Imperial Russian Navy
| Navies of Russia |
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The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Navy of Imperial Russia, before the Soviet Union. The creation of the regular Russian Navy took place during the reign of Peter the Great. During the Second Azov campaign of 1696 against Turkey, the Russians employed for the first time 2 battleships, 4 fireships, 23 galleys and 1300 strugs, built on the Voronezh River. After the occupation of the Azov fortress, the Boyar Duma looked into Peter's report of this military campaign and passed a decree on commencing the construction of the navy on October 20, 1696. This date is considered the official birthday of the regular Russian Navy.
During the Great Northern War of 1700-1721, the Russians built the Baltic Fleet. The construction of the row fleet (galley fleet) took place in 1702-1704 at several shipyards (estuaries of the rivers Syas, Luga and Olonka). In order to be able to defend the conquered coastline and attack enemy's maritime communications in the Baltic Sea, the Russians created a sailing fleet from the ships built in Russia and imported from abroad. In 1703-1723, the main base of the Baltic Fleet was located in Petersburg and then in Kronstadt. The bases were also created in Vyborg, Helsingfors, Revel and Abo. At first, Vladimirsky Prikaz was in charge of shipbuilding. Later on, these functions were transferred to the Admiralteisky Prikaz. The naval officers for the fleet were supplied from among the dvoryane and regular sailors - from recruits. The service in the navy was lifelong. The children of the dvoryane were educated at the School for Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, which had been founded in 1701. Students were often sent abroad for training in foreign fleets. It was also customary to hire foreign nationals to serve in the Russian Navy. In 1718, they established the highest naval authority in Russia called the Admiralty Board (Адмиралтейств-коллегия). In 1722, the Russian Navy had 130 sailing vessels, including 36 battleships, 9 frigates, 3 shnyavas (шнява - a light two-mast ship used for reconnaissance and messenger services), 5 bombardier ships and 77 auxiliary ships. The row fleet consisted of 396 vessels, including 253 galleys and semi-galleys (called скампавеи, or scampavei; a light high-speed galley) and 143 brigantines. The ships were being constructed at 24 shipyards, including the ones in Voronezh, Kazan, Pereyaslavl, Arkhangelsk, Olonets, Petersburg and Astrakhan.
The organizational principals of the Russian Navy, educational and training methods for preparing future staff, and methods for conducting military action were all summarized in the Naval Charter (1720) with regards for naval experience of foreign fleets. Peter the Great, Feodor Apraksin, Akim Senyavin, Naum Senyavin, Mikhail Golitsyn and others are generally credited for the development of the Russian art of naval warfare. The main principles of naval warfare were further developed by Grigory Spiridov, Feodor Ushakov, and Dmitry Senyavin.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century, the Russian Navy grew stronger due to activization of Russia’s foreign policy and Russo-Turkish wars for supremacy in the Black Sea. For the first time, Russia sent its squadrons from the Baltic Sea to distant theaters of operations (see Archipelago expeditions of the Russian Navy). Admiral Spiridov’s squadron gained supremacy in the Aegean Sea by destroying the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Chesma in 1770. In 1771, the Russian army conquered the coasts of the Kerch Strait and fortresses of Kerch and Yenikale. After having advanced to the Danube, the Russians formed the Danube Military Flotilla for the purpose of guarding the Danube estuary. In 1773, the vessels of the Azov Flotilla (created anew in 1771) sailed out into the Black Sea. The Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 ended victoriously for Russia, which gained the coasts of the Sea of Azov and a part of the Black Sea coastline between the rivers Bug and Dniester. The Crimea was pronounced independent under Russia’s protectorate and would become a part of Russia in 1783. In 1778, the Russians founded the port of Kherson. It is in this city that the first battleship of the Black Sea Fleet was commissioned in 1783. A year later, it was already a squadron.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century – early 19th century, the Russian Navy had the third biggest fleet in the world after Great Britain and France. The Black Sea Fleet possessed 5 battleships and 19 frigates (1787), the Baltic Fleet had 23 battleships and 130 frigates (1788). In the early 19th century, the Russian Navy consisted of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, Caspian Flotilla, White Sea Flotilla and Okhotsk Flotilla. In 1802, the Ministry of Naval Military Forces was established (renamed to Naval Ministry in 1815).
In 1826, the Russians built their first armed steamboat Izhora (73.6 kW, or 100 horsepower), equipped with 8 cannons. In 1836, they constructed the first paddle steam frigate of the Russian Navy called Bogatyr (displacement – 1340 tons, power – 177 kW (240 horsepower), armament – 28 cannons). Between 1803 and 1855, the Russian sailors undertook over 40 circumnavigations and distant voyages, which played an important role in exploration of the Far East, different oceans and Pacific theatre of operations.
Russia’s slow technical and economical development in the 1st half of the 19th century caused her to fall behind other European countries in the field of steamboat construction. By the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, Russia had the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, Arkhangelsk Flotilla, Caspian Flotilla and Kamchatka Flotilla (altogether, 40 battleships, 15 frigates, 24 corvettes and brigs, 16 steam frigates etc.). The combined number of staff of all the fleets equaled 91,000 people. Despite all this, the reactionary serfdom system had an adverse effect on the development of the Russian Navy. It was especially typical of the Baltic Fleet, which was known for its harsh military drill. Thanks to admirals Mikhail Lazarev, Pavel Nakhimov, Vladimir Kornilov, and Vladimir Istomin, the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet were taught the art of warfare and upholding of military traditions of the Russian Navy, formed in the times of Admiral Ushakov. The Battle of Sinop in 1853 demonstrated bravery and heroism of the Black Sea Fleet sailors and Nakhimov’s tactical innovations. During the Siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855, the Russian sailors set an example of using all means possible for defending their base from land and sea. In accordance with the Treaty of Paris, Russia lost its right to have a military fleet in the Black Sea. In the 1860s, Russian sailing fleet lost its significance and was gradually replaced by steamboats.
After the Crimean War, Russia commenced construction of steam-powered ironclads, monitors, and floating batteries. These vessels had strong artillery and thick armor, but lacked seaworthiness, speed and long-distance abilities. In 1861, they built the first steel armored gunship Opyt (Опыт). In 1869, the Russians began the construction of one of the first seafaring ironclads Pyotr Velikiy (Пётр Великий).
Reference; http://www.neva.ru/EXPO96/book/book-cont.html - History of the Russian Navy