The history of the Russian Navy in unique documents exhibited at the Presidential Library

On January 22, 2024 the Presidential Library hosted the grand opening of two exhibitions dedicated to the Russian Navy. The creation of the exhibitions is timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the foundation of the Russian State Archive of the Navy. The anniversary date will be celebrated on January 28, 2024.

Director General of the Presidential Library Yuri Nosov emphasized the significance of the event for the library: “Our institution pays much attention to the history and achievements of the Russian Navy, as this is the most important part of the history of our country. The library’s electronic collections contain many archival documents and materials related to this topic”.

Director of the Russian State Archive of the Navy, Valentin Smirnov, noted that in the three hundred years since the establishment of the institution, a huge path has been traveled: “A lot has been done to preserve not only the unique documents of the Russian Imperial Navy, but also documents on the history of Russian statehood, culture, art and other directions". 

The Chairman of the St. Petersburg Maritime Assembly, Captain 1st Rank Sergei Iryutin also delivered a welcoming speech. He donated new book editions dedicated to Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov to the Presidential Library.

One of the exhibitions that opened in the halls of the Presidential Library is dedicated to the Russian State Archive of the Navy, the largest institution preserving the most important documents on the history of the Russian fleet from its creation at the end of the 17th century until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Among the exhibits presented at the exhibition, one can see the first document indicating the creation of the Admiralty College archive. This is an entry in the journal of the State Admiralty Board dated January 17 (28), 1724, that Emperor Peter I, who was personally present at the meeting, “orally ordered” “to appoint an archivist and copyists for collecting files in the archive”. 

The archive has come a long way from a small repository at the Admiralty College, which collected documents from the central authorities of the fleet, to the general archive of the department, and then, in accordance with the decree “On the reorganization and centralization of archival affairs” of June 1, 1918, it became a state archive. The archive collections contain more than 1 million 250 thousand files, 26 of which are included in the State Register of Unique Documents of the Russian Federation.

Documents from the collections of the Russian State Archive of the Navy became the basis of the exhibition project, which also opened in the Presidential Library on January 22. The exhibition tells about the outstanding Russian sailor, scientist, shipbuilder, hero of the Russo-Turkish and Russian-Japanese wars, Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov, whose birth anniversary will be 175 in 2024.

Visitors to the exhibition will learn about his life from his youth until his tragic death on March 31 (April 13), 1904, on board the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was blown up by a Japanese mine during the defense of Port Arthur.

The exhibition reflects such milestones in the life of S. O. Makarov as study and service in the Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea, participation in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. and the Akhal-Teke expedition of 1880–1881, scientific activities, participation in the exploration of the Arctic and the defense of Port Arthur.

A valuable historical source telling about Makarov’s growing up and development as a naval officer and scientist was the personal diary that Stepan Osipovich kept from the age of 14. Among the diary pages presented at the exhibition are the very first, where one can read advice from senior officers to keep regular notes, and recent years, where the traditional recording of events and thoughts has given way to a collection of business cards, newspaper clippings, photographs, letters and postcards.

To visit the exhibitions please pre-register by calling (812) 334-25-14 or sending an email to excursion@prlib.ru.