The Presidential Library presented unique materials about the history of the Russian Navy during the Naval Knowledge Day

The Presidential Library traditionally marks the Naval Knowledge Day in early September. This year, it was held online. The event was broadcasted on the institution's portal, as well as on the YouTube channel of the Presidential Library.

The conference began with the reading of a welcoming speech by the Commander in Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. He noted that naval education occupies a very important place in our country.

"Russia is the only state in the world where the naval school gave birth and promoted the development of all Russian education. Russian Navy is proud of this historical fact. Today we demand talented and active young people who want to serve their country. That is why it is so important to train comprehensive specialists who are competent in making correct, well-considered decisions in various situations", highlighted Nikolai Yevmenov.

The conference featured lectures devoted to the anniversaries and memorable events in the history of our country. Thus, the conference participants learned about the activities of the prominent admiral and navigator Ivan Krusenstern. His 250th birthday anniversary is celebrated this year. The first Russian circumnavigation of the world was made under his leadership. It is considered the main event in the history of the Russian Navy. A special section "The first Russian circumnavigation of the world" of the Presidential Library's collection "Russian voyages around the world in the first half of the XIX century" is dedicated to the Krusenstern's expedition.

The conference also discussed the last major naval battle in the Great Northern War - the Battle of Grengam, which took place 300 years ago. The victory of the young Russian fleet had a great influence on the course of the war and in many ways predetermined the early conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad. The following materials of the Presidential Library spotlight the course of the Great Northern War: the On this day section and separate digitized studies, available both on the portal and in the library's Electronic Reading Room. An extensive collection of unique materials "Peter I (1672-1725)" is devoted to the creator of the Russian Navy, Emperor Peter I. It is also available on Presidential Library's portal.

The 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica was another important issue discussed within the framework of the Naval Knowledge Day at the Presidential Library. The conference participants learned about documents from the electronic collections of the Presidential Library that cover the discovery and exploration of Antarctica. The first Russian expedition to the sixth continent was led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. The main task of the voyage was to prove or disprove the existence of Antarctica. The travellers made the most important geographical discovery, plotting a map of the new continent. The Presidential Library's extensive collection "Russian voyages around the world in the first half of the XIX century" presents the studies on this significant event as the "Antarctic" selection.

The experts engaged in the event noted that the reports of the conference participants and the Presidential Library's materials about the history of the Russian Navy may facilitate the training of qualified specialists.

Besides, the institution's collections regularly get new acquisitions of new unique materials. So, this year, the Presidential Library launched an information resource, representing the first part of the collection of digitized archival documents, film and photo materials "World War II in archival documents". It focuses on the prehistory of World War II and covers the period from January 1933 to August 31, 1939. It includes over 1,700 archival documents, photographs, fragments of newsreels. Almost half of them are released for the first time. By the List of instructions for the implementation of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on January 15, 2020, the organizers of the project are the Federal Archival Agency (Rosarkhiv), the Administrative Department of the President of the Russian Federation and the Presidential Library.

The online Naval Knowledge Day brought together cadets and the heads of the military educational and scientific centre of the Russian Navy "N. G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy"(Saint-Petersburg); D. N. Senyavin Saint-Petersburg Naval Technical College; the Nakhimov Naval School of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (Saint-Petersburg); Kronstadt Naval Cadet Military Corps; Murmansk State Technical University; M. V. Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University (Arkhangelsk); the Moscow cadet corps "Boarding school for girls of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation"; branches of the Nakhimov Naval School in Murmansk and Sevastopol (Sevastopol Presidential Cadet School).