Sea was made by Peter in 1695. located at the mouth of the Don, withstood the attacks of the Russian military expedition, and there were not enough forces for a systematic siege, there were not enough means to cut off the supply of supplies to the surrounded Turks by water. Therefore, in preparation for the next campaign, it was decided to build a flotilla.
Azov Fleet
Peter set about building ships with unprecedented energy. More than 25 thousand peasants were rounded up to work at the shipyards in Preobrazhenskoye and on the Voronezh River. Based on the model brought from abroad, under the supervision of foreign craftsmen, 23 rowing galleys (katorgi), 2 large sailing ships (one of which was the 36-gun “Apostle Peter”), more than 1,300 small ships - barques, plows, etc. d. This was the first attempt to create what is called a "regular Russian imperial fleet." He perfectly fulfilled his tasks of delivering troops to the walls of the fortress and blocking the encircled Azov from the water. After a month and a half siege, on July 19, 1696, the fortress garrison surrendered.
“It’s better for me to fight by sea...”
This campaign showed the importance of interaction between ground and naval forces. He was decisive in deciding on the further construction of ships. “There will be ships!” - the royal decree on the allocation of funds for new ships was approved on October 20, 1696. From this date the history of the Russian fleet begins its time countdown.
Grand Embassy
The war for the southern access to the ocean by capturing Azov had just begun, and Peter went to Europe in search of support in the fight against Turkey and its allies. The Tsar took advantage of his diplomatic tour, which lasted a year and a half, to expand his knowledge of shipbuilding and military affairs.
Under the name of Peter Mikhailov, he worked in the shipyards of Holland. He gained experience together with a dozen Russian carpenters. In three months, with their participation, the frigate Peter and Paul was built, which later sailed to Java under the flag of the East India Company.
In England the king also works in shipyards and machine shops. English king arranges naval maneuvers especially for Peter. Seeing the coordinated interactions of 12 huge ships, Peter is delighted and says that he would like to be an English admiral, and from that moment on, the dream of having a powerful Russian imperial fleet was completely strengthened in him.
Russia is young
Maritime business is developing. In 1700, Peter the Great established a stern flag for ships Russian fleet. It was named in honor of the first Russian order - St. Andrew the First-Called. The Russian Navy is 300 years old, and almost all this time the oblique blue cross of St. Andrew's flag has been overshadowing Russian sailors.
A year later, the first naval educational institution opened in Moscow - the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences. A Naval Order is established for leadership new industry. The Naval Charter is adopted and naval ranks are introduced.
But the most important thing is the Admiralty, which is in charge of the shipyards - new ships are being built there.
Pyotr Alekseevich’s plans for further seizures of ports on the Black Sea and the establishment of shipyards there were thwarted by a more formidable enemy from the North. Denmark and Sweden started a war over disputed islands, and Peter entered it on the Danish side, with the goal of opening a “window to Europe” - access to the Baltic Sea.
Battle of Gangut
Sweden, led by the young and cocky Charles XII, was the main military force of the time. The inexperienced Russian Imperial Navy faced a severe test. In the summer of 1714, the Russian squadron rowing ships led by Admiral Fedor Apraksin met with powerful Swedish sailing ships at Cape Gangut. Being inferior to the enemy in artillery, the admiral did not dare to engage in a direct clash and reported the situation to Peter.
The tsar made a diversionary maneuver: he ordered to build a flooring for crossing ships on land and show the intention to go through the isthmus to the rear of the enemy fleet. To stop this, the Swedes divided the flotilla, sending a detachment of 10 ships around the peninsula to the transfer site. At this time, the sea was completely calm, which deprived the Swedes of the possibility of any maneuver. Massive, stationary vessels lined up in an arc for frontal combat, and ships of the Russian fleet - fast rowing galleys - broke through the coast and attacked a group of 10 ships, trapping them in the bay. The flagship frigate "Elephant" was boarded, Peter personally participated in the hand-to-hand attack, leading the sailors by personal example.
The victory of the Russian fleet was complete. About a dozen ships were captured, more than a thousand Swedes were captured, and over 350 were killed. Without losing a single ship, the Russians lost 120 people killed and 350 wounded.
The first victories at sea - at Gangut and, later, at Grenham, as well as the land victory at Poltava - all this became the key to the signing by the Swedes of the Treaty of Nystad (1721), according to which Russia began to dominate the Baltic. The goal - access to Western European ports - was achieved.
Legacy of Peter the Great
The foundation for the creation of the Baltic Fleet was laid by Peter ten years before the Battle of Gangut, when St. Petersburg, the new capital of the Russian Empire, was founded at the mouth of the Neva, conquered from the Swedes. Together with the military base located nearby - Kronstadt - they became gates, closed to enemies and wide open to trade.
In a quarter of a century, Russia has traveled a path that took several centuries for the leading maritime powers - the path from small ships for coastal navigation to huge ships capable of crossing the world's expanses. The flag of the Russian fleet was known and respected on all oceans of the earth.
History of victories and defeats
Peter's reforms and his favorite brainchild - the first Russian fleet - faced a difficult fate. Not all subsequent rulers of the country shared the ideas of Peter the Great or possessed his strength of character.
Over the next 300 years, the Russian fleet had the opportunity to win great victories during the times of Ushakov and Nakhimov and suffer severe defeats at Sevastopol and Tsushima. After the most severe defeats, Russia was deprived of its status as a maritime power. The history of the Russian fleet and past centuries knows periods of revival after complete decline, and
Today the fleet is gaining strength after another destructive timelessness, and it is important to remember that it all began with the energy and will of Peter I, who believed in the maritime greatness of his country.
The Russian Imperial Navy is one of the very first and official names of the Russian Navy. The name lasted until 1917 - I don’t think it’s worth clarifying why it was in this year that the word “imperial” was “cut out” from the official name. Nevertheless, let us turn to more important things - to the history of the creation of Russian naval power.
Today, the era of the reign of Peter the Great is condemned in the most natural and usual way. Many of his reforms are controversial even centuries later, all based on a Europeanized version of Russia. After all, it was he, the Russian Emperor Peter, who took the European model of Russian development as a basis.
It would be absurd and stupid for me to speculate on the topic: “whether the great emperor was right or wrong” in his decision. For me, it’s not bad at all to learn from those who have succeeded more and better in some things. And in this context, it would be correct to ask the most important questions: under Peter, was Russia built and developed, or did it degrade for all political and economic reasons?
It is clear that Peter I developed the country, strengthened it and made it more powerful, even taking into account the fact that European touches and the borrowed experience of neighboring countries were very clearly visible. I repeat, the main thing is the development of the state, and it would be absurd to blame Peter for the opposite. The most important argument in support of the above is creation of the Imperial Navy- the pride of Peter the Great!
The official date is October 30, 1696, when the Boyar Duma, at the insistence of Peter I, decided to create a regular Russian navy: "There will be sea vessels."
Azov fleet of Peter I
Azov fleet. Engraving from the book “Diary of a Travel to Muscovy” by Johann Georg Korb (Russian translation, 1867) The prerequisites for its creation were the emperor’s military failures, in particular, the first Azov campaign* clearly showed Tsar Peter that the seaside fortress could not be taken without a strong fleet.
The very idea of Peter I to build a fleet on land, in Voronezh, 1,200 miles from the sea, was considered ambitious by all standards, but not for Peter. The task was completed in one winter.
Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696 - Russian military campaigns against the Ottoman Empire; were a continuation of the war started by the government of Princess Sophia with the Ottoman Empire and Crimea; undertaken by Peter I at the beginning of his reign and ended with the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. They can be considered the first significant accomplishment of the young king.
This gigantic enterprise alone could have amounted to the glory of man, and only later, even more glorious deeds somehow overshadowed in our memories this famous emergence of the sea fleet on land.
When Peter I was pointed out the almost impossible difficulties of keeping a fleet on a completely alien sea, where there was not a single harbor of its own, he replied that “a strong fleet will find a harbor for itself.” One might think that Peter, having captured Azov and decided to build big ships in Taganrog, he hoped to talk with the Turks about peace not on the Prut (constrained by their hordes), but on the Bosporus, where his ships would threaten the Sultan’s palace with their cannons.
True, foreign envoys reported to their governments that most of the ships of the Azov fleet were only good for firewood. The ships of the first construction, cut down in the middle of winter, from frozen forests, in most cases by inexperienced and poor shipbuilders, were really not important, but Peter I did everything to make the Azov fleet a real naval force, and, admittedly, he achieved this.
The king himself worked tirelessly. “His Majesty,” wrote Cruys, “was vigilantly present in this work, using an ax, adze, caulk, hammer and greasing of ships much more diligently and working harder than the old and highly trained carpenter.”
Almost immediately at this time, military shipbuilding began in Russia, ships were built in Voronezh and St. Petersburg, on Ladoga and in Arkhangelsk. In the second Azov campaign against Turkey in 1696, 2 battleships, 4 fire ships, 23 galleys and 1300 plows, built in Voronezh on the river, took part. Voronezh.
To gain a foothold on the Sea of Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many battleships and frigates, galleys and bombardment ships, fire ships and small vessels. But it didn't last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to give the shores of the Sea of Azov to the Turks and pledged to destroy the Azov Fleet.
The creation of the Azov Fleet was an extremely important event for Russia. Firstly, it revealed the role of the navy in the armed struggle for the liberation of coastal lands. Secondly, Much-needed experience was acquired in the mass construction of military ships, which made it possible to quickly create a strong Baltic Fleet. Thirdly, Europe was shown Russia's enormous potential to become a powerful maritime power.
Baltic Fleet of Peter I
The Baltic Fleet is one of the oldest Russian navies.
The Baltic Sea washed the shores of Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Russia. It makes no sense to dwell on the strategic importance of controlling the Baltic Sea specifically - it is large and you need to know this. Peter the Great also knew this. Shouldn't he know about Livonian War, started in 1558 by Ivan the Terrible, who already at that time was trying in every possible way to provide Russia with reliable access to the Baltic Sea. What did this mean for Russia? I’ll give just one example: having captured Narva in 1558, the Russian Tsar made it the main trade gateway to Russia. Narva's trade turnover grew rapidly, the number of ships calling at the port reached 170 per year. You need to understand that such a confluence of circumstances cut a significant portion of other states - Sweden, Poland...
Gaining a foothold in the Baltic Sea has always been one of Russia’s fundamentally important tasks. Ivan the Terrible made attempts, and were very successful, but the final success was secured by Peter the Great.
After the war with Turkey for the possession of the Sea of Azov, the aspirations of Peter I were aimed at the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, the success of which was predetermined by the presence military force at sea. Understanding this very well, Peter I began building the Baltic Fleet. River and sea military vessels are laid down at the shipyards of the Syaz, Svir and Volkhov rivers; seven 52-gun ships and three 32-gun frigates are 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 cannonballs for them is being established.
In a fairly short period of time, a flotilla was created, which consisted of battleships with a displacement of up to 700 tons, a length of up to 50 m. Their two or three decks housed up to 80 guns and 600-800 crew members.
To secure access to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on taking possession of the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the Neva. After a 10-day siege and a fierce assault, with the assistance of a rowing flotilla of 50 boats, the Noteburg (Oreshek) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). According to Peter I, this fortress “opened the gates to the sea.” Then the Nyenschanz fortress, located at the confluence of the Neva River, was taken. Ohhh.
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 I founded a fortress called Peter and Paul and the port city of St. Petersburg. On Kotlin Island, 30 versts from the mouth of the Neva, Peter I ordered the construction of Fort Kronstadt to protect the future Russian capital.
In 1704, the construction of an Admiralty shipyard began on the left bank of the Neva, which was destined to soon become the main domestic shipyard, and St. Petersburg - the shipbuilding center of Russia.
In August 1704, Russian troops, continuing to liberate the Baltic coast, took Narva by storm. Subsequently, the main events of the Northern War took place on land.
The Swedes suffered a serious defeat on June 27, 1709 Battle of Poltava. However, for the final victory over Sweden it was necessary to crush its naval forces and establish itself in the Baltic. This took another 12 years of persistent struggle, primarily at sea.
In the period 1710-1714. By building ships at domestic shipyards and purchasing them abroad, a fairly strong galley and sailing Baltic fleet was created. The first of the battleships laid down in the fall of 1709 was named Poltava in honor of the outstanding victory over the Swedes.
The high quality of Russian ships was recognized by many foreign shipbuilders and sailors. Thus, one of his contemporaries, the English admiral Porris, wrote:
“Russian ships are in all respects equal to the best ships of this type that are available in our country, and, moreover, are more well finished.”.
The successes of domestic shipbuilders were very significant: by 1714, the Baltic Fleet included 27 linear 42-74-gun ships, 9 frigates with 18-32 guns, 177 scampaways and brigantines, 22 auxiliary vessels. Total number The number of guns on ships reached 1060.
The increased power of the Baltic Fleet allowed its forces to win a brilliant victory against the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut on July 27 (August 7), 1714. In a naval battle, a detachment of 10 units was captured along with its commander, Rear Admiral N. Ehrenskiöld. In the Battle of Gangut, Peter I fully exploited the advantage of the galley and sailing-rowing fleet over the enemy's battle fleet in the skerry area of the sea. The Emperor personally led an advance detachment of 23 scampavei in battle.
The Gangut victory provided the Russian fleet with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. It, like the Poltava victory, became turning point throughout the Northern War, which allowed Peter I to begin preparations for an invasion directly into Swedish territory. This was the only way to force Sweden to make peace.
The authority of the Russian fleet, Peter I as a naval commander became recognized by the fleets of the Baltic states. In 1716, in the Sound, at a meeting of the Russian, English, Dutch and Danish squadrons for joint cruising in the Bornholm area against the Swedish fleet and privateers, Peter I was unanimously elected commander of the combined Allied squadron.
This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Rules over four, at Bornholm". In 1717 troops from Northern Finland invaded Swedish territory. Their actions were supported by large amphibious landings in the Stockholm area.
On August 30, 1721, Sweden finally agreed to sign the Treaty of Nystad. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, its southern coast with the Gulf of Riga and the islands adjacent to the conquered shores went to Russia. The cities of Vyborg, Narva, Revel, and Riga became part of Russia. Emphasizing the importance of the fleet in the Northern War, Peter I ordered the words to be embossed on the medal approved in honor of the victory over Sweden: “The end of this war with such peace was achieved by nothing other than the fleet, for it was impossible to achieve this by land in any way.” The tsar himself, who had the rank of vice admiral, “as a sign of the labors incurred in this war,” was promoted to admiral.
The victory in the Northern War strengthened the international authority of Russia, promoted it to the ranks of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire in 1721.
Having achieved the establishment of Russia in the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turned his gaze to the south of the state. As a result Persian campaign Russian troops, with the support of flotilla ships, occupied the cities of Derbent and Baku with the adjacent lands, which went to Russia according to a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For the permanent basing of the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military base in Astrakhan port and Admiralty.
To imagine the enormity of Peter the Great’s achievements, it is enough to note that during his reign, more than 1,000 ships were built at Russian shipyards, not counting small vessels. The number of crews 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 the peasant Efim Nikonov of a “hidden vessel” - the prototype of a submarine. In general, Peter I spent about 1 million 200 thousand rubles on shipbuilding and maintenance of the fleet. Thus, by the will of Peter I in the first two decades of the 18th century. Russia has become one of the great maritime powers of the world.
Peter I came up with the idea of creating “two fleets”: a galley fleet - for operating together with the army in coastal areas, and a ship fleet - for primarily independent operations at sea.
In this regard, military science considers Peter I an unrivaled expert in his time on the interaction between the army and navy.
At the dawn of domestic state shipbuilding for operations in the Baltic and Seas of Azov Peter had to solve the problem of creating mixed navigation vessels, i.e. such that could operate both on rivers and at sea. Other maritime powers did not require such military vessels.
The complexity of the task lay in the fact that navigation along shallow rivers required a shallow draft of the vessel with a relatively large width. Such dimensions of ships when sailing at sea led to a sharp pitching, reducing the effectiveness of using weapons, worsening physical condition commands 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 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.
In the 2nd half of the XVIII - early XIX centuries Russian military navy in terms of the number of warships it took 3rd place in the world, the tactics of combat operations at sea were constantly improved. This allowed Russian sailors to win a number of brilliant victories. The life and exploits of admirals G.A. are bright pages in the history of the Russian Navy. Spiridova, F.F. Ushakova, D.N. Senyavina, G.I. Butakova, V.I. Istomina, V.A. Kornilova, P.S. Nakhimova, S.O. Makarova.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet fleet withstood severe tests and reliably covered the flanks of the fronts, defeating the Nazis at sea, in the sky and on land.
The modern Russian Navy has reliable military equipment: powerful missile cruisers, nuclear submarines, anti-submarine ships, landing craft and naval aircraft. This technique works effectively in the capable hands of our naval specialists. Russian sailors continue and develop the glorious traditions of the Russian Navy, which has a history of more than 300 years.
Russian Navy TODAY
The Russian Navy (RF Navy) includes five operational-strategic formations:
- Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquarters Kaliningrad, part of the Western Military District
- Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquarters Severomorsk, part of the Western Military District
- Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquarters Sevastopol, part of the Southern Military District
- Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy, headquarters Astrakhan, part of the Southern Military District
- Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquarters Vladivostok, part of the Eastern Military District
Goals and objectives
Deterrence from the use of military force or the threat of its use against Russia;
Protection by military methods of the country’s sovereignty, extending beyond its land territory to its internal sea waters and territorial sea, sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf, as well as freedom of the high seas;
Creation and maintenance of conditions to ensure the safety of maritime economic activities in the World Ocean;
Ensuring Russia's naval presence in the World Ocean, demonstrating the flag and military force, visits of ships and naval vessels;
Ensuring participation in military, peacekeeping and humanitarian actions carried out by the world community that meet the interests of the state.
The Russian Navy includes the following forces:
- Surface forces
- Submarine forces
- Naval aviation
- Coastal
- Deck
- Strategic
- Tactical
- Coastal troops fleet
- Marine Corps
- Coastal Defense Troops
Navy today is one of the most important foreign policy attributes of the state. It is designed to ensure security and protect interests Russian Federation to a peaceful and wartime on ocean and sea borders.
It is very important to remember and know about such an important event for the history of Russia as the creation of the Russian Navy on October 30, 1696, as well as to feel a sense of pride in the achievements and successes of the Russian Navy in the light of today's events in the world.
Caspian fleet in Syria The beginning of developed navigation among our ancestors - Eastern Slavs dates back to the VI-VII centuries. On their one-tree boats they made bold sea voyages along the Black and Mediterranean seas. Sea voyages became especially active after the formation Kievan Rus. In 907, Prince Oleg’s campaign against Byzantium involved, as chronicles indicate, 2,000 rooks with 80 thousand warriors. Having marched from the Dnieper along the Black Sea to the Bosphorus and besieged Constantinople, Oleg forced it to surrender and concluded a peace under which the Greeks paid rich tribute to the victors.
Navigation contributed to the establishment of profitable economic and cultural ties between Kievan Rus and Byzantium, the adoption of Christianity in Rus' in 988. To conduct military campaigns in the middle of the 12th century. The squad now has special armored combat boats, covered with a deck.
Sea routes also played a major role in the life of Veliky Novgorod, and, being in the union of Hanseatic cities, the city conducted extensive trade with the Baltic countries. The Novgorodians often had to make military campaigns on their armed ships in response to the predatory raids of the Swedes and Livonians, who sought to obstruct the enterprising and skillful Russian merchant seafarers.
There is indisputable evidence of the development of the shores of both Bely and Barents seas Russian pioneers. However, the natural desire of the Slavs for the seas, as the most profitable routes of communication, was interrupted for almost two centuries by the Tatar-Mongol invasion, which cut off Rus' from the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Only in 1380, with the acquisition of independence, Rus' began to collect the fragmented lands.
By 1505, the unification of the Russian principalities was basically completed and a centralized state led by Moscow was formed. The struggle for access to the sea is flaring up with renewed vigor. Now Ivan the Terrible, in order to protect the Narva trade route and navigation in the Baltic Sea, starts a privateer fleet. However, after an unsuccessful 25-year war with Sweden, by 1595 Russia lost Narva, Koporye, Ivan-Gorod, and in 1617 it found itself completely cut off from this sea. Understanding the importance of maritime trade routes and the need for their armed protection leads the Russian autocrats to the decision not only to arm merchant ships, but also to create special - military - ships. Thus, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the first Russian warship "Eagle", armed with 22 guns, was built on the Oka River in the village of Dedinovo near Kolomna.
At the same time, for Russia on the river. Several small military ships were built on the Dvina near the city of Kokenhausen, intended to conquer Riga in a new attempt to reach the shores of the Baltic Sea, which, however, also ended unsuccessfully.
At the end of the 17th century. Russia in economic development still lagged significantly behind Western European countries. The reason for this was not only the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but also the ongoing grueling wars: in the south - with Turkey, in the west - with Poland, in the northwest - with Sweden. The country's only access to the foreign market was the Arkhangelsk port, founded in 1584.
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At first the choice fell on the southern direction. The campaign of the 30,000-strong Russian army to Azov, undertaken in 1695, ended in complete failure. The siege of the fortress and two assaults led to heavy losses and were not successful. The lack of a Russian fleet ruled out complete blockade Azov. The fortress was replenished with people, ammunition and provisions with the help of the Turkish fleet.
It became clear to Peter that without a strong fleet, closely cooperating with the army and under a single command, Azov could not be captured. It was then, on the initiative of the king, that the decision was made to build warships.
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The young Russian fleet received a baptism of fire and clearly demonstrated its effectiveness. The capture of Azov was the first major victory the newly created regular army and navy of Russia. Russia received Azov with adjacent lands and the right to free navigation in the Sea of Azov.
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To gain a foothold on the Sea of Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many battleships and frigates, galleys and bombardment ships, fire ships and small vessels. But it didn't last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to give the shores of the Sea of Azov to the Turks, and pledged to destroy the Azov Fleet.
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More maneuverable and fast ships included frigates, which had three masts and one or two decks. The length of these ships did not exceed 35 m, they were armed with cannons (up to 40 units). The most popular warships were galleys, capable of operating especially effectively in skerry areas.
To secure access to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on taking possession of the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the Neva. After a 10-day siege and a fierce assault, with the assistance of a rowing flotilla of 50 boats, the Noteburg (Oreshek) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). According to Peter I, this fortress “opened the gates to the sea.” Then the Nyenschanz fortress, located at the confluence of the Neva River, was taken. Ohhh.
In order to finally block the entrance to the Neva for the Swedes, on May 16 (27), 1703, at its mouth, on Hare Island, Peter 1 founded a fortress called Peter and Paul and the port city of St. Petersburg. On Kotlin Island, 30 versts from the mouth of the Neva, Peter 1 ordered the construction of Fort Kronstadt to protect the future Russian capital. In 1704, the construction of an Admiralty shipyard began on the left bank of the Neva, which was destined to soon become the main domestic shipyard, and St. Petersburg - the shipbuilding center of Russia. In August 1704, Russian troops, continuing to liberate the Baltic coast, took Narva by storm. Subsequently, the main events of the Northern War took place on land.
The Swedes suffered a serious defeat on June 27, 1709 in the Battle of Poltava. However, for the final victory over Sweden it was necessary to crush all naval forces and establish a foothold in the Baltic. This took another 12 years of persistent struggle, primarily at sea.
In the period 1710-1714. By building ships at domestic shipyards and purchasing them abroad, a fairly strong galley and sailing Baltic fleet was created. The first of the battleships laid down in the fall of 1709 was named Poltava in honor of the outstanding victory over the Swedes.
The high quality of Russian ships was recognized by many foreign shipbuilders and sailors. Thus, one of his contemporaries, the English admiral Porris, wrote: “Russian ships are in all respects equal to the best ships of this type that are available in our country, and, moreover, are more well finished.”
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The authority of the Russian fleet, Peter I as a naval commander became recognized by the fleets of the Baltic states. In 1716, in the Sound, at a meeting of the Russian, English, Dutch and Danish squadrons for joint cruising in the Bornholm area against the Swedish fleet and privateers, Peter I was unanimously elected commander of the combined Allied squadron. This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Rules over four, at Bornholm". In 1717, troops from Northern Finland invaded Swedish territory. Their actions were supported by large amphibious landings in the Stockholm area.
The victory of a Russian detachment of rowing ships over a detachment of Swedish ships at Grengam in July 1720 allowed the Russian fleet to further gain a foothold in the Åland archipelago and act more actively against enemy communications. The dominance of the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea was determined by the successful actions of the detachment of Lieutenant General Lassi, which included 60 galleys and boats with a landing force of five thousand. Having landed on the Swedish coast, this detachment destroyed one weapons factory and several metallurgical plants, captured rich military trophies and many prisoners, which especially stunned the population of Sweden, who found themselves defenseless on their territory.
On August 30, 1721, Sweden finally agreed to sign the Treaty of Nystad. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, its southern coast with the Gulf of Riga and the islands adjacent to the conquered shores went to Russia. The cities of Vyborg, Narva, Revel, and Riga became part of Russia. Emphasizing the importance of the fleet in the Northern War, Peter I ordered the words to be embossed on the medal approved in honor of the victory over Sweden: “The end of this war with such peace was achieved by nothing other than the fleet, for it was impossible to achieve this by land in any way.” The tsar himself, who had the rank of vice admiral, “as a sign of the labors incurred in this war,” was promoted to admiral. The victory in the Northern War strengthened the international authority of Russia, promoted it to the ranks of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire in 1721.
Having achieved the establishment of Russia in the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turned his gaze to the south of the state. As a result of the Persian campaign, Russian troops, with the support of 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 according to a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For permanent basing the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military port and the Admiralty in Astrakhan. During the Peter the Great period, the center of Russian maritime trade moved from White Sea from Arkhangelsk to the Baltic to St. Petersburg, which became the country's largest commercial port. This forced us to intensify measures to protect the region from possible attacks. The work, which had not stopped since the foundation of the fortress on Kotlin Island, was basically completed in 1723. This is how the fortress city of Kronstadt arose, the defense of which Peter I, by his decree, decided to “maintain to the last strength and stomach, as the most important matter.”
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Peter I came up with the idea of creating “two fleets”: a galley fleet - for action together with the army in coastal areas, and a ship fleet - for predominantly independent actions at sea. In this regard, military science considers Peter I an unrivaled expert in his time on the interaction between the army and navy. At the dawn of domestic state shipbuilding for operations in the Baltic and Azov Seas, Peter had to solve the problem of creating mixed navigation vessels, i.e. such that could operate both on rivers and at sea. Other maritime powers did not require such military vessels.
The complexity of the task lay in the fact that navigation along shallow rivers required a shallow draft of the vessel with a relatively large width. Such dimensions of ships when sailing at sea led to a sharp pitching, reducing the effectiveness of using weapons, and worsened the physical condition of the crew and landing party. In addition, for wooden ships the problem of ensuring the longitudinal strength of the hull was difficult. In general, it was necessary to find a “good proportion” between the desire to obtain good performance by increasing the length of the vessel, and to have sufficient longitudinal strength. Peter chose the ratio of length to width equal to 3:1, which guaranteed the strength and stability of the ships with a slight decrease in speed.
the site tells how the construction of the Baltic Fleet began, and whether it is true that the emperor’s excessive love for the sea brought him to his grave.
"With oars and wit"
In 1720, the “Naval Decree of Peter I” was published. For many centuries, this document became the moral and even criminal code of Russian sailors.
The Baltic Fleet was born during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. The construction of galleys began by order of Emperor Peter Alekseevich in 1702 at shipyards located on the Syas, Luga and Olonka rivers. To prevent the Swedes from destroying the shipyards, at first the territory was guarded by ships purchased Russian Empire abroad. The war with the Swedes was in full swing, the Russians were forced to attack large enemy ships in fragile boats. Regular clashes took place near Arkhangelsk, on Lakes Ladoga and Lake Peipsi. Many ships were recaptured from the Swedes, as they say, with the help of “oars and ingenuity.”
IN urgently Construction of six frigates began on the Syas River. Peter I understood perfectly well that without a strong fleet it was impossible to capture 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 large,” the prince wrote to the emperor. Peter personally went to this remote place and worked tirelessly for six weeks, laying with his own hands and starting the construction of 7 frigates, 5 ships, 7 galleys, 13 half-galleys, 1 galliot and 13 brigantines. In addition to Lodeynoye Pole, ships were built on the Luga River, in the Selitsky row.
Peter I understood perfectly well that without a strong fleet it was impossible to capture 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 swey service” (“sveyskaya” means Swedish). Enormous forces were devoted to the implementation of these grandiose plans; craftsmen came to this swampy region from all over Russia. Plows are small flat-bottomed sailing and rowing vessels that were intended for movement along rivers. On Luga, things went quickly; within a few months, 170 plows were ready, but on Volkhov, work stalled, and Count Sheremetyev had to go to the site and personally supervise the work.
The Russian ships of Peter the Great's fleet were built according to the best English and Dutch drawings. But the quality of the first of them was not up to par. The fact is that the material supplied was not the most suitable for shipbuilding; the workers were not experienced. But the main thing is that Peter rushed the craftsmen so much that they were forced to sacrifice quality for the sake of speed.
Gallows for lumberjacks
The first frigates of the "Standart" type had a length of 27 meters, a width of 7 meters, and were armed with 28-30 guns. On this legendary sailing ship the standard of Peter I was raised with a double-headed eagle, in the paws and on the wings of which maps of the four seas were depicted: the Baltic, White, Caspian and Azov, access to which was made in Peter's times. 
The first frigate of the Shtandart type Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The remoteness of the shipyards on Svir, Syasi, and Volkhov greatly worried the tsar, so he began to strengthen the mouth of the Neva. He founded the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island, and fortifications on Kotlin Island. The main base of the new Baltic Fleet was named Kronshlot.
In just 10-15 years, under the conditions of the ongoing war with the Swedes, St. Petersburg grew up in a deserted and swampy region. People came from the Tambov, Voronezh, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod provinces in a continuous stream, and timber was rafted. In the vicinity of St. Petersburg, oak forests were planted, which were forbidden to be cut down on pain of death. And so that some would not disobey, gallows were erected along the banks of the Neva for violating lumberjacks. It must be said that people were reluctant to go to St. Petersburg: payments here were delayed, 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 icy water
In 1707, a new shipbuilding program for the Baltic Fleet was adopted: 27 battleships, from 50 to 80 guns on 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 throughout Holland and England. Hundreds of sailors and officers were hired in Holland.
The Emperor spared no expense in creating and maintaining 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 looked into the Admiralty every day, looked at the drawings, gave the builders practical instructions, argued about one or another detail of a 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 at the piers.
Historians especially highlight the actions of Russian ships near Vyborg in 1710, the Battle of Gangut in 1714, the cruising of Captain Bredal in the Baltic Sea in 1715 and Apraksin’s raid on the shores of Sweden in 1719.
By evil irony, the sea became one of the reasons for the death of the emperor. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Peter I adored the sea. By evil irony, it became one of the reasons for the death of the emperor. In November 1724, not far from Lakhta, a boat with soldiers and sailors ran aground. Peter was just passing nearby, heading to the arms factory in Sestroretsk. The ship was overwhelmed by high waves and was on the verge of destruction. Despite his serious illness, the emperor threw himself into the icy porridge. Being waist-deep in water, he supervised the rescue of people. Everyone was saved, but Peter caught a severe cold and died two months later at the age of 52.
Russian Academy of Entrepreneurship
Faculty of Management
ABSTRACT
on the topic: “The military reform of Peter I and the creation of the Russian fleet”
in the discipline “History of the Fatherland”
Completed:
2nd year student Kadzhaya I.I.Checked:
INTRODUCTION
The beginning of the reform of the armed forces dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Even then, the first reiter and soldier regiments of the new system were created from datochny and “willing” people (i.e. volunteers). But there were still relatively few of them, and the basis of the armed forces was still made up of noble cavalry militia and streltsy regiments. Although the archers wore uniform uniforms and weapons, the monetary salary they received was insignificant. Basically, they served for the benefits provided to them in trade and crafts, therefore they were tied to permanent places residence. The Streltsy regiments, neither in their social composition nor in their organization, could provide a reliable support for the noble government. They also could not seriously resist the regular troops of Western countries, and, therefore, be a sufficiently reliable instrument for solving foreign policy problems.
Therefore, Peter 1, having come to power in 1689, was faced with the need to carry out a radical military reform and the formation of a massive regular army.
1. Reform of the armed forces.
The core of the military reform were two guards (formerly “amusing”) regiments: Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. These regiments, staffed mainly by young nobles, simultaneously became a school for officers new army. Initially, the emphasis was placed on inviting foreign officers to serve in Russia. However, the behavior of foreigners in the battle of Narva in 1700, when they, led by commander-in-chief von Krui, went over to the side of the Swedes, forced them to abandon this practice. Officer positions began to be filled primarily by Russian nobles. In addition to training officers from soldiers and sergeants of the guards regiments, personnel were also trained in the bombardier school (1698), artillery schools (1701 and 1712), navigation classes (1698) and engineering schools (1709) and the Naval academy (1715). It was also practiced to send young nobles to study abroad. The rank and file was initially made up of “hunters” (volunteers) and datochny people (serfs who were taken from the landowners). By 1705, the procedure for recruiting recruits was finally established. They were recruited one from every 20 peasant and township households every 5 years or every year - one from 100 households. Thus, a new conscription was established for the peasantry and townspeople. Although the top posad merchants, factory owners, factory owners, as well as the children of the clergy were exempt from conscription. After the introduction of the poll tax and the census of the male population of the tax-paying classes in 1723, the recruitment procedure was changed. Recruits began to be recruited not from the number of households, but from the number of male tax-paying souls. The armed forces were divided into a field army, which consisted of 52 infantry (including 5 grenadier) and 33 cavalry regiments, and garrison troops. The infantry and cavalry regiments included artillery.
The regular army was maintained entirely at the expense of the state, was dressed in a uniform government uniform, armed with standard government weapons (before Peter 1, the militia nobles had weapons and horses, and the archers also had their own). The artillery guns were of the same standard caliber, which greatly facilitated the supply of ammunition. After all, earlier, in the 16th - 17th centuries, cannons were cast individually by cannon makers, who serviced them. The army was trained according to uniform Military regulations and instructions.
The total number of the field army by 1725 was 130 thousand people; the garrison troops, called upon to ensure order within the country, numbered 68 thousand people. In addition, to protect the southern borders, a land militia was formed consisting of several irregular cavalry regiments with a total number of 30 thousand people. Finally, there were also irregular Cossack Ukrainian and Don regiments and national formations (Bashkir and Tatar) with a total number of 105-107 thousand people.
The military command system has changed radically. Instead of numerous orders, between which the military administration had previously been fragmented, Peter 1 established a military board and an admiralty board to lead the army and navy. Thus, military control was strictly centralized. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. under Empress Catherine II, a Military Council was created, which exercised general leadership of the war. Formed in 1763 General Staff as a planning body for military operations. Direct control of troops in peacetime was carried out by division commanders. In the second half of the 18th century. the Russian army had 8 divisions and 2 border districts. The total number of troops by the end of the 18th century. increased to half a million people and they were fully provided with weapons, equipment and ammunition at the expense of domestic industry (it produced 25-30 thousand guns and several hundred artillery pieces per month).
In the second half of the 18th century. the army switched to barracks housing, i.e. barracks began to be built on a massive scale, into which troops settled. After all, at the beginning of this century, only the guards regiments had barracks, and the bulk of the troops were located in the houses of ordinary people. Constant conscription was one of the most difficult for the tax-paying classes. The army, which was recruited through conscription, reflected social structure society. Soldiers, emerging from serfdom from the landowner, became serfs of the state, obligated to lifelong service, later reduced to 25 years. The officer corps was noble. Although the Russian army was feudal in nature, it was still a national army, which sharply differed from the armies of a number of Western states(Prussia, France, Austria), where the armies were staffed by mercenaries interested only in receiving payment and robbery. It is no coincidence that in the Battle of Poltava, the Swedish king Charles XII, addressing the soldiers, said that glory, robbery, wine and women awaited them ahead. Before the same battle, Peter 1 told his soldiers that they were fighting “not for Peter, but for the Fatherland entrusted to Peter.”
In the second half of the 18th century. The artillery in the Russian army was significantly strengthened, re-equipped with Shuvalov long howitzers.
2. Creation of a regular navy.
A meeting of the Boyar Duma was scheduled for November 4, 1696, for which Peter prepared a note with the title: “Convenient articles that belong to the captured fortress or farthesia of the Turks of Azov.” The Duma, assembled in Preobrazhenskoe, listened to the historical proposal of Peter 1: “... to fight by sea, since it is very close and convenient many times more than by land. In addition, there is a need for a fleet or a sea caravan, consisting of forty or more ships, about which
it must be done without wasting time: how many of which ships and from how many yards and trades and where to do it?” The Duma passed the following sentence: “There will be sea vessels...”.
All residents of the Moscow state need to participate in the construction of ships. The votchinniki, both spiritual and secular, landowners, guests and merchants were obliged to build the ships themselves in a certain number, and the small estates to help by contributing money. For this purpose, it was necessary that the spiritual owners from 8,000 peasant households, and the secular from 10,000 households, build one ship each, and guests and trading people, instead of the tenth of the money that was collected from them, would build 12 ships; small estates, who had less than a hundred households, had to contribute half a ruble per yard. Number of people equipped in this way
ships were also identified. It was ordered to build 80 of them, and the state intended to build another 80 at its shipyards. Their uniforms and weapons were also clearly marked. The construction of the ships was to be carried out in Voronezh and in neighboring marinas.
The shipbuilding business was going quite successfully. In 1698, the required ships were built.
The Azov victory led to many changes in Russia.
In addition, Peter sent 35 young people abroad, 23 of whom bore the title of prince, to study maritime affairs. Later, in December 1696, Peter came up with the idea of sending an embassy abroad, entrusting him with organizing a coalition of European powers to continue the fight against the Ottoman Empire. The embassy, in addition, had to hire specialists abroad for the Russian service, purchase weapons, and also assign a new batch of nobles for training.
Having entrusted the administration of the country to Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky and boyar Tikhon Stershnev, the embassy left Moscow on March 2, 1697. The embassy was called “great” because of its large size. It was headed by three ambassadors: Lefort, Golovin and Voznitsyn. Among the volunteers was Pyotr Mikhailov - the tsar was listed under that name.
The embassy was accompanied by numerous service personnel: priests, doctors, translators, and bakers. Together with the guard soldiers, the total number was 250 people, and the convoy consisted of 1000 sleighs.
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