Peter the Great signed a decree on creation of the first engineer school in Russia

21 January 1701

Unsuccessful beginning of the Northern war and especially the defeat near Narva had proved the necessity of creating in Russia its own professional military personnel in the sphere of artillery and military and engineering practice.

On January 10 (21), 1701 Peter the Great signed a decree on creation in Moscow a school of Pushkarsky (cannon) office for artillery officers’ and military engineers’ training. He noted that “engineers are quite indispensable during the attack or defense and the ones needed should not only be trained in fortification and having served it but also be brave since this rank is exposed to danger more than other”.

The school service lasted two years. At first the students studied the elements of literacy, then were given special theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of artillery, fortification, mine and pontoon practice. The specificity of the engineer’s profession required the division in training for artillerists and engineers. Thus from 1702 the school had two classes: cannon one and engineering one.

 On January 16 (27), 1712 Peter the Great ordered to separate the engineer school from the school of the cannon office, increase the number of students four times and intensify their training in mathematics. But even these measures proved to be insufficient for the developing Russian army. Therefore in 1719 under a tsar’s decree in St.-Petersburg was founded an engineering school. Four years later the Moscow school was transferred to St.-Petersburg and merged with the one from the capital.

In order to amplify the significance of engineer troops and to draw the nobles in the engineer training, in the Tables of ranks (1722) the engineer troops’ officers occupied the place one rank higher than infantry or cavalry officers. The reason for it, were the high requirements for their educational level.

In a result of all these measures by 1725 the Russian engineer troops numbered already 12 staff officers, 67 subaltern officers and 274 conductors who successfully fulfilled their tasks.

That is how the engineer troops in Russia appeared. They played a great role in the defense of the Fatherland in different historical periods.

In the memory of the first engineer school establishment on September 18, 1996 under the Decree of the Russian President the day of the 21st of January was declared the Day of engineer troops.

 

Lit.: Веремеев Ю. Г. История военно-инженерного училища. Ч. 1 [Электронный ресурс] // Сапёр. 2000-2017. URL: http://saper.isnet.ru/history/uchil-1.html; История инженерных войск до 1917 г. [Электронный ресурс] // Военно-исторический Музей артиллерии, инженерных войск и войск связи. 2017. URL: http://www.artillery-museum.ru/ru/basic/istoriya-inzhenernyh-vojsk-do-1917-g.html; Шевчук А. Б. Эволюция военно-инженерного образования в России //Армия и флот. 2001. № 2/3 (146).

 

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Russian Army and Navy // Peter I (1672–1725): [digital collection];

Исторический очерк Инженерного управления в России. СПб., [Ч. 1]. 1879;

Исторический очерк Инженерного управления в России. СПб., Ч. 2. 1887;

Максимовский М. Исторический очерк развития Главного инженерного училища, 1819-1869. СПб., 1869.