Presidential Library’s collections illustrate the creation of the Baltic Fleet and the founding of Kronstadt

On May 18, Russia celebrates a double holiday: Baltic Fleet Day and the 316th anniversary of the founding of Kronstadt, which has become a reliable base of the Russian Navy. A separate collection “Kronstadt - the city of Russian naval glory” is dedicated to the city-fort on the Presidential Library’s portal. The history of the Baltic Fleet, inextricably linked with the laying of St. Petersburg, land development at the mouth of the Neva, is also covered in detail in the electronic collections of the Presidential Library.

The founding date of the Baltic Fleet is tied to Russia's first victory in naval combat, which was won in the waters of the Neva estuary on the night of May 18, 1703.

It was the third year of the Northern War of 1700-1721. The Russian tsar sought not only to gain access to the Baltic Sea, but also to return territories to Russia with the cities of Korela, Koporye, Oreshek, Yam and Ivangorod, which retreated to Sweden through the Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617.

On May 13, 1703, the day after the capture of the Nyenschanz fortress, Peter I received news of the appearance in the Gulf of Finland of a Swedish squadron consisting of nine ships under the command of Vice Admiral Numers. Unaware of the surrender of Nienschanz, the admiral sent a 10-gun galliot “Gedan” and an 8-gun schnavu “Astild” to the mouth of the Neva. On May 16, entering shallow water, they anchored off the left bank of the Great Neva. The remaining ships, having a large draft, remained in their places.

The further is described by the historian of the Navy Theodosius Veselago in his work “Brief Information on Russian Naval Battles for Two Centuries from 1656 to 1856” (1871). On May 18, 1703, two companies of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments under the command of the scorer captain Pyotr Mikhailov (Peter I) and lieutenant Alexander Menshikov in thirty sloops, using the night darkness and rain, suddenly attacked two ships of the Swedish squadron standing at the mouth of the Neva. After a fierce boarding battle, which involved eight boats, despite the strong artillery fire of the Swedes, the enemy ships were captured. Boats are against the ships! Only Russian sailors could afford such a daring assault, their pressure and courage made the strong enemy tremble.

This victory lifted the spirit of the Russian troops, convincing them that the Swedes could be defeated not only on land but also on water. All participants in the battle received special medals with the inscription "Unprecedented happens." The victory was symbolic and was of great importance for the formation of the entire Baltic Fleet.

In order to gain a foothold in the Baltic, Russia needed a strong, combat-ready fleet. It began in 1702–1703 at the Syasskaya and Olonetsk shipyards. And “in order to finally establish himself on the banks of the Neva, on May 27, 1703, the tsar established a fortress on the Yanni-Saari island (Zayachy island) and called it Peter and Paul”, this was how St. Petersburg was founded, says Peter Belavenets in the already mentioned edition Bicentennial of the Russian Navy. (1696–1896)”.  

In autumn 1703, Kronshlot Fort was founded. It was the first fortification of the Kronstadt fortress; it appeared on the bulk island in just one winter, while the Swedish squadron was in winter. Emperor Peter the First immediately appreciated the enormous military significance of the island of Kotlin, his choice is explained by the publication “Kronstadt Fortress - the Key to Leningrad” (1926).

Nikolay Durov also describes these events in the book “Materials for the history of construction in Russia. The builders of Petrov’s time and their work: Peter the Great’s Canal in Kronstadt".

In January 1712, a decree was announced on the resettlement of three thousand families to Kotlin, and reinforced construction of houses began. The Presidential Library’s collections contain a large number of archival documents on the issues of construction and individual aspects of the development of the port city from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. For example, the digitized "City Plan of Kronstadt, with the meaning of state and common houses". There is also an archival work, which is called the “Plan of Kronstadt with the Settlements Settlement with It”. In addition, the Presidential Library collection contains reports on the state of the city of Kronstadt for 1914, 1915 and other years.

The digital collection “Kronstadt - the city of Russian naval glory” on the Presidential Library’s portal provide archival files “On Admiralty Buildings in Kronstadt and Quarantine Buildings on Seskar Island”, a copy of the Kronstadt plan of 1890 and other interesting documents that testify to as the fortress expanded and changed, gradually turning into a city.

An electronic copy of the book “Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral” (1817) tells about St. John of Kronstadt, who owned the idea of ​​building the St. Nicholas Cathedral: “Our city, the first naval citadel of the homeland, never got a solid church”, - said the saint. “But the church is the same ship that the God controls”.

In 1896, Nicholas II ordered the Maritime Department to develop an architectural plan for the cathedral in Kronstadt. The digitized document “On the loan for the completion and internal equipment of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt” presented in the collection describes in detail the progress of construction, an estimate is attached.

Conceived by Peter I for the maritime defence of St. Petersburg Kronstadt honorably fulfills the mission entrusted to it. For more than 300 years, naval sailors of the Baltic Fleet have never allowed an enemy fleet to approach the Northern capital.