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Issues of 2008
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“Standard” — the first ship of the baltic fleet
Spectators on the top floors of the buildings near the embankment could observe a silhouette of an ancient sailing ship, which looked as if she had just emerged from the engravings of Peter’s time: the graceful bow, tackles, massive blocks, its body rhythmically rolling on the smooth surface of the Neva, the sails a little saggy, pig-iron guns in the open ports... the lucky beggars possessing field-glasses, had an opportunity to admire the carved stern with a double-headed eagle holding the maps of the four seas in its claws symbolizing the dream of Peter the Great. In the center of the stern, between the «captain’s» windows, the arms of Saint Petersburg with a significant date, «1703», flaunted. This carved composition was completed with the bright yellow inscription «Standard» on a black background. The naval historical club «Standard» has reconstructed the legendary frigate, the history of which is inextricably connected with the one of St. Petersburg. Achieving Russia’s returning to the Baltic coast, Peter I considered it necessary to establish some shipyards in the southern lands adjacent to the coast of Lake Ladoga: the powerful military fleet was necessary for staging military actions against the Swedes. The shipbuilding program directed on the creation of the Baltic fleet was adopted. The best European shipbuilders, capable of building warships in the «Dutch manner» were urgently hired and brought to Russia.
One of such shipyards was established in the mouth of the river Syas, near its flowing into Lake Ladoga. However, the Olonetz shipyard on the river Svir played far more important role. Peter I wrote in 1707 that it was the Olonetz shipyard where the fleet was conceived. The Tsar himself defined the place for the future shipyard. Returning from the navigation in the White Sea in 1702 he paid attention to the huge pine woods growing on the coast of the Svir river around the town of Lodejnoe Pole. Peter ordered to establish a shipyard there and named it Olonetskaya. To build the first Baltic frigate, the Tsar comissioned the Dutch master Vybej Gerens and a Russian, Ivan Nemtsov. The latter’s originated from the Severodvinsk peasants and was famous in Arkhangelsk as a skilful carpenter. In the late 18th century, Nemtsov worked on the Voronezh shipyard, where he was found by Peter. 50 carpenters from Olonets and 120 workers (60 from them with their horses) and 20 ironsmiths assisted Gerens and Nemtsov in construction of the frigate. Construction of the sailing ship progressed very quickly, and in five months the basic works were finished. In August 1703, the Tsar has arrived at the shipyard of Olonets and on August 22th, he already supervised launching of the vessel. The Western ambassadors noted that in the Peter’s Russia launching of a ship was usually accompanied by heavy drinking festivities. It was really a formidable party that took place in the days of launching a frigate this day on the coast of the Svir river were people from Olonets and Beloozero and the Dutch got together to celebrate... It is worth mentioning, however, that launching of a big sailing vessel was a rather dangerous thing, and the life of the Tsar-carpenter was also under threat. The French envoy informed his king about launching a similar ship: «Last Sunday, the Tsar ordered to launch an 80-gun ship named “St. Peter”; with an axe in his hand, he helped to cut the rope not paying attention to danger despite of the fact that two persons had been killed in the process of launching the previous ship». Concerning the newly built ship, on September 8, 1703, the Tsar led her across the Lake Ladoga under the name of captain Peter Mikhajlov. However, unfamiliar with the pilot charts of the lake, Peter the Great failed in has not coped with steering and has grounded a frigate near the mouth of the Svir River. The information about this incident can be found in the report about the operation telling that «this frigate sailed onto a bank and undergone some damage...» The frigate was engaged in fighting the Swedes for the first time in 1705 when the Swedish fleet undertook an attempt to break through to the young capital. «Standard» was armed with 6-pound cannons and participated in fighting the Swedes near Kronschlott under the captain De Lang’s command. In 1709 admiral Krjujs sent the ship to the repairs, and in the spring of 1712 «Standard»resumed its service in the Baltic fleet, which lasted seven years more. After finishing her active service, the «Standard» was anchored near the Peter and Paul Fortress. Here, under the decree of the Tsar she should be kept eternally as «the first-born of the fleet and a monument of domestic shipbuilding art»... However Peter’s noble intentions could not come true: to the time of Ekaterina I reign, the planks of the ship were so rotten that she should be disassembled. In 1727, the Empress issued following decree: «In the memory of her name, given to her by His Majesty Peter I, to make the new «Standard» frigate». However, Ekaterina’s death and the subsequent epoch of palace revolutions prevented to construct a copy of the legendary frigate... Only 270 years later, the Sea historical club «Standard» decided to execute the forgotten decree of the Empress. «We want to return to the city some of its former beauty,» told the ideological inspirer of the project captain Vladimir Martus. «In many sea capitals of the world: Amsterdam, London and Stockholm they have ancient sailing vessels, and in the town of Peter for some reason there is no such ship... Creating a copy of the frigate, we also pursued some goals more. Firstly, the "Standard" can become a real museum, because everything that is on the main deck: the masts, sails, guns, etc. is a historically true reconstruction. On the other hand the ship will be stuffed with the most modern navigating equipment. To recover the frigate maintenance, we plan also to use the “Standard” as a comfortable cruise vessel, combining modern convenience of cabins with romanticism of a wooden deck and linen sails».
However, having started the project, Martus and his team have faced the major problem: Neither in the archives, nor in the museum collections there were no drawings of the «Standard». Only a very schematic engraving and the plan with the battle orders of the Russian and Swedish fleets at the Kotlin island in 1705 were available. The help was provided, as always when it was unexpected. The drawings of a legendary frigate executed by a naval historian, Victor Krajnjukov, appeared to be kept in the Central Naval Museum for some years. Krajnjukov wrote that «it is possible to judge about the main dimensions of the frigate by two documents of the first quarter of the 18th century: «The book of the ship construction at the Olonetz shipyard» and «The list of the ships constructed at Olonets». The books specify that the length of the deck was 90 Dutch feet (25.47 meters), and the depth of the hold 9 feet (2.55 meters). The frigate had three masts with three circles of sails tailored from a special Dutch cloth. The artillery of the «Standard» comprised from 22 to 28 guns. For producing the drawings, Krajnjukov used a technique of designing ship bodies presented in the works by two Dutchmen Van Eyck (1697) and Klaus Allard (1705). As a result of laborious work, the historian managed to restore an image of the first ship of the Baltic fleet very closely to the reality. Martus made changes to the drawings according to Lloyd’s Register. The area of navigation of the new «Standard» is unlimited, it even can undertake a round-the-world trip, because a place for engines is allocated in the drawings. The underdeck space was divided into four water¬proof compartments. Following the same Register, it was necessary to add a number of frames. Now they stand more close to each other, than it was during the Peter’s times. «The impossible can turn possible», such was one of the Peter’s favorite sayings. These words turned true in the case of his favorite child of a ship. In five years after beginning of the construction, the copy of the «Standard» frigate was launched in the presence of many thousands St. Petersburg citizens accompanied by salute above the Neva. During the subsequent seven seasons the frigate has visited almost all the European ports and even participated in a prestigious regatta, «Cutty Sark» twice. Ambassadors, princes and kings rose on the deck of the sailing ship bearing on its stern the arms of Saint Petersburg. Prince Michael of Kent grew especially fond of the «Standard». He visited it during the construction and rose on its board while it was visiting London... Several years have passed already since launching the «Standard». A lot of water has flowed since then in the Neva, the former builders of the frigate departed, many of them are busy now with other projects; the Western consuls who have rendered the valuable help in the reconstruction of the «Standard» have left to their native lands; the shipyard where the copy of the Peter’s sailing vessel was under construction, does not exist any more, for the Oryol embankment was constructed on its place, and now a long chain of automobiles flashes on its place. Nothing there reminds now of once grandiose construction of a sailing vessel from the times of Peter the Great...
However all these years, I could not stand the idea that we do not know, how the original «Standard» looked like in 1703. So, when I studied engravings of the Peter’s time or the Swedish maps of the North War epoch, I always closely scrutinized them hoping to see a silhouette of the leader of the Baltic fleet. Having opened the recently published book by T.A. Bazarova «The Plans of Peter’s Petersburg», I discovered there a curious map, referred to as «the Drawing of Nienschanz and founded Petersburg produced on July 19, 1704». According to the author of the book, this hand-written drawing is the earliest plan of our city, kept in the State archive of Sweden. It was a supplement to the report by the commander of the Finnish army general-lieutenant Baron Johann George Meidel. The Swedish general informed the commission on the defense of Stockholm that he studied the disposition of buildings in St.Petersburg from the distance, himself being onshore, and noted that «the disposition of the buildings is chosen correctly and everything that he has seen is convenient for the activities of the townsfolk». The drawing is a South-oriented one and is executed in ink; all the inscriptions are made in Swedish. In the left part of the plan, the fortress burning on a cape can be clearly seen. It is explained below that it is «Nienschanz, which enemy burnt down on July 12, 1704». On the bank of the Neva we see a one-storied timber construction being «the shipyard of the enemy»; on a small island, we see also the familiar outlines of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the right part of the plan, four anchored sailing ships are presented. «The enemy military ships and a vessel», the Swedish general explains. The ships are depicted in detail and with skill. On two ships, the gun ports are open, on others, they are closed. ... I considered the image of the biggest ship of that four. Of course it could be the «Standard». It has the longest flag on the top of the mainmast a huge helmstock and 6 gun ports, which means 12 guns on the boards and 10 on the deck: in total 22 guns. Remember that the «Standard» had from 22 to 28 guns. The bow of the ship is decorated with some figure very much resembling that of a lion, which was, indeed, the decoration of the «Standard’s» nose. ... How many years employees of the Hermitage, Public library, Library of the Academy of sciences and the Sea museum in Amsterdam helped us in search of her image, but unsuccessfully... So, «Vivat!» as Tsar Peter would say.
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