The history of the Russian Navy has more than three centuries. During this time, hundreds of prominent commanders were awarded the rank of admiral. Some of them played a significant role in the fate of not only the fleet, but the entire country.
Fyodor Apraksin
According to legend, the family of the famous admiral and associate of Peter the Great came from the aristocratic class of the Golden Horde. The Tatar-Mongolian ancestor of the boyar dynasty received Christian baptism and married a Russian princess during the reign of Dmitry Donskoy. His distant descendant Fyodor Apraksin entered the service at the royal court at a young age. Acting as a steward, he managed to win the trust and favor of young Peter.
Apraksin's first serious state post was the position of governor in Arkhangelsk. He happened to accompany the king on voyages along the White Sea. Shortly thereafter, Apraksin received the rank of major from the sovereign and an appointment to the Semyonovsky regiment. In subsequent years, he was the constant companion of the emperor-reformer in all military campaigns and diplomatic missions. Apraksin took part in the secondsiege of Azov. As part of the Great Embassy, he visited Holland, where he got acquainted with the basics of maritime affairs. Apraksin supervised the construction of ships in Voronezh, which were to become the basis of the Russian fleet. He made a huge contribution to the implementation of Peter the Great's plans to turn the country into a new maritime power. Apraksin was destined to become one of the first in the list of Russian admirals.
Commanding the army and navy in Ingermanland during the Northern War, he proved to be a prudent strategist. Apraksin managed to repel the Swedes' attack on Petersburg and forced the capitulation of the Vyborg fortress. One of the first admirals of the Russian fleet participated in the famous defeat of the squadron of King Charles at Cape Gangut.
Shortly after that, Apraksin fell into royal disgrace due to allegations of corruption. Only former merits saved him from severe punishment. Subsequently, Tsar Peter forgave Apraksin and appointed him governor-general of the provinces conquered from the Swedes. One of the first admirals of the Russian fleet survived his emperor for several years and died in 1728.
Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich
This naval commander is famous for not losing a single ship in battle. Another unusual fact is that Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov is canonized by the Orthodox Church. One of the most prominent admirals of the Russian fleet began his career in the B altic Sea. During the first war with the Turks, he participated in the defense of the Crimean coast. Later, Ushakov commanded the personal yacht of Catherine II and defended inMediterranean Sea Russian merchant ships from the attacks of the British fleet. He fully showed his brilliant abilities during the war with the Ottoman Empire in 1787-1791. Ushakov defeated the superior enemy forces near the island of Fidonisi, in the Kerch Strait and at Capes Tendra and Kaliakria. In 1799 he became one of the admirals of the Russian fleet.
Ushakov retired without losing any of his 43 naval battles. The naval commander devoted the last years of his life to prayers and church services.
Kruzenshtern Ivan Fedorovich
The famous Russian admiral had German-Swedish roots. At birth, he was given the name Adam Johann Ritter von Krusenstern. This navigator led the first Russian round-the-world expedition. Kruzenshtern entered the service in the Imperial Navy with the rank of midshipman after training in the cadet corps in Kronstadt. For the valor shown in the battles of the Russian-Swedish war, he received the rank of lieutenant.
In 1799, Kruzenshtern presented to the tsarist government a project to establish direct sea communication with Russian colonies in America. The proposal was supported by the Academy of Sciences and approved by Alexander the First. An additional benefit of the project was to provide a more convenient route for trade with China. The expedition lasted two years. Kruzenshtern and his assistants compiled an atlas and a travel report, in which they described in detail all the lands and peoples they saw. This scientific work has been translated into many European languages.
The next years of his lifeKruzenshtern devoted himself mainly to teaching. He was awarded an honorary membership in the Academy of Sciences and was appointed director of the navigation school. Kruzenshtern made many improvements to the work of this educational institution. He died in 1846 on his estate in Estonia.
Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov
This admiral went down in history as the commander of the fleet and ground forces during the Crimean War and the siege of Sevastopol. Nakhimov studied at the St. Petersburg Naval Noble Corps and got his first experience of sailing on a ship at the age of fifteen. After participating in an expedition around the world, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Nakhimov distinguished himself in a major naval battle of the combined squadron of Russia, France and England against the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. In history, this event is known as the Battle of Navarino. As a reward for the skillful use of artillery, Nakhimov was appointed captain of a captured ship.
During the Crimean War, he conducted a brilliant operation to block and destroy the Turkish fleet in the harbor of the city of Sinop. Nakhimov received the rank of admiral and was appointed military governor of Sevastopol. He commanded the defense of the city and supported the morale of the soldiers and officers. In 1855, while at the forefront, Nakhimov received a fatal bullet wound. The admiral was buried in the crypt of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Sevastopol.
Essen Nikolay Ottovich
The commander of the Russian fleet in the B altic Sea came from a familyB altic Germans. His ancestors served the empire since the time of Peter the Great. After graduating from the cadet corps and the Naval Academy, Nikolai Essen received the rank of lieutenant and, in the process of developing his further career, commanded several ships, including the battleship Sevastopol. The name of the admiral went down in history in connection with the Russo-Japanese War. After the capitulation of the fortress of Port Arthur, he flooded the Sevastopol so that the enemy would not get the ship. Essen was taken to Nagasaki as a prisoner of war, but released two months later. After returning to St. Petersburg, he received the Order of St. George as a reward for his brave actions.
During World War I, Essen commanded the B altic Fleet. Many considered him the most capable Russian admiral of the day. Nikolai Essen died unexpectedly in 1915 as a result of an illness. A frigate of the Russian Navy is named after him.
Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich
The last admiral of the empire became the recognized leader of the White movement. Alexander Kolchak had great authority among the opponents of the Bolsheviks. During the Civil War, he headed the Provisional Siberian Government based in Omsk. Kolchak's attempts to unite all anti-Bolshevik forces were unsuccessful. After the White movement was on the verge of defeat, the Czech allies betrayed the admiral of the Red Army. Kolchak was executed without trial. The place of his burial is unknown.
Soviet Union
B189 people were awarded the rank of admiral of the Russian Empire. The first of them was an associate of Peter the Great Franz Lefort, the last - Alexander Kolchak. In the USSR, this title began to be awarded in 1940. A total of 79 Soviet naval commanders received it. By decision of Joseph Stalin, a higher rank was established, corresponding to the land marshal - admiral of the fleet. It was canceled shortly after the collapse of the USSR.
Russian Federation
Many Soviet admirals remained in the service of the Russian Navy. The assignment of the highest naval rank continued into the new era. The list of admirals of the Russian Federation has 35 people. Since 1992, six holders of this title have served as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy:
- Gromov Felix Nikolaevich.
- Kuroedov Vladimir Ivanovich.
- Masorin Vladimir Vasilyevich.
- Vysotsky Vladimir Sergeevich.
- Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov.
- Korolev Vladimir Ivanovich.
The predecessor of the current commander-in-chief, Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov, was forced to resign due to he alth problems. The Minister of Defense presented Admiral Korolev with the standard of the Navy in April 2016.
