Battle of Gangut: the first triumph of the Russian fleet

In 2021 the Russian fleet turns 325 years old. The Russian navy has won glorious victories more than once, and one of them was the victory in the Battle of Gangut, which took place on August 7 (July 27, old style) in 1714. This battle forever secured the status of a naval power for our country.

The Presidential Library’s digital collections involve rare documents, books and video lectures about the battle at Cape Gangut.

If one does not know the intricacies of history, it is difficult to believe that many of the smallest circumstances, including even the morning calm, were taken into account by Peter the Great. He himself, with the help of General-Admiral Count Fyodor Apraksin, developed and then conducted an offensive operation. In fact, the action plan has been carefully drawn up over several years.

...At the beginning of the war with Charles XII, Russia did not have sufficient naval forces to resist the Swedes. But this did not stop Peter I. We read about this in Vladimir Goncharov's book The Battle of Gangut on July 27, 1714: Marking the 200th anniversary of the naval victory at Gangut (1914): "First of all, the tsar decided to seize the shores of the Gulf of Finland, which from time immemorial belonged to us, but were captured by the Swedes in the difficult time of the interregnum. However, one army could not take possession of the shores, which the enemy could always defend with his large fleet. It was also necessary for Russia to have a naval force capable of fighting the Swedes in their native element".

Having freed the mouth of the Neva from the enemy, Peter in 1703 founded St. Petersburg - the future Russian capital and the first seaport in the Gulf of Finland. Also, by order of the sovereign, active construction of the fleet began in the White Sea - in our only port at that time.

In just 10 years, Russian shipbuilders achieved significant success, which began to worry the Swedish king. It was precisely this period that Peter I needed to prepare for the decisive battle with the enemy across the western borders of our state. The autocrat wanted to know absolutely everything, because he believed: the success of a battle depends on professionalism. This is what Maria Lyalina writes about the preparations for the Battle of Gangut: “In the spring of 1714, two fleets were equipped in Kronstadt, a ship and a rowing one. Tsar Peter, who began his service under the name of Pyotr Mikhailov as a bombardier and rose to the rank of Shautbenakht (Rear Admiral), commanded the ship's fleet, and General Admiral Count Apraksin commanded rowing".

At this time, according to Vladimir Goncharov, the commander-in-chief of our fleet, Count Apraksin, conducted reconnaissance near the enemy's positions. This gave a very tangible benefit: “He informed the Emperor in detail and expressed his views on the forthcoming military operations. By the way, Count Apraksin proposed to wait out the complete calm, which often happens in summer, and then, going into the sea, bypass the enemy ship's fleet, outside of its shots. Calm gave the rowing fleet the ability to move quickly at a time when the sailing ships were forced to stand still".  

The emperor was engaged in the training of personnel. "The tsar...went out to sea with ships and carried out various teachings", - according to the publication "The Battle of Gangut...".

Assessing the situation with the movements of the Swedes, Peter the Great decided to bypass the enemy fleet in galleys - but not by sea. The ships were to be transferred overland from the southern coast of the Gangut Peninsula to the northern one. Thus, our rowing fleet would be behind enemy lines. But everything turned out differently. The command of the Swedish forces drastically changed tactics, which forced them to attack by sea.

The alignment of forces in the future battle seemed extremely successful for the Russian rowing fleet: we had about 100 galleys against 10 enemy ships. However, Vladimir Goncharov emphasizes, it would be a mistake to rely on this: “The numerical superiority of the Russians, at first glance, overwhelming, was greatly weakened by the presence of large-caliber artillery among the Swedes. Our guns, scattered on many ships, for the most part one-pound, could not compete with the guns of the enemy. There was only one means left - boarding, but it also presented great difficulties due to the high-speedness of the Swedish galleys and frigate".

It was decided to go for a breakthrough past the squadron of the Royal Swedish Navy. And to do this so that our ships pass out of the reach of the enemy's cannons. And it succeeded! And then it was time to strike at the main enemy forces commanded by Admiral Ehrensjold.

“It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when, under a white flag, a Russian galley with the Tsar's adjutant general Yaguzhinsky approached the Swedish detachment. At a distance of one ship's length, it stopped opposite the frigate Elephant, at the gangway of which Ehrensjold was standing. Yaguzhinsky’s offer to surrender at the mercy of the winners was followed by a decisive refusal, and to the warning that there would be no mercy in battle, the Swedish admiral proudly replied: “I have never asked for it in my life”, - says the author of the aforementioned book.

A fierce battle began. It lasted about three hours. In boarding battles, in the very first ranks - shoulder to shoulder with the sailors, Peter I himself fought, encouraging people by his personal example...The Swedes were not inferior in courage: the insulted pride of warriors who had long been accustomed to combat glory in sea battles gave them strength. But it soon became clear that the onslaught of the Russian sailors could not be broken. And the ships of Admiral Ehrensjold, one by one, began to lower flags. It was a blow from which it is impossible to recover.

“Rear Admiral Ehrensjold, all wounded, threw himself into the sea, but was raised by our people and taken to the tsar’s galley. Peter, respecting the courage in his adversary, gave Ehrensjold every possible attention, tried to bring him to his senses and then, on every occasion, praised his courage and exemplary performance of his duty", - this is how the results of the Battle of Gangut are described in the publication The Exploits of Russian Admirals...

As for the significance of the battle for our country, it is truly enormous. Its victory was the first major triumph of our fleet. And for the emperor it was a matter of honor for a sailor.