History of the Russian Navy

In the 9th century, the Kievan Rus' had a powerful naval fleet, as shown by their successful siege of Constantinople in 860. However, the fleet was irregular and primarily used for raids. The Mongol Empire's destructive invasion and weaknesses in the fleet led to its dissolution, except for the Principality of Novgorod, which had access to open seas and avoided Mongol invasions. In the 14th century, Novgorod pirates terrorized nearby regions. The Grand Duchy of Moscow, the first proper Russian state, gained access to open waters and marked the beginning of the Golden Age of the Russian Navy. In 1570, Ivan the Terrible created a flotilla to protect Russian navigation in the Baltic Sea, which lasted for about a year. In the 16th century, Russia fought against the Ottoman Empire to gain free access to the Black Sea. In the 17th century, Russian sailors explored the Arctic Ocean and reached the Pacific Ocean, with Semyon Dezhnev discovering the Bering Strait. Naval operations took place during the Russo-Swedish War.

In 1667, the first Russian ship of Western European style, the Orel Frigate, was built. Peter the Great established the first regular Russian navy, starting with a fleet of small boats in 1688–1693. Peter's focus then shifted to Arkhangelsk and the White Sea, where he ordered the construction of a shipbuilding shipyard and laid the naval ship Saint Paul in 1693. The regular fleet was expanded to the Azov and Black Seas, and the Second Azov campaign in 1696 was successful in cutting off the fortress of Azov from sea sources and securing its surrender.