A small rectangular sail, a removable mast, a flat bottom are all about plows. If you lived in Russia in the 11th century, then you traveled along rivers and lakes only on these rowing vessels. However, such a luxury would be available to you if you were a servant, a court king or a Cossack.
Word history
For the first time the word "plow" was noted in the collection of legal norms of Kievan Rus, called "Russian Truth", in the middle of the XI century.
There is an opinion that the word "plow" is a synonym for the modern "ship" and means "sliding on the waves." However, in some sources, linguists tend to the verb "plan" as a "grandparent".
Strugs were popular both for military campaigns and for civilian purposes. They were light, which allowed them to pass in shallow water, and, if necessary, to pull them ashore. Such boats were maneuverable due to their low weight.
It was established that Alexander Nevsky himself and his team reached the meeting place with the Swedes on high-speed plows. This fateful battle on Ladoga, by the way, happened in 1240.
What are the plows
On plows, they sailed both along lakes and rivers, and along the seas. They were used for both civilian and military purposes.
Distinctive features (types of plows):
- Sharp nose and feed.
- Length up to 22 meters (according to other sources - up to 35).
- The presence of 6 to 20 oars.
- Width about 4 meters. There are also opinions that the plows reached a width of up to 6.5 meters.
- Draft is 1-1.2 meters.
The vessel was set in motion by muscular strength and sail. According to various sources, the oars reached a length of 3 to 5 meters. Each of them was controlled by 2 rowers.
The plow crew is an average of 150 people. For comparison, the number of seafarers on the world's largest submarine Dmitry Donskoy is 164 people.
Among the rowers was, in modern terms, kok. His cabin was located in the stern, and the cooking stove on the bow.
Based on the size, it can be understood that the plow is a large ship. The same "Dmitry Donskoy" in length - 172 meters. And this means that it is equal to about 5 plows.
The ship on which Ermak conquered Siberia, by the way, is also called the plows. However, the Chusovaya River would not allow a 4 meter wide vessel to sail. Therefore, historians believe that they built smaller plows.
Where does the fleet begin
In 1659, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich began active preparations for the 1660 sea voyage to Azov. However, as we know, the stronghold of the Crimean Tatar Khanate capitulated a little later, under Peter I. But now is not about that ...
Alexei Mikhailovich is laying a shipyard in the city of Michurinsk (as it is called now, and then it happened 12 miles below the city of Kozlov) in order to build sailing and rowing ships. Tarbeev Shipyard can rightfully be considered the first naval factory in Russia. The place was not chosen by chance - the region is famous for its forests, which are perfect for building a fleet.
In less than a year, about 400 plows were built.
On May 31, 1660, Boyar Khitrov and his team headed for Azov. However, they managed to get to their destination only in October. By that time, the "Crimeans" had already managed to prepare for the attack and successfully repelled the attack.
The end of the production of plows was laid by Peter I. This happened in 1715. He issued a decree according to which the owners of the plows had to replace them with galliots, gukars, kata, flutes within 2 years. The reason for this is mobilization. The design of foreign ships allowed them to put more weapons.
Today's and Strugi
Do not think that the "plow" business has sunk into oblivion. And today, the avid Moreman continue to recreate these rowing vessels according to historical drawings. They are mainly used to participate in river regattas. However, there are those who reconstruct sea trips. For example, Mikhail Viktorovich Belousov, head of the department for physical culture, sports and tourism of the administration of the Tambov region. With the support of Vladimir Dmitriev, General Director of the Michurinsky Progress OJSC, and his friends, they were able to recreate a six-month plow.
Despite the base of the detachment in the Tambov region, the construction of the craft took place in Karelia. An unusual combed vessel from the past even received a registration number at the State Inspectorate.
By the way, not so long ago, a 17th-century strug was found in the area of Old Tarbeev - a village in the Michurinsky district of the Tambov Region. The find was completely covered by silt, so it was not immediately possible to identify it.