This day in history:
May 13 - Day of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy - an annual holiday celebrated in honor of the creation of the Black Sea Fleet.
The formation of the Black Sea Fleet began after the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire in 1783. The first basing point of the Black Sea Fleet was Akhtiarskaya (Sevastopol) Bay southwest of the Crimean Peninsula. It was here that the city of Sevastopol was founded. Now the Black Sea Flotilla is based at the Sevastopol and Novorossiysk naval bases.
What is the Russian Black Sea Fleet?
Today, the Russian Black Sea Fleet ensures the military security of the country in the south. It consists of 2,739 ships - sailing, battleships, large missile, patrol, reconnaissance, landing, small missile, mine-sweeping ships, squadron battleships and destroyers, cruisers, submarines, sea hunters, gunboats, boats, rescue, auxiliary, hydrographic ships and other vessels. In addition, the fleet also has submarines, surface ships for operations in the ocean and near sea zones, naval missile-carrying, anti-submarine and fighter aircraft, and units of coastal troops. Aviation is stationed at the airfields of Kacha (7057th mixed air base of the Black Sea Fleet) and Gvardeysky (assault squadron 7057 of the Black Sea Fleet Air Base of the Russian Federation).
The number of personnel of the Black Sea Fleet by the spring of 2014 was 25,000 people.
In 2013, the ships of the fleet made 9 long voyages, visiting 37 ports of 13 states. Planes and helicopters of the Naval Aviation of the Black Sea Fleet performed more than 300 sorties during the year.
Starting from 2014, the Black Sea Fleet will begin to be replenished with new generation submarines. Before the beginning of 2015, the flotilla will receive into service the first of six patrol ships of the Admiral Grigorovich project, built at the Baltic shipyard Yantar in Kaliningrad, and by 2016, the Black Sea Fleet will receive submarines built by Admiralty Shipyards OJSC (St. -Petersburg). In total, they want to allocate more than 86 billion rubles for the development of the Black Sea Fleet until 2020. It is also planned to create new air defense units and marine corps units at the Russian fleet bases.
History of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet was founded in the 18th century by decree of Empress Catherine II after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. On May 13, 1783, ships of the Azov and Dnieper flotillas entered the bay near the village of Akhtiar (later the city of Sevastopol). From that time on, the naval forces in the south of Russia began to be called the Black Sea Fleet.
Emblem of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Department of Defense
Its legal successor was the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR Navy, which existed until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, after which in 1996 it was divided into the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy with separate basing on Ukrainian territory. On August 3, 1992, in Mukhalatka (near Yalta), the presidents of the two countries, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk, signed an Agreement on a phased settlement of the Black Sea Fleet problem, according to which the Ukrainian Navy and the Russian Black Sea Fleet are based separately.
And on June 9, 1995, in Sochi, the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma, signed an Agreement on the separate basing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian Naval Forces.
Sevastopol was assigned the status of the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The ships were divided in the proportion of 81.7% - Russia, 18.3% - Ukraine.
On May 28, 1997, three agreements were signed between Ukraine and Russia in Kyiv: on the parameters of the division of the Black Sea Fleet, on the status and conditions of the presence of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine. The cost of renting the Black Sea Fleet base in Ukraine amounted to $98 million. In addition, according to the agreements, the Russian Federation had to pay for utilities and transport services. According to the documents, the period of use by the Russian fleet of land, water areas, bays and infrastructure in Crimea was 20 years from the date of signing.
Ukraine agreed to the location of Russian naval facilities in Sevastopol: 31 test centers, the Gvardeysky airfield, as well as HF communications points in Yalta and Sudak and a Crimean military sanatorium. The main bay - Sevastopolskaya with berths for parking more than 30 warships, Karantinnaya Bay with a brigade of missile boats of the Black Sea Fleet and a diving range, Cossack Bay, where the marine corps brigade is located, and Yuzhnaya Bay - were transferred to Russia on a 20-year lease. Ships of the Russian and Ukrainian fleets are jointly based in Streletskaya Bay, with the Black Sea Fleet controlling the coastal infrastructure of the bay. Russia also received the main arsenal of ammunition, a missile base for the Black Sea Fleet, an landing range, the 31st test center in Feodosia, and two airfields: Gvardeyskoye near Simferopol and Sevastopol (Kacha).
According to the agreements, Russia could have no more than 25 thousand personnel, 24 artillery systems with a caliber of more than 100 mm, 132 armored vehicles, and 22 aircraft in Ukraine. The number of Russian ships and vessels should not exceed 388 units. The leased airfields in Gvardeyskoye and Sevastopol (Kach) could accommodate 161 aircraft.
Coastal ships of the Black Sea Fleet parked near the city of Sevastopol. Photo: RIA Novosti / Sergey Petrosyan
On April 21, 2010, the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine Dmitry Medvedev and Viktor Yanukovych in Kharkov signed an Agreement on the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine (ratified by the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on April 27, 2010). The stay of the Russian base in the Black Sea was extended by 25 years (until 2042) with the right to extend it for the next five-year period if neither side declares the need to terminate this agreement.
The cost of rent for the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine until May 28, 2017 is $97.75 million per year. They wrote it off to pay off Ukraine’s national debt to Russia. Starting from May 28, 2017, the lease payment was to be $100 million per year, plus additional discounts for Russian gas of $100 at a price of more than $330 per thousand cubic meters, or 30% of the contract price.
Denunciation of the Agreements
In March 2014, the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol came under the jurisdiction of Russia. The Kharkov agreements, according to which the fleet was based in Crimea, were denounced by the Russian Federation due to the loss of the subject of the agreements. On March 18, 2014, an Agreement was signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on the formation of new entities within the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government, together with the Ministry of Defense, to develop a program for the development of the Black Sea Fleet. The deadline for execution of the order is June 1, 2014. Those responsible for implementation are Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The Russian Navy will be replenished with six Project 11356 frigates by 2016 / Photo: topwar.ru
After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the Ministry of Defense had to urgently refine strategies designed to ensure the security of the country. In addition, updated plans were prepared regarding the development of certain units of the armed forces.
Crimea has traditionally been and continues to be the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, which is why it is proposed to pay special attention to the development of the fleet itself and its infrastructure. In recent months, representatives of the Ministry of Defense have repeatedly talked about plans to update and rearm the Black Sea Fleet.
Project 11356 - patrol ships (frigates) / Photo: army.lv
The Zelenodolsk Shipyard is currently fulfilling an order from the Navy for the construction of six Project 22160 patrol ships. One of the tasks of these ships will be to patrol territorial waters and water areas included in the exclusive economic zone.
Model of the Project 22160 patrol ship / Photo: severnoe.com
Viktor Chirkov recalled that in the foreseeable future, the rescue units of the Black Sea Fleet should receive 12 boats of Project 23370. The lead vessel of this project was recently transferred to the Sevastopol Diving School of the Black Sea Fleet, which is a structural unit of the Joint Training Center of the Navy. Project 23370 boats are built on a modular principle and thanks to this they can perform various search and rescue tasks.
Multifunctional modular boat, project 23370 The boat is intended: for use on inland waterways, in port waters and in the coastal sea zone as a multifunctional platform - a carrier of specialized equipment and technical means.
Depending on the equipment installed on the boat, it can be used for various purposes, including:
Diving boat
Search and rescue boat
Furnishing boat
Boat for providing port physical protection systems
Fire boat
Oil removal boat
Key differences between the boat and traditional vessels:
More than 100 m² of free deck area allows you to place a large amount of machinery and equipment
Availability of a hydraulic crane with lifting capacity: - 5.1 tons at a boom radius of 2.5 m; - 1.2 t. at a boom radius of 10 m
The presence of a cargo boom with a mechanical winch with a lifting capacity of up to 250 kg allows for loading and unloading operations and moving equipment located on the boat without the involvement of shore loading equipment
A power plant with a hydraulic drive makes it possible to ensure the operation of both the propulsion system (hydraulic thrusters), as well as ship mechanisms and special equipment (including portable)
The modular design allows the boat to be delivered in a disassembled state to any point in the country by road, rail or water transport
The use of functional modules in a container design makes it possible to reduce the amount of warehouse space required for storing equipment and property while simultaneously increasing readiness for use, since the equipment located in a container module does not require the organization of special warehousing and is in a high degree of readiness
Tactical and technical indicators
Length, m 21
Width, m 9
Freeboard height amidships, m 1.5
Total displacement, t approx. 100
Draft at full displacement, m approx. 1.3
Main engines (diesel), kW 2x280
Full speed, knots 8-9
Autonomy, days. 3
Crew, people 3
Special personnel, persons 5
Cruising range, miles 200
Seaworthiness, points up to 4
Happy Holidays to everyone involved!!!
In 1783, Crimea annexed Russia, and 2 months after this event, Empress Catherine II issued a decree on the creation of the Black Sea Fleet. On May 13, 1783, 11 ships of the Azov flotilla arrived in the Akhtiar Bay of the Black Sea. From this moment on, the city of Akhtiar was given the new name Sevastopol (which means “majestic”), and May 13 is considered the Day of the Black Sea Fleet. The Black Sea Fleet today consists of modern ships equipped with the latest technology, which strengthen the country's defense capability. Patrol, anti-submarine, landing attack ships, coastal troops and marines are part of the Black Sea Fleet today, and some of these ships have no analogues in the world in terms of their technical characteristics.
Seagulls with clouds over the Black Sea,
And at sea - the glorious Black Sea fleet!
I congratulate you with heartfelt verses,
You are our pride, glory and stronghold!
Let from a sailor to a general
It’s easy to serve and make friends with you,
So that trouble does not arise before you,
And the glory rose high!
I wish you love and understanding,
Heartfelt meetings and devoted friends,
Excellent service, joyful dates,
The boiling waves and the firm beat of the heart!
Across the sea to sailors
The path is open in spite of the storms!
Everything will pass through the waves
Glorious Black Sea Fleet!
Is this a fairy tale or a true story -
But today there will be calm!
We will celebrate the holiday
Congratulations to the Chernomorets.
On this holiday
Our congratulations are flying to them!
Let it get stronger
Thrives and lives
The most powerful, the most glorious
The best Black Sea fleet.
I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart,
Happiness and success to you,
To the beautiful, glorious sailors,
To the valiant sea wolves.
Let it fill the sails
Wind of joy, good luck,
Let the ships go to victories,
Only this way, and no other way.
Sea lovers, brave warriors
Everyone is happy to congratulate you on the holiday.
Of course, I will join them openly, -
I wish you a fair wind, sailor!
You are the guarantor of our freedom
Black Sea Fleet.
You are protection, you are support,
And our reliable stronghold.
The holiday is celebrated today
Our entire Black Sea Fleet.
I wish you happiness, sailors,
Don't let the wave take you.
I wish to be on first name terms with the sea,
Follow your dreams
Let the beacon of love, hope
There's a glimmer ahead of you.
You serve steadfastly
For the family and for the country,
Conquer tirelessly
Blue thickness.
He is not afraid of the abyss,
Storm, wave, whirlpool.
Congratulations today
Our entire Black Sea Fleet.
Don't run aground for you,
The winds are only in the sails,
Sailors, let it be with excitement
Your eyes just light up.
Let the sea beckon for glory,
Behind a smile, behind a dream,
Let the lighthouse burn in the fog
A guiding star for you.
Ships, troops, infantry -
This is the Black Sea Fleet,
He will protect the country from wars
And he will defeat all his enemies,
We sincerely congratulate you
All brave sailors,
Who serves on the Black Sea,
Who is ready for exploits,
We wish them only happiness
And, of course, victories,
We believe in them, we respect them,
We know that they are no stronger!
Today,13 May marks the birthday of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Although the date is not round, this year is special for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and for Crimea, and for Russia, because the reunification of the Crimean Peninsula and the Russian Federation took place. A new story began for the Russian Black Sea Fleet in March - a story of new revival and strengthening.
Igor Kasatonov: “We did not give the Black Sea Fleet to Ukraine”
On May 13, 1783, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, 11 ships of the Azov flotilla entered the Akhtiar Bay of Crimea, then Empress Catherine II signed a decree on the founding of the Black Sea Fleet - this date has been since 1996 and is considered its birthday. It is this fleet that can be considered the most, so to speak, “historical” - the brightest pages of Russian naval glory are precisely in its combat biography. But one of the most striking pages was written, by the way, just over 20 years ago.
Today, on Black Sea Fleet Day, there is a sacred occasion to remember those truly historical events that took place both a couple of decades and just a couple of months ago! Not every generation, frankly speaking, can boast of having been a living witness to events that will go down not only in Russian, but also, by and large, world history. We were lucky.
By the way, the author of these lines is also a bit of a Black Sea resident - after all, he studied at the Naval School in Sevastopol for five years back in Soviet times. There, in the city of Russian glory, many friends and colleagues live. I still consider the Black Sea Fleet as my own, although I served on the submarines of the Northern Fleet.
There is probably no point in giving the history of the Black Sea Fleet in detail - it is already well described in various sources. However, it is still necessary to remember some of its main points.
So let's get started. On May 13, 1783, 11 ships of the Azov flotilla under the command of Vice Admiral F. A. Klokachev, a participant in the Battle of Chesme, entered Akhtiarskaya Bay, located in the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula of the Black Sea. Later they were joined by 17 ships of the Dnieper flotilla, these first 28 ships became the combat core of the nascent fleet.
The first staff of the Black Sea Fleet was approved in 1785. For 13 and a half thousand personnel there were: 12 battleships, 20 frigates, 5 schooners, 23 transport ships. The fleet was controlled by the Black Sea Admiralty, created in Kherson. In 1784, by decree of Catherine II, the city of Akhtiar was given the name Sevastopol. Translated from Greek, the word “Sevastopol” means “majestic”. Soon the city and port of Sevastopol became the main base of the Russian fleet on the Black Sea. The history of the fleet was glorified by outstanding Russian naval commanders: Fyodor Ushakov, Mikhail Lazarev, Pavel Nakhimov, Vladimir Istomin, Vladimir Kornilov.
The sailors of the Black Sea Fleet became famous in many battles, defending the borders of the Motherland and successfully fulfilling the tasks assigned to them - in the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, in the First World War. And, of course, during the Great Patriotic War, over 200 Black Sea residents were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 54,766 were awarded orders and medals. For military services, the Black Sea Fleet was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Today, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy is an operational-strategic association of the Russian Navy. As an integral part of the country's Navy, it is a means of ensuring Russia's military security in the south.
And that’s why I said that we live in a time that will definitely be described in future history books for our descendants. The most serious blow to the Black Sea Fleet was the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent period of general political and economic confusion. It was worse than even the war - the ships died without a fight...
Since August 1992, the Black Sea Fleet existed as a joint fleet of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, for the ships and vessels of which the Black Sea Fleet Naval Flag was provided. Only on June 12, 1997, the historical St. Andrew's flag was raised on ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
For me, one of the most memorable episodes of the film “72 Meters,” which has become somewhat iconic for submariners, was the one in which the crew of a Black Sea submarine, standing on the pier in ceremonial uniforms, is called upon to take the oath of office to Ukraine in the early 90s. Those who watched the film remember how it all ended... Of course, people of art have the right to artistic invention. But this particular episode of the film seems almost like a documentary - that’s roughly how it was then in the former Soviet fleet.
I found those events, of course, not in Sevastopol, but on the other side of the country, in the tiny submarine base Olenya Guba on the Kola Peninsula. And what do you think - even though the Arctic is far from Ukraine, in 1992 a certain jitters about the “new oath” gripped naval political agencies that had not yet been disbanded since the times of the USSR. Imagine - about 40 percent of the commanders of the strategic nuclear missile submarines of the new Russia then came from Ukraine! Well, how are they planning something “like that”, stealing a nuclear-powered submarine to “Ridna Nenka”... They were afraid in vain.
I personally know only one person who went to serve in the Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet at that time. The commander of the turbine compartment of our submarine, Seryozha Olifirenko, received a letter from his godfather from Kherson - they say, come on, lad, come to us, I’ve made an agreement with whom. He wrote a report, transferred (you will laugh, but in 1992 it was possible - just transfer from the Russian Northern Fleet to the Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet!), served for six months in military acceptance at a shipyard in Nikolaev - and was laid off. Ukraine still does not build warships. I don’t know where he is now.
I believe that the best material about that difficult, almost wartime time for the Black Sea Fleet was in our publication. Then a guest of the “Editor-in-Chief Club” at the Pravda video studio. Ru became Igor Kasatonov, admiral, commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy in 1991-1992.
According to the admiral’s memoirs, on August 22, 1991, Leonid Kravchuk, the future president of Ukraine, announced the independence of Ukraine. And on December 1, he supported this statement with a referendum, according to which the citizens of Ukraine seemed to be in full force for independence. This is despite the fact that in March of the same year, over 70 percent of Ukrainians who voted during a referendum on the future of the Soviet Union were in favor of maintaining the republic within the USSR.
On December 11, Leonid Kravchuk gathered the commanders of three districts, five air armies and the Black Sea Fleet stationed on the territory of Ukraine, and announced that from now on he was the supreme commander in chief and only he should obey. And, accordingly, it is necessary for everyone, from commanders to privates, to take the Ukrainian oath. “I remember that I then thought that I was in some kind of insane asylum. We swore an oath to the Soviet Union, a powerful state... And then the sun was shining, the blue sky, the sea - and suddenly some kind of comedy, we had to swear allegiance to some unknown country.” , recalls Admiral Kasatonov.
Rutskoi called him then and said: we’ll support him, we’ll give him apartments and so on and so forth. He advised: cut ends, go to Novorossiysk. So all the Ukrainians needed was for us to cut off loose ends and go to Novorossiysk. Is this like giving up everything? The whole point was to stay there, you know?
It is a disgrace for an officer to take the oath a second time. They swore allegiance to the Soviet Union, Russia is its legal successor, so Russia does not need to take the oath a second time. What Ukraine, what second oath? And the admiral accepted the battle, entered into an information war, unusual for him, a sailor. Some newspapers supported him, he appeared on television, traveled to Odessa, Izmail, Kerch, attracted war veterans... Neither Kiev nor Moscow could stop him. And for both capitals he became for a time, as it were, “oppositional.”
According to Igor Kasatonov, everything that was done then regarding Sevastopol and the fleet represents a legal incident and a legal discrepancy. Back in 1992, the Supreme Council of Russia raised the question that the 1954 act of annexation with Ukraine was invalid. And two years later, the State Duma determined that Sevastopol is a Russian city. By the end of January 1992, 18 government agencies of Ukraine completely blocked funding for the Black Sea Fleet from Russia and blocked the supply of food and cargo. And most importantly, they banned the import of conscripts from Russia. And they decided to supply the replenishment from Western Ukraine.
It got to the point that the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Kasatonov, brought 10 thousand conscripts from Russia on warships, just as they carried reinforcements during the war. In Sevastopol we had to walk 800 meters from the pier to the training detachment. The Ukrainian riot police stood there, fully armed, very aggressive. We had to bring a company of Marines. She provided passage.
“Three criminal cases were opened against me,” Igor Kasatonov said in that historic interview with Pravda. Ru “I, firstly, violated the sovereign border of Ukraine, and secondly, I illegally transported people who are illegal armed groups, because we had no status Third, I carried out forceful actions in relation to all this. That is, it was all above my authority as the commander of the fleet...”
Next, Ukraine had an idea to take away the Black Sea Fleet through the oath procedure, because the Russian army, de jure, and de facto, did not yet exist. There was nothing. And the officers, faithful to their duty, came up with a legal incident - the oath of the CIS. Just not Ukrainian...
For many years now, Russia has been celebrating Black Sea Fleet Day on a grand scale and in style. It falls on May 13th. The tradition of celebrating the above date appeared a long time ago, but it was officially consolidated only in 1996.
What is remarkable about this grandiose holiday - Black Sea Fleet Day?
In many Russian cities, ceremonial parades are organized on May 13, and tribute is paid to the sailors who died in wars at obelisks and memorials. A solemn prayer service is held for the glory of these defenders of the Motherland. And this is not all the events with which the great date is remembered - Black Sea Fleet Day. But more about them later. First, about how the flotilla on the Black Sea was born.
Historical reference
Of course, the beginning of the glorious history of the squadron was laid by such famous admirals as Ushakov, Nakhimov, Lazarev, Kuznetsov. It was the Russian ships operating on the Black Sea that influenced the course of events in the First World War and the Crimean War. And during the Great Patriotic War they played one of the main roles in the defense of Crimea, the North Caucasus and Sevastopol.
Everyone knows that back in 1783, a group of ships of the Azov flotilla, numbering 11 units, crossed the waters of the Black Sea bay (Akhtiarskaya). This happened on May 13: this date is known to contemporaries as Black Sea Fleet Day. After some time, she joined the squadron of the Dnepropetrovsk flotilla. As a result, 28 combat sea vessels formed the backbone of the newly formed Russian fleet. After Crimea became Russian, Russian autocrat Catherine II ordered the formation of the Black Sea Fleet, which was headed by Admiral Fyodor Klokachev. His naval army influenced the course of events in the war with Turkey and France. However, the flotilla lost in 1856, and an international document was signed in the French capital, according to which Russia’s prerogative to have a military army in the Black Sea was taken away. Only the provisions of the London Convention of 1871 eliminated the above injustice.
Recent milestones
The Black Sea Fleet has been a major strategic point of contention between Russia and Ukraine in recent years, with bases divided.
In 1994, in the Russian capital, the heads of the above states officially agreed that the problem of the army in the Black Sea would have a phased solution plan, but the document left the principle of division of the fleet in force.
And finally, in the early summer of 1997, they were installed on Black Sea ships. For the past several years, the Russian squadron on the Black Sea has been sailing vast distances to other countries in order to exchange experience. Exercises are conducted with Italian, French, Bulgarian, Greek, Indian, Egyptian navies.
Holiday traditions
The Day holiday has long acquired its glorious traditions. The celebrations begin with sailors laying flowers and wreaths at the monument created in honor of the Tercentenary of the creation of the Black Sea Fleet. All day long, from morning to evening, concerts take place on the streets of Russian cities, and Russians organize large-scale holiday celebrations. Congratulations on the Day of the Black Sea Fleet are expressed by the Commander-in-Chief of the squadron, as well as representatives of our country. On this day, sailors who have distinguished themselves in service receive insignia, government awards, valuable gifts and awards. Naval and signal flags are hoisted on ships.
Sevastopol residents always remember holiday traditions
And of course, the Day of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is celebrated on a special scale and breadth in Sevastopol.
A grandiose military and sports festival and a parade of ships are held in the waters of the local bay. Residents and guests of the port can watch a military parade, festive concerts, and take part in quizzes and competitions. Well, on some ships on May 13, they organize the so-called when ordinary people can see with their own eyes how the life of a sailor works.
So, May 13th comes - Black Sea Fleet Day, and residents of Sevastopol flock to the House of Officers to see an exhibition of paintings by artists who professionally paint seascapes. How can you not visit the Museum of the Black Sea Fleet on holiday to see a unique collection of bladed weapons and firearms, portraits of participants in military battles, Russian lithographs and much more?
In the evening time of the holiday, pop stars sing and dance for Sevastopol residents, and a few hours later an artillery salute thunders over the bay, after which no one goes home. Guests are left to enjoy the breathtaking spectacle of water fountains.
Holiday this year
This year, May 13, Black Sea Fleet Day, was also celebrated with glory. Again, this was primarily felt in Sevastopol.
Flowers were laid at the monument to the founder of the fleet, Catherine the Second, and a prayer service was served in the garrison church, which was attended by the head of the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, Alexander Nosatov, representatives of the officers, fleet veterans and ordinary sailors. A festive concert was organized for the sailors at the officers' house.
Musicians and artists who came from the most remote corners of Russia performed at the summer stage, which is located on Primorsky Boulevard. In 2015, the naval composition of the fleet will be expanded by several combat units, which cannot but rejoice.
For the Russian people, the Day of the Formation of the Black Sea Fleet is an important and significant holiday.
The strength and power of the army on the Black Sea
Currently, the Russian flotilla based in the Black Sea is the stronghold of the country's defense capabilities, namely its southern borders.
The army's arsenal is truly impressive: modern surface vessels, high-tech submarines, missile-carrying, fighter and anti-submarine weapons. With such objects we are not afraid of any external threats. Moreover, by 2020 our flotilla will be replenished with modern sea vessels. This year alone it will include 3 destroyers and 4 submarines.
In 1996, a special decree on the introduction of professional holidays created the Black Sea Fleet Day. It is celebrated every year on May 13, since it was on this day that the first warships took place in one of the bays of the Black Sea. In 2017, the fleet will turn 234 years old. Today's flotilla includes the most modern ships, equipped with the latest technology, and some of them have no analogues in the world.
history of the holiday
The reason for the creation of the Black Sea Fleet was the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. Empress Catherine II decided that it was necessary to have her own military forces in the Black Sea. At this time, the Russian Empire was defended from the southern side only by the Azov flotilla, but it included small vessels that were significantly inferior in power to Turkish ships. For this reason, at the end of 1775, a decree was issued on the main directions for creating a combat flotilla intended for the Black Sea waters.
According to the decree, it was supposed to include 20 large ships. The construction of the first 8 ships was carried out on the coast of the Azov Sea. The remaining combat units were built on the Dnieper, on the site of the future Kherson. It was here that the battleship “St. Catherine” was laid down, which had 60 guns on board. And already in 1783, Catherine the Great announced that Crimea was annexed to Russia.
On May 13 (new style), the first ships were based in Akhtiar Bay, which turned out to be the most convenient location for military forces. Later Sevastopol was built on this site. And when in the 90s of the 20th century the question arose about establishing a professional holiday for sailors serving on the Black Sea, it was the day the ships entered the bay that was chosen as a memorable date.