Home » Alternative Worlds » Peter the Great's Fleet, Part I (Russia Pragmatica III)
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Good day, dear colleagues. I continue to publish my alt-historical project Russia Pragmatic III, and today it is time to start a new sub-cycle of articles dedicated to the Russian Imperial Navy in the times of wood and sail. It will tell about its brief history until the middle of the 19th century, its division into regional fleets, personnel system, and much more.
Peter the Great and the regular fleet
The "zero count" of the Russian Imperial Navy is usually counted from the warship "Eagle", built near Kolomna in 1667-1669 under the patronage of the boyar Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin. It was armed with only 22 cannons, and had to sail along the Volga and Caspian Sea, protecting merchants trading with Persia. It goes without saying that such a ship turned out to be so powerful for these purposes that it could even be called redundant, but fate did not give it a chance to prove itself in battle. Already in 1670, it was captured by the rebels of Stepan Razin, after which the ship was abandoned. The return of the tsarist authorities to the Volga region did not help either. For many years, abandoned, it rotted in the Kutum branch of the Volga, until it finally collapsed completely, and its remains were stolen by local residents, who used them for firewood.
Much less known are the events that took place at the same time in Arkhangelsk. There, the young boyar Mikhail Nikitich Romanov, a relative of the tsar, decided to equip his whaling fleets to the island of Grumant (Spitsbergen), which required ships of a completely new type. He could have purchased them in Europe, but stubbornness and the understanding that it would not be possible to buy ships in Europe forever prevailed, as a result of which in 1665 a small shipyard was built in Solombala, where Dutch and English craftsmen operated. A few years later, quietly and imperceptibly, the first gukors and flutes were put into operation, on which mixed teams of foreigners and Pomors went north, and in 1670 they arrived with the first whale catch. In addition, from 1671, Russian ships began to be sold to foreigners, or sent abroad with Russian cargo, which further increased the demand for large sea vessels in Arkhangelsk. Unlike the "Eagle", the Solombala shipyard and the Russian whalers turned out to be not a one-time event, not a temporary phenomenon, but rather long-term projects in the north of Russia. But the most important thing is that for the first time in Russia, regular European shipbuilding was created, albeit on a small scale. And it is he, and not the Eagle, that will be destined to become the basis of the future Russian Imperial Navy.
As time went. In Moscow, tsars changed, there was a political struggle, and Streltsy riots occurred. The children of the late Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from Natalya Naryshkina, together with the Dowager Tsarina herself, found themselves under the patronage of the boyar Romanov, and settled in Preobrazhenskoye while the Tsarevna-Regent Sophia ruled in Moscow. Officially, there were two kings in the country - John II and Peter I, but the first was too sick and could not rule, and the second was still small. However, it was he who showed unprecedented activity, and from an early age began to show great inclinations, which was one of the reasons that Mikhail Nikitich Romanov actually adopted the Tsar. Since childhood, Peter became keenly interested in the fleet and began sailing along the Yauza River on a boat given to him by “Uncle Romanov.” Next to the young tsar were always Ekaterina Mikhailovna and Roman Mikhailovich - the eldest children of the boyar, who became Peter’s closest people, comrades-in-arms, who fully shared his interest in everything maritime. Soon, Peter was already amusing himself with the construction of a “funny flotilla” on Lake Pleshcheyevo, where he was taught shipbuilding by the Dutch master Karsten Brandt and apprentices specially called from Arkhangelsk from the Solombala shipyard, first of all, a certain Trofim Stepanov, a great connoisseur of Russian wood, who did not hesitate to hit the Tsar on the hands for mistakes, and taught him to value materials for building ships [1] . Soon the tsar himself visited the capital of the Russian north, sailed on a whaling ship, and visited a large (by Russian standards) shipyard. Thus, his love for everything maritime was not only strengthened, but also “regularity” was instilled in maritime theory and shipbuilding.
In 1689, Peter I became the autocratic tsar of Russia, and in 1693-94 he returned to Arkhangelsk again - this time to build a navy. Then the White Sea Flotilla, still small, was created. Despite this, its creation turned out to be associated with a number of difficulties that revealed Russia’s unpreparedness for the immediate construction of large naval fleets. And in 1695, Peter went to fight against the Turks, trying to capture Azov. It turned out to be impossible to do this completely without a fleet, so the sovereign decided to start building sea ships. It was decided to locate the shipyard in Voronezh. This is how the construction of a real regular fleet began in Russia. True, there were still several decades left before its formal creation, but all this time turned out to be filled with many events that changed the appearance of the fleet under construction. In fact, Russia had to build two of them, isolated from each other - in the north and in the south. This was the result of the not very convenient geography of the country, which was washed by different seas without direct communication with each other. Moreover, each fleet had its own characteristics, required a special approach, and developed along its own path, which was in many ways unique. In the future, the situation will not improve, and the number of fleets isolated from each other will only increase. However, this will not cancel their common origin, which will be the Russian Imperial Navy created in 1721 [2].
White Sea Flotilla
The creation of the White Sea Flotilla turned out to be almost an accidental event, although it had been expected for a long time - Peter I simply wanted to continue his training in shipbuilding and deepen his shipbuilding skills, for which river and lake shipyards were no longer suitable. Of course, for this he went to the Solombala shipyard, and there, under the leadership of Russian and Dutch shipwrights, he took part in the construction of a military flotilla, which in 1694 was formed quite officially and called the White Sea. At first it consisted of sailing and sailing-rowing frigates, as well as several yachts; the crews were recruited from local Pomors along with foreign mercenaries. Already in 1701, she had to accept a real baptism of fire, giving battle to the Swedish squadron. Throughout the Northern War, the White Sea Flotilla will remain the smallest, but at the same time one of the most active and successful in Russia, which will confirm the correctness of its creation. The size of the flotilla continued to remain relatively small, but for a number of reasons its combat effectiveness always remained high, even taking into account the fact that almost all sailors and officers were Russians - primarily Pomors. The flotilla itself was nicknamed “Prince Nevsky’s favorite toy,” since he actually patronized it, but that was the end of his participation in the activities of the naval defenders of Arkhangelsk. Throughout the entire era of wood and sail, the White Sea Flotilla will remain, although important, but clearly a secondary part of the naval forces of the empire, and only at the beginning of the 20th century will it begin to gain more and more weight - but these will be completely different times, ships and people.
Arkhangelsk battle
Karl HP understood the importance of Arkhangelsk with its shipbuilding shipyards and experienced shipbuilders for the Russians, and therefore prepared an attack on the city immediately after the victory at Narva.
On June 24, 1701, the Swedish squadron of Vice Admiral Leve entered the Northern Dvina from the White Sea. The frigate and the yacht headed towards the village of Kustovo, and 2 frigates and a bombardment galliot, led by Admiral Leve, headed towards the city itself. Having destroyed the Russian guard post at the Berezovoy mouth, the Swedish ships headed straight to the almost completed Novodvinsk fortress (the total number of its garrison was 700 people).
One of the Russian pilots captured by the Swedes, Ivan Ryabov, deliberately ran a Swedish frigate aground. Ryabov was wounded, but managed to jump overboard and swim to the fortress. Due to an unexpected grounding, the ship following it crashed into the flagship frigate. And although the position of the Swedes in this situation was hopeless, their artillerymen fired heavily at the Russian fortifications.
The summer gate of the Novodvinsk fortress in Arkhangelsk is a mute witness to the battle of 1701.
From the fortress, 4 coastal batteries immediately opened artillery fire on the Swedish ships, and a detachment of soldiers in boats and 2 boats set off to capture the grounded ships of the Swedish fleet. The battle lasted 13 hours. The bomber galliots "Falk" and "Mjohund", moving in the distance, were captured, and the remnants of the Swedish formation moved onto the yacht "Tofvalite" and left the inhospitable Northern Dvina. The Russian victory was complete. Their losses were 2 killed and several wounded. The defenders of the city obtained significant trophies: only from the frigates that ran aground they took 13 cannons, 200 cannonballs, 850 boards of iron, 15 pounds (about 270 kg) of lead.
Azov Fleet
The Azov fleet was born in the winter of 1695-96. Preparations began already in October 1695, when Roman Mikhailovich Romanov arrived in Voronezh, whom the tsar, simultaneously with the lifting of the first siege of Azov, instructed to organize shipyards for the construction of something larger than ordinary river plows, of which up to one and a half thousand were ordered throughout the country, from Kazan to Astrakhan. First of all, Peter needed galleys like those that were sent to him from Holland, but the matter was not limited to them alone - it was decided to also build rowing frigates, bombardment ships and yachts in Voronezh. The scope was impressive, but the city did not have any special capabilities for the construction of such ships, so everything had to be created from scratch. Roman Mikhailovich showed all his organizational capabilities and all the influence of his father, clearly planned and quickly built a real river admiralty in the city, and also organized the supply of all the necessary materials and workers. The sovereign himself worked at the shipyards, and was again and again impressed by the talents of his relative. By May 1696, all planned ships were commissioned, and the newborn Azov Fleet took part in the decisive capture of the Azov fortress, entering the open sea.
This was followed by a new leapfrog and painstaking work by Boyar Romanov Jr., since for the construction of full-fledged sea vessels it was necessary to build a shipyard in Taganrog, and since the city itself did not yet exist, Roman Mikhailovich also had to do it. And again his talents and management made themselves felt - at the very least, not the first time, having spent a lot of time and nerves, the tsar’s favorite managed to rebuild the city and the admiralty in Taganrog, and already in 1698 began laying down battleships. In Voronezh, shipbuilding also did not subside - but due to problems with the removal of large units from the mouth of the Don, it was decided to limit there to small sailing and rowing ships, while in Taganrog it was possible to safely build ships with a draft of up to 5 meters. At the same time, at the shipyards organized by Roman Mikhailovich, ships were still built of insufficient quality, but quickly and cheaply, which contrasted with all other shipbuilding enterprises on the Don. Soon, Peter I simply abolished them and transferred all the construction of the Azov Fleet to the enterprises of his relative. The next decade was filled with constant work and a gradual increase in the power of Russia's naval presence in the south.
And soon Russia needed the Azov Fleet, as another conflict broke out with the Ottoman Empire. Its creation paid off entirely, and as a result of a short but victorious war, Kuban and the southern coast of Crimea became part of Russia. Shipbuilders in the south now have the opportunity to build ships in even more convenient places than Taganrog. The first of them was Kamysh-Burunskaya Bay, south of Kerch, where depths reached 6-7 meters, and the second was Sevastopol (Akhtiarskaya) Bay, where the main naval base of the southern fleet of the Russian Empire was built. And again a move of shipyards followed, this time a complete one - the Taganrog Admiralty was abolished, and in its place the Kerch and Sevastopol Admiralty were created, around which fortifications and settlements were built. Since 1718, full-fledged sea ships began to be built there. However, by that time the Azov Fleet had already been abolished - having received access to the Black Sea, the main forces of the fleet were proclaimed Black Sea in 1715, while only a small sailing and rowing flotilla, consisting of rowing frigates and galleys, remained tied to Azov. In terms of its status among all the fleets and flotillas of the RIF, it will be second only to the Caspian in its insignificance. By the end of the reign of Peter the Great, the leadership in the south would go to the Black Sea Fleet.
Siege of Narva
The garrison of the fortress numbered no more than 500 people against Peter's 40,000 soldiers. The Russian artillery consisted of old guns, the bombs for the mortars quickly ran out and they began to shoot stones at the fortress. The carriages of many guns turned out to be so dilapidated that they were destroyed immediately after 3-4 shots.
Battle of Narva. 1700 A. E. Kotzebue. XIX century Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, St. Petersburg
Having learned about the siege of Narva, Charles XII arrived in Pärnu with an army of 32,000. Peter I decided to leave his troops for the sake of important state affairs. Instead of himself, he appointed the Austrian Duke de Croix as commander, relying on his experience. He convened a military council, where everyone spoke in favor of defending himself. Only one experienced field marshal, Boris Sheremetyev, made a proposal to attack the Swedes first, but it was rejected. Thus, the initiative remained with the enemy.
Early in the morning of November 19, Charles HP's troops moved through the forest along barely passable paths. The Swedes secretly approached the Russian camp and captured the Hermannsberg hill. The moment for the attack was chosen very well: they broke into the fortification, broke through the center - the Russians fled. The Duke of Croix surrendered.
After this defeat, the opinion that the Russian army was completely incompetent became established in Europe, and Karl HP received the nickname of the Swedish Alexander the Great. Subsequently, he defeated the troops of Augustus II several times, captured Warsaw and moved deep into Courland. Soon the Swedish army took over the entire country. By 1701, Russia remained the only enemy of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Map of the Novodvinsk Fortress of Arkhangelsk from the book “Atlas of Fortresses of the Russian Empire.” 1830. The Novodvinsk fortress is depicted at the top
The ambitious Russian tsar began to actively mobilize the entire country for victory: he introduced conscription (the nobles supplied one foot recruit from 50 households and one horse recruit from 100 households), in order to extract copper for artillery, he issued a decree on the removal of bells from churches and monasteries, think about building a fleet. The only city where warships were built, Arkhangelsk, was located far from the main battles, and the few Russian sailors did not yet have experience in long voyages. In addition, the “Pomeranian capital” soon found itself under threat of attack by the Swedish fleet.
Baltic Fleet
If the creation of the Azov Fleet and the Voronezh Admiralty was a spontaneous and hasty affair, then Russia began to prepare for the construction of the Baltic Fleet in 1699, when an anti-Swedish alliance with Denmark, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began to form. Roman Mikhailovich Romanov was sent by the tsar to the north with the goal of identifying places for the construction of shipyards on the northern lakes, where it was possible to begin the construction of river and small sea vessels. The construction of the Luga shipyard began to build plows; Roman rejected the shipyard project at the mouth of the Syas River, instead choosing a location at the mouth of the Volkhov River. Construction of the village of Novaya Ladoga also began there. Another shipyard was built on the Svir River, near the villages of Meshkovichi and Mokrishvitsy, which were united into one settlement, Lodeynoye Pole. The shipyard itself was named Olonetskaya. A small shipyard was built in Shuisky Pogost, the future Petrozavodsk. Materials were prepared in advance, specialists were hired, and workers were sought. In the summer of 1700, the first scampaways were laid at the Olonets shipyard; the same ones were laid in early autumn in Petrozavodsk. The construction of the first small sailing and rowing frigates also began. This is how the construction of the Baltic Fleet began [3].
However, his birth was difficult. Every piece of water, including Lake Ladoga and the mouth of the Neva, had to be won back in battle. The Novoladozhskaya shipyard was attacked by the Swedes in 1701, and was almost burned along with many unfinished ships. In 1703, at the mouth of the Neva, the construction of the city of Petrograd began, and in it - the Admiralty, which was to become a place for the construction of naval ships, frigates and battleships. The idea of building large-scale units on the lakes was abandoned due to draft restrictions. For more than 10 years of the initial period of the outbreak of war, the Russian fleet, despite its active construction and expansion, was in the minority, and was forced to be based between the island of Kotlin and Petrograd, in fresh water, where the ships, which were not built very well, rotted for several years , because of which it was necessary to constantly build new ones simply to make up for the loss of the fleet. Along with sea vessels, the army fleet was also actively built - a collection of rowing and sailing vessels for war off the coast of Finland and in shallow waters, of which there were so many in the Baltic. It is he who will be destined to be the first to show Russian ambitions in the Baltic and to win the first victories over the Swedes. In total, by the end of the Northern War, so many ships will be built that Russia, from a purely land-based state, will sharply step into the leadership of secondary maritime powers, possessing more ships in service than Denmark or Sweden.
In the subsequent decades after the end of the Great Northern War, the Baltic Fleet will remain the main one for Russia, and the main emphasis will be on its development. Three admiralties will already be working to replenish and develop it - Petrograd, Nevskoe and Kronstadt, as well as the Solombala shipyard and many smaller enterprises. His power will gradually increase, and his combat skills will be kept at the highest possible level. Being constantly close to the capital and emperors, the Baltic people will receive a special gloss and special traditions. Only after the Black Sea Fleet enters the Mediterranean Sea will the Baltic Fleet become the second most important for the empire, and after the formation of the Pacific Fleet begins, even the third. However, this will already be in the 2nd half of the 19th century, in the era of armor and steam, and in the times of wood and sail, Peter’s favorite brainchild, tested by him in action, will always remain a source of pride for the Russian Empire.
Regular Navy of Peter the Great: Introduction
Home / History / Regular military fleet of Peter the Greatbased on materials from the authors - V.N. KRASNOV - Candidate of Naval Sciences, Captain 1st Rank, E.A. SHITIKOV - Candidate of Technical Sciences, State Prize laureate, Vice Admiral
The beginning of developed navigation among our ancestors - the Eastern Slavs - dates back to the 6th-7th centuries. On their one-tree boats they made daring sea voyages in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Sea voyages became especially active after the formation of Kievan Rus. In 907, Prince Oleg’s campaign against Byzantium involved, as chronicles indicate, 2,000 rooks with 80 thousand warriors. Having marched from the Dnieper along the Black Sea to the Bosphorus and besieged Constantinople, Oleg forced it to surrender and concluded a peace under which the Greeks paid rich tribute to the victors. Navigation contributed to the establishment of profitable economic and cultural ties between Kievan Rus and Byzantium, the adoption of Christianity in Rus' in 988. To conduct military campaigns in the middle of the 12th century. The squad now has special armored combat boats, covered with a deck. Sea routes also played a major role in the life of Veliky Novgorod, and, being in the union of Hanseatic cities, the city conducted extensive trade with the Baltic countries. The Novgorodians often had to make military campaigns on their armed ships in response to the predatory raids of the Swedes and Livonians, who sought to obstruct the enterprising and skillful Russian merchant seafarers. There is indisputable evidence of the development of the shores of both the White and Barents Seas by Russian pioneers. However, the natural desire of the Slavs for the seas, as the most profitable routes of communication, was interrupted for almost two centuries by the Tatar-Mongol invasion, which cut off Rus' from the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Only in 1380, with the acquisition of independence, Rus' began to collect the fragmented lands. By 1505, the unification of the Russian principalities was basically completed and a centralized state led by Moscow was formed. The struggle for access to the sea is flaring up with renewed vigor. Now Ivan the Terrible, in order to protect the Narva trade route and navigation in the Baltic Sea, starts a privateer fleet. However, after an unsuccessful 25-year war with Sweden, by 1595 Russia lost Narva, Koporye, Ivan-gorod, and in 1617 it found itself completely cut off from this sea.
Dekker. Astrakhan. Panorama at the end of the 17th century and the ship "Eagle"
Understanding the importance of maritime trade routes and the need for their armed protection leads the Russian autocrats to the decision not only to arm merchant ships, but also to create special - military - ships. Thus, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the first Russian warship “Eagle”, armed with 22 guns, was built on the Oka River in the village of Dedinovo near Kolomna. At the same time, for Russia on the river. Several small military ships were built on the Dvina near the city of Kokenhausen, intended to conquer Riga in a new attempt to reach the shores of the Baltic Sea, which, however, also ended unsuccessfully. At the end of the 17th century. Russia was still significantly behind Western European countries in economic development. The reason for this was not only the consequences of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, but also the ongoing grueling wars: in the south - with Turkey, in the west - with Poland, in the northwest - with Sweden. The country's only access to the foreign market was the Arkhangelsk port, founded in 1584.
| Peter I |
It was a historical necessity for Russia to reach the shores of the Black and Baltic Seas. Thus, for Peter I, who ascended the throne in 1682, a goal was predetermined, the achievement of which became the content of his state activities. At first the choice fell on the southern direction. The campaign of the 30,000-strong Russian army to Azov, undertaken in 1695, ended in complete failure. The siege of the fortress and two assaults led to heavy losses and were not successful. The lack of a Russian fleet ruled out a complete blockade of Azov. The fortress was replenished with people, ammunition and provisions with the help of the Turkish fleet. It became clear to Peter that without a strong fleet, closely cooperating with the army and under a single command, Azov could not be captured. It was then, on the initiative of the king, that the decision was made to build warships.
| View of the city of Voronezh, the palace and Zeighaus of Emperor Peter I |
The construction of ships was carried out near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhenskoye, in Voronezh, Kozlov, Dobroy, Sokolsk. Particularly large construction took place in Voronezh, where the Admiralty was created. Over 26 thousand people were mobilized to harvest ship timber and build ships. At the same time, the fleet was being recruited with soldiers from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments and recruits.
| K. Porter. Azov. Capture of the fortress |
In just a few months, by the spring of 1696, the Azov Fleet was created, the basis of which was galleys (16-25 pairs of oars, two masts with a sail, several cannons, a crew of up to 250 people).
| Kerch campaign of the Azov fleet. 1696 |
At the end of April, a 76,000-strong army led by governor A.S. left Voronezh for Azov. Shein (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 the Tsar's associate F. Lefort. The fleet blocked the approaches to Azov from the sea, and the army besieged the fortress from land. After intense cannon fire on the fortress from ships and the shore and its assault by Russian Cossacks, the Azov garrison capitulated on July 12 (22), 1696.
| Lefort Franz Yakovlevich |
The young Russian fleet received a baptism of fire and clearly demonstrated its effectiveness. The capture of Azov was the first major victory of the newly created regular army and navy of Russia. Russia received Azov with adjacent lands and the right to free navigation in the Sea of Azov.
| A. Schonebeck. Azov. Siege of the fortress in 1696 |
On October 20 (30), 1696, Tsar Peter 1 “indicated” and the Duma “sentenced”: “There will be sea vessels” - a state act that officially marked the beginning of the creation of a regular fleet. Since then, this date has been celebrated as the birthday of the Russian Navy. To gain a foothold on the Sea of Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. 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.
| Engraving by unknown artist. Azov. Siege of the fortress in 1696 |
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.
| 28-gun frigate "Standard". 1703 |
After the war with Turkey for the possession of the Sea of Azov, the aspirations of Peter 1 were aimed at the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, the success of which was predetermined by the presence of military force at sea. Understanding this very well, Peter I began building the Baltic Fleet. 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.
| 58-gun ship "Goto Predestination" ("God's Foresight"). (1700) |
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. More maneuverable and fast ships included frigates, which had three masts and one or two decks. The length of these ships did not exceed 35 m, they were armed with cannons (up to 40 units). The most popular warships were galleys, capable of operating especially effectively in skerry areas. To secure access to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on taking possession of the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the Neva. After a 10-day siege and a fierce assault, with the assistance of a rowing flotilla of 50 boats, the Noteburg (Oreshek) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). According to Peter I, this fortress “opened the gates to the sea.” Then the Nyenschanz fortress, located at the confluence of the Neva River, was taken. Oh you. In order to finally block the entrance to the Neva for the Swedes, on May 16 (27), 1703, at its mouth, on Hare Island, Peter 1 founded a fortress called Peter and Paul and the port city of St. Petersburg. On Kotlin Island, 30 versts from the mouth of the Neva, Peter 1 ordered the construction of Fort Kronstadt to protect the future Russian capital.
| Capture of two Swedish ships at the mouth of the Neva on May 7, 1703. |
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.
| Battleship of the Baltic Fleet "Poltava" |
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.”
| P.N. Wagner. 1912 Battle of Gangut. 1714 |
The successes of domestic shipbuilders were very significant: by 1714, the Baltic Fleet included 27 linear 42-74-gun ships. 9 frigates with 18-32 guns, 177 scampaways and a brigantine. 22 auxiliary vessels. The total number of cannons on the ships reached 1060. (Scampavea is a small fast galley with 18 pairs of oars, one or two cannons and one or two masts with oblique sails).
| M.Bakua. Naval battle between the Swedish and Russian fleets under the command of Schoutbenacht Ehrenskiöld |
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.
| Battle of Gangut |
The Gangut victory provided the Russian fleet with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. It, like the Poltava victory, became a turning point in the entire Northern War, allowing Peter I to begin preparations for an invasion directly into Swedish territory. This was the only way to force Sweden to make peace.
| A.P. Bogolyubov. 1876 Gangut. Battle of July 27, 1714 |
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.
| Fight at Fr. Ezel. May 24, 1719 |
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.
| A. Zubov. Battle of Grenham. July 27, 1720 |
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.
| F. Perrault 1841 Grenham. Battle of July 27, 1720 |
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.
| A. Zubov. Battle of Grenham. Ceremonial entry of captured Swedish ships into St. Petersburg |
The victory in the Northern War strengthened Russia's international authority, promoted it to one of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire in 1721. Having achieved the establishment of Russia in the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turned his gaze to the south of the state. As a result of the Persian campaign, Russian troops, with the support of flotilla ships under the general leadership of Peter I, occupied the cities of Derbent and Baku with adjacent lands, which went to Russia according to a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For permanent basing the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military port and the Admiralty in Astrakhan.
| Petersburg. Spit of Vasilyevsky Island |
During the Peter the Great period, the center of Russia's maritime trade moved from the White Sea from Arkhangelsk to the Baltic to St. Petersburg, which became the country's largest commercial port. This forced us to intensify measures to protect the region from possible attacks. The work, which had not stopped since the foundation of the fortress on Kotlin Island, was basically completed in 1723. This is how the fortress city of Kronstadt arose, the defense of which Peter I, by his decree, decided to “maintain to the last strength and stomach, as the most important matter.”
| “The Hidden Vessel” by Efim Nikonov (1721) |
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.
| Daniel Maclise. Ser 19th century Peter I in Deptford in 1698. From the collection of the London Gallery |
Peter I was not only a statesman, but also a most skilled shipbuilder. Taking part in the creation of ships with his own hands, he constantly sought out new methods for quickly and efficiently building them. The method of work of the Dutch shipbuilders, with whom Peter I became acquainted in 1697, enriched him with practical skills, but did not completely satisfy him. In January 1698, the Russian sovereign went to England, where the greatest achievements in shipbuilding were. In this country, in particular, even before launching the ship, builders could determine the waterline (displacement) through appropriate calculations. Traveling around Europe, Peter I not only collected books on shipbuilding and navigation, but also inquisitively studied them. The knowledge he gained led him to realize the need to develop 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 naval and partly army officers. By attracting foreign teachers and shipwrights, Peter I largely went his own way, creating a domestic school of shipbuilding.
| Russian galley |
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 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.
| The ship of the Azov Fleet "Apostle Peter". 1705 |
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.
| Galera "Tver" |
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.
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet appeared in 1712, when, by direct decree of Peter I, the Azov Fleet was divided into two parts - the Black Sea Fleet itself, and the Azov Rowing Flotilla. He already had certain traditions, military glory, and a small list of victories over the Turks in the recently ended war. This was just the beginning of his journey - there were still many Russian-Turkish wars ahead, which was understood by both the government and the sailors and officers. Therefore, despite the fact that the Black Sea Fleet usually saved a little, the navy itself always tried to snatch money and the opportunity to conduct exercises and improve their combat training. The climate itself made it possible to devote more time to service on ships - in the south, earlier than in the Baltic, the ice melted along the coast, and later covered the coastal waters. And in the places where he was based, he stayed for more than several months only occasionally.
The main base of the Black Sea Fleet was the city of Sevastopol, founded by Peter the Great in Akhtiar Bay in 1712. At first, shipbuilding was carried out in it, as well as in Voronezh and Kerch, with the main shipyards located in the latter city. After 1740, large shipyards began to be built in the city of Nikolaev, which was founded at the confluence of the Southern Bug and Ingul, in the newly annexed territories. After this, the shipyards in Kerch gradually began to lose their importance and were sold to private owners. Another private shipyard was founded in Kherson, near the mouth of the Dnieper. The infrastructure for supporting and basing the Black Sea Fleet has been constantly improved. Over time, although the Black Sea Fleet became the second most important for Russia, it still claimed primacy in military glory and level of combat training. Time after time he defeated the Turks, and in the end he solved a strategic problem for Russia - he broke through the exit to the Mediterranean Sea. From that moment on, the Black Sea Fleet actually turned into the Mediterranean, since the Black Sea became a “Slavic lake” and did not require the military presence of Russian ships there. The fleet itself moved forward and became paramount for Russia, relegating the Baltic to the background. The efforts of the time of Peter I fully paid off generations later. The descendants of the Azov Fleet, built on the knees, in a hurry, haphazardly, served with dignity, plowing the Mediterranean and going out into the world's oceans.
Access to the Baltic Sea
To successfully fight the Swedes, Russia needed a strong fleet in the Baltic Sea, and Peter I began hastily building it. In 1702, 2 frigates from a planned series of 6 units were launched in Arkhangelsk, and a 26-gun ship was laid down. In addition, they began to build karbass and soymas as landing craft, small warships and boats. At 3 shipyards in Pskov, Novgorod and near the village of Onezhitsy, over 600 different watercraft were built in just 4 months.
To open its way to the Baltic Sea, Russia had to go along Lake Ladoga to the Neva and take possession of the powerful Swedish fortress - Noteburg (formerly Russian Oreshek). There was another way - through Lake Peipsi along the Narova River. True, then the Swedish fortress of Narva had to be taken. However, Peter I had another idea.
The idea of Peter I
In August 1702, the Russian Tsar boarded troops on 10 ships and sailed to the village of Nyukhcha near the White Sea. From there he moved overland to the northernmost point of Lake Onega. There weren’t enough horses, so the cannons were pulled by people, and 2 Arkhangelsk-built rowing frigates “Holy Spirit” and “Courier” were dragged. The path that soldiers and peasants paved with incredibly hard efforts was called the “Osudareva Road”. Having traveled 185 versts, the caravan reached Povenets, where the frigates were lowered into Lake Onega.
Assault on Noteburg
Assault on the Noteburg fortress on October 11, 1702 by A. E. Kotzebue. 1846. Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, St. Petersburg. In the center of the picture is Peter I
The gathering of all Russian troops took place near Noteburg on the eve of the assault. The ancient fortress of Oreshek had powerful artillery (140 guns) and a garrison of 450 people. From the very beginning of the battle, Russian troops (12,000 people, armed with 37 cannons and 14 mortars) suffered heavy losses. Then the headquarters of Peter I decided to drag 50 boats from the lake along the land isthmus to the Neva and thus surround the fortress from all sides, which was done. Heavy artillery fire from the Swedes forced some of Prince Mikhail Golitsyn's subordinates to flee to the boats, but he ordered the boats to be pushed away from the shore, and the soldiers were forced to storm the fortress so as not to die from enemy bullets. They were supported by the artillery of the frigates "Holy Spirit" and "Courier". After a 12-hour battle, the fortress garrison capitulated. Peter I renamed the city Shlisselburg (from German - “key city”). It really was the key to access to the Baltic Sea, which had yet to be obtained.
Entrance to the Neva was free. But at its mouth there was another Swedish fortress - Nyenschanz. Peter intended to capture it next year.
"The Unprecedented Happens"
Despite the fact that the Nyenschanz fortress had a modest garrison - 600 people with 80 guns, it represented the pinnacle of fortification art of its time. Peter I with 7 guard companies on 60 boats managed to break through to the mouth of the Neva. The next day the assault began, and on May 1 the fortress fell. In honor of the victory, the tsar renamed it Schlottburg (from Dutch - “castle-town”).
Model of the Nyenschanz fortress. Historical and Archaeological Museum "Nienschanz", St. Petersburg
A Swedish squadron of Vice Admiral G. von Numers appeared at the fortress, who did not know about its capture and went to the rescue. The coast was relatively shallow, so all ships could not approach it. The 10-gun bot "Gedan" and the 8-gun bot "Astrild" separated from the squadron. Entering shallow water, they anchored off the left bank of the Neva.
On the night of May 7, a flotilla of 30 fishing boats with 2 companies of soldiers from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments under the command of bombardier captain Pyotr Mikhailov and Lieutenant Menshikov, taking advantage of the darkness and rain, suddenly attacked the Swedish ships. After a fierce boarding battle they were taken. The Russian Tsar was the first to climb onto the deck of the Astrild ship with a grenade in his hands and force the enemy to surrender. "Gedan" was captured by a boarding team led by Menshikov.
For this victory, the Military Council awarded Peter I and his closest associate the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. All participants in the battle received medals (officers - gold, soldiers - silver) with the inscription “The unthinkable happens.”
In fact, this was the first Russian victory at sea, and therefore May 7 - the day of the battle with the bot "Gedan" and the nasty "Astrild" - is the official date of birth of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Caspian flotilla
Military vessels on the Caspian Sea existed almost from the moment the Astrakhan Khanate was absorbed by the Russian Empire, but they were “regularized” only in 1721, when Peter I began to prepare for a campaign in Persia. By that time, everything was already available for the construction and maintenance of the flotilla - two admiralties (Kazan and Astrakhan), a number of ships, personnel. The inland and small Caspian Sea did not require such a number of specialized personnel, and the flotilla itself should have consisted mainly of rowing ships, which were quite sufficient for complete dominance in the region. Having experienced the peak of its development in the 1720s, the Caspian Flotilla quickly declined and weakened to the most insignificant part of the Russian Imperial Navy. However, its existence still continued, and from time to time it was even necessary to carry out military actions against the Persians, but in general the Caspian Flotilla would become an unofficial place of exile for unreliable officers and sailors, and service on it would remain of little honor. On the other hand, salaries were paid here too, and the almost complete absence of threats guaranteed the safety of those officers who were not at all eager to fight. This situation will persist until the middle of the 19th century, until the advent of the era of iron and steam.
Siberian flotilla
The Siberian Flotilla of the Russian Imperial Navy was formed at the very end of the reign of Peter I, in 1724, mainly to explore the northern part of the Pacific Ocean and establish Russian influence there. Over time, the flotilla grew from several ships to several dozen, and significantly expanded the scope of its activities. First of all, warships were needed there to protect their whalers, as well as the fisheries of the Russian-American and Russian-Chinese companies. Formally a state military formation, the Siberian Flotilla will in fact work closely with the RAC and the RKK, and in fact will be its second fleet, and a military fist to protect the interests of Russian commerce. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Novoarkhangelsk were made the main bases of the fleet [4] . The ship's complement was replenished from two sources - large ships were sent from Europe, including those purchased from foreigners, and small ships were built at the small Okhotsk Admiralty. An interesting feature was that Siberians highly valued Spanish colonial-built ships made of mahogany, which were distinguished by their colossal durability for wooden ships. Their purchase, as well as the purchase of food for Kamchatka and Alaska in New Spain, led to close relations between Russians and Spaniards in the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the Siberian flotilla of the era of wood and steam will never be numerous, and many sailors will consider appointment to service here as punishment and exile. Only in the 2nd half of the 19th century will the situation change, and the flotilla itself will be reorganized into the Pacific Fleet, and will become one of the most important parts of the Russian Imperial Fleet.
Northern thunderstorm
Sweden by the end of the 17th century. became the dominant power on the Baltic Sea and one of the leading countries in Europe. Its navy ranked 4th in power in the world after England, France and Holland. By the beginning of the Northern War, it had 38 battleships and 13 frigates. In addition, it included almost 200 different small ships and vessels - ships, galleys, boats, etc. Due to the excellent training of Swedish sailors and soldiers, as well as the unconventional thinking of their sea and land commanders, the army and navy of the Kingdom of Sweden for a long time were unofficially called Northern thunderstorm.
All Swedish warships were both artillery and landing ships: they took on board approximately 50 (boats) to 700 (battleships) soldiers. In a naval battle, their power was enhanced by weapon salvoes from infantrymen firing from the quarter deck. However, cannonballs and rifle bullets only prepared the main thing - a swift boarding attack using melee weapons.
The flagship of the Swedish Navy during the Northern War was the 110-gun battleship King Charles. Unknown artist. The end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century.
The foundation of the military power of the Kingdom of Sweden was laid by Gustav II Adolf Vasa (1594-1632). In contrast to the then prevailing principles in Europe of recruiting armed forces with mercenaries, the famous king formed them exclusively from subjects of his state. As a result, the Swedish army and navy were characterized by high morale and unit cohesion, because relatives, neighbors and fellow villagers served in the same company or on the same ship. An interesting feature of the character of the Swedish soldiers and their commanders was their complete disregard for bad weather. They could conduct combat operations in fog, rain, and severe winter storms.
Being an experienced commander, Gustav II attached great importance to firearms and artillery. However, aware of their imperfections, he in every possible way cultivated hand-to-hand combat skills among his soldiers and officers. This was developed by his descendant, Charles XII, not only in the army, but also in the navy.
Thus, young Russia had a serious opponent. And the tasks facing the headquarters of Peter I were extremely difficult, but absolutely new and necessary.
Mediterranean Squadron
A lot of time passed before the Black Sea Fleet made its way into the Mediterranean Sea, and the interests of the empire required at least a minimal presence of Russia there. Political problems made it difficult to keep large formations there on a permanent basis, but the Baltic Fleet could keep small flotillas and squadrons there regularly. Officially, the Mediterranean squadron was formed in 1732, and already in 1735 it was very useful during the next war with the Turks. After their defeat, some of the ships remained in the Mediterranean Sea, based in neutral ports, and received a special status - an allowance was given for service on its ships, and commanders and admirals, as a rule, were also outstanding diplomats, and also performed diplomatic service. This connection was irregular, its composition of ships was constantly changing. In peacetime, rotation took place annually, and in the fall, when the ships finished the campaign, some of them were assigned to the south, where they replaced the ship that had already served for a year in the cradle of European civilization. Only the headquarters and the squadron commander remained constant. In wartime, if the political situation in Northern Europe allowed it, the emperor could send the entire Baltic Fleet to the south. However, even without wars there were enough battles for Russian ships - they, like other Europeans, gradually became involved in the fight against Barbary pirates, which turned out to be a good battle school. The Mediterranean squadron will remain until the moment when the Black Sea Fleet makes its way into the Aegean Sea through the straits - and it itself will be abolished as unnecessary, although the practice of sending part of the ships of the Baltic Fleet overseas for the winter will continue.
Personnel system
As in the army, the personnel system of the navy of the Russian Empire was based on two pillars - compulsory service for nobles (albeit with the right of redemption), and conscription. Despite such solid similarities, there were plenty of differences between the ground and naval forces. Firstly, the navy turned out to be a new thing for Russia, so very few nobles chose to go there, which is why the lack of officer personnel had to be compensated for by large numbers of foreign mercenaries. Secondly, for the same reason, the qualifications of Russian officers for quite a long time were clearly below average, since they had to be a kind of pioneers. Finally, the same problem - the lack of regular navigation in Russia in the old days - led to the fact that there were only a few even minimally trained and capable recruits recruited as sailors. Initially, naval recruiters recruited people primarily in the coastal parts of the state, or residents of large river basins, but after the first campaigns it quickly became clear that they were not much different from entirely “land” sailors, who had previously seen water in large quantities only in native village river. And if the problems with the officer corps could somehow be solved by hiring foreigners, then the situation with the sailors was, if not catastrophic, then at least deplorable.
However, Peter and his comrades quickly realized this and got down to business. Recruits for the fleet began to be selected not on a geographical basis, but on the basis of physical capabilities. Before they were sent to serve on ships, yesterday’s Russian men, whom life did not indulge in good regular nutrition, were fattened and physically loaded in order to make them strong and strong sailors - which, given the peculiarities of managing ships of that era, was extremely necessary [5 ] . In between these classes, the sailors were given minimal theoretical knowledge so that they could at least have a general idea of what naval service was. For this, Prince Nevsky spared no expense, and in 1703, together with the construction of Petrograd, he founded three sailor schools in the country (one of them in Preobrazhenskoye), which were engaged in the primary training of recruits and provided the fleet with at least minimally trained sailors [6] . In 1706, the training program was expanded - recruits were also forced to learn to swim and climb masts, and not be afraid of heights. They also underwent training in standard techniques with guns, boarding weapons and cannons. At the same time, personnel unsuitable for naval service were eliminated. In total, the course of study at the sailor school lasted 3, since 1709 - 6 months. At the same time, already during school training, the most capable sailors were identified, who were given recommendations when transferred to ships. The recommendations themselves were divided into three groups - Mars shooters, gunners and Mars fleets. At the same time, most of the sailors were still left without recommendations, and were assigned to roles depending on the decision of the ship’s commander.
With the officers of Russian origin, the problem was also resolved over time. The nobles were reluctant to join the navy, preferring the army - therefore, in 1723, representatives of other classes received certain privileges when joining the navy. This, as well as less competition from the nobles, quickly attracted a large number of people of humble origin, primarily commoners. Ordinary sailors also had much more opportunities to become a naval officer - the most capable and skilled of them were recruited into naval universities at state expense, after which they received the coveted titles and opportunities. New opportunities opened up for sailors also because in 1732, compulsory literacy and basic numeracy training was introduced at sailor schools - the highest ranks considered that since the navy was more demanding of the quality of personnel, it was desirable that they had at least the most general primary education. The term of service was also gradually adjusted - at first lifelong, it was limited simultaneously with the term of service in the army, but not to 25, but to 20 years. This indirectly increased the popularity of the service, since a sailor or officer who had served his time received more opportunities to succeed in the civilian sphere. Sailor schools also became popular for the civilian fleet - this way Russian merchants could hire people cheaply and train them as sailors, rather than staffing their crews entirely with foreigners.
Together with other measures, such as increased salaries and prizes for successful military operations at sea, this significantly increased the prestige of service in the navy, as a result of which by the middle of the 18th century most of the personnel problems in the navy were resolved both in quantitative and qualitative terms. A system of recruiting and initial training of sailors was created, and a fairly liberal atmosphere reigned among officers, when the class affiliation of individuals was not decisive in their service. The naval personnel themselves became more educated than the land personnel, and if the army stood guard over traditions, the navy acted as one of the engines of progress. And along with the naval personnel, Russia itself changed - in place of a purely land country, a truly great power came, capable of organizing powerful armies and strong squadrons with professional teams and admirals. This will take about 60 years, or 3 generations, but thanks to systematic work and continuity, the process will be successfully completed by the 1750s, during the reign of Emperor Peter II.
Notes
- It is harsh to do this to the king, but it is necessary, and Peter, when studying, allowed similar liberties on the part of his teachers if they benefited him. Sort of.
- Here we will have to slightly correct the real name, because the people and community are Russian, the army is Russian Imperial, and the fleet is Russian! Somehow this is not good, my inner perfectiosaur is going on a rampage.
- Actually, no one and nothing particularly prevented us from starting preparations for the construction of a fleet before the start of the war with Sweden and in reality. This would delay the appearance of Peter's rowing fleet by a year or two, and would open up considerable opportunities for the future. However, he can also be understood - there was a catastrophic lack of time at that time, the army had not yet been properly created, and the allies had already started a war against the Swedes, and Denmark would soon be kicked out of the coalition, plus the war with the Turks was not over yet, plus reforms... There is no time for planning the construction of a fleet in the north.
- AI Novoarkhangelsk, of course - i.e., the city of Anchorage. There are convenient parking places, the bay does not freeze, and there are fertile soils nearby. Farming there, however, is akin to playing roulette - grains ripen very quickly on a polar day, much faster than, for example, here, but if frost hits, then that’s it. So you will still have to buy food in New Spain.
- In a sailing fleet, all operations with sails and other things are carried out manually, and physical strength is extremely necessary there, every day, and not just in case of battles. So, alas and ah, if you approach it wisely, then you need to shell out for good food, and not skimp on it.
- The idea arose suddenly, and, in my opinion, it’s a very good one - it allows us to somewhat smooth out the lack of “natural” sailors in Rus', and speeds up bringing the existing fleet to combat readiness.
