The

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

''Shtandart'' (') was the first ship of Russia's

Baltic fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...

. Her keel was laid on April 24, 1703, at the Olonetsky shipyard near

Olonets Olonets (; , ; ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Olonka River to the east of Lake Ladoga. Geography Olonets is located ...

by the decree of

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

Peter I and orders issued by commander Aleksandr Menshikov. The vessel was built by the Dutch shipwright Vybe Gerens under the direct supervision of the tsar. She was the first flagship of the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...

and was in service until 1727. The name ''Shtandart'' was also given to the royal yachts of the tsars until the Russian Revolution in 1917. Tsar Nicholas II's royal yacht was last of this series. The replica frigate has three masts and her displacement is 220 tons. She is long at her centre line, long on deck and long overall. The ''Shtandart'' is wide with a draft of . The ship is designed for speeds between 8-9 knots under sail, and under auxiliary engines required by modern standards up to . The original crew complement in 1703 was between 120 and 150, and the modern crew consists of 30 trainees and 10 officers.

The first ''Shtandart'' (1703)

The name ''Shtandart'' signifies Peter the Great's desire to gain access to the Baltic Sea, which at the time of the ''Shtandart's'' construction was dominated by the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era () was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic regi ...

. A plan to take control of the Baltic Sea away from Sweden was revived after Peter's

Grand Embassy The Grand Embassy () was a Russian diplomatic mission to Western Europe from 9 March 1697 to 25 August 1698 led by Peter the Great. Description In 1697 and 1698, Peter the Great embarked on his Grand Embassy. The primary goal of the mission was ...

ended in 1698. The name refers more directly to a naval ensign created for the new Baltic Fleet, of which the ''Shtandart'' was the first ship. Peter's goal was finally realized after he decisively defeated Swedish forces at the

Battle of Poltava The Battle of Poltava took place 8 July 1709, was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. The Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeated the Swedish army commanded by Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld. The battle would l ...

Battle of Poltava (Encyclopedia of Ukraine website)
/ref> in 1709, a turning point for Russia in the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

(1700–1721). The ''Shtandart's'' design combined techniques from English and Dutch

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

schools. The

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

of the ship is wide, almost square, and the ship's

double bottom A double hull is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is some di ...

is flat, reducing the

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

. The high

rigging Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails. ''Standing rigging'' is the fixed rigging that supports masts including shrouds and stays. ''Running rigg ...

of the sails is in the English style. The frigate was launched on August 22, 1703, and set sail on September 8, 1703, for

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

to be baptised.

The ''Shtandart'' and Peter I

The ''Shtandart'' was built in only five months, and Tsar Peter I's personal involvement may have expedited the construction. Peter had learned shipbuilding techniques from the Dutch during his

tour of western Europe (1697–98), and he sailed on the ''Shtandart'' as its captain under the pseudonym Peter Mihajlov on its maiden voyage from

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

in September 1703. Peter I of Russia in 1709

In the great cabin there is a

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...

hanging over a table which can only be read from its underside. A Russian legend relates that this compass hung over Peter's

hammock A hammock, from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno language, Taíno and Arawak language, Arawak , is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swing (seat), swinging, sleeping, or Human relaxation, res ...

and that when he woke up, he always checked the compass to ensure that the frigate was on course.

Repairs and breakup

The ''Shtandart'' was overhauled in 1710 and four cannons were added to her armament, making her a 28-gun frigate. The ship was laid up in drydock in 1711 to have several beams replaced. In 1727

Catherine I Catherine I Alekseyevna Mikhailova (born Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya; – ) was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Emperor of all the Russias, Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1 ...

ordered a survey of the frigate to determine if she was sound enough for another refit. During an attempt to raise the ship above the waterline, the hull was cut in half by cables used in the process. The ''Shtandart'' was broken up, and Catherine ordered a replacement to be built. This order was finally carried out in 1994.

The modern replica (1999)

In 1994 a small group of sailing enthusiasts led by Vladimir Martus started construction of a replica of the ship. Martus developed a new layout of the ''Shtandart'' wherein she was built with four bulkheads, dividing her into five compartments. The "Shtandart Project" (a non-commercial organisation dedicated to youth development) launched a replica of the frigate on September 4, 1999.

References

External links

* Official Shtandart website (Russian) not available]
Official Shtandart website (English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shtandart (Frigate) Baltic Fleet 1700s ships Frigates of the Imperial Russian Navy