The Presidential library — on the occasion of the bicentenary of death of Fyodor Ushakov

October 14, 2017, marks the 200 years since the death of Admiral Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov (1744—1817). There are the electronic copies of rare books revealing a history of maritime victories of an outstanding naval commander, who greatly enriched the naval science of that time, on the Presidential Library website.

In the book of V. Antsiferov about Admiral Ushakov (1940) is told what a great way the son of a sergeant of the Imperial Leib Guard of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Feodor Ushakov passed to the top of his glory. Contemporary of A. V. Suvorov with his great victories, he could’ve remained in the shadow of the legendary generalissimo, but his tough character and high professionalism helped the admiral to reach unprecedented career heights.

The strong-willed and fearless character of Fyodor Ushakov has arisen from his very adolescence. A book of Antsiferov describes how a teenager who was born in a modest noble family entered the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg and immediately faced a teasing of the high-ranking nobles’ offspring over his “inurbane look.” Having grown up in the village and learned reading and writing from a village priest, the boy had to offer rebuff to his arrogant fellows classmates.

A graduate of the Marine Cadet Corps after serving as a midshipman in the Baltic Fleet was sent to the south, where he was directly involved in the construction of the Russian Black Sea Navy. He was the one of the main conquerors in the war with Turkey, such that even the opponents called him respectfully Ushak-Pasha. In 1770 the Russian Mediterranean squadron began military operations. On June 26, the Russian fleet destroyed the Turkish fleet in Chesme Bay. The Turks lost about ten thousand people in this battle. “Having obtained the right to act independently, F. F. Ushakov immediately moved into the ranks of the famous Russian sailors, — according to the book of M. Lyalina The exploits of Russian admirals (1900). — Until now, the Russian admirals were holding more defensive actions, which was putting Prince Potemkin out of his temper: “Although everyone will die, but we must show our fearlessness to attack and destroy the enemy!” — he explained his subordinates.”

Since 1783 Ushakov built the Black Sea Fleet and its main base in Sevastopol, formed and trained ship crews. This is described in detail in the book A History of Sevastopol as a Russian Port by V. Golovachev (1872). In 1789, on the battleship “St. Paul” Ushakov led the vanguard of the fleet to send to the bottom the Turkish squadron near the Fidonisi Island and then was promoted to the rear admirals. As the head of the Black Sea Fleet, he triumphantly completed the war at sea, defeating the Turks in the battles near the Kerch Strait, the Tendra Island and Cape Kaliakria (1790—1791). Fyodor Ushakov once again proved his abilities as a great naval tactician. His bold actions and extraordinary decisions disrupted the plans of the Turkish Fleet to seize the Crimea.

During the Italian campaign of A. V. Suvorov (April-August 1799), Ushakov's sailors drove the French out of Southern Italy, taking Genoa and Rome.

In the book entitled Admiral F. F. Ushakov in the Mediterranean Sea (1799) (1914) V. Ilyinsky tells how on November 8, 1799, Ushakov began the siege of the Corfu Island in order to knock Frenchmen out from there. “The position of the Russian admiral, after a series of battles with the enemy, far away from their ports, was unenviable, — writes Ilyinsky. — Supplying of the vessels and crews was really needed. A steady cold, rainy weather worsen the diseases and mortality… Only in the firmness and talent of the admiral was a hope for the success of the siege.” On February 18, the ships, strictly according to a certain plan, were placed around Corfu fortifications and opened fire… The fortress capitulated. 2931 people were captured, including 636 guns with a large combat stock and lots of different provisions — as enemy equipment and trophies. Thus, the Russians liberated the Ionian Islands from the French, forming a temporary government of local residents.”

In the already mentioned above book by V. Ilyinsky, Admiral D. A. Milyutin sums up the Russian military campaign in the Mediterranean: “During the entire campaign of the squadron, only 400 people were lost. With such a small loss, the Russian fleet accomplished many glorious feats. <…> In Italy, Greece, on the shores of the Ionian and Adriatic seas, the Russian name roared everywhere, everywhere our sailors were disinterested liberators from foreign yoke, everywhere they knew how to attract the hearts of the people with their mild-tenderness and discipline. <…> Ushakov himself acquired a firm fame; a prudence of an experienced sailor and the feelings of a truly Russian character are obvious in all his orders.”

The death of Ushakov in October 1817 was almost unnoticed. Only a small mention was made in the Petersburg newspaper “Severnaya Pochta” (north post). No one else responded to the death of a daring sailor — the creator of a new tactical school of the Russian fleet. In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Flag Officer, ranking him the Saint Righteous Warrior Theodore Ushakov.