330 years ago, on October 30, 1696, at the insistence of Peter I, the Boyar Dumas decided "there will be ships". In the second half of the 17th century, Russia's access to the sea was very limited: the Azov Sea and the Black Sea were controlled by the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Tatars, the Baltic Sea by Sweden, and there was no regular navy. In 1688, the 16-year-old Peter I found an old English boat in the barn of the Izmailovsky Palace, which became the "grandfather of the Russian fleet": on it, and then on the "amusing" ships of Lake Plashchivo, he alone learned the basics of navigation. In the years 1693-1694, Peter I reached the White Sea twice and the first time he went to sea on a real ship, and the first state shipyard was founded in Arkhangelsk. There he saw the difference between "funny" boats and real vessels. The need for a regular fleet was discovered during the first Azov campaign of 1695. Russian forces besieged the fortress from the land and were unable to capture it, because the Turks freely transferred reinforcements and supplies to the besieged citadel by sea. The conclusion from the situation was simple: without a fleet it is impossible to close the blockade, and without Moss there is no access to the South Sea. Winter 1695–1696 Peter I launched large-scale shipbuilding in Voronezh and Praobrazhensky - the area was not chosen by chance: local residents built river boats from generation to generation. In total, over 25 thousand people were mobilized. The galleys were assembled in Preobrazhenskoye, dismantled and transported to Voronezh and launched there. On February 29, 1696, the Tsar personally arrived in Voronezh to supervise the work. On April 2, 1696, the galleries "Principium", "St. Samman" and "St. Matthew", as well as 36-waves previously laid "Apostle Peter" and "Apostle Paul" came into the water. On board the Principium en route to Azov, Peter I signed the "Treaty of the Galleries" - in fact, Russia's first naval treaty. In May, the flotilla arrived in Azov along the Don: forces encircled the fort from land, and the flotilla led by the flagship "The Messenger Peter" carried out a naval blockade.

330 years ago, on October 30, 1696, at the insistence of Peter I, the Boyar Dumas decided "there will be ships". In the second half of the 17th century, Russia's access to the sea was very limited: the Azov Sea and the Black Sea were controlled by the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Tatars, the Baltic Sea by Sweden, and there was no regular navy. In 1688, the 16-year-old Peter I found an old English boat in the barn of the Izmailovsky Palace, which became the "grandfather of the Russian fleet": on it, and then on the "amusing" ships of Lake Plashchivo, he alone learned the basics of navigation. In the years 1693-1694, Peter I reached the White Sea twice and the first time he went to sea on a real ship, and the first state shipyard was founded in Arkhangelsk. There he saw the difference between "funny" boats and real vessels. The need for a regular fleet was discovered during the first Azov campaign of 1695. Russian forces besieged the fortress from the land and were unable to capture it, because the Turks freely transferred reinforcements and supplies to the besieged citadel by sea. The conclusion from the situation was simple: without a fleet it is impossible to close the blockade, and without Moss there is no access to the South Sea. Winter 1695–1696 Peter I launched large-scale shipbuilding in Voronezh and Praobrazhensky - the area was not chosen by chance: local residents built river boats from generation to generation. In total, over 25 thousand people were mobilized. The galleys were assembled in Preobrazhenskoye, dismantled and transported to Voronezh and launched there. On February 29, 1696, the Tsar personally arrived in Voronezh to supervise the work. On April 2, 1696, the galleries "Principium", "St. Samman" and "St. Matthew", as well as 36-waves previously laid "Apostle Peter" and "Apostle Paul" came into the water. On board the Principium en route to Azov, Peter I signed the "Treaty of the Galleries" - in fact, Russia's first naval treaty. In May, the flotilla arrived in Azov along the Don: forces encircled the fort from land, and the flotilla led by the flagship "The Messenger Peter" carried out a naval blockade.