In the history of the Russian fleet, the prototype of the future naval charter appeared during the reign of Tsar Alexei Ivanovich and was compiled by the Dutchman D. Butler, captain of the first Russian frigate "Eagle", launched in May 1668. However, both this ship itself and the circular that regulated all the actions of his team were ingloriously lost, and Peter I, who was reforming the Russian armed forces, had to start all over from scratch.
The document accompanying the birth of the fleet
When in 1696 at the meeting of the sovereign Duma the famous was proclaimed: “There must be maritime courts!”, There was an urgent need to create a document that brings all aspects of naval life into a uniform order. Very soon it was compiled and saw the light under the editorship of the Russian vice admiral K. Kruys.
This document, which included 15 articles, was intended primarily for galley-type vessels. At that time, he played a very prominent role in boarding battles in the Baltic and during the Azov campaign.
The breath of modern times
However, the navy was rapidly improving. With the advent of sailing ships equipped with powerful artillery for that time, it became necessary to draw up a new manual that would meet rapidly changing requirements.
The appearance of the Maritime Charter of Peter I was preceded by the publication of a significant number of various additions and comments to the instructions created for the crews and masters of galley ships.
So, in 1707, the sovereign printing house issued the relevant circulars addressed to the commanders of the bombardment ships and firewalls (ships loaded with explosives and in the role of floating bombs). In addition, they saw the light of several more documents of this kind, however, the increasingly complicated practice of conducting combat and the operation of ships required to bring all disparate documents into a single Charter of the Russian Navy.
Assistant sovereign in his difficult business
A large number of people took part in the development of the Maritime Charter under Peter I. It is known, in particular, that all navigators sent to study abroad were ordered to select the necessary materials there related to navigation and the organization of the service of ship crews. In addition, it was incumbent upon them to thoroughly delve into all the intricacies of ready-made charters used on the fleets of foreign states.
History has preserved the names of many of the closest assistants to Sovereign Peter I in the development of the Maritime Charter of the Russian Empire. One of them was Konon Zotov - the son of the famous Nikita Zotov, who at one time was the educator and closest friend of young Peter. Having reached the appropriate age, Conon went abroad and to master the skills of naval service entered one of the ships of the English fleet. Subsequently, returning to his homeland, he became a brave officer and commanded warships in naval battles with the Swedes. It is believed that he played an important role in drafting the Maritime Charter of Peter I. A lot of work was put and foreign experts, specially invited from England and Holland.
The charter, which became the brainchild of Peter I
However, despite the abundance of assistants, the main burden in working on a circular covering all aspects of naval service fell on the shoulders of Tsar Peter Alekseevich. On the basis of the data obtained, he personally compiled the articles, brought disparate materials into the system and set them out on paper in the form of honed and clear formulations. It is no exaggeration to say that even in many texts of the current codes of the rules for the navy, one can feel the energetic and powerful speech of Peter.
The first edition of the Maritime Charter contained an extensive list of regulations relating to sailing, the order of removal from the anchor and the subsequent placing on it, various kinds of combat and navigation signals, as well as battles with the enemy and assistance. Each article of this document provided for penalties for failure to comply with these requirements, the degree of which depended on the severity of the misconduct. Their list was very diverse - from a fine of one ruble to the death penalty.
Continued work on the drafting of the Maritime Charter
In 1710, a new revised and amended version of the named document was released. It contained 63 articles, which more fully dealt with issues related to the performance of ship service, and toughened penalties for non-compliance with the requirements presented in them.
However, this set of rules, which in many respects exceeded its predecessor, did not cover the fullness of the activities of the Navy, and further developments in this area did not stop. As it appears from the memoirs of a number of senior officials of that era, Peter I personally worked on the preparation of a new, more complete Maritime Charter and devoted it to 14 hours a day, leaving time only for the most urgent state affairs.
The final version of the Maritime Charter, compiled by Peter I
He completed his work in mid-April 1720 and made it public, preceded by a special Manifesto, in which he outlined the reasons that prompted his writing. In particular, it said that there was a need to convey to the commanders of warships and members of their crews the requirements for each of them, so that no one could evade their execution, citing ignorance.
Next came the text of the oath, which every sailor was to take. A significant part of the Charter was assigned to the list of various units of the fleet, indicating their ships. There was placed a time sheet for their configuration, which detailed the composition of the teams corresponding to each type of ship.
The content of the first volume of the Charter
The naval charter of Peter I included 5 volumes, the first of which was devoted to the procedure for the performance of official duties by the highest ranks of the fleet, including admiral generals (at that time there was such a rank). This section of the document contained articles on tactical issues related to the leadership of the squadron during a naval battle.
Modern experts note that the rules and norms indicated in them were not very strict and bore the imprint of the traditions of the Dutch fleet. This approach was very reasonable, since it did not constrain the initiative of the command staff during the hostilities. It is characteristic that sovereign Peter Alekseevich was guided by the same principle in drawing up the entire Charter.
Materials included in the second and third volumes
The second volume contained a list of all naval ranks, indicating the established hierarchy and honors given to the representatives of each of them. The external differences of ships of various types were also listed there, and pennants, lanterns, and flags befitting them were described.
The next section of the Charter of the Russian Navy was devoted to the organization of service on warships. It laid out in detail the responsibilities of all officers and crew members both during the sea voyage and during the battle. Characteristically, the actions of single vessels in it were practically not considered, and all the emphasis was placed on managing the squadron.
Contents of the remaining three volumes
The fourth volume of the Charter consisted of six separate chapters, which dealt with various aspects of ship life. It began with questions relating to internal discipline, and contained an extensive list of punishments awaiting violators. Next, the number of servants assigned to each of the officers was indicated. The third chapter regulated the distribution of ship's provisions, and the fourth established the procedure for rewarding crew members who distinguished themselves while serving.
The last two chapters of the fourth volume were devoted to a very important issue - the division between the team members of the property, which became their prey in the capture of enemy ships.
The most voluminous was the fifth volume, which bore a very concise and expressive title: “On Fines”. It was nothing more than a document that included both disciplinary and judicial statutes. The punishments stipulated in it strike with cruelty, which was very consistent with the mores of that time.
In addition to fines imposed mainly on officers who committed minor misconduct, various forms of corporal punishment and the death penalty were applied to lower ranks. In widespread use were executions on the orders of the captain of the ship, as well as killing - dragging the offender under the bottom of the vessel, which in most cases led to his death. The Charter contained a detailed list of all possible crimes, both related to the situation of peacetime, and related to the conduct of hostilities.
In the sixth, final volume of the Charter of the Navy of Peter I, various samples of ship reporting were collected and systematized. In addition, a description of the signals given by the ships in various situations was contained, and the rules of sentinel-watch service were regulated.
Conclusion
This first naval charter in Russian history, created on the initiative and with the personal participation of Peter the Great, lasted unchanged until 1797 and was published eight times during this period. Only the year after the accession of Sovereign Paul I, it fell out of use and was replaced by a new, more complete and expanded document.
In addition to the changes resulting from the technical improvement of warships, it reflected a more rational approach to naval battle tactics, borrowed from the idols of the new autocrat, the admirals of the British fleet.