After the release in 1988 of the film directed by Svetlana Druzhinina "Midshipmen, forward!" many have become convinced that the beautiful foreign word in the title means about the same as a musketeer. That is, midshipmen are dashing young handsome men who constantly fight on swords, beautifully ride horses and, with their active participation in palace intrigues, influence the course of history. Films made in the future about the continuation of their adventures only confirmed this opinion. But this proud word has its own story, which does not need to be embellished by the forces of historical fiction.
Midshipmen - who is this?
Garde de marine ("marine security") is a naval rank that was established by the founder of the Russian fleet Peter the Great to replace the name "navigator" and borrowed from the French language. This happened in 1716 when the classes that trained future naval commanders from the Moscow School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, which had existed for about 15 years, were transferred to the new capital. In St. Petersburg, the Maritime Academy was established on their basis.
According to Peter, this title was intermediate: those who successfully mastered the necessary theory, but due to the lack of practical skills and experience, were not ready for full service as a naval officer. The title was assigned to graduates of the Academy before releasing them to the fleet, where they received practical skills in naval affairs and in commanding the personnel of naval crews. Depending on the length of service, they were divided into older and younger.
“In battle - like soldiers, in action - like sailors”
The staff of the first midshipmen in the young Russian fleet was determined in the amount of 300 people. Wearing a special uniform - the uniform of the Preobrazhensky regiment, they received maintenance equal in sum to the contentment of soldiers in the guard, which also distinguished them from ordinary sailors. But in the service they, according to the Charter, were used as precisely the lowest ranks, having similar official duties.
The attitude towards the carriers of such a rank on the part of the crew was difficult. They could not understand: midshipmen - who is this? They learn the practice of maritime service from the bottom, scuttle the deck and climb the masts, setting sail, along with the rank and file sailors. At the same time, they had to undergo daily training with naval officers in navigational affairs, ship control, artillery firing and drill training with a musket. They were obliged to regularly maintain a “navigation journal,” which controlled their preparation. With the assertive attitude of the midshipman to the service and to the practical exercises, the commanders issued "approving certification", which was admission to the midshipman exam. In other words, midshipmen are, as they say, neither fish nor meat, and, until they passed the final test, they could not be considered full-fledged naval officers.
Midshipman Company
After the death of Peter, the affairs of his beloved brainchild - the Russian fleet - gradually began to decline. Midshipmen were also reduced in number. This led to the fact that they were consolidated in one company at the Maritime Academy, and it was transferred several times from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt and vice versa. In winter, the midshipmen studied at the academy, in the summer they practiced on ships, but more often, due to the small number of warships, they served at non-commissioned (sergeant) posts at ports. Now the midshipman was admitted to the exam for the midshipman’s rank no earlier than after 7 years of service, only after participating in 3 campaigns and only if there was an officer vacancy.
In 1752, the Maritime Academy and the midshipman’s company were abolished and became part of the established Maritime Gentry Cadet Corps. Now, future naval officers studied for three years. Elizabethan midshipmen are graduate cadets, and those who studied in the first two were called cadets. Later, they began to call the midshipmen students of all special - engineering, artillery, etc. - marine courses. The rank of midshipman in the navy was canceled.
Reforms of the training system for naval officers
This situation persisted for almost a century. By the middle of the 19th century, it became clear to the command of the Russian Navy that it was unreasonable to give an officer rank to a young man immediately after school. First, in the Black Sea Fleet, in Nikolaev, a separate company of midshipmen was created, and in 1860 the combat rank was reintroduced. The then midshipmen were a kind of return to the sources of Peter the Great. The purpose of their establishment in the Navy was the need to give young people - graduates of the Naval Cadet Corps and Nikolaev Midshipman Company - official and naval practice.
In their status, naval midshipmen corresponded to army warrant officers. They wore an officer uniform and received special monetary support. After two years of service, on the recommendation of the command, they were admitted to the practical exam for the midshipman’s rank.
This continued until 1882, when the title of midshipmen was again returned to senior students of the Marine Corps, who were gaining practice in a long sea voyage on a special vessel. At the end of his students passed the final test and became midshipmen. Subsequently, the title of midshipman was given to students of secondary and special courses with the prefix "junior".
In 1906, after the defeat of Russia in the war with Japan, the direct assignment of the rank to young graduates was replaced by their release into the fleet as ship midshipmen and their annual sailing on military vessels. Each year, a specially formed training squad of several ships left for the Mediterranean Sea. The exam for the junior naval officer took place on his return from such a campaign.
In Soviet times, the title of midshipman was abolished.
Current situation
Today's midshipmen - what is it? Most often, students of special educational institutions such as the capital's First Maritime Cadet Boarding School or pupils of the Nakhimov schools are called this way. But this happens, rather, according to tradition and unofficially.
Not so long ago, information appeared about preparations for the shooting of the next sequel to the cult film, so you can be sure that this proud word will live in our language further.