The first Russian sailing ship. "Orel" - the first ship of the Russian fleet

In 1636, a warship was built in Russia, called the "Frederick", but it belonged to another state - Schleswig-Holstein (lands in northern Germany, the capital is Kiel). Therefore, the ship "Eagle", built in 1667-1669, is considered the firstborn of Russian military shipbuilding.

Reasons for building the first shipyard

The prehistory of its construction is as follows. Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who ruled Russia from 1645 to 1676, trade relations with neighbors, including Persia (modern Iran), developed intensively. There was a need to establish navigation in the Caspian Sea. The times were turbulent, and in the signed and trade agreement, a special clause stipulated the need to protect trade routes by military courts. The ship "Eagle" arose as a result of this agreement.

Responsible approach

In 1667, on the Oka, just below the confluence of the Moskva River, in a village called Dedinovo, they began to build a small shipyard. It was intended for the construction of one ship, boat, yacht and two boats. That was the original plan. For this purpose, shipmasters - Gelt, Minster and Van den Streck - were discharged from Holland and other countries. In addition to them, Colonel Van-Bukovets, captain and feeder Butler were invited to directly supervise and organize the construction of warships. 30 carpenters, 4 blacksmiths and 4 gunners were recruited from the surrounding villages. The general leadership of the process of the birth of the Russian navy was entrusted to the boyar A.L. Ordyn-Nashchokin, one of the most educated and intelligent tsarist dignitaries. He also owned the idea of ​​acquiring Russia's own Navy.

seriousness of intentions

Obviously, due to such a serious state approach, the Oryol ship was built in a surprisingly short time - less than a year. They began to build it on November 14, 1667, and already on May 19, 1668, it was launched. What did he represent? A double-deck, three-masted sailing ship of the Western European type with a bowsprit was a variety of the Dutch pinnace - for a wide range of purposes. The parameters possessed by the ship "Eagle" are as follows: the length of the vessel was 24.5 meters, the width was 6.5 meters, the draft depth reached 1.5 meters. The money was received from the predecessor of the Admiralty of Peter I - the Order of the Great Parish. The total cost was 2221 rubles. The frigate was built by Russian shipbuilders Stepan Petrov and Yakov Poluektov according to the design of the aforementioned Cornelius van Bukoven. The warship "Eagle" had the following weapons - 22 squeaks (guns) with a caliber of six to two feet, 40 muskets, 40 pistols, the crew was to consist of 56 people - a captain, 22 sailors (according to other sources, 20 sailors and 2 officers) , 35 archers.

Cradle of the Russian Navy

It should be noted that the place for the construction of the shipyard was chosen sensibly. The village of Dedinovo stretches along both banks of the Oka. There were also oak forests, which are an excellent building material. A squadron of a frigate, a yacht and two sloops along the Volga arrived in Astrakhan in 1669. The yacht was armed with two six-foot guns, each sloop had one squeaker of the same caliber. Why did the convoy reach Astrakhan only in 1669? The delay was due to a lack of finishing materials, and the Oryol warship was forced to spend the winter on the Oka. The emergence of the shipyard marked not only the birth of the domestic navy, but also contributed to the emergence of the Ship Charter and the maritime commercial flag of Russia. "34 article articles" received before the departure of a squadron of four ships, led by the galliot "Eagle", became the prototype of the Charter of the Navy. The tricolor, according to some reports, was also invented here to launch the Orel, although, according to other sources, Peter I drew it with his own hand, came up with the colors, sequence and direction of the stripes. The first ship "Eagle" got its name in honor of the coat of arms of Russia. On April 25, 1669, a decree was issued giving the ship this name.

Sad end

In August, the frigate under the command of Captain Butler and other ships dropped anchor in the Astrakhan roadstead. The city had already been captured by the rebellious peasants led by Stepan Razin. According to some reports, the ships were burned by the Razin Cossacks, according to others, the first ship "Eagle" stood idle for many years in the Kutum channel until it became completely unusable. Such a sad fate befell the frigate. He was not destined to accompany merchant ships to Persia, crossing the Khvalyn (Caspian) Sea. But it will forever remain the first Russian warship. repeatedly visited the first Russian shipyard and noted that the first frigate, although it did not fulfill its mission, but it was from him that all maritime business went. They say that the boat on the spire of the Admiralty is very reminiscent of the glorious Russian ship "Eagle".

The first sailing ships of the Middle Ages appeared in times crusades. Performing their feats of arms, the “defenders of the Holy Sepulcher” moved around the Mediterranean Sea on sailing naves.

The nave is by no means the name of a particular type of ship; most likely, all the first sailboats were called that way. Descriptions of the naves of the 10th-12th centuries, unfortunately, have not been preserved, and we know almost nothing about these courts.

In the XIII century. King Louis IX of France begins to assemble a fleet for the first two crusades. He signs contracts for the rental of sailing ships built in Venice, Marseille and Genoa.

Nave Venetian

The texts of these contracts, which have come down to our times, became the first accurate descriptions of the naves. Judging by them, the nave of those years was a fairly large ship with a displacement of up to 600 tons. The bow and stern with the same high cheekbone contours had high multi-tiered superstructures, where crossbowmen were stationed during the battle.

As the naves improved, the platforms for the soldiers gradually shifted to the posts. The cabins were located on the deck with ledges extending aft. There was no rudder yet - as before, it was replaced by two short wide steering oars, for which special holes were cut in the stern.

The first naves were single-masted. Subsequently, they began to be equipped with two single-tree masts. A high foremast was installed at the very bow of the ship. The main mast was in the middle of the hull and was no longer than the keel. At the tops (tops) of the masts, mars were arranged - protected platforms for observers and shooters. For huge Latin sails, it was necessary to make composite yards - from two halves fastened with cable vulpings. It was not very easy to control the sails, especially when changing tack. Each nave was supposed to have three spare masts - probably because the latter often broke.

cogg

Woolings - a bandage of several turns of a cable for pulling together parts of the lower masts.

Tack - the course of the ship relative to the wind. If the wind blows on the spruce side, then they say that the ship is on the left tack, if on the right, then on the right.

Spire - a device for selecting (lifting) an anchor.

There were three boats on the naves and countless anchors - usually up to twenty. In those days, spiers were not yet known. Raising the anchor by hand, sometimes weighing more than a ton, was often not possible. Therefore, sailors preferred to part with the anchor that had completed its mission, cutting off the anchor rope without regret.

The crews of some of the naves consisted of 100-150 sailors. Such ships could take on board up to a thousand passengers. However, there was no need to talk about the comfort of sea travel. A berth for two people was a piece of canvas, one and a half meters wide, suspended by knots. It was not allowed to take on the ship and heavy luggage. And yet, there was no end to those wishing to ride under a sail, although not everyone could pay the fare.

Kogg Hanseatic

13th century was marked by the convergence of shipbuilding technology in the North and South of Europe. It all started with the invasion of pirates from Bayonne into the waters of the Mediterranean. Pirates sailed on coggs - single-masted ships with a round hull and high sides. Single-deck 30-meter coggs, equipped with straight stems that had bevels to the keel line, a mounted rudder and a bowsprit, could not help but attract the attention of southerners.

The forecastle and quarterdeck of these ships served as battlefields. A number of features of the construction of the coggs were subsequently adopted by the shipbuilders of Genoa, Venice and Catalonia. On Mediterranean sailboats, for the first time, a rudder attached to the sternpost appears. The tiller, with which the rudder was steered, was passed through a hole in the stern.

Kogg hull design

By the middle of the XIV century. the naves increase significantly in size, starting to claim the role of powerful cargo ships. The hull of the sailing ships of the merchant fleet is becoming more and more rounded and roomy.

The benefits of installing a rudder are beginning to be recognized by most northern boat builders. To control the steering wheel at a high stern, characteristic of northern ships, a lever was placed on the tiller, which turned in a transverse plane, the so-called calderstock. This mouth-gum is by no means with good intentions; they received the name “wolf” from contemporaries.

Karakka of the end of the 15th century.

The largest cargo sailboat of the late 14th - early 15th centuries is considered to be a karakka, which is attributed to Portuguese origin. Its design intertwined elements of the Mediterranean ships and the northern cog. The karakka differed from the kogga in its large size (its displacement reached 2,000 tons) and three-masted sailing armament. Straight sails were attached to the main and foremasts, and triangular latin sails were attached to the mizzen.

Over time, they began to put the fourth bonaventure mast as well as the topsails, which complemented the sailing equipment of the mainsail and foresail. A bowsprit appeared on the bowsprit, under which the blind sail was not slow to settle. The forts have lost their defensive battlements and seem to have merged with the hull; while the front platform moved far beyond the bow. Sheathing was placed end-to-end with rows of longitudinal boards and transverse fenders. The vessel had a high forecastle and at least two quarterdeck decks.

English karakka "Mary Rose". 1536

Tank - the front part of the upper deck.

Blind - a direct sail on a blind yard under a bowsprit.

Quarterdeck - aft section of the upper deck.

With the invention of gunpowder, guns began to be installed on sailboats, finally blurring the line between military and merchant ships. At first, the guns were placed on the upper deck, and then special holes began to be cut in the sides of the ship - gun ports. Karakka, for example, was armed with thirty or forty guns.

Boarding nets came into fashion, which, before the start of the battle, were stretched over the deck, preventing the enemy from boarding the ship. In addition, during the naval battle, the net protected the crew from spars falling onto the deck. Having military tools and devices, the carakka, in fact, remained a cargo ship that overtook all other European ships in terms of displacement.

One-pound gun of the 13th century. (top left), a bombard on a wheeled carriage (top right) and a large bombard of the 15th century. (bottom)

Cannons, without which it is difficult to imagine the nave of the end of the Middle Ages, did not appear out of nowhere. The first to seriously use firearms were the Aragonese, who used them in the battle of 1200 against the Anjou fleet. Their guns, only remotely resembling cannons, were called "thunder pipes" by contemporaries. The chronicles of 1281 already speak of a bombardment, and at the beginning of the 14th century. one-pound guns appear on Genoese ships.

By appearance they looked like a narrow tube, at the end of which was a charging chamber. It was used as a lock, and was attached to an iron trunk with a wedge. Inside the chamber, a cap with gunpowder was placed in advance. The barrel was mounted on a long carriage, clamped in a swivel fork. One-pound guns fired incendiary arrows, a legacy from ancient times. The primitive catapult is decisively supplanted by the bombard, which was loaded with a stone cannonball.

The powder charge in the bombard chamber was set on fire with a fuse or a red-hot iron rod. The rod was heated on an iron brazier, located right there, not far from the gun, and a cap with gunpowder was pierced, followed by a deafening explosion. Small bombards with a long barrel fired lead or iron cannonballs. The bodies of these guns were welded from iron sheets, and large forged bombards were fastened together with powerful iron hoops for reliability.

Subsequently, bombards, as well as church bells, preferred to be cast in bronze. The monumentality of the casting and the massive carriage, which was often mounted on two wheels, made the bombard very similar to a real cannon - a weapon that opened a new era of wars at sea and completely changed the scale of naval battles.

Plan
Introduction
1 Construction
2 Armament
3 Russian flag
4 First voyage
5 Shipwreck
6 Picture of a ship
Bibliography

Introduction

"Eagle" (1667-1669) - the first Russian sailing ship of the Western European type, frigate. Built by decree of Alexei Mikhailovich in the village of Dedinovo, Kolomna district. It was intended for the protection of Russian merchant ships on the Caspian Sea.

1. Construction

Logging was carried out in the Kolomna region, and iron, "the kindest for shipbuilding," was supplied by Tula and Kashira factories. Boyar Ordin-Nashchokin was entrusted with supervising the construction of the ships. Master Lambert Gelt was invited from Holland. Russian carpenters were led by shipbuilders Yakov Poluektov and S. Petrov. In March 1668, the building of the "Eagle" was already so ready that it was necessary to send a painter and carver to Dedinovo to finish and decorate it. In January 1668, the situation with the construction of the ship was as follows: “the bottom and sides of the ship are founded, and the crooked trees are all nailed, and the beams are rubbed on top of the ship.” In May 1668, the ship was launched, but Finishing work late, and "Eagle" wintered in Dedinovo. The construction of the ship cost the treasury 2,221 rubles.

2. Armament

22 squeakers (18x6-lb and 4x6-lb)

40 muskets

40 pairs of pistols

hand grenades

3. Russian flag

According to one version, for the first time the Russian tricolor was placed on the Oryol ship. Before the construction of the ship, Captain Butler sends a letter to the tsar in which he asks about the flag, because - as he further explains - "what state the ship is, such a banner lives on it." From the income and expense books it is clear that after that, fabrics of white, blue and red colors are issued for the manufacture of the “big flag” and many pennants. Rather, as they said then - white, azure and scarlet. Thus, it is quite possible that the birthplace of the Russian flag is the village of Dedinovo near Kolomna, where the shipyard was located. Nevertheless, it is not known for certain what the drawing was, since it was only a combination of colors that was discussed. The first news of the striped white-blue-red flag dates back to 1693 - it was this flag of the Tsar of Moscow (a striped cloth with the image of a golden double-headed eagle) that was the personal standard of Peter I, under which he sailed in Arkhangelsk.

4. First voyage

In April 1669, the ship was named "Eagle", the image of an eagle as the state emblem of Russia was sewn onto ship flags. The Dutchman David Butler was appointed captain, and all the sailors were non-Russian. On May 7, the ship set sail and set off. The whole journey from Dedinov to Astrakhan took three and a half months.

The commissioning of the first warship necessitated the organization of ship service on it. A draft of a brief maritime charter was submitted to the Posolsky Prikaz in the form of a “ship order letter” (that is, a device). This "letter" consisted of an introduction and 34 statutory articles, which contained the basic rules of ship service, outlined the duties and relationships of the commander and other ship's officials, as well as brief instructions on the actions of personnel during anchorage, on the move, in battle and under various other circumstances. These articles, which received the approval of the tsar, testified that the construction of the "Eagle" in the life of the Russian state was not an accidental phenomenon, but a serious beginning of the creation of a regular navy.

5. Shipwreck

In 1670, shortly after the capture of Astrakhan by the rebellious Cossacks of Stepan Razin, the Oryol ship was burned, because in its structure and sailing equipment it was too difficult to manage, and if it was captured by the tsarist troops, it would be a danger to the rebels.

6. Image of the ship

There is an opinion that the ship was depicted by an artist, and it was from this picture that the Dutch master Hermann van Boles created the outlines of a ship on the spire of the Admiralty in St. Petersburg.

Bibliography:

1. The alleged flag of the ship "Eagle".

2. V. Dygalo, M. Averyanov. Ship history. Moscow, Visual Arts, 1991. ISBN 5 85200 267 4 p 13

3. Blonsky L. V., Titkova T. V. Sailing ship "Eagle" // Fleet of Russia. - M .: LLC "House of the Slavic Book", 2009. - S. 15. - 480 p. - ISBN 978-5-903036-81-3

4. Dutch Petersburg: Harman van Bales.

On June 28, 1712, in the presence of Peter I, the first Russian battleship was launched. We recall 7 legendary domestic sailing ships that made a name for the Russian fleet.

Galiot "Eagle"

In 1668, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Russian shipbuilders built the first large combat sailing ship, the Eagle galliot, on the Oka River. The length of the "large" vessel is 24.5 m, the width is 6.5 m. The crew is 22 sailors and 35 archers. This two-deck ship carried three masts and was armed with 22 squeakers. Oryol was the first purely sailing warship built in Russia. On the fore and main masts of the Eagle, straight sails were installed, and on the mizzen mast - oblique. Here are the lines from the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on this ship: “The ship, which was made in the village of Dedinovo, should be given the nickname “Eagle”. Put an eagle on the bow and stern and sew eagles on the banners. When the "Eagle" was ready, wooden carved double-headed eagles painted in gold. These heraldic symbols of royal power were a kind of confirmation of the name of the ship, and then became the traditional decoration of all military ships.

Yacht "Saint Peter"

"St. Peter" is the first Russian warship that carried the Russian flag in foreign waters. The yacht of Peter I was built in Arkhangelsk according to the Dutch model in 1693. This small sailing ship had one mast with straight and slanting sails and was armed with 12 guns. For the first time, Peter I went out on it to the open sea to accompany the Dutch and English merchant ships leaving Arkhangelsk and reached the eastern shores of the Kola Peninsula with them. In May of the following year, 1694, he again comes to Arkhangelsk and sails to the Solovetsky Islands, and then accompanies another caravan of merchant ships leaving Arkhangelsk to Cape Svyatoy Nos, in other words, to the ocean. Having served thirty years of maritime service, the yacht became the first museum object in Arkhangelsk.

Galley "Principium"

In 1696, this ship was the first to enter the Sea of ​​Azov, and in June, as part of the Russian fleet, it participated in the siege of the Turkish fortress of Azov. It was built at the beginning of 1696 in Voronezh according to the Dutch model. Length - 38, width - 6 meters, height from keel to deck - about 4 m. 34 pairs of oars were set in motion. Crew size - up to 170 people. She was armed with 6 guns. According to the Principium type, with only some changes, 22 more ships were built to participate in the Azov campaign of Peter I. the prototype of the "Naval Charter", which stipulated day and night signals, as well as indications in case of a battle. At the end of hostilities near Azov, the galley was disarmed and placed on the Don near the fortress, where it was subsequently dismantled for firewood due to dilapidation.

Frigate "Fortress"

"Fortress" - the first Russian warship that entered Constantinople. Built at the Panshin shipyard in 1699, not far from the mouth of the Don. Length - 37.8, width - 7.3 meters, crew - 106 people, armament - 46 guns. In the summer of 1699, the "Fortress" under the command of Captain Pamburg delivered an embassy mission to Constantinople, headed by Duma councilor Em. Ukrainians. The appearance of a Russian warship near the walls of the Turkish capital forced the Turkish Sultan to reconsider his attitude towards Russia. A peace treaty was quickly concluded between Turkey and Russia. The frigate, moreover, for the first time entered the waters of the Black Sea, which allowed Russian sailors to make hydrographic measurements of the Kerch Strait and Balaklava Bay (also for the first time!). At the same time, the first plans for the Crimean coast were drawn up.

Battleship "Poltava"

"Poltava" is the first battleship of the Russian fleet, and the first - built in St. Petersburg. The construction of "Poltava", named after the outstanding victory over the Swedes near Poltava, was led by Peter I. Length - 34.6 width - 11.7, was armed with 54 guns of 18, 12 and 6-pounder calibers. After commissioning in 1712, this ship participated in all campaigns of the Russian Baltic ship fleet during the Great Northern War, and in May 1713, covering the actions of the galley fleet to capture Helsingfors, it was the flagship of Peter 1.

Battleship "Pobedonosets"

"Pobedonosets" is the first ship of the 66-gun rank, with improved combat and seaworthiness. The best ship of its time, built after the death of Peter I. Assembled according to the drawings and under the direct supervision of one of the most talented Russian shipbuilders A. Katasonov. Length along the lower deck - 160 feet; width - 44.6 feet. The armament consisted of twenty-six 30-pounders, twenty-six 12-pounders and fourteen 6-pounders. Launched in 1780. He was one of the few Russian long-lived ships. Served 27 years.

Sloop "Mirny"

The ship of the First Russian Antarctic round-the-world expedition of 1819-1821, which discovered Antarctica. "Mirny" is a rebuilt auxiliary vessel. By fitting shtultsev, the stern was lengthened at the sloop, a knyavdiged was placed on the stem, the hull was additionally sheathed with inch boards, firmly fixed with copper nails. The hull was carefully caulked, and the underwater part, so that it would not become overgrown with algae, was covered with copper sheets. Additional fasteners were placed inside the hull in case of ice floe impact, the pine steering wheel was replaced with oak. The previously delivered standing rigging, shrouds, stays and other gear made from low-grade hemp were replaced by stronger ones used on ships of the navy. Construction was carried out at the Olonets shipyard in Lodeynoye Pole, near St. Petersburg. The Mirny sloop was a three-masted two-deck ship armed with 20 guns: six 12-pounders (120 mm caliber) and fourteen 3-pounders (76 mm caliber). The crew numbered 72 people. For more than two years, the ship was at sea, sailing a distance more than twice the length of the equator.

On July 26, Russia celebrates the Day of the Navy. Usually, the creation of a regular Russian navy is associated with the name of Peter the Great, since it was Peter who, with the help of invited foreign (mainly Dutch) specialists, began the construction of the Baltic Fleet. However, the first ships created according to the European model appeared in Russia much earlier than the ascension to the throne of Peter the Great. And this is if you do not remember the traditional old Russian flotillas that went on naval campaigns at the dawn of the history of Russian statehood. The most developed shipbuilding was in the Novgorod land. In the northern seas, small ships were built - kochmars, asins, karbasses, on which Pomeranian merchants mastered the Murmansk Territory. For longer sea voyages, a ship of the "koch" type was created. It was a single-deck, flat-bottomed sailing ship, 16 to 24 meters long and 5 to 8 meters wide, with a mast and a straight sail, which was sewn from leather. However, the largest sea vessel used by the Pomeranian navigators was the sea boat. The three-masted boat could carry cargo up to 200 tons and even slightly exceeded in displacement the famous Santa Maria, the ship of Christopher Columbus, on which the famous traveler discovered the West Indies. However, despite the obvious successes of the Pomors in shipbuilding, they could not compete with the European maritime powers. The Russian principalities also did not have a regular navy, which was also caused by the lack of access to the warm seas - the Black and even the Baltic. But, as the liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, overcoming the feudal fragmentation of Russia and the formation of a centralized Russian state under the rule of the tsar, the need of the young state to strengthen external economic ties with other countries of Europe and Asia, including the development of maritime communication, also grew. , which in itself created the need to build not only a merchant fleet, but also a navy.

Privateers of Ivan the Terrible

So, in the 16th century, as the territory of the Russian state expanded, the development of the Caspian and Baltic trade routes began. Tsar John IV decided to create a privateer fleet on the Baltic Sea, hoping that he would be able to protect the Narva trade route. But since the Russian state did not have qualified shipbuilders, qualified sailors, and a technical base for building its own fleet, Ivan the Terrible decided to hire privateers - sailors who were hired along with ships to serve the sovereigns of various states. Fortunately, during the period under review, there was no shortage of “ownerless” sailors and captains in Europe. In 1569, the first privateers appeared on the Narva trade route, commanded by Carsten Rode, a professional corsair, a German by nationality, a former Danish citizen and born in the peasant republic of Dithmarschen. Previously, Rode had his own ship, was engaged in trade and carried goods to Lübeck, but then, as a privateer, he entered the service of the Danish king Frederick II. At this time, Denmark was fighting with Sweden, while Sweden was also one of the main opponents of the Russian state in the Baltic. Rode, passing to the Livonian Duke Magnus, then ended up in the service of Ivan the Terrible. In March 1570, Rode received a special letter from Tsar Ivan the Terrible, in which the tsar pointed out the need to protect trade routes from attacks by Polish privateers engaged in plundering merchant ships. Attacks by Polish privateers caused great damage to Russian-European trade and were so frequent that they prompted the sovereign to allocate funds to hire his own privateers. Corsair Carsten Rode chose the island of Ezel as a base for his fleet, more precisely, the city of Ahrensburg (Kingisepp), which was a very convenient port located on the Baltic Sea. Ivan the Terrible allocated money to the privateer Roda to purchase a pink, armed with three cast-iron cannons, ten small guns - leopards, eight squeakers and two combat picks, which were used to break through the sides of enemy ships. With Russian money, Rode also hired 35 sailors and ship's officers. In accordance with the agreement, Rode undertook to transfer every third ship he captured to Russia, also transfer a tenth of the captured booty to the Russian authorities, and transfer valuable prisoners to Moscow clerks. At the same time, the crew members did not share the booty among themselves, but received a fixed salary. Rode recruited the crews of his ships from among Danish professional sailors, as well as Pomors and Arkhangelsk archers and gunners.

The appearance of a privateer fleet controlled by Moscow in the Baltic Sea caused great concern in Sweden, Denmark, the Commonwealth and other powers in the region, which were not interested in the emergence of the Russian state of its own navy. Russia's competitors in the Baltic Sea quite rightly saw the appearance of the Russian navy in the Baltic as a great danger to their military-political, economic and trade positions in the region. Swedish and Polish fleets were sent to capture Rode and destroy his squadron, but the famous corsair had to end his battle path through the fault of his compatriots - the Danes. In October 1570, Rode was arrested in Copenhagen and imprisoned on charges of attacking Danish merchant ships. Nothing is known about the further fate of the first "Moscow Admiral". Subsequently, as a result of wars with the Livonian Order, Sweden and the Commonwealth, Russia lost access to the Baltic Sea, losing previously acquired territories. After that, for a considerable period of time, Moscow was forced to abandon plans to build a navy in the Baltic Sea. The only way through which Russia could carry out maritime communication with European countries was the northern seas. In addition, river navigation was developing, primarily the construction of ships on the Don and Volga, since the southern direction was also considered a priority.

"Frederik" - the first ship built in Russia

In the 17th century, the growing needs of the country for maritime communication also actualized the need to build a modern fleet, which, in terms of its characteristics, would not be inferior to the fleets of European states. After all, trade relations were established with port cities Western Europe, with Persia, and their transport provision required the development of maritime affairs and shipbuilding. However, Russia did not have its own specialists capable of organizing the construction of modern ships and their launching. Therefore, the country's authorities decided to seize the moment and borrow the technology of building and operating modern ships from foreigners. Moreover, favorable circumstances have developed for this. So, in 1634, the Holstein embassy arrived at the palace of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The Duke of Holstein, Frederick III, was going to develop trade with Persia, and the nearest route could lie only through Russia. Therefore, the Holstein monarch was going to negotiate with the Russian tsar about transit through Russian territory Holstein trading expeditions. Also, the tasks of the Holstein embassy included the conclusion of an agreement on the construction of ten ships on the Volga, on which Holstein merchants could carry goods to Persia. The Russian authorities took the idea of ​​the Duke of Holstein positively, since they expected to borrow shipbuilding technology from foreign masters. It turns out that the circumstances were favorable for the development of the Russian fleet, and it only remained to provide the Holsteiners with the necessary assistance in building ships.

Shipbuilding work was planned to be carried out in Nizhny Novgorod, for which Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich sent a letter to the governor of Nizhny Novgorod, which said: they will find fit for this business, and buy that wood from our people by free trade, and carpenters for that ship business, to their ship masters in addition, hire our subjects willing people, and hire them to pay according to an agreement with them free trade, and from those carpenters of ship's craftsmanship do not hide and do not conceal. The construction of the ships was entrusted to six Holstein specialists, who in the same 1634 arrived in Moscow and from there went to Nizhny Novgorod. They were the skipper Michael Kordes, the ship's carpenter Cornelius Josten, the translator Hans Berk, the specialists Kasper Seeler, Johan Stirpomas and Joachim Kranz. The delegation of Holstein sailors was accompanied by Russian archers and carpenters. In March 1636, a second embassy of the Duke of Holstein arrived in Moscow, led by Crusius and Bruggemann. The tasks of this embassy included hiring a team for a ship under construction. In June 1636, the first ship was launched, named "Frederick" - in honor of King Frederick III. It was assumed that the ship "Frederick" would go with cargo to Persia, and based on the results of the trip, a conclusion would be made whether it was worth building the next batch of ships. The ship "Frederick" was described by the famous traveler Adam Olearius, who reported that the "Frederick" had a length of 120 feet, a beam of 40 feet and a draft of 7 feet. Thus, it met the European galley standards. The material for the construction of most of the ship was pine boards. The team of "Frederick" included both Holsteiners and Russians. On July 1 (July 11), 1636, envoys Aleksey Savin Romanchukov, clerk Skobeltsyn and interpreter Yushkov, who formed the basis of the Russian embassy to Persia, left Moscow for Nizhny Novgorod. On July 30 (August 9), the embassy of the Russian court set sail from Nizhny Novgorod along the Volga. In total, 126 people sailed on the ship Frederik, flying under the flag of Holstein, including both Holsteiners and Russians. On October 27 (November 6), 1636, the ship entered the Caspian Sea, but on November 12 (November 22) it got into a severe storm near Derbent. The three-day storm caused significant damage to the ship, damaging all three of the ship's masts. In the end, it was decided to run the ship aground in order to save the cargo and crew from death in a shipwreck. Subsequently, the "Frederick" was pulled ashore in the vicinity of Derbent, where it was plundered by the local population. Thus ended the history of the first ship of the European type, built on the territory of Russia. However, the Orel ship, built thirty years later, is traditionally considered as the first Russian sailing ship - after all, the Frederick, although it was built and launched in Nizhny Novgorod, sailed under the Holstein flag, which means it could not be officially considered Russian ship.

The Battle of Kotlin Island - the first sea ​​battle

However, between the launching of the "Frederick" and the construction of a ship under the proud name "Eagle", the history of the Russian fleet was also full of quite glorious events. So, on July 22, 1656, there was famous battle near the island of Kotlin, which is considered the first officially documented victory of the Russian fleet at sea in modern times. As you know, in 1656-1658. There was a Russian-Swedish war. Considering geographical position Swedish lands, rowing fleets were involved in the hostilities, and they operated from both sides. On the Russian side, a detachment was advanced against Sweden under the command of voivode Pyotr Ivanovich Potemkin (pictured), which was given a rowing flotilla of Don Cossacks, who had previously participated in sea voyages on the Black Sea and had extensive combat experience. The Potemkin detachment included 570 Don Cossacks and 430 Novgorod and Ladoga archers and "eager people". They received the blessing of Patriarch Nikon "to go by sea to Stockholm." Pyotr Ivanovich Potemkin (1617-1700) was 39 years old at the time of his campaign in the Izhora lands. The younger brother of the governor and stolnik Fyodor Ivanovich Potemkin, Pyotr Potemkin participated in the war with Poland, and then he was instructed to lead a campaign against the Swedes. In June 1656, a detachment under the command of Potemkin captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenschantz, at the mouth of the Neva. However, this action could be called a capture with reservations - the Swedes themselves left the fortification. After occupying Nienschanz, Potemkin's detachment moved up the Neva in rowboats and laid siege to the Noteburg fortress. However, the detachment soon split up and part of it, led by Potemkin himself, returned along the Neva to the mouth of the river and on July 22, 1656, collided with enemy ships in the area of ​​Kotlin Island. By the time of the meeting, the Russian rowing flotilla had 15 plows (relative to small sailing and rowing flat-bottomed ships), and the Swedish flotilla had 3 much larger and better ships. Despite the fact that the Swedish ships opened powerful artillery fire on the Russian flotilla, the Cossacks managed to break through to the Swedish galleys and capture the Swedish flagship, a six-gun ship, which was boarded. The rest of the Swedish ships were forced to retreat. Voivode Potemkin sent a report to Moscow: “There was a battle near Kotlin Island with the German people, and by the grace of God, and the Most Pure Mother of God with the help, and all the saints with prayers, and the Great Sovereign and his son, sovereign, with happiness, took a semi-ship from Kotlin and beat the German people, and language caught the initial man, captain Irek Dalsfir, 8 soldiers and outfit and banners were raped. According to military historians, such a small number of prisoners on the Swedish ship, whose crew should have been much larger in number, indicates that most of the Swedish sailors and soldiers died during a boarding battle with Cossacks and archers breaking through on board the ship. After winning the naval battle, the detachment of governor Potemkin inflicted significant damage on the island of Kotlin, destroying four local villages. In Russian naval history, the battle near Kotlin Island is traditionally regarded as the first naval battle of the Russian fleet, and it is from it that the history of Russian naval victories in modern times is actually counted. However, on the very course of the Russian-Swedish war of 1656-1658. the battle off Kotlin Island did not have a major impact. In the next 1657, the Swedish troops went on the offensive in the Karelian and Livonian directions, and Count Magnus Delagardie invaded the territory of the Pskov region, but was defeated there. Ultimately, in the battle of Gdov, the Swedish army of Count Delagardie was defeated by the army of Prince Khovansky, who managed to return the advantage in the war to the side of the Russians. Prince Khovansky managed to capture the villages on the right bank of the Narva. However, in 1658, the detachment of the Swedish governor of Narva, Gustav Horn, managed to recapture Yamburg and Nyenschantz. The fighting has ended.

Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin and the Russian Navy

By the time of the Russian-Swedish war of 1656-1658. The beginning of serious work on the construction of the Baltic Fleet also applies. In Tsarevich Dmitriev, the city began the construction of a shipyard, which was supposed to create a flotilla for sailing on the Baltic Sea. The construction of the shipyard was supervised by the boyar Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin - Nashchokin - one of the most significant figures at the dawn of Russian shipbuilding. Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin - Nashchokin (1605-1680) was not a boyar by origin, but belonged to small estate nobles. He was born in Northwestern Russia, since it was in the Pskov and Toropetsk districts that the poor estates of his father Lavrenty were located. According to legend, the distant ancestor of the Nashchokins arrived in Russia from Italy. The Italian Duke Velichka, having arrived in Russia, was baptized in Orthodoxy and received the name Dmitry and the nickname Red. The son of Dmitry the Red Dmitry Nashchoka got his nickname after he was wounded in the cheek during the Tver uprising in 1327, when the townspeople rose up against the Golden Horde ambassador Shevkal. The descendants of Dmitry Nashchoka received the surname Nashchokina, and the double surname was associated with the nickname Horde by Andrei Nashchokin, who died in the battle near Orsha. Lavrenty Ordin - Nashchokin tried to give his son a good education, and taught him German, Latin and mathematics. Athanasius, who was distinguished by his abilities and determination, also independently mastered the Polish and Wallachian (Romanian) languages. He was well versed in the contemporary political situation, which allowed him to apply his abilities in practice. In 1642, Athanasius participated in the establishment of a new Russian-Swedish border. In 1656, it was Ordin-Nashchokin, already a former diplomat, who signed an alliance agreement with Courland, and in 1658 it was he who concluded a truce with the Swedes, for which he was awarded the high rank of Duma nobleman. In 1667, Ordin-Nashchokin, the only one of the representatives of his family, was awarded the boyar rank and headed the Ambassadorial order. It was Ordin-Nashchokin who came up with the idea of ​​the need to deepen economic and political cooperation with the countries of Western Europe and establish control over the coast of the Baltic Sea. Thus, the Russian diplomat was even ahead of his time - after all, the ideas, the foundation of which was laid by Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin - Nashchokin, were implemented only decades later - after Peter the Great came to power and his success in the Northern War. In 1661, after the signing of the Treaty of Cardis, Russia, having lost in the confrontation with the Swedish crown, pledged to return to Stockholm all the territories previously occupied by Russian troops and abandoned plans to seize the Baltic coast and create the Baltic Fleet. In accordance with the agreement, the Russian authorities had to destroy all the ships that were laid down at the shipyard in Tsarevich Dmitriev city. Thus, the plans of Ordin - Nashchokin to create the Baltic Fleet failed to come true, but the politician did not lose hope for the creation of the Russian navy and drew attention to the southern direction - the Volga and the Caspian Sea. Moreover, this was required by the expansion of Russia's trade relations with Persia, with which a corresponding agreement was concluded, implying, among other things, the protection of Russian merchant ships following the Volga and the Caspian Sea to Persia. In 1664, Shah Abbas II granted exclusive privileges to Russian merchants, and in 1667 he turned to the Russian throne with a request to allow the Armenian company, created by Persian subjects - Armenians, to trade in raw silk through Russian territory. At the same time, the protection of goods transported by Armenians was assigned to the Russian side for a fee. After all, the Caspian in those days was very dangerous for merchant shipping, since groups of Cossacks and Caucasians, who were not controlled by the Moscow government, were operating there, who could attack merchant ships.

The unfortunate fate of the ship named "Eagle"

Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin managed to obtain permission from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov to build a Russian fleet on the Volga, after which he invited foreign shipbuilding specialists. The choice fell on the Dutch, well known for their skills in shipbuilding and navigation. Among the invited experts was Colonel Cornelius van Bukoven, who was entrusted with the direct management of the shipbuilding process, as well as shipbuilders Geltz, Lieutenant Colonel van den Streck and Minster. Thirty Russian carpenters, four blacksmiths and four gunners were allocated to help the Dutch specialists. Foreign experts arrived in the village of Dedinovo, Kolomna district, located on the Oka, where a shipyard was opened. Dedinovo was chosen as the site for the creation of the first state shipyard, primarily for the reason that long time it was here that the ships that sailed along the Volga were built, there were skilled craftsmen who had experience in building plows. The construction of the shipyard was financed by the Order of the Grand Parish, a state structure that became the predecessor of the Admiralty of the Petrine era. The Order of the Grand Parish not only sought public funds to finance shipbuilding, but was also responsible for recruiting skilled craftsmen, supplying tools, building materials and equipment. To equip the shipyard with tools, 2 iron jacks, 4 hammers, saws and other tools were purchased from abroad. An extract to the shipyard in Dedinovo was organized for craftsmen from all over the country - Kazan anchor masters, Ryazan blacksmiths, Moscow turners. In fact, the shipyard in Dedinovo was turned into an advanced industrial enterprise for Russia in those years, which had the appearance of a Western European manufactory - with a clear division of labor, an orderly management system, and gradual mechanization of at least part of the shipbuilding work being carried out.

At the Dedinovskaya shipyard in 1667, the construction of warships began, which were supposed to serve in the protection of Russian merchant ships in the Caspian Sea. Initially, it was decided to build a frigate, which was laid down on November 14, 1667. It was a two-deck and three-masted vessel, 24.5 meters long, 6.4 meters wide and with a draft of 1.5 meters. It was the frigate under construction that became the first Russian ship built in compliance with all the requirements of the then shipbuilding. The prototype for the frigate under construction was the pinnaces, armed ships of the Dutch East India Company, built for military operations in the southern seas and actively used in the first half of the 17th century. In January 1668, following the frigate, the shipyard began building an 18-meter yacht, and a little later, several more smaller vessels. The direct supervision of the construction work was carried out by the Dutch master Lambert Gelts, and the Russian carpenters were led by the nobleman Yakov Poluektov and the clerk of the mytnaya hut Stepan Petrov. Timber for ships was harvested in the Kolomna district, and iron was delivered from the Tula and Kashira factories. In January 1668, the bottom and sides of the first ship were built, and in March 1668, a painter and carver were requested in Dedinovo for decoration ship's hull. Despite the fact that in May 1668 the ship was launched, work on its artistic decoration continued, and the ship survived the winter in Dedinovo at the shipyard. Navy historian V.A. Dygalo describes the launching of the Eagle ship as follows: “The rector of the Kolomna Church of John the Baptist arrived at the celebration. Accompanied by the local priest, the deacon, and Van Bukoven, he went up to the deck of the Eagle. Immediately, huge flags and a long ribbon of a pennant hoisted on the flagpoles and masts of the ship. They served a prayer service, sprinkled the flags with holy water and went down to the Dedinovsky shore. Only a few people remained on the Orel, led by the ship's commander, the Dutch captain Butler. They were instructed to give up anchors as soon as the ship went into the water. Ordin-Nashchokin waved his hand and the ringers struck all the bells of the Dedinovo belfry. "Eagle" started off and slid along the slipway. The solemn chime was drowned out by volleys of salute. A minute or two later, the first Russian warship swayed on the blue expanse of the Oka backwater ”(quoted from: Dygalo V.A. Where and what went in the fleet).

Price construction works was valued at 2,221 rubles. The launched ship was armed with 22 squeaks, 40 muskets, 40 pairs of pistols and hand grenades. After the ship was built, it remained to recruit a qualified team for it - after all, despite the presence of excellent craftsmen - carpenters, carvers, gunsmiths, there were no trained sailors in Russia. Again, I had to turn to foreign specialists. The Dutch merchant Joachim van Sweden was instructed by the Russian government to recruit a qualified team of sailors in his homeland, including hiring a ship's captain. The choice of Joachim van Sweden fell on his relative, David Butler, who was a cousin of van Sweden's wife Maria Roots. David Butler was 33 years old in 1668, he was born in Amsterdam and received a good naval training. Butler signed a contract with van Sweden and set about recruiting a ship's crew. At the same time, the Dutch captain decided to find out under what flag the ship would fly. For Russia, which had not previously had its own fleet, the question of the flag was new. After the letter for the manufacture of the flag, fabrics of red, white and blue flowers. Thus, the modern Russian tricolor originates in the village of Dedinovo and its history is inextricably linked with the first Russian warship and its captain, the Dutchman David Butler. The image of the double-headed Russian eagle, the state emblem of the Russian state, was sewn onto the ship's flags. Upon arrival in Dedinovo, Butler came into conflict with Colonel van Bukoven, who had previously supervised shipbuilding work. It is known that Butler arrived in Dedinovo with great ambitions and immediately presented a project for the construction of a 36-oar galley, intending to personally lead the shipbuilding process. During the conflict with van Bukoven, it turned out that Butler was "dishonest" and appropriated a certain amount of government money, and also did not have a captain's patent. However, Butler managed to defend his right to supervise shipbuilding work, citing the fact that he had a very extensive experience in sea voyages not only to Spain and France, but also to Indonesia. In the end, the Russian authorities took the side of Butler and his opponent, Colonel Bukoven, was removed from the leadership of shipbuilding, after which the shipyard was headed by the frigate commander, Captain David Butler.

In April 1669, the ship was named "Eagle" - in honor of the Russian state emblem, and soon set sail and set off - it was assumed that it would pass from Dedinov to Astrakhan. However, by the time the ship was supposed to reach Astrakhan, the city was expecting an attack by the insurgent Cossacks under the leadership of Stepan Razin. Hearing about the approach of the Razintsy, the captain of the "Eagle" Butler, completely unwilling to die in a foreign land at the hands of the rebels, persuaded his subordinates to abandon the ship and flee to Persia. But the Dutch, fearing to fall into the hands of the rebellious Cossacks, fled even before their immediate commander, sailing on a small ship. David Butler thus remained in Astrakhan and was taken prisoner by the rebels. However, soon the Dutch captain managed to escape from Astrakhan by boat, get to Dagestan, and then to Persia. In Isfahan, Butler showed up in a Dutch farmstead. He left a note in which he described his long misadventures during his travels in Dagestan, and all the incidents that happened to the Dutch specialists in Astrakhan during the capture of the city by the rebel Cossacks of Stepan Razin. Thus ended his naval service in Russia, which did not last even several years, and in 1680, still at a young age, David Butler died. As for the ship "Eagle", abandoned by the crew, it seemed useless to the rebels - Razin did not have specialists capable of operating such a ship, and if they fell into the hands of the tsarist troops, they could use the ship for its "intended purpose" - against Razin and his Cossacks. Therefore, the "Eagle" was abandoned, dilapidated over the years and stood in the Kutum channel for a long time. After the suppression of the uprising, he was examined by tsarist specialists, but due to dilapidation, it was decided to abandon the idea of ​​​​its further use. Russian trade with Persia, disrupted by the uprising of Stepan Razin, actually stopped for many years. Gradually, the boyar Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin, who stood at the origins of domestic shipbuilding, also retired from public affairs. A number of attempts to create modern ships were made by Russian merchants who were trying to develop trade with Europe through the White Sea, but there they faced fierce opposition from Dutch merchants who were not interested in the appearance of competitors and did not allow the construction of Russian ships.

Karsten Brandt and the "Funny Flotilla"

After the tragic end of the history of the Orel ship, the creation of the Russian fleet was postponed for several more decades. Its further history is already connected with the name of Peter the Great. By the way, Peter the Great, after a long time after the construction of the first Russian ship "Eagle", which never managed to become the flagship of the Russian fleet, very positively assessed this undertaking of his father Alexei Mikhailovich: "Although the father's intention did not receive its end, it is worthy there is eternal glorification, better ... from the beginning of that, as if from a good seed, the current sea business came about. By the way, one of the teachers of Peter the Great was Karshten Brandt, one of the crew members of the first Russian warship Oryol. A native of Holland, Karsten Brandt (1630-1693) came to Russia at the age of thirty-seven, having been hired as a ship's carpenter and ship's gunner's assistant to build the Oryol frigate and other ships. He worked at a shipyard in Dedinovo, then joined the crew of the Orel, and in 1670, once in Astrakhan, he fled from the rebel Cossacks of Stepan Razin and moved to Moscow. In Moscow, Brandt settled in the German Quarter, where people from Western Europe lived, and took up his usual carpentry and joinery trades. Meanwhile, in May 1688, young Peter the Great, walking around the village of Izmailovo, discovered a small boat in the barn of the boyar Nikita Romanov and became interested in it. Peter himself described this event as follows: “It happened to us (in May 1688) to be in Izmailovo, in the linen yard and, walking through the barns, where the remains of things lay in the house of grandfather Nikita Ivanovich Romanov, between which I saw a foreign ship, asked Franz ( Timmerman), what kind of ship is this? He said that the bot is English. I asked: where is it used? He said that with the ships - for driving and carting. I again asked: what advantage does it have over our courts (before I saw it in image and strength better than ours)? He told me that he sails not only with the wind, but also against the wind; which word brought me great surprise and supposedly incredibly. Then Peter, who was very interested in the boat, asked his teacher of geometry and fortification Franz Timmermann to find a master who would be knowledgeable in the structure of European courts and could bring the boat into proper condition. So at the court of Peter appeared the carpenter Karshten Brandt - a 58-year-old Dutchman who lived in the German Quarter. Under the leadership of Brandt, work began on the restoration of the boat, which was transported to the village of Preobrazhenskoye, on the banks of the Yauza. Karsten Brandt was able to repair the ship, built a mast, set the sails. Thus was launched the famous small boat of Peter the Great - "the grandfather of the Russian fleet." By the way, the boat was officially called "Saint Nicholas". Under the guidance of Karshten Brandt, Peter the Great mastered the Dutch language, maritime terminology and the basics of ship control, driving a boat first on the Yauza, and then on the Millet Pond.

Later, Karshten Brandt supervised the construction of other vessels of the Amusing Flotilla of Peter the Great on Lake Pleshcheyevo. On the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo in 1688, a small shipyard, a one-story palace and a pier for ships were laid. In 1689, under the leadership of Brandt, the construction of a yacht and two small frigates began, which were built according to Amsterdam drawings and with the participation of foreign specialists. At the same time, at the initiative of Peter, Russian carpenters were also involved in the construction as students - this is how Peter wanted to form the future backbone of Russian shipbuilders. Among the carpenters who worked were Fedosey Sklyaev, Lukyan Vereshchagin, Anisim Molyarov and Mikhail Sobakin, formerly part of Peter's Amusing Army. Along with other carpenters and apprentices, Peter also worked. In total, two frigates and three yachts left the shipyard on Lake Pleshcheyevo. In the winter of 1692, all the boats and longboats built earlier in Preobrazhenskoye were also transferred to Lake Pleshcheyevo. On May 1, 1692, the first frigate was launched, built at the shipyard under the leadership of Karsten Brandt. After that, a flotilla parade was organized under the command of Peter, and in August 1692 a water blessing took place on Lake Pleshcheyevo with the participation of all the highest clergy and dignitaries of the royal court. Thus, the carpenter from the "Eagle" Karshten Brandt stood at the origins of the "Funny Flotilla" - the prototype of the regular Russian navy.

When in 1693 the sixty-three-year-old Karshten Brandt died, on the orders of Peter the Great, his funeral was organized according to the general rank. Karshten Brandt was buried in front of a large gathering of people, and Peter the Great forever preserved the memory of his teacher of maritime affairs and always spoke of him with great respect. As for the "grandfather of the Russian fleet", the boat of Peter the Great until 1701 was in Izmailovo, and then was transported to the Kremlin. In 1722, after the signing of the Treaty of Nystadt, Peter the Great turned the small boat into a monument. The tsar issued a decree ordering to preserve forever the remains of ships, yachts and galleys built for the Amusing Flotilla and serving the tsar in the study of the sea craft. In 1723, the small boat taken from the pedestal participated in the parade of the Baltic Fleet. After that, the boat was placed under a canopy. Peter and Paul Fortress. And now it is a museum exhibit, recalling the glorious history of the formation of the Russian fleet.

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