History of Russia: St. Petersburg celebrates a Day when Peter I received a ship carpenter patent

A meeting timed to a day when Peter I received a ship carpenter patent will be held on January 17 on the Admiralty Embankment. The event itself happened 313 years ago.

On January 15 1698 in the city of Zaandam in Holland Peter I was awarded a ship carpenter patent – the first maritime certificate on education in Russia. To mark this event on June 27 1910 on the Admiralty Embankment in St. Petersburg was unveiled a monument to Peter the Great known as “The Tsar Carpenter” completed by sculptor Leopold Bernshtam. The copy of the sculpture was presented to Holland and was erected in 1911 in the central square of Zaandam. After the October revolution the monument in Petersburg was destroyed in January 1919, however its copy remained in the Summer Garden up to 1934.

The day when Peter the Great was awarded the ship carpenter patent is celebrated by many shipbuilders as their professional holiday. The tradition of holding this holiday was revived in St. Petersburg 5 years ago.

On January 15 2006, on initiative of the Maritime Education Foundation with the support of the Maritime Council of the St. Petersburg City Administration, the Naval Engineering Institute and the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University held a meeting of students of maritime universities. In 2007 students of secondary maritime institutions joined them.

In 2008 – 2010 the event was supported by the Committee for Economic Development, Industry and Commerce, the Committee on Science and Higher School, the Committee on Transport and Transit Policy, the Association of Shipbuilders of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, the Regional Public Foundation for Promotion of Marine Activities “Maritime St. Petersburg”, the St. Petersburg Regional Public Organization “Shipbuilding Veterans’ Union”.