In 1700, Russia concluded a truce with Turkey and, in alliance with Denmark and Saxony (whose elector Augustus II was at the same time king of the Commonwealth), declared war on Sweden. It was quite a bold step on the part of Peter I, because Sweden at that time had one of the most first-class armies in Europe and a strong navy. The Swedish king Charles XII decided to defeat the opponents one by one with the help of the Anglo-Dutch fleet. He bombarded Copenhagen and first withdrew Denmark from the war - Russia's only ally with a navy. An attempt by Augustus II to capture Riga was repulsed by the Swedish troops, who managed to land in the Baltic. In such unfavorable conditions, the Russian army laid siege to Narva. Charles XII took advantage of the lack of military experience and the low organization of the Russian troops and, not without the betrayal of foreign officers, inflicted a cruel defeat on Peter's army with a sudden blow. All artillery and baggage were lost. Only the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments were able to offer worthy resistance. Charles XII stepped into the borders of the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Peter began to reorganize his army: new regiments, national officer cadres were created, cities were fortified, new artillery was created. In the face of a shortage of metal, Peter ordered even church bells to be melted down. In 1702, the Russians resumed their offensive and captured the fortress at the source of the Neva, which Peter called the "key-city" - Shlisselburg (former Oreshek, and now Petrokrepost). In May 1703, at the mouth of the Neva, a town was founded, which was to become the second Russian capital - St. Petersburg. In 1704, Russian troops captured Narva and Derpt. The construction of the fleet, which entered the expanses of the Baltic, began. Thus, a window to Europe was cut through.

After the defeat of the Commonwealth, the Russian-Swedish war entered its final phase. In 1706, power in the Commonwealth passed to the Swedish protege Stanislav Leshchinsky. Russia lost its former allies and was left alone.

The main forces of the Swedish army moved to Moscow. However, for some reason, Charles XII did not dare to go further than Smolensk. He turned to Ukraine, where he counted on the help of Hetman Mazepa, intending to spend the winter. Levenhaupt's corps with a convoy of ammunition and food went to connect with him from the Baltic states. But the Russians disrupted the plans of Charles XII. In September 1708, a "flying" detachment under the command of Peter himself intercepted Levengaupt and defeated him near Lesnaya near Mogilev. Karl's calculation to strengthen the army with Mazepa's detachments also did not materialize: only an insignificant part of the Cossacks came to him.

In the early morning of June 27 (July 8 - old style), 1709, a decisive battle took place near Poltava between the troops of Peter I and Charles XII. By noon, the Russians had almost completely defeated the Swedes. Showing miracles of courage, they overturned the Swedes and turned them into a stampede. Of the 30,000 Swedish soldiers, 9,000 were killed, 3,000 were captured on the battlefield, another 16,000 were captured during the pursuit. The Swedish king and hetman Mazepa fled to Turkey.

Military clashes with the Swedes continued for another 12 years.

In 1710, Türkiye entered the war. In 1711, on the Prut River, almost 130,000 Turkish army surrounded the Russian troops. Russia achieved a truce with Turkey only after the return of the latter Azov and Taganrog.

After Poltava, the fighting moved to the Baltic. In 1714, the Russian fleet won the first significant victory in its history. In the Battle of Cape Gangut, Peter I used the advantage of galley ships over sailing ships in calm conditions. The Gangut victory was the impetus for the further development of the Russian fleet, which soon outnumbered the Swedish fleet by twice the number of warships. In 1720, the first was followed by a second victory - at Grengam Island. Russian sailors boarded in this battle and managed to capture four large Swedish ships.

In 1721, in the Finnish city of Nystadt, peace was concluded between Russia and Sweden, which secured the coast of the Baltic Sea from Vyborg to Riga (the lands of Ingria, Estonia and Livonia) for Russia.

Peter 1 began planning military operations upon his return to the country in 1699. The result of such preparation was the creation of the Northern Union, which was joined by 3 more states (Denmark, Saxony and later - the Commonwealth).

Northern War 1700 1721 unfolds immediately after the signing of peace with the Ottoman Empire. First of all, Russia began to advance its army to Narva, the first battle takes place there. The result was the complete defeat of the army, which included more than 35,000 people, and on the enemy side there were 8,500 soldiers. As a result, the ruler of Sweden concluded that Russia did not threaten his troops and withdrew the army. However, this was only the beginning of the northern war, which lasted another 21 years.

Causes of the Northern War.

The main causes of the Northern War:

• The desire to reduce the influence of Sweden, which had one of the strongest armies in Europe, and was also the leading state in Western Europe. With the accession to the throne of the young and inexperienced Charles II, such an opportunity arose.
• Each state of the Northern Union had its own separate interests: Denmark wanted dominance in the Baltic Sea, Russia just needed access to the Baltic Sea along with the lands of Karelia and Ingria, and Saxony wanted to return Livonia.
• The pride of Peter I was hurt in Riga (it was the second most important city in the Swedish kingdom after Stockholm) - he received a cold welcome and took it as a personal insult.

Events of the northern war.

The Russian prince takes appropriate measures and reorganizes the army, taking the European one as a model. After 2 years, Russia captures Noteurg and Nienschanz, as well as a number of other fortresses within 2 years. As a result of these events, the Russian army gains control over the passage to the Baltic.

Despite a series of victories, the ruler of Russia offers the enemy to conclude a truce, which the latter refuses. Events of the northern war begin to gain momentum with the attack of Charles 12 on Russia in 1712. The fighting leads to the fact that the invader manages to take control of Minsk, Mogilev and acquire a new ally in the form of Hetman Mazepa of Ukraine. However, in the course of a further offensive, the enemy army is deprived of supplies and reserves as a result of a well-planned attack by the Russian army.

In the summer of 1709, near Poltava, the Swedish army suffered a complete defeat, as a result of which, as the ruler of the country and the hetman, Mazepa was sent to Turkey. Then, naturally, the Ottoman Empire enters the company, already in 1711 capturing a number of cities. Sweden is for years of the Northern War gradually losing their lands. Success accompanies Russia and at sea, in 1914 the reformed fleet wins its first victories at Cape Gangut. Despite this, the war continues, since there is no unanimity among the participants in the Northern Union.

After the victory of Russia in Finland in 1718, Charles 12 decides to start peace negotiations, which only lead to the aggravation of the war. Already in 1719-1720, wars landed directly on the coast of Sweden. The result of the almost complete defeat of Sweden is the peace treaty concluded in Nystadt in the summer of 1721.

As a result Northern War in Russia was completely completed, and the senate appointed Peter 1 as emperor. Since then, Russia has become known as an empire.

Results of the Northern War.

For Russia, the results of the Northern War were as follows:

Positive:

• Gained access to the Baltic Sea.
• The territories of Ingria, Kuplyandiya, Karelia were captured.
• The city of St. Petersburg was built on the reclaimed territory, providing a waterway to Western Europe, which allowed the country's economy to develop much faster through trade.
• Sweden has lost its position in Europe and has not reached the previous level.

Negative:

• Russia was ruined financially.
• There was a demographic crisis due to the large number of deaths in the war.

The Northern War, which broke out in the 18th century between Russia and Sweden, became a significant event for the Russian state. Why Peter 1 started the war with the Swedes and how it ended - more on that later.

Russian state under Peter 1

To understand the causes of the Northern War, you need to know what Russia was like at the beginning of the conflict. The 18th century is a time of grandiose changes in the economy, culture, politics and social relations. Peter the Great is known as a reformer tsar. He inherited a huge country with an underdeveloped economy and an outdated army. The Russian state lagged far behind in development from European countries. In addition, it was weakened by long wars with the Ottoman Empire, which were fought for dominance in the Black Sea.

Considering the question of why Peter 1 started a war with the Swedes, you need to understand that there were the most compelling reasons for this. The Northern War was fought for access to the Baltic coast, which was vital for Russia. Without trade relations with Western countries, it could not develop its economy. The only port at that time through which Russian goods were delivered to the West was Arkhangelsk. The sea route through was difficult, dangerous and irregular. In addition, Peter 1 understood the need for the urgent development of his fleet in the Baltic and the Black Sea. Without this, it was impossible to create a strong state.

That is why the war with the Swedes under Peter 1 was inevitable. The previous rulers of Russia saw the main enemy in the Ottoman Empire, which constantly attacked the Russian border territories. Only such a far-sighted politician as Peter the Great understood that it is now more important for the country to have the opportunity to trade with Europe through the means and the struggle for the Black Sea coast can wait for now.

Charles XII

During this period, the northern country was ruled by the same young and extraordinary monarch as Peter 1. Charles XII was considered a military genius, and his army was invincible. Under him, the country was considered the strongest in the Baltic region. By the way, his name is Charles in Russia, and in Sweden the king was known as Charles XII.

He began to rule, like Peter, at a young age. He was 15 when his father died and Charles succeeded to the throne. Possessing a quick temper, the king did not tolerate any advice and decided everything himself. At the age of 18 he made his first military expedition. Having announced at the court that he was leaving for fun in one of his castles, in fact the young ruler with a small army went by sea to Denmark. With a quick march under the walls of Copenhagen, Charles forced Denmark to withdraw from the alliance with Russia, Poland and Saxony. Almost 18 years after that, the king spent outside his native country, participating in various military campaigns. Their goal was to make Sweden the strongest state in Northern Europe.

Peter 1 and the Swedes: the causes of the military conflict

Russia and Sweden were adversaries long before the birth of the reformer tsar. The Baltic coast, which had an important geopolitical significance, has always been of great interest to many countries. Poland, Sweden and Russia have been trying to increase their influence in the Baltic region for many centuries. Since the XII century, the Swedes have repeatedly attacked the north of Russia, trying to capture Ladoga, the coast of the Gulf of Finland and Karelia. By the beginning of the 18th century, the Baltic countries were completely subordinate to Sweden. August II, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, Frederick IV, ruler of Denmark and Peter the Great formed a coalition against Sweden. Their hopes of victory were based on the youth of Charles XII. Russia, in case of victory, received a long-awaited access to the Baltic coast and the opportunity to have a fleet. This was the main reason why Peter 1 started the war with the Swedes. As for the other participants in the alliance against Sweden, they sought to weaken the northern enemy and strengthen their presence in the Baltic region.

Veliky: The Northern War with Sweden proved the military talent of the Russian Tsar

The union between the three countries (Russia, Denmark and Poland) was concluded in 1699. The first to speak out against Sweden was Augustus II. In 1700, the siege of Riga began. In the same year, the Danish army launched an invasion of the territory of Holstein, which was an ally of Sweden. Then Charles XII made a bold march into Denmark and forced her to withdraw from the war. Then he sent troops to Riga, and not daring to join the battle, he withdrew his troops.

Russia was the last to enter the war with Sweden. Why did Peter 1 start the war with the Swedes not simultaneously with the allies? The fact is that the Russian state at that time was at war with the Ottoman Empire, and the country could not participate in two military conflicts at once.

The very next day after the conclusion of a peace treaty with Turkey, Russia entered the war with Sweden. Peter 1 began a campaign to Narva, the nearest Swedish fortress. The battle was lost, despite the fact that the troops of Charles XII were far inferior in number to the poorly trained and underarmed Russian army.

The defeat at Narva led to a rapid transformation of the Russian armed forces. In just a year, Peter the Great was able to completely transform the army, equipped with new weapons and artillery. Since 1701, Russia begins to win victories over the Swedes: Poltava on the sea. In 1721, Sweden signed a peace treaty with Russia.

Results of the Northern War

After the conclusion of the Nystadt peace treaty, Russia firmly established itself in the Baltic region and Courland.

Peter I was inspired by the success of the Russian army in the fight against the Turks during the Azov Campaigns. Successes in the South prompted the Russian Tsar to enter into an active struggle with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. The struggle for access to the Baltic Sea is the main reason for Russia's participation in the Northern War. The Swedish army at that time was one of the strongest in Europe, the Swedes had strong positions in the Baltic. This state of affairs did not suit many European states. In 1699, Peter, as well as the rulers of Denmark, Saxony and Poland, formed the Northern League. Each country of the newly formed union pursued its own goals. Russia needed Karelia and Ingria, Poland needed Livonia, Denmark wanted to get the lands of Goldstein - the Duchy of Gottorp. Already at the very beginning of the war, the Swedish king Charles XII managed to withdraw Denmark from the war. In July, Peter I makes peace with Turkey and declares war on Sweden. So for Russia begins the long-term Northern War.

At the end of August, Russian troops completely besieged Narva. Charles lands a landing of Swedish troops in Livonia and relieves the siege of Riga by Saxon troops. In November, a nightmare occurs for the Russian army, the Swedes, having no numerical advantage, utterly smash Peter's army. Charles begins expansion into the Commonwealth. Despite the fierce resistance of the Poles, in 1702 Charles had already occupied Warsaw. Stanisław Leszczynski, a protege of Charles, becomes the ruler of Poland. In 1705, Poland concluded a military alliance with Sweden against Russia. Meanwhile, seeing that Karl is very interested in internal Polish affairs, the Russian army is deploying active hostilities in the Baltic states. At the end of 1701, Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev delivered several successful attacks on the Swedish positions. By 1705, Peter I and the Russian army managed to capture Dorpat (Tartu) Koporye, Yamburg, Narva. Russia has finally gained access to the Baltic Sea, but the end of hostilities is still far away. Peter I transfers the main battles of the Northern War to the territory of Poland. Sheremetyev successfully fought on Polish territory and soon drove the Swedes out of Courland. Karl begins retaliatory actions, and the Russian troops are pushed back beyond the Neman. And the Swedes invaded the borders of Saxony and took it out of the war under the terms of the Altrastend peace. In 1706, Menshikov won a brilliant victory at Kalisz. Russia is left without allies and Peter I is forced to offer peace to Charles. Peace Peter I offered in exchange for the mouth of the Neva. Carl refused. Karl, having successfully wintered, begins active hostilities, pushing the Russian troops. On September 28, 1708, one of the largest and most important battles of the Northern War takes place. Russian and Swedish troops converged near the village of Lesnoy. The Russian army defeated the Swedes, this victory was very important from a strategic point of view. The Swedes had a hard time, as the partisans constantly pestered Karl's army, and the winter turned out to be harsh.

In the spring of 1709, in April, Charles laid siege to Poltava. The city was desperately defending itself. In the summer, Russian armies approached the city. And soon the largest battle took place during the Northern War - the Battle of Poltava. Karl suffered a crushing defeat in the battle of Poltava, losing a huge part of the army. With skillful actions, Menshikov forced the remnants of the Swedish army to capitulate, no less than 16 thousand people. Charles fled to Turkey. And the Battle of Poltava significantly influenced the course of the war. After the Battle of Poltava, the Northern League was revived. Denmark, Saxony and Poland no longer fulfilled the terms of the treaties with Sweden.

The course of the Northern War was becoming more and more successful for Russia. In 1710, the Russians take Vyborg, Riga, Revel. Karl, meanwhile, convinced the Turkish Sultan to launch a campaign against Russia. The new Turkish war was unsuccessful for Russia. The troops were surrounded, and Peter was forced to sign the Prussian peace with the Ottoman Empire. Russia lost everything it gained during the Azov Campaigns. In 1712, Peter led troops to Finland, and Menshikov invaded the North German possessions of the Swedes. The Russian fleet wins a major naval victory at the Battle of Gangut. The Swedes, having made peace with Russia's Western allies, tried to turn the tide of the war. But still the Swedes failed to achieve any success in the fight against Peter. The Northern War lasted from 1700 to 1721. In September 1721, the Treaty of Nishtad was concluded. Under this agreement, Russia received Estonia, Livonia, Ingria, Western Karelia.

The main outcome of the Northern War is that Russia gained access to the non-freezing Baltic Sea. Now the country can freely trade with Western European countries. The Northern War marked a reshuffling of power in Europe. The Russian state was becoming very powerful, many European countries will now seek an alliance with Russia. The Northern War brought glory to Russian weapons.

Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR M. N. TIKHOMIROV

After the Tatar invasion, Russia had access to only three seas: the Baltic, the Barents and the White. In the Baltic Sea, the Russians owned only a small coastline of the Gulf of Finland. This coastal area, however, was of great importance, since the Neva River flows into the Gulf of Finland, flowing from Lake Ladoga, where numerous rivers flow. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, connecting the Baltic Sea with the river systems of the northeastern outskirts of Europe, has long attracted the attention of Russia's western neighbors, primarily Sweden. The Swedish invaders sought to seize the banks of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland in order to cut off Novgorod from the sea coast and deprive the Russian people of the only sea route to the countries of Western Europe.

The struggle for the eastern coast of the Gulf of Finland unfolded with particular force from the 13th century, when the Russian lands were devastated by the raids of the Tatars, which allowed the Catholic Church to undertake a big crusade against the exhausted Rus'. The initiators of this campaign were the popes, and the performers were the German knights in Livonia, Swedish and Danish feudal lords.

In the summer of 1240, the Swedish army, led by their leader Birger, landed on the shore at the confluence of the Izhora River into the Neva. From here, the Swedish military leaders intended to launch an offensive deep into the Novgorod lands and occupy Ladoga, but the well-organized protection of the Russian shores prevented the implementation of their plans. At the mouth of the Neva there was a permanent marine patrol, under the protection of which there were two entrance fairways in its branches. The sea guard had a dual purpose: it monitored the movement of the enemy fleet and provided pilots for merchant ships. The patrol of the sea guard stationed at the mouth of the Neva, headed by Pelgusius ("the elder" of the Izhora land), reported to Novgorod about the landing of the Swedes. Having received this news, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich immediately set out on a campaign with his retinue and with the Novgorod militia, not having time to wait for help from his father from Suzdal. On July 15, 1240, the soldiers of Alexander Yaroslavich attacked the Swedish camp by surprise and completely defeated the Swedes. Not satisfied with the defeat of the Swedish camp, the Novgorodians attacked the enemy ships that were on the coast, and destroyed many of them. Misha from Novgorod alone destroyed three Swedish ships. Another Novgorodian, Gavrila Oleksich, on the gangway ("on the deck") broke into the enemy ship on horseback, pursuing a noble Swede, was thrown off the gangway, but survived. The defeat of the Swedish landing was complete, the corpses of noble Swedes alone filled three ships, which were sunk by the Swedes themselves. At night, the enemy fleet ingloriously left the Neva and the Gulf of Finland, leaving further attempts to establish themselves on the Neva banks. The Battle of the Neva was of great importance for organizing the further struggle of the Russians against the German knights and Danish feudal lords. The Swedes could no longer take part in further hostilities. This made it easier for Alexander Nevsky to fight the German knights. The campaign of Russian troops against the German knights immediately took on an all-Russian character. In addition to the Novgorod regiments, along with Alexander, auxiliary troops from Suzdal land, under the command of his brother, went. The decisive battle with the united German and Danish troops took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. The German and Danish feudal lords were utterly defeated and tried to flee, but the spring ice broke, and the cold waters of the lake swallowed up many German "knight dogs".

New attempts to firmly establish themselves on the banks of the Neva were made by Swedish feudal lords at the end of the 13th century. They were associated with the desire of Sweden to subjugate Karelia to its dominion. In 1284 the Swedish fleet broke into Lake Ladoga. The purpose of this expedition was to subdue the Karelians: the Swedish feudal lords "would like to take tribute on Korel". The Novgorodians and Ladoga, led by the posadnik Semyon, waited for the return of the sea robbers at the mouth of the Neva ("stash at the mouth of the Neva"), attacked them and destroyed most of the Swedish ships. This battle on the Neva gives grounds to assert that the Novgorodians had sea and river vessels intended for military operations, otherwise they could not have defeated the Swedes who broke into Lake Ladoga "in loivas and augers." At the mouth of the Neva, this time too, the presence of a naval guard was noted, which announced the approach of an enemy flotilla.

The Swedish expedition of 1284 pursued mainly reconnaissance goals. Events unfolded quite differently in 1300, when the Swedish feudal lords made an attempt to firmly establish themselves on the banks of the Neva by building a sea fortress here. The Swedish fleet stopped at the confluence of the Okhta River into the Neva, where the ships could approach directly to the very shore. The Swedes brought with them architects for the construction of the fortress, among whom was a "deliberate" (outstanding) master "from the great Rome from the pope." The enterprise was conceived broadly. The new city was named Landskrone (in Russian chronicles "The Crown of the Earth"). The expedition was led by Thorkel Knutson, the ruler of Sweden, whom the Russian chronicler calls the royal governor.

The fight against the Swedes immediately took on an all-Russian character, as the Novgorodians turned to Grand Duke Andrei Alexandrovich for help. Prince Andrei came with the Suzdal troops and, together with the Novgorodians, approached Landskrona. The siege of the fortress was carried out according to all the rules of the then military art. In order to destroy the Swedish fleet, the Russians sent burning log rafts down the river. But the Swedes prudently blocked the river with an iron chain, and the Russian plan failed. Fights under the fortress walls took place day and night. Finally, on May 18, 1301, the Novgorodians broke into the fortress, killed its garrison, burned and destroyed the fortifications, capturing 300 people. “That firmness is nothing for their arrogance,” the Russian chronicler remarks instructively about the Swedes. The failure of a new attempt by the Swedes to deprive the Russian people of access to the Baltic Sea was joyfully greeted in Novgorod, and the chronicler recalls with gratitude those nameless heroes, "who lay their heads down in that city."

Not limited to the defense of their shores, the Novgorodians more than once switched to active operations against the Swedes. In them, they showed themselves to be experienced sailors and created their own navy, suitable for long-distance expeditions.

In 1310, Novgorodians undertook a campaign to restore the town on the Uzerva River, which flows into Lake Ladoga. On the site of the old fortifications, the new city of Karela (Kexholm) was built, which became the stronghold of the Novgorodians in the area. In 1311, the Novgorodians undertook a sea expedition into the depths of Finland. The bold campaign of the Novgorodians testifies to their desire to protect their lands by active actions on the territory captured by the Swedish feudal lords.

However, while the Neva remained undefended, the threat of an enemy invasion into Lake Ladoga remained, especially since the Swedes owned an excellent base on the shores of the Gulf of Finland - the city of Vyborg. Therefore, after the unsuccessful siege of Vyborg, the Novgorodians began to strengthen the defense of their coast. In 1323, at the exit of the Neva from Lake Ladoga, they placed the city of Orekhovets, or Oreshek, on the "Nut Island". Subsequently, Peter 1 renamed it Shlisselburg ("Key City"), rightly evaluating it as the key to mastering the Neva, which opened access to the sea. In the same year, Novgorod signed the Orekhovets Treaty with Sweden, according to which the entire course of the Neva remained with the Russians, provided that both states refused to build new cities in Karelia. This agreement formed the basis of subsequent agreements between Russia and Sweden, which were concluded until the beginning of the 17th century.

The last attempt by the Swedes to capture the Neva basin also ended in a shameful failure. This attempt was made by the Swedish king Magnus, who earned the contemptuous nickname "weak". He hoped to raise his undermined prestige by a successful campaign against Russian lands. In 1348 the Swedish fleet reappeared at the mouth of the Neva. The landing force was landed on Berezovy Island, where Magnus stopped "with all his strength." In August of the same year, he captured the city of Orekhovets. However, Orekhovets did not remain in the hands of the invaders for a long time and a year later was liberated by the Russian army. After that, the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea subsided for a long time. The Russians firmly held access to the sea in their hands.

The struggle for the shores of the Baltic resumed with renewed vigor in the 16th century. The interests of the economic and political development of the centralized Russian state that took shape in the 15th-16th centuries urgently demanded the resolution of the "Baltic issue". Therefore, Ivan III already paid special attention to strengthening the shores of the Gulf of Finland, which belonged to Russia, and built the fortresses of Yam and Koporye there. In 1492, on the border with Estonia, just opposite Narva, a new city was founded - Ivangorod (in honor of Ivan III), which became an important trading and strategic point on the northwestern border of Russia. It was a first-class for that time fortress, built of stone. Since that time, Russian trade in the Baltic Sea mainly went through the new port, which at the same time had the significance of an advanced Russian fortress on the shores of the Baltic.

Strengthening of the Russian state in the XVI century. caused great concern in Sweden, Livonia, Poland and Germany. The rulers of these countries did their best to prevent the establishment of trade relations between Russia and Western Europe. Sweden and Denmark also claimed dominance in the Baltics. Ivan IV, who closely followed the situation in the Baltic states and the military preparations directed against Russia, got ahead of his opponents, starting a war with the Livonian Order in 1558 before the unification of hostile states took place. The very first years of the war were marked by the greatest successes of the Russians, who captured Yuryev (Tartu) and Narva.

Russia's goal in the Livonian War was to gain access to the Baltic Sea. Therefore, Ivan IV hoped in the future to create his own fleet on the Baltic Sea.

During the Livonian War, the issue of protecting Russian trade in the Baltic Sea acquired particular importance. Expecting to paralyze Russian maritime trade with the West by violent measures, Poland, and after it Sweden, resorted to the usual means of destroying trade at sea in those days - to corsairs. All the oceans and seas of that time were full of pirates who willingly hired themselves into the service of various governments. Entering such a service, corsairs received a special "letter of marque" (or patent) and thereby acquired the right to legal existence. Ivan the Terrible also started a privateer fleet to protect the shores of the Baltic Sea, led by the chief privateer Carsten Rode. The appearance in the Baltic Sea of ​​a privateer fleet, acting on behalf of the government of Ivan the Terrible, caused extreme confusion in Sweden, Germany and other Baltic countries, although this fleet existed for a very short time.

The fact that Ivan IV, in addition to creating a privateer fleet, intended to seriously gain a foothold on the shores of the Baltic Sea, is also evidenced by his attempt to capture Reval, a large trading port and a powerful sea fortress. The capture of this city, captured by Sweden after the collapse of the Livonian Order, meant not only the expulsion of a dangerous enemy from the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland, but also the receipt of a fortified base for the privateer fleet. However, the seven-month siege of Revel from land did not lead to the desired result. The defensive means of Revel turned out to be too powerful, besides, reinforcements and everything necessary were brought to the city all the time by sea.

The long-term Livonian War demanded the exertion of all the forces of the Russian state. Since 1578, hostilities took an unfavorable turn for the Russian army, although the advance of the Polish-Lithuanian army was stopped at the walls of the heroically defending Pskov. A long war that lasted a quarter of a century ended with a truce with Poland (1582) and with Sweden (1583), which was extremely disadvantageous for Russia, which lost not only all the acquisitions made in Livonia, but also the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland with the Russian cities of Yam (now Kingisepp), Koporye and Ivangorod. Russia was cut off from the Baltic Sea.

The Russian state could not come to terms with the loss of access to the Baltic Sea. Therefore, instead of a truce, the Russian government responded to the proposal of the Swedes to make peace with the demand to return to Russia its cities on the Baltic coast and began to seek the return of the lost lands by armed force. The new Russian-Swedish war ended with the conclusion of the Tevzinsky Peace of 1595, according to which Sweden had to return the coast of the Gulf of Finland and Karel (Kexholm) to Russia.

However, Sweden, despite the conclusion of the "eternal peace", continued to prepare to capture the Russian coast of the Gulf of Finland. At the beginning of the 17th century, when Russia was weakened by the Polish intervention, Sweden switched to open aggressive actions and even occupied Novgorod.

According to the Peace of Stolbov in 1617, Sweden again took the coast of the Gulf of Finland from Russia. The loss by the Russians of access to the Baltic Sea caused great delight in Sweden. In an official speech, King Gustavus Adolphus said: “The Russians are dangerous neighbors: their land borders extend to the North, Caspian and Black Seas; they have a powerful nobility, numerous peasantry, populous cities; they can put a large army in the field; and now this enemy without our permission, not a single vessel can be lowered into the Baltic Sea."

The lack of access to the Baltic Sea became especially acute in Russia in connection with the formation in the 17th century. internal "all-Russian market" and the development of economic and political relations with the countries of Western Europe. An ardent supporter of the struggle with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea was an outstanding Russian diplomat of the 17th century. A.L. Ordyn-Nashchokin. In a special note submitted to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, he insisted on concluding peace and an alliance with the Commonwealth in order to direct all forces against Sweden.

Preparing for the war with Sweden, the Moscow government developed a broad plan of military operations, which provided for the simultaneous offensive of Russian forces in several directions. The main forces under the command of the king himself were to descend on plows along the Western Dvina to Riga. This direction was considered the most important, since the occupation of Riga opened up access to the Baltic Sea.

In August 1656, Russian troops took possession. Dinaburg and Kokenhausen (Kokenois). On the Western Dvina, the construction of military courts began. However, Riga failed to take.

Another detachment of Russian troops under the command of governor Potekusin was to clear Izhora of the Swedes and take possession of the mouth of the Neva, after which Potemkin was given the task of going to Stockholm. For this purpose, ships were given to him and more than 500 Cossacks, experienced sailors, were sent from the Don. In the spring of 1656, Potemkin approached the Neva and took the city of Nyenschantz (Kantsy), built at its mouth. Having finished with Nyenschantz, Potemkin approached Noteburg (Nut), but he could not take possession of it, although he received reinforcements from Ladoga in the form of many small ships. In July of the same year, descending the Neva into the Gulf of Finland, Potemkin launched an attack on the island of Kotlin, where he overtook a detachment of Swedish ships and took the "semi-ship" and prisoners from the battle. The troops landed on Kotlin burned the settlements located here.

The complicated international situation prevented Russia from returning the lost lands off the coast of the Gulf of Finland. The main goals pursued by the actions of the Russians in the Izhora land were not achieved, and Noteburg remained in the hands of the Swedes. Nevertheless, in the negotiations between Russia and Sweden that began in 1658, the most important issue was the issue of marinas for Russian ships.

But the Swedes were most of all afraid of the appearance of Russians off the coast of the Baltic Sea. Under the terms of the truce concluded in the village of Valiesare (1658), only some cities occupied by it in Livonia remained behind Russia. However, these acquisitions were also lost due to the peace with Sweden concluded in 1661 in Kardis. Russia and Sweden remained within the boundaries defined by the predatory Stolbovsky peace. Russia stubbornly sought to obtain harbors in the Baltic Sea, but this most important historical task was resolved only under Peter 1.

In addition to a small section of the coast of the Gulf of Finland, Russia has long owned the vast shores of the northern seas - the White and Barents Seas. The Barents Sea was known to Russians under the characteristic name of "breathing", i.e. an unfreezing sea that ebbs and flows all year round.

Settlements of Novgorodians have long appeared on the Kola Peninsula and off the coast of the White Sea. Seal hunting and fishing were the "eternal trades of the Pomors, who made long trips to the Barents Sea on their ships. The brave Novgorodians made their way far to the east and north to the shores of Novaya Zemlya. In the 14th century, three Novgorod ships ("yums") wandered for a long time around northern seas: one of them died, and two landed on high mountains.At the head of the sailors were Moislav Novgorodets and his son Yakov, who told about the "self-radiant light" they had seen, which was brighter than the sun, i.e. about the northern lights. that Moislav and his companions reached the mountainous shores of Vaigach and Novaya Zemlya.

The deserted shores of the White Sea sometimes became the scene of fierce battles between the Russians and the Norwegians ("Murmans"), who ravaged the coastal lands. The annals of the 15th century tell about this in some detail. In 1419, the Norwegians appeared at the mouth of the Northern Dvina with a detachment of 500 people, "in beads and augers", and ravaged Nenoksa and several other churchyards. The Pomors attacked the robbers and destroyed two augers, after which the surviving Norwegian ships went to sea. In 1445, the Norwegians reappeared at the mouth of the Dvina, causing great damage to the locals. This raid was made, apparently, in retaliation for the campaign of Karelians subject to Novgorod to Norway (perhaps we are talking about the north of Finland and Norway). The Karelians inflicted great damage on the Norwegians, "beating them and fighting and capturing them." Like the first time, the Norwegian campaign ended in complete failure. Suddenly attacking the enemy, the Dvinians killed a large number of Norwegians, killed three of their commanders and took prisoners, who were sent to Novgorod. The rest of the Norwegians "rushed into the ships of the runaway."

In view of the absence of a permanent connection with Western Europe through the Baltic Sea, communication through the northern seas was of great economic and political importance for Russia. The route to Europe through the White and Barents Seas has long been known to Russian Pomors, and was not at all discovered by English sailors, as many English sources claim. This way, together with the Danish embassy, ​​Istoma Grigoriev sailed to Europe at the end of the 15th century. The travelers boarded four ships at the mouth of the Northern Dvina and sailed along the coasts of the Kola Peninsula and Scandinavia, reaching Bergen. Istoma's campaign was not an exceptional phenomenon. The Russian ambassador, sent to Spain, and some other Russian people followed the same path. Most remarkable of all, Russian travelers described this route to northern Europe as "longer" but also safer.

Thus, the arrival at the mouth of the Northern Dvina of an English ship under the command of Chancellor was only the beginning of more or less regular commercial relations between England and Russia. Following the English, Dutch ships appeared in the White Sea. A small settlement at the mouth of the Northern Dvina quickly grew and became the city of Arkhangelsk (1584) - the largest port in Russia in the 17th century.

During the Livonian War, shipping in the White Sea was greatly developed. Sweden's attempts to establish itself in the White Sea date back to this time. In 1571, Swedish warships appeared near the Solovetsky Islands. The Swedes, apparently, carried out reconnaissance, preparing for the capture of the Solovetsky Islands, which would ensure their dominance in the White Sea. To protect against enemy attacks, a wooden prison was built around the Solovetsky Monastery, archers and Cossacks were recruited. This turned out to be a timely measure, since during the Russian-Swedish war of 1590-1595. The Swedes attacked the western coast of the White Sea.

In August 1591 hostilities unfolded in the north on a fairly large scale. A Swedish detachment of 1,200 people "in small courts" made its way to the Kola prison. The enemy approached the two towers of the wooden prison with the intention of setting them on fire, but was driven back. In September, the attack was repeated. This time, 400 Swedes on small ships made their way along the Kem River and suddenly appeared at the Sumy prison. For eight hours, the Swedes tried to set fire to the prison, but on the same day (September 23) they lifted the siege and, having ruined several villages, went back. Under the walls of a wooden prison, where 200 Russians were under siege, of which only 30 were archers and gunners, the Swedes suffered great losses in the wounded, killed and captured. The Swedish military leader was killed.

In response to the attack of the Swedes in the winter of the same 1591, Russian troops entered Sweden. The Russian detachment numbered 3,000 people - archers, Cossacks and militias from Ustyug, Kholmogor, Zaonezhye, monastic servants of the Kirillo-Belozersky and Solovetsky monasteries. The governors were princes Andrei and Grigory Volkonsky. The campaign began from the Sumy prison, its goal was the Kayan land in northern Finland, in which Russian troops fought for six weeks.

Thus, the attempt of the Swedes at the end of the XVI century. to oust the Russians from the Kola Peninsula in order to prevent merchant shipping in the White Sea was unsuccessful. Mastered by the middle of the XVI century. the northern sea route from Western Europe to the mouth of the Northern Dvina throughout the next century served as the main highway for Russia's relations with Western European countries.

For a long time, Russian sailors also knew the sea route along the Arctic Ocean to the east, to the shores of Siberia. The northern route received special significance from the end of the 16th century, after the conquest of Siberia. The sea route along the shores of the Arctic Ocean led to Mangazeya, located on the Taz River in Siberia, the main point for the fur trade in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. ^

Russian ships ("kochi"), leaving the mouth of the Northern Dvina, went along the eastern coast of the White Sea, went around the Kanin Peninsula, and sometimes crossed it, using the system of rivers and the fact that even in the driest season they "dragged", i.e. The dry space between the rivers that flowed into the Mezenskaya Bay and the Chesky Bay was insignificant. Experienced navigators went "by the same large sea-okiyam to the tract Yugorsky Shar", after which they entered the Kara Sea. All the way to Mangazeya was made with extreme difficulties, but this did not stop the Russian industrialists. In 1610, 16 koches came to Mangazeya and 150 people came to them. Later in the annals it is reported that "many people came by sea" to Mangazeya.

Information about the existence of a route to Mangazeya penetrated into Western European trading circles. Already during the negotiations on the conclusion of the Stolbovsky peace, the Swedish representatives asked the Russian ambassadors, "how much from the Muscovite state to Siberia." The British and Dutch dreamed of opening a northern route from Europe to China, Japan and India, instead of a longer route across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the southern and eastern shores of Asia. Theoretically, the northern route to the east was the shortest and, therefore, the most profitable, but in practice this route, mastered only in our time, was inaccessible to Western European merchant ships.

All geographical discoveries in Siberia were made by brave Russian sailors. Back in 1610, Russian industrialists in Mangazeya made an important discovery: the Dvinian Kondraty Kurochkin, together with merchants who came from the Northern Dvina, made a sea expedition from the Turukhansk winter hut (Turukhansk) to the mouth of the Yenisei, "and how the river and the sea cleared ... and they left the Yenisei for the open sea. Thus, it was proved that the Yenisei flows into the "Cold" Sea, that there is access to the mouth of the Yenisei, that "it is possible for large ships to pass from the sea to the Yenisei."

Polar campaigns were extremely dangerous and often ended in the death of brave Russian sailors. A remarkable find made off the eastern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula by Soviet sailors in 1940 tells about unknown travelers. Remains of objects belonging to Russian winterers who were wrecked in Sims Bay were found here. The fact that these winterers "went by sea, and not by land, is irrefutably evidenced not only by the wreckage of a broken ship and an iron block from a sail, but also by the remains of at least six special nautical tools."

From the middle of the 17th century Russian ships begin to appear in the eastern part of the Arctic Ocean. From the mouth of the Lena, they went by sea to the west and after a "day of sailing" they reached the Olenyok River. Further, Russian ships reached the mouth of the Yana in three to five days. The main obstacle on the way of the brave navigators was heaps of ice, among which the kochi, pressed to the shore by sea winds, made their way with difficulty.

After the construction of three fortified winter quarters on the Kolyma River, trips to the east along the shores of the Arctic Ocean became more frequent. In 1648, an expedition consisting of six koches set sail from the mouth of the Kolyma. Three ships reached the Big Chukchi Nose, now known as Cape Dezhnev, named after Semyon Dezhnev, the head of one of the koches who discovered the strait between Asia and America. The expedition rounded the extreme eastern tip of Asia and reached the Anadyr River. Thus, the possibility of passage from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean was proved. The contours of the Great Northern Sea Route around the coast of Asia were outlined by the brave Russian navigators of the 17th century.

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In the XVI-XVII centuries. Russian and Ukrainian settlements almost came close to the shores of the Black and Azov Seas. The Zaporozhye Cossacks settled down on one of the Dnieper islands (Khortitsa), in close proximity to the Turkish fortresses located at the mouths of the Dnieper and the Bug. Don Cossack villages already at the end of the 16th century. based on the lower reaches of the Don, also in close proximity to the Turkish fortress of Azov.

The struggle with the Crimean Khanate and Turkey for the northern Black Sea region was historically inevitable for Russia. It was caused primarily by the need to protect the outlying Russian lands from the attacks of the Turks and Tatars.

In this struggle between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks played a huge role. Class oppression caused a mass exodus of peasants to the lower reaches of the Dnieper and Don. Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks were formed there. The Cossacks waged a continuous struggle with the Crimean Tatars and Turks, and they were not limited only to defense, but themselves made retaliatory attacks on the Crimea and the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. In these campaigns, they proved themselves to be experienced sailors.

The Black Sea in the 16th century became the scene of frequent naval battles between small Cossack ships and large ships of the Turkish fleet. Cossack campaigns to the shores of Turkey thoroughly undermined the military power of the Turks, inflicting a decisive blow to the myth that existed at that time about their invincibility.

The exploits of the Cossacks at sea amaze with their courage, and their campaigns with the thoroughness of preparation. For these sea voyages, the Cossacks built special ships ("seagulls"), up to 20 m long, 3 to 4 m wide, with a draft of 50-60 cm. These ships were equipped with two rudders: at the stern and at the bow. Each of them had a mast, on which a sail was raised in good weather and with a fair wind; at the usual time, the "gulls" moved on oars, for which from 10 to 15 rowers sat along each side. Bundles of reeds were tied to the sides, supporting the Cossack "gulls" on the surface of the water, even if they were filled with water. Supplies were stored in barrels. From 80 to 100 Cossack "gulls" gathered on a long sea voyage. Each ship was equipped with 4 or 6 small-caliber guns (falconets) and had a crew of 50-70 people; each Cossack had two guns and a saber. Such a squadron was a formidable force, especially since the Cossacks usually attacked suddenly, preventing the enemy from concentrating their forces.

The Cossack fleet descended down the Dnieper to the mouth of the river. The ataman’s ship with a flag on the mast went ahead, followed by the rest of the “seagulls: Knowing that the Turkish galleys carefully guarded the Dnieper mouth, the Cossacks hid their ships in the river channels among the reeds, waiting for dark nights. Often the breakthrough of the Cossack fleet did not go unnoticed by the Turks, who they managed to report to Constantinople about the imminent danger.. Immediately, the alarm spread along the Black Sea coast, but the Cossacks suddenly appeared where they were not expected.

The successful raids of the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks showed the possibility of successfully using river routes to attack Tatar and Turkish cities. In addition, at that time it was the only way to strike at the Crimean Tatars on their territory, since the Crimea was reliably protected from the north by the insurmountable Black Sea steppes and bays.

The campaign in the Crimea in 1556 is one of the remarkable military events of the 16th century. The main Russian forces moved from Putivl to the Dnieper under the command of the representative of the Moscow government, the clerk Rzhevsky. On the Dnieper, 300 Ukrainian Cossacks from Kanev joined Rzhevsky's Cossacks. Vessels for the campaign were built on the tributary of the Dnieper - the Psel River. The forward point of the Crimean Tatars on the Dnieper - Islam-Kermen - turned out to be abandoned by the Tatars. Having captured it, the Russian detachment went further, to Ochakov, which covered the exit from the Dnieper and the Bug to the Black Sea. Here Rzhevsky achieved great success, defeating a detachment of Tatars and Turks and taking the suburb of Ochakov ("jail"). Rzhevsky's campaign showed the weakness of the Turkish-Tatar defense on the Dnieper, and thus the vulnerability of the Black Sea coast of Crimea and Turkey.

The bold actions of Rzhevsky were continued in 1559. This time, the Dnieper detachment was commanded by the devious Daniil Adashev. With a detachment of 8,000 people, he went down the Dnieper in boats to Ochakov, near which he captured two Turkish ships. Having landed on the northern coast of the Crimea, 15 kilometers from Perekop, Russian troops ravaged the Tatar villages and returned safely. Khan pursued them with a small force, "and many people did not hasten to gather for him."

The significance of Adashev’s campaign as the first successful attack of the Russians from the sea on the Crimea, the Russian chronicler, who tells about this event, evaluates as follows: “before this, from the beginning, as the Crimean yurt became, and how in that Korsun Island (i.e. Crimea) wickedness once settled in the busorman, the Russian saber in those wicked dwellings has never been stained with blood even to this day. For the first time, the war was transferred to the territory of the Crimean horde itself, which had previously plundered Russian and Ukrainian lands with impunity.

Since that time, Cossack campaigns in the Black Sea began. In 1589 Cossack "gulls";; under the command of the ataman of Kaluga, they went down the Dnieper and headed for the shores of the Crimea. The Cossacks took a Turkish ship to the sea and attacked the city of Kozlov (now Evpatoria) at night. In 1606, the Zaporozhye Cossacks captured 10 Turkish galleys at sea with all supplies and attacked Varna. In the autumn of 1608, the Cossacks took Perekop, and the following year, on 16 "gulls" they appeared in the Danube girls.

Cossack campaigns became even more formidable for the Turks after the Cossacks began to conduct them together with the Don Cossacks. Then it turned out that the powerful Turkish fleet was no longer able to protect the coast of the Crimea and Asia Minor. The most important Black Sea ports - Kafa (Feodosia), Trapezond and Sinop - became the targets of attacks by the Cossacks; Cossack "gulls" appeared even under the walls of Constantinople.

The largest event of the beginning of the XVII century. in the history of Cossack campaigns is a campaign against Sinop, one of the richest Turkish cities on the Asian coast of the Black Sea. The road to Sinop was shown to the Cossacks by their own relatives, "poturnaks", that is, captive Cossacks, who, unable to withstand the torture and hard work on the Turkish galleys, agreed to convert to Islam. Involuntary renegades, poturnaks hated their enslavers and willingly agreed to be guides of the Cossacks. The Cossacks suddenly attacked the city, ravaged the castle and the arsenal, destroyed the sailing and rowing ships in the harbor and freed the Christian slaves. The capture of Sinop (1616) made a strong impression in Turkey and was the reason for the dismissal of the Grand Vizier.

In 1615, the Don Cossacks attacked Azov and destroyed many Turkish ships, then they moved on 70 plows near Kafa, took it and freed many slaves. From the coast of Crimea, they went to the southern coast of the Black Sea and captured Trapezond. Here again, the association of Don and Zaporizhzhya Cossacks acted simultaneously. Contemporaries credited the leader of the Cossack fleet, Hetman Pyotr Sahaydachny, with the fact that he "for his hetmanship took the place of Kafu in Turtseh; even the Caesar of Tours himself was in great fear." Shortly after the capture of Sinop and Trapezond, the Cossack fleet appeared under the walls of Istanbul (Constantinople), the capital of the Turkish Empire. The expedition was attended by Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks under the command of Ataman Shil.

The sea campaigns of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks were undoubtedly one of the most remarkable military enterprises that played a significant role in protecting Russian and Ukrainian lands from the predatory raids of the Crimean Tatars.

Zaporizhzhya and Don Cossacks equally participated in sea trips to the Black Sea. However, the campaigns of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks are glorified by Russian historians, and very little is known about the Don campaigns, although the Don expeditions at sea not only were not inferior to the Zaporozhye ones in scope, but sometimes even surpassed them.

The sea campaigns of the Cossacks, of course, caused constant diplomatic complications between Russia and Turkey, which demanded an end to the Cossack raids on the Black Sea coast. This explains the fact that the Moscow government in its letters forbade the Cossacks to smash the Crimean and Turkish shores. However, this prohibition was purely formal, because the Moscow government was interested in the existence of a permanent Cossack fleet on the Don, which opposed the Turkish naval forces, which reigned supreme in the Black and Azov Seas. Therefore, the Cossack flotillas not only were not disbanded, but were even replenished with new plows built in Voronezh at the expense of the royal treasury. So, the royal charter of 1627, which reproached the Don Cossacks for raids on the Crimean and Turkish possessions, at the same time allowed the Cossacks to leave 14 plows on the Don for seeing off the Turkish and Russian ambassadors.

The largest event in the history of sea campaigns of the Don Cossacks was the capture of Azov. The Azov fortress stood on the left bank of the Don. close to where it flows into the sea. Consequently, such a fortress could only be taken with the help of river or light sea vessels. The siege of Azov by the Cossacks began on April 21 and lasted for two months. The Cossacks took Azov on June 18, 1637 "and beat many people." During the siege, the Cossacks fired cannons at the city walls, surrounded the fortress with trenches and dug under the towers. All this could only be done thanks to the fact that the Cossacks had sufficient artillery and ammunition delivered from Moscow. The arrival of nobleman Stepan Chirikov and ataman Ivan Katorzhnop from Moscow near Azov with bread, gunpowder and money, the author of the historical story about Azov considers the turning point in the siege of this fortress. "The Great Don Troops" fired cannons at the fortress walls that day.

Azov quickly gained the significance of the capital of the Don Cossacks, where Zaporozhye Cossacks continuously began to flock from Ukraine, the number of which the Don natives themselves determined "in Azov and on the Don" at 10 thousand people. Trade relations between Azov and Kerch were soon established; and Tamanya, from where Turkish merchants arrived on two ships with goods. Even more important was Azov as a naval base, from which light Cossack boats could go to sea.

In 1638, the Cossack fleet met with 44 Turkish galleys. The collision took place during a storm that wrecked six Turkish galleys. The galley fleet, according to the Cossacks, was supposed to serve as an outpost for Cossack ships in the Kerch Strait. The Cossack flotilla, according to the Russian chronicler, consisted of 40 plows with 2,000 crew members (an average of 50 people per ship). The battle lasted all day, and by nightfall both fleets parted in different directions: the galleys went to sea, the Cossacks went to the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov. The next day, the sea battle resumed: "a great battle was fought among them and the smoke became great." The Cossack flotilla of 53 ships with a crew of 1700 people, after an unsuccessful attack on Kafa, disappeared into the sleeves of the Kuban. The Turkish fleet blocked the mouth of the Kuban and pursued the Cossacks on small ships.

The actions of the Cossacks on the Black Sea did not stop there. Having received an order from Moscow, the Cossacks sent 37 large plows to the Black Sea. Here the Cossack flotilla met with the Turkish galleys and entered into battle with them. The Cossacks had to fight with a powerful Turkish squadron of 80 large and 100 small warships. Despite this, they captured 5 galleys and sank them along with their cannons. The fighting of the Cossacks at sea lasted three weeks. Cossack planes, damaged by cannonballs fired from Turkish ships, washed ashore; The Cossacks returned to Azov by land.

Military operations at sea resumed shortly after the abandonment of Azov by the Cossacks in 1642. The Don "waterway" made it possible to inflict strong blows on the Crimea and Turkey. This was taken into account by Russian government circles. In 1646, the nobleman Zhdan Kondyrev appeared on the Don as a representative of the government, who was supposed to go by sea along with the Don Cossacks to the shores of Crimea. The Don military foreman in the Kondyrev mission suspected an attempt by the Moscow government to establish control over the Cossack naval expeditions. The Cossacks diplomatically explained their unwillingness to obey Kondyrev by the fact that it would be difficult for him to withstand the sea and foot crossings of the Cossacks, because "he is a gentle person." In this regard, the Cossacks raised the issue of the qualities of sea vessels, on which one could make a sea voyage to the coast of Crimea. Agreeing to go on an expedition on 30 plows, the Cossacks indicated that for expeditions to the Turkish and Crimean coasts, one must have 300-400 sea plows.

By this time, the attempt of the Moscow government to start a fleet on the Don dates back. For the construction of the Don fleet, it was ordered to collect in the Volga cities 100 plows "one-tree, which are suitable for the sea course." In the event that such a number of plows could not be found, it was instructed to immediately complete them in Kazan. All the collected and made plows were supposed to be lowered down the Volga to Tsaritsyn, loading them with rye flour. From Tsaritsyn, the plows had to be transported to the Don by land using iron-studded rollers. The Don Cossacks were appointed experts to determine "what kind of plows are needed".

How formidable a danger for the Turks was the Cossack flotilla, composed of such vessels, is evident from the fact that in June of the same 1646, the Cossacks took without resistance two Turkish ships with cannons and supplies. The Turkish crew left the ships after hearing gunfire off Azov. In addition, the Cossacks burned three more Turkish ships near Azov.

Thus, the construction of a fleet on the Don under Peter 1 was not an absolute novelty. Peter took advantage of the experience of earlier achievements of the 17th century. In the middle of the XVII century. the fleet on the Don, apparently, was never built, since Russia was on the eve of the war with the Commonwealth for Ukraine and Belarus, but the sea campaigns of the Cossacks were still an outstanding phenomenon in the history of the fleet, showing what high fighting qualities the Russian and Ukrainian peoples.

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The Caspian Sea also becomes in the XVII century. arena of campaigns of the Don and Yaik (Ural) Cossacks. The most daring of the Cossack expeditions to the Caspian Sea was the famous Persian campaign of Stepan Razin, which began in March 1668. The Cossack fleet consisted of 24 plows. The Cossacks moved along the western coast of the Caspian Sea to the mouth of the Terek, where ataman Sergei Krivoi joined Razin. From here the Cossacks went to Derbent, Baku and further south. After wintering on the Miyan-Kala peninsula, they raided the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, after which they retreated to Pig Island, near the mouth of the Kura, where they defeated the united fleet of Persians and Kumyks in the amount of 70 ships and captured 33 guns.

In connection with the development of trade with the eastern countries, the Moscow government took a number of measures to protect the Volga route. At the end of the XVI century. For this purpose, the cities of Samara, Saratov and Tsaritsyn were built on the Volga, and a stone Kremlin was erected in Astrakhan. However, complete safety of navigation in the Caspian Sea could only be ensured by the creation of military ships. The fleet on the Volga was supposed to strengthen the position of Russia in the basin of the Caspian Sea and help, if necessary, the Cossack fleets on the Don.

The first attempt in this direction was made in the 17th century. In Nizhny Novgorod, a ship was laid down, which was being built by 50 Russian carpenters. The ship was built "of pine planks", with a flat bottom. It was about 38 m long and 12.5 m wide. The ship moved with the help of sails, and in the absence of wind it could go on oars (it had 12 pairs of oars, two rowers per oar). Its armament consisted of several cannons.

The ship set off on July 30, 1636, when the Volga began to become very shallow. The voyage proceeded without much incident, except for delays in the riffles. On September 15, a month and a half after leaving Nizhny Novgorod, the ship arrived in Astrakhan. From Astrakhan, he set off on a further voyage only on October 10th. The campaign along the Caspian Sea was difficult and ended in disaster, as a result of which on November 14, 1636 the ship was thrown ashore by a storm south of Derbent. The failure that befell the first warship is explained, first of all, by the unpreparedness of the expedition for sailing in the stormy Caspian Sea.

The need to create a military flotilla on the Caspian Sea was clearly recognized by the Moscow government. Of no small importance was the desire of the tsarist government, by creating a military fleet on the Volga and in the Caspian Sea, to keep the "Volga freemen" in fear in those years when the peasant war under the leadership of Stepan Razin was already beginning. The initiator of the construction of a new warship "for parcels from Astrakhan to the Khvalynsk Sea" was A.L. Ordyn-Nashchokin, who at that time reached the pinnacle of his fame. Nashchokin clearly imagined the huge prospects that were to open up for maritime trade in the Caspian Sea with the creation of a military flotilla here. The decree on the construction of the ship was given on June 19, 1667. For its construction, the palace village of Dedinovo, which lay on the banks of the Oka, was chosen, where river ships that sailed along the Oka and Volga, mainly flat-bottomed boats, have long been built. Among the workers sent to Dedinovo to build the ship were Russian craftsmen and 30 carpenters, "who made beads and plows in advance of this." Thus, the construction of the ship in Dedinovo was carried out by Russian craftsmen. The materials for the ship were also Russian-made: iron, for example, came from the Tula and Kashira factories. The ship, which later received the name "Eagle", was laid down in November 1667. It had a length of 24.5 m, a width of 6.5 m and a draft of 1.5 m. At the same time, a small yacht for messenger service was being built with an armament of 6 small guns, one boat and two boats.

Logging was carried out in the Kolomna region, and iron, "the kindest for shipbuilding," was supplied by Tula and Kashira factories. Supervision of the construction of the ships was entrusted to Yakov Poluektov. In March 1668, the Orel building was already so ready that a painter and carver had to be sent 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 all the crooked trees are nailed, and the beams are rubbed on top of the ship." In May 1668, the ship was launched, but the finishing work was late, and the "Eagle" wintered in Dedinovo. Inspection of the ship established its full suitability for navigation in the Caspian Sea. The Astrakhans additionally showed that ships sailing in the Caspian Sea are made "to the same model."

In April 1669, the ship was named "Eagle", the image of the eagle as the state emblem of Russia was sewn onto the ship's flags. On May 7, the new 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 service on it. A draft of a brief maritime charter was submitted to the Posolsky Prikaz in the form of a "ship order letter" (i.e., 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 officers of the ship, 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 Orel was not an accidental phenomenon in the life of the Russian state, but a serious beginning in the creation of a regular navy.

"Eagle" arrived in Astrakhan at an alarming time. The entire Volga was engulfed in an uprising against the tsarist government. Stepan Timofeevich Razin was at the head of the uprising. Shortly after the capture of Astrakhan by the rebels, the "Eagle" was burned, because in terms of its structure and sailing armament, the op was too difficult to manage, and if it was captured by the tsarist troops, it would be a danger to the rebels.

The construction of a warship in Dedinovo, as well as the construction of plows on the Don, did not go unnoticed for the Russian fleet. Maybe the notorious "brandt boat", found by Peter 1 in the barn, was a remnant of the construction, which in 1667-1668. turned to the Oka. The activities of Peter 1 in the construction of the Russian fleet had predecessors and relied on their rich experience. Russia already had experienced ship carpenters who took part in the construction of small military and commercial ships. Their experience was used by Peter 1 in the construction of ships on the Baltic Sea, and earlier on the Don during the Azov campaigns. There were also experienced sailors in Russia who were familiar with the conditions of navigation in the White and Barents, Black and Caspian Seas. Petrovsky naval construction would have been greatly hampered if in Russia there had not been an experienced cadre of ship carpenters, captains, sailors and experience in building warships before him.