In 1636, a warship called Frederick was built in Russia, but it belonged to another state - Schleswig-Holstein (land in northern Germany, the capital is Kiel). Therefore, the ship "Eagle", built in 1667-1669, is considered the firstborn of the Russian military shipbuilding.
Reasons for the construction of the first shipyard
The background to its construction is as follows. Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who ruled Russia from 1645 to 1676, trade relations with neighbors, including Persia (modern Iran), developed intensively. There was a need to establish shipping on the Caspian Sea. Times were turbulent, and the trade agreement signed by the Russian tsar and the Persian shah stipulated a special clause on the need to protect trade routes with military courts. The ship "Eagle" arose as a result of this agreement.
Responsible approach
In 1667, on the Oka River, just below the confluence of the Moskva River, in the village called Dedinovo, they began to build a small shipyard. It was intended for the construction of one ship, boat, yacht and two boats. That was the original plan. For this purpose, masters - Gelt, Minster and Van den Streck - were discharged from Holland and other shipbuilding countries. In addition to them, Colonel Van Bukovec, captain and feeder Butler were invited to directly lead and organize the construction of warships. From the surrounding villages scored 30 carpenters, 4 blacksmiths and 4 gunners. The overall leadership of the process of the emergence of the Russian Navy was entrusted to the boyar A. L. Ordyn-Nashchokin, one of the most educated and clever royal dignitaries. He also owned the idea of acquiring Russia with its own Navy.
Seriousness of intent
Obviously, due to such a serious state approach, the Orel ship was built in an amazingly short time - in less than a year. They began to build it on November 14, 1667, and on May 19, 1668 he was launched. What was he like? The two-deck, three-masted with a bowsprit
sailing ship of the Western European type was a type of Dutch pinas - a sailing and rowing ship for general purposes. The parameters that the Orel ship possessed are as follows: the length of the vessel was 24.5 meters, the width was 6.5 meters, and the draft depth reached 1.5 meters. Money for the
construction of the sailing ship was received from the predecessor of the Admiralty Peter I - Order of the Big Parish. The total amount of expenses amounted to 2221 rubles. The frigate was built by Russian shipbuilders Stepan Petrov and Jacob Poluectov according to the design of the aforementioned Cornelius Van Bukoven. The Eagle warship had the following armament - 22 squeals (guns) with a caliber of six to two feet, 40 muskets, 40 pistols,
hand grenades. The crew was to consist of 56 people - the captain, 22 sailors (according to other sources, 20 sailors and 2 officers), 35 archers.
Cradle of the Russian Navy
It should be noted that the place for the construction of the shipyard was sensibly chosen. The village of Dedinovo is spread on both banks of the Oka. There were also oak forests, which are an excellent building material. A squadron of frigate, yacht and two sloops along the Volga in 1669 arrived in Astrakhan. The yacht was armed with two six-foot cannons, on each sloop there was one squeak of the same caliber. Why only in 1669 did the convoy get to Astrakhan? The delay was due to a lack of finishing materials, and the Eagle warship was forced to winter on the Oka. The emergence of the shipyard marked not only the birth of the domestic navy, but also contributed to the emergence of the Ship Charter and the sea trade flag of Russia. The “34 article articles” obtained before the departure of the squadron of four vessels, headed by the eagle Galiot, became the prototype of the Charter of the Navy. According to some reports, the tricolor was also invented here for launching the “Eagle”, although, according to other sources, Peter I personally drew it, invented the colors, order and direction of the stripes. The first ship "Eagle" got its name in honor of the coat of arms of Russia. On April 25, 1669, a decree was issued to give the ship this name.
Sad end
In August, the frigate under the command of Captain Butler and other vessels anchored in the Astrakhan raid. The city was already captured by the rebellious peasants under the leadership of Stepan Razin. According to some reports, the ships were burned by Razin Cossacks, according to others, the first ship "Eagle" stood for many years inaction in the Kutum channel until it became completely unusable. Such a sad fate befell the frigate. He was not destined to accompany merchant ships to Persia, crossing the Khvalynsk (Caspian) sea. But he will forever remain the first Russian warship. Peter I repeatedly visited the first Russian shipyard and noted that although the first frigate did not fulfill its mission, it was from him that the entire maritime business went. They say that the boat on the spire of the Admiralty outlines very similar to the glorious Russian ship "Eagle".