Who is Fedor Fedorovich? Battle of Kaliakria, new victories

Fedor Ushakov is an admiral who made a huge contribution to the development of the Russian navy. This outstanding man is one of the best naval commanders of all times. Several ships were named after him in the navies of the Russian Empire and the USSR.

During the Great Patriotic War, the names of outstanding commanders and naval commanders of previous eras began to be applied to orders and medals. Stalin sought to emphasize the continuity of the victorious tradition. In 1944, an order and medal appeared in honor of the famous admiral. Before this, it was believed that the new Soviet state had to abandon any mention of the tsarist regime. Generals and naval commanders of the Russian Empire were also banned.

Who is Fedor Ushakov? The admiral whose victorious actions were included in treatises on the art of war? A patriot who dedicated his life only to serving the state? Let's try to figure it out in this article.

Origin

Where was Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich born? His biography begins with the village of Burnakovo, Moscow province. The future hero was born in February 1745 in the family of a small landowner. From his father he received only a title of nobility, without which it was impossible to move up the career ladder. There was not enough money, the family could barely make ends meet. At the age of 16, his parents sent him to the Naval Corps in St. Petersburg.

Carier start

The future naval commander made his first training voyage with the rank of midshipman after two years of study in the Naval Corps. In 1766, Fedor Fedorovich graduated from the educational institution with the rank of midshipman. His career begins in the Baltic. Here he makes his first long voyage: on the Nargin ship from Kronstadt to Arkhangelsk around Scandinavia.

Beginning of a fighting career

During the Russian-Turkish campaign of 1768-1774, Ushakov, with the rank of lieutenant, commanded several battleships - sailing military ships made of wood with a displacement of up to 6 thousand tons. With them, he defended Crimea from the Turkish landing and from the indignation of the Tatars. These were powerful ships of that era. They received the name “linear” because of the tactics of their use: the ships lined up in one line and fired a salvo from all guns at the same time. Such tactics caused enormous damage not only to ships, but also to the coastline and fortresses. One such ship had up to 135 guns on board and up to one thousand crew members. Only the steamship fleet replaced battleships in the mid-19th century.

Climbing the career ladder

After the campaign of 1768-1774, Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov began to rapidly climb the career ladder:

1. Even during the war with Turkey, he received the task of creating a flotilla on the Don and a port in Taganrog with the rank of lieutenant.
2. In 1776, already with the rank of captain-lieutenant, he took part in the campaign to Livorno, after which he was appointed commander of the frigate "Pavel".
3. Until 1779, the future admiral continued campaigns in the Adriatic Sea and on the archipelago.
4. In 1780, Ushakov received a promotion: he became the commander of the imperial yacht. However, he already knows the smell of gunpowder and the taste of victory, so his soul is drawn to the army fleet.
5. In 1781, he again went to the Mediterranean Sea as part of the squadron of Rear Admiral Sukhotin as commander of the ship "Victor".
6. In 1785, as captain of the 1st rank, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class, and gratitude from the Admiralty for stopping the epidemic in Kherson. The infection was brought from the Turkish capital on merchant ships.

Career blossoming

Fyodor Ushakov is an admiral whose career peaked during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791. The reason for the war: Turkey’s desire to take revenge for the previous defeat, as a result of which Crimea was torn away from the influence of the Ottomans. The Sultan also wanted to completely ban the Russian fleet from appearing in the Black Sea. Türkiye, Russia, Austria, France and England took part in the war. Our “eternal friends” France and England provided assistance and support to Turkey. On the side of our country was Austria, which was also interested in weakening the Ottomans. It was during this war that Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov reached the peak of his career and fame. We'll talk about this in more detail below.

The famous naval commander begins the war as a captain of brigadier rank. He took part in the first campaigns of the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Voinovich as commander of the ship "Pavel".

In 1790, the holy righteous warrior Fyodor Ushakov - this is the official title given by the Russian Orthodox Church - becomes rear admiral of the Black Sea Fleet. He owed his position to Prince Potemkin.

In his new position, he walked around the eastern coast of the Black Sea, destroying 26 enemy ships.

Victories of F. F. Ushakov in the war of 1787-1791

What victories did Fedor Ushakov win? Battles near Khalzhi Bey, at Kaliakria, the battle of the Yenikol Strait and many others are included in this glorious list.

For repelling the Turkish attack at the Yenikol Strait on July 8, 1790 and for the final defeat of the enemy fleet near Hadji Bey on August 28 and 29 of the same year, Rear Admiral Ushakov received the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class, and St. George, 2nd class.

In 1791, he again defeated the Turkish fleet at Kaliakria, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

In 1793, Ushakov again received a promotion: he was promoted to vice admiral.

Unexpected alliance and appointment to admiral

Since 1798, Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich has been an admiral. Ironically, it was his joint activities with the Turkish fleet that brought him the highest rank in the navy. In August 1798, he received the highest order (direct order from the reigning persons) to go to Constantinople. Next, the Russian flotilla joins the Turkish one for a joint expedition to the Mediterranean Sea. Upon completion, Ushakov receives the highest naval rank and the Diamond Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. The Turkish Sultan Selim the Third highly appreciated the talent of the Russian naval commander, giving him two diamond snuff boxes, two diamond feathers and a rich sable fur coat.

What are the reasons for the joint Russian-Turkish alliance? For the whole world, this was a complete surprise: it was believed that Turkey and Russia were the most irreconcilable enemies. However, the great Count Potemkin did everything possible to convey to the Turkish Sultan the idea that sooner or later the Ottoman Empire would be torn apart. The first thing they will take away is the Suez Canal in Egypt. Potemkin turned out to be right: on July 1, 1798, the French army landed in Egypt. This was a real shock for the entire Turkish leadership: it was France that participated in the creation of a combat-ready Turkish fleet to fight against Russia. Türkiye was simply confident that Napoleon was their most faithful ally.

The Russian Empire took advantage of the situation: it concluded a military-defensive alliance against France, so a joint expedition under the command of Ushak Pasha (F. F. Ushakov) became possible.

Naval victories in the Mediterranean

While the famous Suvorov was crushing French troops in Italy, Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov was winning naval victories in the Mediterranean Sea.

The allied Russian-Turkish fleet consisted of 10 battleships, 13 frigates and corvettes, 7 small ships. The English flotilla of Horatio Nelson was also waiting for them in Naples. A Russian landing force of 1,700 naval battalion grenadiers and 35 midshipmen was formed for landing on the Ionian Islands. Türkiye pledged to recruit up to 17 thousand landing troops.

Formally, the allied fleet did not have a single command. The Russian flotilla was commanded by F.F. Ushakov, the Turkish one by Kadyr Bey. However, the Turkish Sultan himself recognized Uşak Pasha's dominant position, knowing his previous successes against the Ottoman Empire.

In just a month and a half, 4 islands from the 7 Ionian archipelago were cleared: St. Maura, Kefalonia, Zante, Tserigo. 1,300 enemy soldiers were captured, 44 were killed. The loss of the Russians was 2 killed and 6 wounded, the Turks - 4 killed.

Ushakov believed that the ease of victories lay in the fragmentation of the French forces, as well as in the support of the local Greek population. The last factor was key: thanks to the participation of the Russians, the Greeks sided with the alliance. If only Turks had participated in the expedition, the local population would have gone over to the French side.

The vice admiral openly showed sympathy for the Orthodox population. It is this expedition to liberate the Orthodox people of the Ionian Islands that will serve as the basis for their future canonization. St. Fyodor Ushakov not only liberated the local Orthodox population from the Jacobins, but also maintained public order on the islands. The Greeks greatly appreciated the help of the Russian squadron and showed it all kinds of honors. However, there was no such attitude towards our allies: for the Greeks, the Turks were even more undesirable than the French. This led to conflicts between Russians and Turks. Ushakov convinced the Greek population to give the Ottomans the same honors.

Capture of Corfu

Fedor Ushakov is an admiral who showed all his talent during the capture of the Corfu fortress. The planned amphibious assault operation with the support of battleships was among the best military operations of all time.

Corfu is a system of fortresses located on a steep bank, surrounded by thick walls. It could contain up to 15 thousand garrison people. It was very difficult to storm it: at every step there were deep ramparts, ditches, an effective system of batteries, etc. It was believed that Corfu could only be taken by starvation.

By the time of the siege by Russian-Turkish troops, there were about 3 thousand soldiers and 650 guns in the fortress. The Allies did not have enough ground forces to take the fortress right away.

Here all the effectiveness of governance in the Ottoman Empire was demonstrated using the example of the Albanian principalities. The Albanian pashas were supposed to field 17 thousand infantry, but they did not intend to do this. Ali Pasha, who ruled in Tepelene (Southern Albania), especially showed his “devotion”. He actively negotiated with the French and waited only for suitable conditions to go over to the enemy's side. Pasha not only sabotaged the deployment of a 3,000-strong landing force, but also called on his neighbors to follow his example.

During the four-month siege, F. Ushakov constantly wrote dispatches to St. Petersburg about the actions of the Turkish side. They constantly echoed the idea: the participation of the Turks and Albanians will not only not improve the situation during the assault on Corfu, but, on the contrary, will significantly worsen it, since the local Greek population will not support the assault on the Albanians. Ushakov regretted that he did not have at least an extra thousand soldiers to independently capture the fortress.

Albanian Ali Pasha at this time became involved in political intrigues: he promised the Russian vice admiral to wait a little, and he completely advised the Turkish Sultan to refuse the help of the Russians and take the fortress on his own. For this purpose, Ali Pasha promised to send 25 thousand Albanians to Sultan. At the same time, negotiations were held with the French about switching to their side.

In December 1798, Ushakov informed the Russian emperor that the squadron had no provisions. If the situation does not change, the siege will have to be lifted from the fortress. Ushakov also reported that Turkish authorities are sabotaging cargo supplies to the Russian fleet, citing weather conditions. As a result, the team has not received a salary for a whole year and cannot buy clothes and shoes.

In January 1799, Ushakov wrote a dispatch to the High Vizier of the Porte that, due to poor supplies, Russian soldiers began to get sick and die. The reason is food supplied by the Turks, which medical personnel forbade people to consume.

By January 25, 1799, the allied squadron nevertheless received the promised Albanian landing force of 4 thousand people. However, their appearance on the islands displeased the Greeks. Ushakov made enormous efforts to ensure that the local population did not kill the Albanians on the islands before the start of the operation.

Storm

Before the assault on Corfu, Ushakov began preparing the landing force: soldiers and sailors trained to overcome the fortress walls and quickly built fortress stairs. Such training was reminiscent of Suvorov’s training of his soldiers before the capture of the Izmail fortress in 1790. Perhaps Ushakov decided to adopt the experience of training soldiers from another famous commander.

On February 18, 1799, the assault on the fortifications on Vido Island began. Mastering it made it possible to capture the entire fortress. After powerful shelling by battleships, a landing force of 2 thousand people began to land. Here the Albanians showed “loyalty” to their allied duty: they refused to participate in the assault. Only 200 Albanians took part in the initial assault. The rest took part only when the Allies took the fortification on Vido Island. Here Russian troops had to protect French prisoners from the fury of the Albanians.

After taking the Vido battery, the Allies deployed their guns and began shelling the main fortress, supported by battleships. Here again there were some oddities: Turkish ships began shelling the fortress behind the back of the Russian fleet. Some cannonballs did not reach and fell on our ships. Ushakov himself recalled that he almost died then from the “help” of the allies.

End of career

In July 1800, Ushakov returned to Russia. For his services, the King of the Two Sicilies granted the admiral the Order of St. Januarius, which was considered superior to the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

In 1807, the famous admiral was dismissed from service due to illness. Fedor Fedorovich died in 1817 in the Tambov province.

Family and Children

Many people are interested in the question: was Fyodor Ushakov married? The family of the famous naval commander is sailors and officers. This is what this great man told himself about himself.

Did Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov have heirs? The children loved to ask the admiral about his victories, and he also liked to talk with them. However, he did not have his own heirs. He devoted his entire life to serving his fatherland.

Monuments to the admiral

Monuments to Fyodor Ushakov were erected in Sevastopol: on July 29, 1983, at the entrance to the Historical Boulevard (opened during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Sevastopol), on the 250th anniversary of the admiral’s birth, on the initiative of the command of the Black Sea Fleet, a monument was erected near the headquarters building. There is also a monument in Saransk near the cathedral in honor of him. A little about him later in the article.

Cathedral

In 2004, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the outstanding admiral. In 2006, in Saransk (the capital of Mordovia), the temple was rebuilt into a huge cathedral named after Fyodor Ushakov. Now it is the calling card of the city. The relics of Fyodor Ushakov are located here.

It was on the territory of modern Mordovia that the naval commander died. There is also a temple of Fyodor Ushakov in South Butovo in Moscow.

The history of our army and navy is full of outstanding personalities. These are people who had a strong influence on the development of not only the military industry, but also the entire statehood of the country. One of these was Admiral Ushakov. The biography of this wonderful man is given in this article.

His fame is evidenced by the fact that in the navies of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union there were several ships named after him. In particular, even one cruiser of the USSR Navy. Since 1944, the Ushakov Order and Medal have existed. A number of objects in the Arctic are named after him.

Early life

Fyodor Ushakov, the future admiral, was born in the tiny village of Burnakovo, lost in the vastness of the Moscow province, in February 1745. He came from a landowner's family, but not too rich. It is not surprising that he had to go to school early so as not to force his parents to spend money on his maintenance. In 1766 he studied in the cadet corps, receiving the rank of midshipman. His naval career began on the Baltic Sea. Ushakov immediately showed himself to be a capable commander and

Beginning of service, first successes

Already in 1768-1774, during the first war with the Turks, Ushakov commanded several at once. He also participated in the heroic defense of the Crimean coast.

In the Baltic, Fyodor Ushakov commanded the frigate "St. Paul", and subsequently made the transition to the Mediterranean Sea on it. He carried out important assignments for transporting timber at the St. Petersburg shipyard. In 1780, he was even appointed commander of the imperial yacht, but the future admiral refused this boring post and applied for a transfer back to a battleship. At the same time, Ushakov received the rank of captain of the second rank.

From 1780 to 1782 he commanded the battleship Victor. During this period, Ushakov was constantly on raids: he and his crew protected trade routes from English privateers, who at that time were completely unruly.

Role in the creation of the Black Sea Fleet

Admiral Ushakov is especially famous for one act. His biography includes the fact that this man was one of the founders of the entire Black Sea Fleet. Since 1783, he was busy building the Sevastopol base for the fleet, and personally supervised the training of new crews on ships. By 1874, Ushakov became Then he received the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, for his fight against the plague epidemic in Kherson. After this, he was entrusted with command of the ship "St. Paul" and given the rank of brigade captain.

War with the Turks

During the next war with the Turks, from 1787 to 1791, the most high-profile victories of the Russian fleet are associated with the name of Ushakov. Thus, in a naval battle near the island of Fidonisi (now called Zmeiny), which took place on July 3, 1788, Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov personally led the vanguard of four frigates. The Turkish fleet at that time consisted of 49 ships at once, and it was commanded by Eski-Hassan.

We had only 36 ships, and there were five times fewer battleships. It was Ushakov, skillfully maneuvering and not allowing the Turks to get closer, who managed to drive away two of their leading battleships, putting them to flight with the fire of his guns. This battle lasted three hours, as a result of which the entire Turkish fleet chose to retreat. For this battle, the future Admiral Ushakov (his biography is described in the article) was awarded the Knights of St. George.

New exploits

The next two years did not go well. Nevertheless, in 1790, the entire Black Sea Fleet was transferred under the control of Ushakov. The active officer immediately began training the crews of the main battleships. Soon an opportunity presented itself to check the work: at Sinop, Rear Admiral Ushakov’s squadron bombed almost thirty enemy ships. In response, the entire Turkish squadron entered the raid. Anticipating this, the talented commander brought his fleet out in advance and anchored it nearby in order to block the breakthrough of Turkish ships to the Crimea and prevent the landing of enemy troops. This is how the Kerch naval battle began. Subsequently, it was included in almost all textbooks on naval combat, since the techniques used by the admiral were truly advanced for their time.

New battle

However, soon Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (whose biography contains many such episodes) decided to meet the Turkish squadron halfway. This temptation turned out to be irresistible for the Turks: relying on a fair wind, they decided to swoop down on the Russian fleet and destroy it.

However, their plan was obvious to Ushakov, and therefore he promptly gave the command to reorganize and allocate several battleships to reliably cover the vanguard. When the latter engaged the Turks in battle, the rest of the Russian ships arrived. By three o'clock in the afternoon the wind began to favor our fleet. The ships of the two squadrons quickly began to approach each other, and soon their gunners entered into a tense duel.

The Russian gunners showed themselves simply superbly in this battle. Soon, most of the Turkish ships, due to severe destruction of the equipment, could no longer participate in the battle. A little more, and the Russians began to celebrate a complete and unconditional victory. The Turks managed to escape only thanks to the superior characteristics of their compact and nimble ships. Thus, the history of the Black Sea Fleet was replenished with another glorious victory.

Many historians note that in that battle the enemy did not lose a single ship sunk, but the condition of the Turkish squadron was such that it certainly could not go into battle in the coming months. In addition, their crews suffered huge losses in manpower, and the landing troops were seriously battered. The Russians killed only 29 people. It was in honor of this victory that in 1915 one of the fleet’s battleships was given the name “Kerch”.

Battle near Tendra

At the end of the summer of 1790, a rather significant battle took place at Cape Tendra, where Ushakov’s squadron suddenly came across the Turks, who were freely anchored. The admiral disregarded all the traditions of the fleet, ordering an attack on the move, without long formations. Confidence in success was fueled by the presence of a traditional reserve of four frigates.

The Turkish squadron was commanded by Kapudan Pasha Hussein. He was an experienced naval commander, but even he had to retreat after several hours of intense battle. The flagship of the Russian fleet, “Rozhdestvo Khristovo”, under the command of Ushakov himself, fought a simultaneous battle with three enemy ships at once. When the Turks fled, Russian ships pursued them until darkness, after which they had to anchor.

The next day the battle resumed with renewed vigor. Several hours of battle ended in the complete victory of our fleet. For this, the admiral was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, as well as half a thousand assigned to the Mogilev province. After this, Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov, in short, became a “purebred” landowner-landowner. However, he almost never visited his estates, being constantly busy with the fleet.

Battle of Kaliakria, new victories

On land, Türkiye suffered constant defeats. Sultan Pasha decided to win back by taking revenge at sea. Warships were assembled throughout the empire, and soon an incredibly powerful fleet was stationed near Istanbul. He, numbering 78 ships, soon anchored near Cape Kaliakria. Since the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr began at that time, some of the crews were released ashore.

However, the Russian government at this time began negotiations with the weakened enemy, which the Turks were only happy about. But Admiral Ushakov (his biography was thus replenished with another battle) did not know about this when he came across the Turkish fleet. According to his old habit, he immediately gave the order to rebuild into a marching position, simultaneously firing at the enemy squadron from all guns.

The Turks tried to repeat the maneuver, withdrawing from the raid under fire. This is how the battle began at the already mentioned flagship of the Russian fleet, “Rozhdestvo Khristovo,” which attacked the enemy on the move. Soon after this, the enemy squadron was scattered, and in 1791 a peace treaty was finally signed.

Post-war work

After the war, the admiral devoted all his energy and time to the preparation and development of the Black Sea Fleet. In 1793 he received the rank of vice admiral. During this period, Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich, whose biography is full of significant events, already has enormous authority in the fleet, even his enemies respect him.

And then a curious turn of history happens: Russia, as part of a coalition against the French, becomes an ally of Turkey, with which Ushakov fought a couple of years ago. During the Mediterranean expedition of 1798-1800, the admiral visited Istanbul, where Kadir Bey’s fleet joined his squadron. The task was difficult: to liberate many islands (including the Greek Corfu), and also to connect with the British under the command of Nelson.

Capture of Corfu

Almost all the intended targets were captured on the move, but Corfu was a powerful fortress, and therefore Ushakov first ordered it to be taken into the ring of a naval blockade. The combined squadron did not have enough infantry, so it was premature to think about an assault. After long and persistent negotiations, the Turkish side finally sent 4.5 thousand landing troops, and another 2 thousand were local militia. It was possible to draw up a plan for taking the object.

Russian paratroopers, who landed on the shore under fire from the fort, began to quickly build two artillery batteries. The rest of the infantry was ordered to attack the advanced French fortifications. At the same time, the assault on Vido Island began, the garrison of which quickly capitulated.

The naval artillery successfully suppressed the French batteries, after which the assault began. Part of the wall was quickly captured, after which the garrison realized that further resistance would not lead to anything good. Negotiations for surrender began on the admiral's ship St. Paul.

Diplomat career

For this operation, Ushakov was promoted to full admiral. Even the Turks presented their former enemy with many valuable gifts, recognizing his military talent. After these events, the Russian squadron actively assisted Suvorov’s ground forces, which at that time were deployed in Northern Italy. Actively operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian admiral completely shackled the enemy’s trade routes, simultaneously blocking the ports in Genoa and Ancona. The landing of his ships performed excellently during the assault and liberation of Naples and Rome from French troops.

At this time, the old sailor amazed everyone with his talent as a subtle and skillful diplomat, who knew how to extinguish problems in the bud and negotiate with opponents. It was he who contributed to the formation of the Republic of the Seven Islands in Greece, and together with other diplomats created the Greek Senate. Almost all the islanders accepted the introduction of the new order with delight. These innovations glorified Ushakov in those parts, but caused extreme discontent

End of career

All those six months that the admiral spent in the Ionian Islands were an ongoing triumph. Local residents treated the naval commander as their liberator from the French occupation. The squadron returned to its homeland on September 26, 1800, mooring in Sevastopol. The emperor was extremely dissatisfied with Ushakov's republican views, but could not do anything with him, fearing the reaction of the army and navy. In 1802, he was removed from truly important areas, appointed head of the rowing fleet in the Baltic and training camps for sailors.

However, Ushakov himself was happy about this: many years of sailing did not contribute to improving his health, and therefore already in 1807 he retired. During the French attack in 1812, he led the Tambov militia, but due to poor physical health he no longer personally participated in the battles. The famous naval commander died in 1817 and was solemnly buried in the Sanaskari monastery.

Ushakov went down in the history of maritime affairs around the world not only as an unsurpassed admiral in terms of efficiency, but also as the author of a completely new battle tactics for the sailing fleet. He paid great attention to the training of the crews of each ship of his squadron, which made him very different from the commanders of those years. The admiral was loved by his subordinates: he was tough and demanding, but not cruel.

What else is Ushakov known for? Interesting facts about him are amazing: when an order and medal named after him were established in the USSR, it turned out... that no one knows what the great naval commander looked like in reality. His only portrait dated from 1912, when the admiral had been dead for a hundred years. The solution to the problem was proposed by the famous anthropologist Gerasimov: the admiral’s crypt was opened (and it turned out that some vandals had already managed to steal all personal belongings and a golden sword), the scientist took measurements from the skull, on the basis of which a reconstruction of the appearance was created. This happened in 1944.

But that's not all. In our time, this outstanding person was canonized by the Orthodox Church. Now Saint Admiral Ushakov is the patron of all travelers and those people who are just about to set off on a long journey.

And one more fact. In the Sanaksar Monastery there are graves of... two Fedorov Ushakovs. One of them is the admiral himself. The other belongs to his uncle, who during his lifetime was the abbot of this monastery. Studying the archives, scientists found that the famous sailor loved to visit these walls, taking a break from the bustle of the world. That is why he wrote a will, according to which he had to be buried next to his uncle.

Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov, the future great Russian naval commander and admiral, was born (13) February 24, 1744 in the village of Burnakovo into an impoverished noble family. In 1766, Fedor graduated from the naval cadet corps and went to serve in the Baltic.

A native of the Yaroslavl province, Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov remained in the Russian Empire a brilliant naval commander, a devoted servant of his homeland and a righteous Christian. The future admiral was born two hundred and sixty-seven years ago back in 1745. His birthday according to modern calculations falls on February 24th. On this memorable date, we propose to remember all the merits of this brilliant naval commander, who during the entire period of his leadership did not lose a single ship and did not surrender a single sailor.

The memory of this amazing man still lives in the Fatherland. Awards, magnificent sea vessels are named after him, and an interesting film was made about the amazing life of the admiral. An asteroid was named in honor of Fyodor Ushakov, and the Orthodox Church canonized him as the patron saint of the navy.

The father of the brilliant admiral was dismissed from service from the Life Guards with the rank of sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and had nothing to do with the fleet. A remarkable relative of Ushakov was his uncle Fyodor Sanaksarsky, with whom he is often confused. However, in reality these are completely different personalities. Admiral Ushakov inherited from his uncle boundless faith in God, as well as the ability to humbly endure all life changes, even not the most successful ones. The Ushakov family was distinguished by its strict observance of Orthodox customs, and Fyodor Fedorovich himself was characterized as a meek and modest person.

Ushakov spent his childhood and youth in his father’s village of Burnakovo and received his primary education at the Church of the Epiphany on the Island. The conditions of his upbringing were particularly strict and modest, since the family adhered to high moral principles and was not at all rich. In addition to Fyodor Fedorovich, three more brothers grew up in the family: Semyon, Gavrila and Ivan. Daily prayer and regular fasting remained forever in the life of the admiral. However, despite his meek disposition and modesty, Fyodor Fedorovich was distinguished by his courage and already in his youth he went with the headman to the forest to hunt, including bear.

As soon as the boy turned 16, he was sent to the Naval Gentry Corps of Cadet, where he distinguished himself for his success in the field of history and military sciences. Fedor Fedorovich graduated from the St. Petersburg building fourth in academic performance. In 1763, Ushakov became a midshipman, and a year later a corporal. Already in 1766, the young man became a midshipman and from 1767 he went on his first sea voyage on a ship called “Nargin”. Acquaintance with the open sea on the way from Kronstadt to Arkhangelsk was the beginning of Ushakov’s brilliant military career. Skirting Scandinavia, the young and still inexperienced Fyodor Ushakov received the most valuable knowledge and mastered the science of navigation. A flexible, sharp mind and good memory allowed him to become one of the best on the ship and earn the respect of his comrades.

In 1768, Ushakov served under the command of Captain Greig on the ship “Three Hierarchs” and, after sailing in the Gulf of Finland, was sent under Senyavin to the Azov Fleet. It was under the command of Senyavin that Fedor Fedorovich was first able to practice maneuvering and shooting. Basically, the task of the Azov flotilla was to protect the waters and coastal zone in order to prevent enemy landings. After the Russian-Turkish war was over, the Russian Empire had the opportunity to deploy its fleet in the Black Sea. For the first time, Ushakov became the captain of the ships of the sailing ship “Hector” and then a boat called “Courier”. Each new position allowed the future admiral to accumulate invaluable experience, which would be so useful to him in the future. Ushakov also sailed on the improved ship “Morea”, as well as on the ship “Modon”. Each new ship became the next stage in honing the young commander’s skills, and the tasks were carried out at the highest level.

In 1780, the still young Ushakov opened up the prospect of a successful secular career and was given the opportunity to get closer to the favors of the imperial court. He is appointed captain of the imperial yacht. However, such an appointment was received by Fedor Fedorovich without much enthusiasm, and after a short period of time he was assigned to Sukhotin’s squadron. In 1776, with the rank of captain-lieutenant, Ushakov commanded the Northern Eagle and then the frigate St. Paul. While serving in Sukhotin's squadron, Fedor Fedorovich gains additional experience and earns the respect of his commanders for his courage and the love of his subordinates. It must be said that throughout his entire service in the fleet of the empire, Ushakov did not change his lifestyle and strictly adhered to the Orthodox canons. He was a caring, but fair and stern commander. What distinguished the future admiral was that he never felt sorry for himself, and did not throw his subordinates into rash undertakings. Every action associated with a risk to people was weighed and calculated to the smallest detail.

Fedor Fedorovich also made a significant contribution to the construction of impregnable Sevastopol. According to the testimony of his contemporaries, Ushakov was so selflessly involved in the work that sometimes, when there was a lack of funds, he transferred his own salary and savings to pay for certain works. Upon arrival at the fortress, Catherine the Great noted Ushakov among the most distinguished officers.

However, a decisive rise up the career ladder began with the entry into the war with Turkey from 1787 to 1789. In the battle near Zmeiny Island (otherwise called Fidonisi) in 1787, thanks to the resourceful actions of 4 frigates under the command of Ushakov, the Turkish ships, which outnumbered the Russian forces several times, suffered a crushing defeat and were forced to flee. The tactics of the talented captain of brigadier rank were quite simple: not to allow a ring to close around the Russian ships; to impose battle on the Turkish flagship, appointed to lead the entire course of the attack. The ability to discern the enemy’s intentions only by certain signs of formation and maneuvers, to instantly make an intelligent decision, as well as amazing courage and rejection of standard techniques and methods became a special feature that distinguished Ushakov from a number of other officers.

However, the brilliant actions of the promising Ushakov became the basis for a conflict with commander Voinovich. Fyodor Fedorovich's career was saved by the timely intervention of Potemkin. His address to the Empress pointed out Voinovich’s complete inability to organize successful operations of the Black Sea Fleet, and at the same time, focused on the merits of the promising Ushakov. Potemkin expressed his admiration for the sharpness of mind and abilities of Fyodor Fedorovich, comparing him with the unfortunate Voinovich. The result was not long in coming; already in 1789 he was awarded the rank of rear admiral.

The personal relationship between Potemkin and Ushakov developed very well. Two talented and loyal commanders to Russia understood and respected each other. Fedor Fedorovich, due to his active nature, could not tolerate various kinds of bureaucratic delays and administrative routine, therefore he was exempted from its execution by order of Potemkin.

After the defeat at Fidonisi, Turkish commanders were instructed to take revenge. The ships of Ushak Pasha, as the Turks called Ushakov, were ordered to be destroyed. However, a series of clashes with the growing Russian fleet showed Ushakov's superiority. Even a superior enemy could not withstand the lightning-fast and unconventional decisions of the commander-in-chief. The advantage of the rear admiral was the rejection of habitual and stereotypical actions and moves. The Turks could not predict Fyodor Fedorovich's plans and inevitably suffered defeat. The name of Ushak Pasha was no longer thundering only within Russia; Turkish commanders were openly afraid of him. Even superiority in firearms could not save the enemy from defeat, since Ushakov skillfully fought at very close ranges and used all possible artillery and guns.

In 1790, when the Russian fleet, which set out from Sevastopol, met with the stronger and more equipped ships of Kapudan Pasha Hussein, victory was again won. This clash can be called a battle very conditionally, since when Ushakov’s forces were discovered, the Turks hastily and disorganizedly began to retreat. Fedor Fedorovich could only go on the offensive and destroy the enemy ships. The year 1791 was marked by a brilliant Russian victory at a cape called Kaliakria, after which peace was concluded on terms favorable to the Empire, and the successful commander was awarded the rank of vice admiral.

After the death of the Empress, Ushakov was appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. Here Fyodor Fedorovich, who almost became a world celebrity, was entrusted with assisting the anti-French coalition. Former opponents have become allies. The Turkish government instructed its commanders not only to obey the talented commander, but also to diligently learn from him.

Luck did not leave Ushakov in the Mediterranean either. Within a short time, Russian forces, together with the Turkish fleet, liberated the Ionian Islands from the French presence. During the actions, not only the vice admiral’s leadership abilities were revealed, but also his diplomatic talent. For example, the commander-in-chief was helped to take the impregnable fortress of Corfu by local residents, whom he approached on the eve of the attack. In 1799, the flotilla successfully occupied cities on the Italian coast, while Suvorov won brilliant victories on land. Thanks to Suvorov and Ushakov, the authority of the Russian military forces soared to unattainable heights. In 1799, Fedor Fedorovich was finally awarded the rank of admiral. However, already in 1800 Russian ships were recalled to Sevastopol, due to the deterioration of relations between the allies.

With the coming to power of Alexander I, the importance of the fleet fell, since the new emperor did not consider it significant for the country in this period. In 1806, Ushakov Byt was recalled from service and his knowledge, experience and abilities were no longer used. Fedor Fedorovich accepted this fact with dignity. Throughout his service, faith in God and high moral principles guided the admiral's behavior. Meekness, modesty and self-sacrifice instilled from youth, combined with devotion to the Fatherland and the sovereign, allowed Ushakov to accept this turn of fate calmly. Back in 1804, he wrote a report on his service for the good of the Motherland, in which it was said that during the entire period of his command, the enemy was unable to sink any of the ships entrusted to him, or take prisoners. The brilliant career of an amazing man was over.

In December 2000, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' gave his blessing to glorify Admiral of the Russian Fleet Theodore Ushakov among the righteous, locally revered saints of the Saransk diocese. And in August 2006, the only temple in the world dedicated to the holy sailor was consecrated in Saransk

A huge number of orders, awards, titles, memorable gifts - the famous commander had all this. Despite the opportunity to remain in secular society, where he was respected and appreciated by everyone without exception, and young men simply worshiped him, Ushakov chose to retire to his village. His life in old age was more like a monastic life. Fedor Fedorovich never married, and spent all his savings on charity. He made large contributions for the benefit of the church, participated in the fate of the unfortunate and disadvantaged, and took orphaned nephews into his care. The formidable admiral of the Russian fleet lived in modesty and one might even say in poverty, as he considered this worthy of a true Christian. He prayed a lot and lived for a long time in the monastery, standing for hours in the church during services.

In 1812, Fyodor Fedorovich was elected commander of the militia gathered in the Tambov province to resist Napoleonic troops, but Ushakov could not accept this honor, since he was already weak and sick. Nevertheless, righteous and selfless, the admiral organized a hospital for the wounded, and also donated large sums, both for the militia and for other needs. In 2001, the Orthodox Church canonized Ushakov and ranked him among the righteous, which he certainly deserved.

Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:	Seltso Burnakovo (now Rybinsk district, Yaroslavl region)
Date of death:
A place of death:	In the village of Alekseevka, Tambov province (now Temnikovsky district of the Republic of Mordovia)
Affiliation:	Russian empire
Type of army:
Years of service:
Commanded:	Black Sea Fleet (1790-1792)
Battles/wars:	Battle of Fidonisi (1788, commanded the vanguard of the Russian squadron), Battle of Tendra, Battle of Kaliakria, Battle of Kerch, Siege of Corfu
Awards and prizes:	Commander Foreign: Ottoman Empire "Chelenk" award Golden weapons from the Greek Republic of the Seven Islands

early years

Battle near Fidonisi Island

Kerch naval battle

Battle of Cape Tendra

Battle of Cape Kaliakria

Actions in the Mediterranean

Last years

Memory of Admiral Ushakov

In cinema

Canonization

(13 (24) February 1745 - 2 (14) October 1817) - Russian naval commander, admiral (1799), commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1790-1792).

In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Theodore Ushakov as a righteous warrior.

Biography

early years

Fyodor Ushakov was born on February 13 (24), 1745 in the village of Burnakovo (now Rybinsk district of the Yaroslavl region), into a poor noble family, baptized in the Church of the Epiphany on the Island in the village of Khopylevo. Father - Fyodor Ignatievich Ushakov (1710-1781), retired sergeant of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, uncle - Elder Fyodor Sanaksarsky. He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps (1766), served in the Baltic Fleet.

On South

Since 1769, he served in the Don (Azov) flotilla and participated in the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. On June 30, 1769 he received the rank of lieutenant. At the end of 1772, he received command of the main "Courier" and was cruising in the Black Sea along the southern coast of Crimea. In 1773, commanding the 16-gun ship Modon, he took part in repelling the Turks who landed in Balaklava.

From 1775 he commanded a frigate. In 1776-1779 he took part in a campaign to the Mediterranean Sea with the aim of escorting frigates to the Black Sea. In 1780, he was sent to Rybinsk to deliver a caravan with ship's timber to St. Petersburg, after which he was appointed commander of the imperial yacht, but soon achieved a transfer to a battleship. In 1780-1782, he was the commander of the battleship Victor, who participated in the implementation of the policy of “armed neutrality” as part of a squadron in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1783, in the Black Sea Fleet, he participated in the construction of ships in Kherson and the construction of a fleet base in Sevastopol. He received his first award, the Order of St. Vladimir, IV degree, in 1785 for the successful fight against the plague epidemic in Kherson. At the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791 - commander of the battleship "St. Paul" and the vanguard of the Black Sea Fleet.

Russian-Turkish War 1787-1791

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, F. F. Ushakov made a serious contribution to the development of sailing fleet tactics. Relying on a set of principles for training naval forces and military art, using the accumulated tactical experience, F. F. Ushakov without hesitation rebuilt the fleet into a battle formation even when directly approaching the enemy, thus minimizing the time of tactical deployment. Contrary to the established tactical rules of placing the commander in the middle of the battle formation, Ushakov boldly placed his ship in the forefront and at the same time occupied dangerous positions, encouraging his commanders with his own courage. He was distinguished by a quick assessment of the combat situation, an accurate calculation of all success factors and a decisive attack. In this regard, Admiral F.F. Ushakov can rightfully be considered the founder of the Russian tactical school in naval affairs.

Battle near Fidonisi Island

The Turkish fleet discovered by the Sevastopol squadron consisted of 15 battleships (of which five were 80-gun), eight frigates, three bombardment ships and 21 small vessels.

The fleets met on the morning of July 3 (14), 1788, not far from the Danube Delta near the island of Fidonisi (Snake). The balance of forces between the parties was unfavorable for the Russian fleet. The Turkish squadron had 1,120 guns versus 550 for the Russian. The artillery in the Turkish fleet as a whole was more varied in caliber and relatively less powerful than in the Black Sea Fleet. The Turkish ships were armed with cast iron or copper cannons, mostly 22-pound (156 mm) caliber. At the same time, a significant part were made of more durable copper cannons. In addition, many battleships had four particularly powerful guns that fired 40 kg marble cannonballs. The Russian squadron consisted of 2 ships of 66-gun rank, 10 frigates (from 40 to 50 guns) and 24 small ships.

Occupying a windward position, the Turkish fleet lined up in two wake columns and began to descend onto the Russian line. The first column of Turks, led by Eski-Gassan himself, attacked the Russian vanguard under the command of brigadier F.F. Ushakov. After a short firefight with two Russian frigates - "Berislav" and "Strela" and 50-gun frigates, two Turkish battleships were forced to withdraw from the battle. The ship "St." rushed to the aid of the frigates. Pavel" under the command of Ushakov. Kapudan Pasha's ship found itself under fire from frigates on one side, and from Ushakov's ship on the other. Concentrated fire from Russian ships caused serious damage to the Turkish flagship. All attempts by Turkish ships to correct the situation were immediately stopped by Russian frigates. Finally, a successful salvo from the frigate damaged the stern and mizzen mast of the flagship, and Hassan Pasha began to quickly leave the battlefield. The entire Turkish fleet followed him.

The success was decisive. The Turkish fleet no longer had dominance over the sea, and Crimea was not in danger of landing. The Turkish fleet went to the Rumelian shores, and Voinovich's squadron went to Sevastopol for repairs.

In 1789 he was promoted to rear admiral.

Kerch naval battle

The battle took place on July 8, 1790. The Turkish squadron consisted of 10 battleships, 8 frigates, and 36 auxiliary ships. She was coming from Turkey for the landing in Crimea. She was met by a Russian squadron (10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 16 auxiliary ships) under the command of Ushakov.

Taking advantage of the windward position and superiority in artillery (1,100 guns against 836), the Turkish fleet attacked the Russian fleet on the move, directing its main blow to the vanguard of fleet brigadier G.K. Golenkin. However, he withstood the enemy’s attack and, with accurate return fire, knocked down his offensive impulse. Kapudan Pasha nevertheless continued his onslaught, reinforcing the forces in the direction of the main attack with ships with large guns. Seeing this, Ushakov, separating the weakest frigates, closed the ships more tightly and hastened to help the vanguard.

With this maneuver, Ushakov tried to distract the enemy with weak ships, dividing his forces. However, Hussein Pasha kept increasing pressure on the vanguard.

As the battle flared up, it turned out that the cannonballs from the Russian frigates, placed in a line due to a lack of battleships, did not reach the enemy. Then Ushakov gave them a signal to leave the line for possible assistance to the vanguard, and for the remaining ships to close the distance that had formed between them. Unaware of the true intentions of the Russian flagship, the Turks were very happy about this circumstance. Their vice admiral's ship, having left the line and becoming the forefront, began to descend on the Russian vanguard in order to bypass it.

But Ushakov foresaw the possible development of events, and therefore, instantly assessing the situation, he signaled to the reserve frigates to protect their advanced ships. The frigates arrived in time and forced the Turkish vice admiral to pass between the lines under the crushing fire of the Russian ships.

Taking advantage of a favorable wind change of 4 points (45 degrees), Ushakov began to approach the enemy within the range of a grapeshot shot in order to bring into action all the artillery, including small ones. As soon as the distance allowed, a salvo was fired by the entire artillery on command. The enemy was bombarded with grapeshot. The change in wind and the decisive attack of the Russians left the Turks in confusion. They began to tack the entire column, exposing themselves to a powerful salvo from Ushakov’s flagship 80-gun ship “Nativity of Christ” and the 66-gun “Transfiguration of the Lord,” while suffering great destruction and losses in manpower (there were troops on board the Turkish ships, intended for landing in Crimea). Soon, being already in the wind, Ushakov gave another signal to the vanguard to execute a turn “all of a sudden” (all together) through the tack and, “without observing their places, each, according to chance, with extreme haste, enter the wake” of his flagship, which became the leading . After the maneuver was completed, the entire Russian line, led by the admiral, “very soon” found itself in the wind of the enemy, which significantly aggravated the position of the Turks. Ushakov, leaving the line, threatened to board.

Not hoping to withstand another attack, the Turks wavered and fled to their shores. An attempt to pursue the enemy in a combat order was unsuccessful. The ease of movement of the Turkish ships saved them from defeat. Escaping pursuit, they disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Ushakov proved himself to be a skilled leader, capable of thinking creatively and making extraordinary tactical decisions. “Without abandoning the main rules,” he was able to dispose of the forces of the fleet in an unconventional manner. Carrying out stable management of the fleet, he sought to place the flagship at the head of the column and at the same time give a certain initiative in maneuver to his commanders (“each according to the ability of chance”). The battle clearly demonstrated the advantage of Russian sailors in naval training and fire training. Concentrating the main attack on the enemy's flagships, Ushakov made maximum use of the power of artillery.

The victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Kerch thwarted the plans of the Turkish command to seize Crimea. In addition, the defeat of the Turkish fleet led to a decrease in the leadership’s confidence in the security of their capital and forced Porto “to take precautions for the capital, so that in the event of a Russian attempt on it, it could be protected.”

Battle of Cape Tendra

On the morning of August 28, 1790, the Turkish fleet under the command of the young Kapudan Pasha Hussein, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 14 small ships, was anchored between Hajibey and the Tendra Spit. Unexpectedly for the enemy, a Russian fleet was discovered from Sevastopol, sailing under full sail in a marching order of three columns, consisting of 5 battleships, 11 frigates and 20 smaller ships under the command of F. F. Ushakov.

The ratio of guns was 1360 against 836 in favor of the Turkish fleet. The appearance of the Sevastopol fleet led the Turks into confusion. Despite their superiority in strength, they hastily began to cut the ropes and retreat to the Danube in disarray. The advanced Turkish ships, having filled their sails, moved away to a considerable distance. But Kapudan Pasha, noticing the danger looming over the rearguard, began to unite with it and build a battle line on the starboard tack.

Ushakov, continuing to approach the enemy, also gave the order to rebuild into the battle line on the port tack. But then he made the signal “to turn through the countermarch and build a battle line on the starboard tack parallel to the enemy fleet.” As a result, the Russian ships “very quickly” lined up in battle formation in the wind of the Turks. Using the change in the battle order that had justified itself in the Battle of Kerch, Ushakov took three frigates out of the line - “John the Warrior”, “Jerome” and “Protection of the Virgin” to provide a maneuverable reserve in case of a change in the wind and a possible enemy attack from two sides.

At 15 o'clock, having approached the enemy within range of a grape shot, F. F. Ushakov forced him to fight. And soon, under the powerful fire of the Russian line, the Turkish fleet began to veer into the wind and become upset. Approaching closer, the Russian ships attacked the advanced part of the Turkish fleet with all their might. Ushakov's flagship ship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo" fought with three enemy ships, forcing them to leave the line.

The entire severity of the attack was directed at the front of the formation, since Kapudan Pasha and most of the Turkish admirals were located here.

By 5 p.m. the entire Turkish line was completely defeated. This was facilitated by reserve frigates, which Ushakov launched into battle on time. The advanced enemy ships, pressed by the Russians, were forced to jibe and flee. Their example was followed by the rest of the ships, which became advanced as a result of this maneuver. But during the turn, a number of powerful volleys were fired at them, causing them great destruction. Finally, the enemy fled towards the Danube. Ushakov pursued him until darkness and increased wind forced him to stop the pursuit and anchor.

At dawn the next day it turned out that the Turkish ships were in close proximity to the Russians. And the frigate “Ambrose of Milan” ended up among the Turkish fleet. But since the flags had not yet been raised, the Turks took him for one of their own. The resourcefulness of Captain M.N. Neledinsky helped him get out of such a difficult situation. Having weighed anchor with other Turkish ships, he continued to follow them without raising his flag. Little by little falling behind, Neledinsky waited for the moment when the danger had passed, raised St. Andrew's flag and went to his fleet.

Ushakov gave the command to raise the anchors and set sail to pursue the enemy, who, having a windward position, began to scatter in different directions. However, two badly damaged ships lagged behind the Turkish fleet, one of which, the 74-gun Kapudania, was Said Bey’s flagship. The other was the 66-gun Meleki Bahri (King of the Seas). Having lost his commander Kara-Ali, killed by a cannonball, he surrendered without a fight. And “Kapudania” stubbornly resisted until it was completely engulfed in fire. Before the explosion, a boat from the Russian ship removed the Turkish admiral Said Bey and 18 officers from it, after which the ship blew up along with the remaining crew and the treasury of the Turkish fleet.

The victory of the Black Sea Fleet at Tendra left a bright mark on the military annals of the Russian fleet. The Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 declared the day of the victory of the Russian squadron under the command of F. F. Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra" declared the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

It is inscribed with a red line in the history of naval art. Ushakov's tactics were of an active offensive nature. If in the two previous battles the Black Sea Fleet initially carried out defensive actions with a transition to a counterattack, then in this case there was initially a decisive attack with a clear tactical plan. The factor of surprise was skillfully and effectively used, and the principles of concentrating forces in the direction of the main attack and mutual support were skillfully implemented.

During the battle, Ushakov used the so-called “reserve corps”, which justified itself in the Battle of Kerch, which would subsequently receive further development. The firepower of ships and frigates was used to the maximum extent by reducing the range of the salvo. Considering the fact that the combat stability of the Turkish fleet was determined by the behavior of the commander and his flagships, the main blow was delivered precisely to the enemy’s flagships.

Ushakov actively participated in all episodes of the battle, being in the most responsible and dangerous places, showing his subordinates an example of courage, encouraging them to take decisive action by personal example. At the same time, he provided junior flagships and ship commanders with the opportunity to act “to each according to the ability of chance,” without hindering their initiative. During the battle, the advantage in naval training and artillery training of Russian sailors clearly showed. In addition, their tenacity and courage contributed significantly to the achievement of victory.

As a result, the Turks lost 2 thousand people wounded and killed, the Russians - only 21(!) people killed and 25 wounded. Such a huge difference was explained by the exceptional courage and decisiveness of the attacks of the Russian ships, which forced the Turks to become confused and shoot without proper restraint and aiming.

Battle of Cape Kaliakria

The Battle of Cape Kaliakria took place on July 31, 1791. The Turkish fleet consisted of 18 battleships, 17 frigates and 43 smaller ships anchored off the coast under the cover of coastal batteries. The Black Sea Fleet under the command of F. F. Ushakov consisted of 16 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 bombardment ships, 17 cruising ships, a fire ship and a rehearsal ship. The ratio of guns was 1800 versus 980 in favor of the Turks. The composition of the forces of the Turkish fleet has undergone changes. It was strengthened by the Algerian-Tunisian corsairs under the command of Seit-Ali, who successfully operated in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1790 campaign against the detachment of the Russian armorer, Major Lambro Kachioni. For these purposes, by order of the Sultan, he was allocated 7 battleships from the Turkish fleet, from which a squadron was formed, independent of Kapudan Pasha.

To reduce the time to approach the enemy, Ushakov began to move closer to him, remaining in the marching order of three columns. As a result, the initial unfavorable tactical position of the Black Sea Fleet became advantageous for the attack. The situation began to develop in favor of the Black Sea Fleet. The unexpected appearance of the Russian fleet led the enemy “to confusion.” The Turkish ships began to hastily cut ropes and set sails. Having lost control on a steep wave and gusty winds, several ships collided with each other and were damaged.

The Algerian flagship Seit-Ali, dragging along the entire Turkish fleet, with two ships and several frigates, tried to win the wind and, as in previous battles, go around the lead ships of the Black Sea Fleet. However, having unraveled the maneuver of the Algerian Pasha, Rear Admiral Ushakov, completing the restructuring of the fleet into a battle order, on the fastest flagship ship "Nativity of Christ", contrary to the established rule in naval tactics, according to which the commander was in the center of the battle formation, left the wake column and went forward, overtaking his leading ships. This allowed him to thwart the plan of the Algerian Pasha and inflict significant damage on him with well-aimed fire from a distance of 0.5 kbt. As a result, the Algerian flagship was wounded and forced to retreat inside its battle formation.

Around 17:00, the entire Black Sea Fleet, having approached the enemy at an extremely short distance, “unitedly” attacked the Turkish fleet. It should be noted that the crews of Russian ships, following the example of their flagship, fought with great courage. Ushakov's flagship, having become the leading one, entered into battle with four ships, preventing them from developing an attack. At the same time, Ushakov ordered with a signal “John the Baptist”, “Alexander Nevsky” and “Fedor Stratilat” to approach him. But, when they approached the Nativity, all four Algerian ships were already so damaged that they moved away from the battle line and opened their pasha. The Nativity of Christ entered the middle of the Turkish fleet, firing from both sides, and continued to hit the Seit-Ali ship and the ships closest to it. With this maneuver, Ushakov completely disrupted the battle formation of the advanced part of the Turks. By this time, all the forces of both fleets were involved in the battle. Carrying out sustained fire defeat of the enemy, the Black Sea Fleet successfully developed the attack. At the same time, the Turkish ships were so cramped that they fired at each other. Soon the resistance of the Turks was broken and they, turning their stern to the Russian fleet, fled.

The thick powder smoke that enveloped the battlefield and the ensuing darkness prevented the continuation of the pursuit of the enemy. Therefore, at half past eight in the evening, Ushakov was forced to stop the chase and anchor. At dawn on August 1, there was no longer a single enemy ship on the horizon. On August 8, Ushakov received news from Field Marshal N.V. Repnin about the conclusion of a truce on July 31 and the order to return to Sevastopol.

As in the previous battle, Ushakov’s tactics were of an active offensive nature, and the use of tactical techniques was determined by the specific situation. The passage between the shore and the enemy fleet, approaching in a marching order, placing the corps de battalion (the central squadron of the fleet) and the flagship at the head of the wake column allowed the Russian commander to make maximum use of the factor of surprise, attack the enemy from a tactically advantageous position and thwart his plan. The main blow was delivered to the advanced, most active part of the enemy, in the wake of which the rest of the Turkish fleet walked along with Kapudan Pasha. This made it possible to disrupt the formation of Turkish ships and, despite the enemy’s significant advantage in artillery, to carry out effective fire damage from short distances, as a result of which the enemy suffered heavy losses in manpower and materiel.

In 1793 he was promoted to vice admiral.

Actions in the Mediterranean

In 1798-1800, Emperor Paul I appointed commander of the Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea. F. F. Ushakov’s task was to support the actions of the anti-French coalition troops at sea.

During the Mediterranean campaign of 1798-1800, Ushakov proved himself to be a major naval commander, a skilled politician and diplomat during the creation of the Greek Republic of the Seven Islands under the protectorate of Russia and Turkey. He showed examples of organizing the interaction between the army and navy during the capture of the Ionian Islands and especially the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), during the liberation of Italy from the French, during the blockade of Ancona and Genoa, and during the capture of Naples and Rome. During the campaign, he had disagreements with the British Admiral Nelson regarding the blockade (Nelson's proposal) or the assault (Ushakov's proposal) on Fr. Malta.

In 1799 he was promoted to admiral. In 1800, Ushakov's squadron returned to Sevastopol.

Last years

From 1802 he commanded the Baltic Rowing Fleet, and from September 27, 1804 he was the head of naval teams in St. Petersburg. In 1807 he was dismissed with a uniform and a pension. In 1810, he settled in the village of Alekseevka, acquired by him, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province, near the Sanaksarsky monastery. During the Patriotic War of 1812, Ushakov was elected head of the Tambov province militia, but due to illness he resigned from the position.

In the last years of his life on the estate, F. F. Ushakov devoted himself to prayer and extensive charitable activities. According to the message of Hieromonk Nathanael to Archbishop Athanasius of Tambov:

“This admiral Ushakov... and the famous benefactor of the Sanaksar monastery, upon his arrival from St. Petersburg, led a solitary life for about eight years in his own house, in his village of Alekseevka, the distance from the monastery through the forest is about three miles, who came on Sundays and holidays to pray. to the monastery to the servants of God at all times, and during Great Lent he lived in the monastery in a cell for his visit... for the whole week and every long service with the brethren in the church he stood religiously, listening reverently. In obediences in the monastery he did not perform any kind of obedience, but from time to time he sacrificed significant charity out of his zeal, and he always made merciful alms to the poor and beggars in all-help. In honor and memory of his beneficent name, he made expensive vessels for the monastery in the Cathedral Church, an important Gospel and expensive brocade clothes for the throne and on the altar. He spent the rest of his days with extreme abstinence and ended his life as a true Christian and faithful son of the Holy Church should.”

The naval commander died on October 2 (14), 1817 on his estate in the village of Alekseevka (now the Republic of Mordovia). He was buried in the Sanaksar Monastery near the city of Temnikov.

Awards

• Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree (1785) - For the successful fight against the plague epidemic, for the organization and continuation of work on the construction of ships.
• Order of St. George, 4th class (1788)
• Order of St. George, 2nd class (1790)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class (1788)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class (1790)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1791)
• Diamond insignia of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1798)
• Order of Saint Januarius of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
• Commander of the Cross of St. John of Jerusalem (1798)
• Ottoman Empire Celenk Award
• Golden weapons from the Greek Republic of the Seven Islands

Memory of Admiral Ushakov

Along with the image of the hero of the defense of Sevastopol, Admiral Nakhimov, the image of the naval commander Admiral F. F. Ushakov was made during the Soviet period a symbol of the glory and victorious traditions of the Russian fleet.

• A bay in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea and a cape on the northern coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are named after the naval commander.
• Warships of the Navy were named after Ushakov:
• The coastal defense battleship Admiral Ushakov was built in 1893 and was lost in the Battle of Tsushima (1905).
• Cruiser "Admiral Ushakov" (1953-1987).
• In 1992, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Kirov, which had been withdrawn from the fleet by that time, was renamed Admiral Ushakov.
• Since 2004, the Project 956 destroyer Admiral Ushakov has been named after Ushakov.
• Self-elevating modular platform, engineering vessel "Fedor Ushakov", designed to carry out various engineering works in coastal waters. The vessel is capable of conducting any geological exploration and survey work in coastal waters at a maximum depth of 24 m, and laying pipelines.
• In Temnikov there is a local history museum named after Ushakov. The museum has a separate room dedicated to the admiral with rare exhibits (for example, the only surviving lifetime portrait). The museum, by the way, is located in the building of a former hospital for soldiers of the Patriotic War of 1812, built by Ushakov himself. There in Temnikov there is Ushakova Street.
• Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education Maritime State Academy named after Admiral F. F. Ushakov Russia, Novorossiysk, Lenin Ave., 93.
• In Moscow there is Admiral Ushakov Boulevard and the metro station of the same name.
• In St. Petersburg, an embankment and a bridge were named in honor of Admiral Ushakov, and a monument was erected.
• In the city of Sevastopol, one of the squares was named in honor of Ushakov (Commune Square was renamed in October 1954).
• In Minsk a street is named after Ushakov
• In the city of Alexandrov, in 1963, by the decision of the executive committee of the Alexandrovsky city SND, 2nd Zagorodnaya Street was renamed Ushakova Street
• On March 3, 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the military order of Ushakov in two degrees and the Ushakov medal.
• In the city of Rybinsk, in the vicinity of which the admiral’s homeland is located, his bust was erected.
• In October 2002, a monument to Admiral Fyodor Ushakov was erected in Greece on the island of Corfu. There is also Ushakova Street. Every year since 2002, the Days of Memory of F. Ushakov are held on the island of Corfu.
• On August 5, 2006, the cathedral of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov was opened in the city of Saransk.
• In the village of Alekseevka, the family estate of the Ushakov family, a monument was erected on the site where the estate of F. F. Ushakov was located.
• On August 10, 2006, in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian government, the commander of the Bulgarian Black Sea Fleet and the Russian Ambassador opened, and the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, in concelebration with the Metropolitan of Varna, consecrated a new monument to Admiral Theodore Ushakov on Cape Kaliakra.
• Asteroid 3010 Ushakov was named in honor of Ushakov.
• In the city of Sarov (Arzamas-16), Nizhny Novgorod region, on November 1, 1953, a street was named in honor of Admiral Ushakov (the first street named after Admiral Ushakov in Russia-USSR), and on August 4, 2006, a monument to the admiral was erected. On November 2, 2009, the Public Organization of Navy Veterans of the city of Sarov was named after Admiral F. F. Ushakov. On April 25, 2011, veterans opened the museum exhibition “The City and Ushakov”, where the reconstructed uniform of F. Ushakov of the 1803 model, in which he was buried in the Sanaksar Monastery, is displayed.
• In Kherson, the main avenue and the Kherson State Maritime Institute are named after Ushakov. In 1957, a monument to the naval commander was erected in front of the building of the ship mechanics technical school. In 2002, a small church named after St. Fyodor Ushakov was built.
• In Kerch on April 11, 2009, on the Day of the liberation of the city from the Nazi invaders, a monument to Admiral Fyodor Ushakov was erected.
• In Yaroslavl, a flotilla of young sailors was named after Ushakov.
• In Kaliningrad, a naval institute is named after the admiral.
• In the village of Molochkovo, Soletsky district, Novgorod region, in 2000, by the forces of the Soletsky military garrison, a font in the name of St. Fedora Ushakova.
• In the city of Anapa, on the territory of the Coast Guard Institute of the FSB of Russia, on June 4, 2010, a temple-chapel was opened in honor of the righteous warrior Fyodor Ushakov, admiral of the Russian Fleet, patron of military sailors.
• On November 22, 2011, in Kaliningrad, the Arcticmorgeo company launched the unique multi-purpose engineering vessel "Fedor Ushakov" News on the official website.
• Near the city of Temnikov (Mordovia) there is the village of Ushakovka.
• In Chelyabinsk, the street is named after Admiral F.F. Ushakov.
• In 2001, a bust was installed in Rostov-on-Don (Beregovaya St.).
• In 2006 in the city of Tutaev, Yaroslavl region. A monument (bust) to Admiral Ushakov was erected, which was erected on the site of the demolished monument to the revolutionary Panin. Also in Tutaev, the central street on the left bank of the city bears his name. Also in Tutaev, on Lunacharsky Street, a museum of the holy righteous admiral Fyodor Ushakov and the Russian Fleet has been opened.
• On April 24, 2013, the opening ceremony of the bust of the Russian admiral Feodor Ushakov and the Square of Russian Sailors took place in Messina, Sicily, Italy. FSUE "Marka" issued a postcard with the letter "B" (catalog number 2013-106/1) for this reason.
• On June 6, 2013, near the village of Khopylevo, where Fyodor Ushakov was baptized, a stele dedicated to the admiral was unveiled.

In cinema

• “Admiral Ushakov”, “Ships Storm the Bastions” (both films - USSR, 1953, director - Mikhail Romm). In the role of F. F. Ushakov - Ivan Pereverzev.

Canonization

On August 5, 2001, Admiral Ushakov was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a locally revered saint of the Saransk and Mordovian diocese (which was successfully promoted by the brethren of the Sanaksar monastery and Valery Nikolaevich Ganichev). The solemn service took place in the Sanaksar Monastery. The act of his canonization stated:

On October 6, 2004, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church ranked Fyodor Ushakov among the general church saints in the ranks of the righteous. The memory is celebrated (according to the Julian calendar) on May 23 (Cathedral of Rostov Saints), July 23 and October 2. Fyodor Ushakov (not to be confused with his uncle and namesake monk Theodore of Sanaksar) is revered as the patron saint of the Russian Navy (since 2000) and strategic air force (since 2005).

In Kerch, on the YugNIRO building, on the site of the former Admiralty, on September 14, 2007, a memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of Admiral F. F. Ushakov.

In 2000, in the village of Molochkovo, Soletsk district, Novgorod region, a bathhouse in the name of St. was installed at the holy spring near the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by the Soletsk military garrison. Fedora Ushakova.

In honor of the Holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov (Admiral Ushakov), the following were erected: a cathedral in Saransk (2006), a temple-chapel in the Krasnoarmeysky district of Volgograd (2011), a small temple and a monument in the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in Volgodonsk Rostov region As of August 2012, four more churches are being built: in the Khostinsky district of Sochi, the temple of the Holy Righteous Warrior Admiral Fyodor Ushakov in South Butovo, the temple in the Kupavna microdistrict of Zheleznodorozhny, Moscow region, and the temple on the square. Pobeda in Sovetskaya Gavan, Khabarovsk Territory. At construction sites, services are held in temporary premises.

On October 15, 2012, in the military temple in the name of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky at the Yaroslavl Air Defense Department, an ark with a particle of the relics of the holy naval commander was installed.

Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov. Born February 13 (24), 1745 - died October 2 (14), 1817. Russian naval commander, admiral (1799), commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1790-1792). In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Theodore Ushakov as a righteous warrior.

Fyodor Ushakov was born on February 13 (24), 1745 in the village of Burnakovo (now the Rybinsk district of the Yaroslavl region), into a poor noble family, baptized in the Church of the Epiphany on the Island in the village of Khopylevo. Father - Fyodor Ignatievich Ushakov (1710-1781), retired sergeant of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, uncle - Elder Fyodor Sanaksarsky. He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps (1766), served in the Baltic Fleet.

Since 1769 in the Don (Azov) flotilla, participated in Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. On June 30, 1769 he received the rank of lieutenant. At the end of 1772, he received command of the main "Courier" and was cruising in the Black Sea along the southern coast of Crimea. In 1773, commanding the 16-gun ship Modon, he took part in repelling the Turks who landed in Balaklava.

From 1775 he commanded a frigate. In 1776-1779 he took part in a campaign to the Mediterranean Sea with the aim of escorting frigates to the Black Sea. In 1780, he was sent to Rybinsk to deliver a caravan with ship's timber to St. Petersburg, after which he was appointed commander of the imperial yacht, but soon achieved a transfer to a battleship. In 1780-1782, he was the commander of the battleship Victor, who participated in the implementation of the policy of “armed neutrality” as part of a squadron in the Mediterranean Sea.

Since 1783, in the Black Sea Fleet, he participated in the construction of ships in Kherson and the construction of a fleet base in Sevastopol. He received his first award, the Order of St. Vladimir, IV degree, in 1785 for the successful fight against the plague epidemic in Kherson. At the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791 - commander of the battleship "St. Paul" and the vanguard of the Black Sea Fleet.

During Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 F. F. Ushakov made a serious contribution to the development of sailing fleet tactics. Relying on a set of principles for training naval forces and military art, using the accumulated tactical experience, F. F. Ushakov without hesitation rebuilt the fleet into a battle formation even when directly approaching the enemy, thus minimizing the time of tactical deployment. Contrary to the established tactical rules of placing the commander in the middle of the battle formation, Ushakov boldly placed his ship in the forefront and at the same time occupied dangerous positions, encouraging his commanders with his own courage. He was distinguished by a quick assessment of the combat situation, an accurate calculation of all success factors and a decisive attack. In this regard, Admiral F.F. Ushakov can rightfully be considered the founder of the Russian tactical school in naval affairs.

The Turkish fleet discovered by the Sevastopol squadron consisted of 15 battleships (of which five were 80-gun), eight frigates, three bombardment ships and 21 small vessels.

The fleets met on the morning of July 3 (14), 1788, not far from the Danube Delta near the island of Fidonisi (Snake). The balance of forces between the parties was unfavorable for the Russian fleet. The Turkish squadron had 1,120 guns versus 550 for the Russian. The Turkish ships were armed with cast iron or copper cannons, mostly 22-pound (156 mm) caliber. At the same time, a significant part were made of more durable copper cannons. In addition, many battleships had four particularly powerful guns that fired 40 kg marble cannonballs. The Russian squadron consisted of 2 ships of 66-gun rank, 10 frigates (from 40 to 50 guns) and 24 small ships.

Occupying a windward position, the Turkish fleet lined up in two wake columns and began to descend onto the Russian line. The first column of Turks, led by Eski-Gassan himself, attacked the Russian vanguard under the command of brigadier F.F. Ushakov. After a short firefight with two Russian frigates - "Berislav" and "Strela" and 50-gun frigates, two Turkish battleships were forced to withdraw from the battle. The ship "St." rushed to the aid of the frigates. Pavel" under the command of Ushakov. Kapudan Pasha's ship found itself under fire from frigates on one side, and from Ushakov's ship on the other. Concentrated fire from Russian ships caused serious damage to the Turkish flagship. All attempts by Turkish ships to correct the situation were immediately stopped by Russian frigates. Finally, a successful salvo from the frigate damaged the stern and mizzen mast of the flagship, and Hassan Pasha began to quickly leave the battlefield. The entire Turkish fleet followed him.

The success was decisive. The Turkish fleet no longer had dominance over the sea, and Crimea was not in danger of landing. The Turkish fleet went to the Rumelian shores, and Voinovich's squadron went to Sevastopol for repairs.

In 1789 he was promoted to rear admiral.

Kerch naval battle occurred on July 8, 1790. The Turkish squadron consisted of 10 battleships, 8 frigates, 36 auxiliary ships. She was coming from Turkey for the landing in Crimea. She was met by a Russian squadron (10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 16 auxiliary ships) under the command of Ushakov.

Taking advantage of the windward position and superiority in artillery (1,100 guns against 836), the Turkish fleet attacked the Russian fleet on the move, directing its main blow to the vanguard of fleet brigadier G.K. Golenkin. However, he withstood the enemy’s attack and, with accurate return fire, knocked down his offensive impulse. Kapudan Pasha nevertheless continued his onslaught, reinforcing the forces in the direction of the main attack with ships with large guns. Seeing this, Ushakov, separating the weakest frigates, closed the ships more tightly and hastened to help the vanguard.

With this maneuver, Ushakov tried to distract the enemy with weak ships, dividing his forces. However, Hussein Pasha kept increasing pressure on the vanguard.

As the battle flared up, it turned out that the cannonballs from the Russian frigates, placed in a line due to a lack of battleships, did not reach the enemy. Then Ushakov gave them a signal to leave the line for possible assistance to the vanguard, and for the remaining ships to close the distance that had formed between them. Unaware of the true intentions of the Russian flagship, the Turks were very happy about this circumstance. Their vice admiral's ship, having left the line and becoming the forefront, began to descend on the Russian vanguard in order to bypass it.

But Ushakov foresaw the possible development of events, and therefore, instantly assessing the situation, he signaled to the reserve frigates to protect their advanced ships. The frigates arrived in time and forced the Turkish vice admiral to pass between the lines under the crushing fire of the Russian ships.

Taking advantage of a favorable change in the wind by 4 points (45 degrees), Ushakov began to approach the enemy at a shorter distance of a “buckshot shot” in order to bring into action all the artillery, including guns with a reduced firing range - short-barreled, but that is why faster-firing caronades. As soon as the distance allowed, on command a salvo was fired by the entire artillery, which turned into rapid, running fire. The enemy was bombarded with cannonballs. The Turks were confused by the change in wind and heavy fire from the Russians. They began to tack the entire column, exposing themselves to a powerful salvo from Ushakov’s flagship 80-gun ship “Nativity of Christ” and the 66-gun “Transfiguration of the Lord,” while suffering great destruction and losses in manpower (there were troops on board the Turkish ships, intended for landing in Crimea). Soon, being already in the wind, Ushakov gave another signal to the vanguard to execute a turn “all of a sudden” (all together) through the tack and, “without observing their places, each, according to chance, with extreme haste, enter the wake” of his flagship, which became the leading . After the maneuver was completed, the entire Russian line, led by the admiral, “very soon” found itself in the wind of the enemy, which significantly aggravated the position of the Turks. Ushakov, leaving the line, threatened to board.

Not hoping to withstand another attack, the Turks wavered and fled to their shores. An attempt to pursue the enemy in a combat order was unsuccessful. The ease of movement of the Turkish ships saved them from defeat. Escaping pursuit, they disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Ushakov proved himself to be a skilled leader, capable of thinking creatively and making extraordinary tactical decisions. “Without abandoning the main rules,” he was able to dispose of the forces of the fleet in an unconventional manner. Carrying out stable management of the fleet, he sought to place the flagship at the head of the column and at the same time give a certain initiative in maneuver to his commanders (“each according to the ability of chance”). The battle clearly demonstrated the advantage of Russian sailors in naval training and fire training. Concentrating the main attack on the enemy's flagships, Ushakov made maximum use of the power of artillery.

The victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Kerch thwarted the plans of the Turkish command to seize Crimea. In addition, the defeat of the Turkish fleet led to a decrease in the leadership’s confidence in the security of their capital and forced Porto “to take precautions for the capital, so that in the event of a Russian attempt on it, it could be protected.”

Battle of Cape Tendra began on the morning of August 28, 1790, when the Turkish fleet under the command of the young Kapudan Pasha Hussein, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 14 small ships, was anchored between Hajibey and the Tendra Spit. Unexpectedly for the enemy, a Russian fleet was discovered from Sevastopol, sailing under full sail in a marching order of three columns, consisting of 5 battleships, 11 frigates and 20 smaller ships under the command of F. F. Ushakov.

The ratio of guns was 1360 against 836 in favor of the Turkish fleet. The appearance of the Sevastopol fleet led the Turks into confusion. Despite their superiority in strength, they hastily began to cut the ropes and retreat to the Danube in disarray. The advanced Turkish ships, having filled their sails, moved away to a considerable distance. But Kapudan Pasha, noticing the danger looming over the rearguard, began to unite with it and build a battle line on the starboard tack.

Ushakov, continuing to approach the enemy, also gave the order to rebuild into the battle line on the port tack. But then he made the signal “to turn through the countermarch and build a battle line on the starboard tack parallel to the enemy fleet.” As a result, the Russian ships “very quickly” lined up in battle formation in the wind of the Turks. Using the change in the battle order that had justified itself in the Battle of Kerch, Ushakov took three frigates out of the line - “John the Warrior”, “Jerome” and “Protection of the Virgin” to provide a maneuverable reserve in case of a change in the wind and a possible enemy attack from two sides.

At 15 o'clock, having approached the enemy within range of a grape shot, F. F. Ushakov forced him to fight. And soon, under the powerful fire of the Russian line, the Turkish fleet began to veer into the wind and become upset. Approaching closer, the Russian ships attacked the advanced part of the Turkish fleet with all their might. Ushakov's flagship ship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo" fought with three enemy ships, forcing them to leave the line.

The entire weight of the attack was directed at the front of the formation, since Kapudan Pasha and most of the Turkish admirals were located here.

By 5 p.m. the entire Turkish line was completely defeated. This was facilitated by reserve frigates, which Ushakov launched into battle on time. The advanced enemy ships, pressed by the Russians, were forced to jibe and flee. Their example was followed by the rest of the ships, which became advanced as a result of this maneuver. But during the turn, a number of powerful volleys were fired at them, causing them great destruction. Finally, the enemy fled towards the Danube. Ushakov pursued him until darkness and increased wind forced him to stop the pursuit and anchor.

At dawn the next day it turned out that the Turkish ships were in close proximity to the Russians. And the frigate “Ambrose of Milan” ended up among the Turkish fleet. But since the flags had not yet been raised, the Turks took him for one of their own. The resourcefulness of Captain M.N. Neledinsky helped him get out of such a difficult situation. Having weighed anchor with other Turkish ships, he continued to follow them without raising his flag. Little by little falling behind, Neledinsky waited for the moment when the danger had passed, raised St. Andrew's flag and went to his fleet.

Ushakov gave the command to raise the anchors and set sail to pursue the enemy, who, having a windward position, began to scatter in different directions. However, two badly damaged ships lagged behind the Turkish fleet, one of which, the 74-gun Kapudania, was Said Bey’s flagship. The other was the 66-gun Meleki Bahri (King of the Seas). Having lost his commander Kara-Ali, killed by a cannonball, he surrendered without a fight. And “Kapudania” stubbornly resisted until it was completely engulfed in fire. Before the explosion, a boat from the Russian ship removed the Turkish admiral Said Bey and 18 officers from it, after which the ship blew up along with the remaining crew and the treasury of the Turkish fleet.

The victory of the Black Sea Fleet at Tendra left a bright mark on the military annals of the Russian fleet. The Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 declared the day of the victory of the Russian squadron under the command of F. F. Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra as the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

It is inscribed with a red line in the history of naval art. Ushakov's tactics were of an active offensive nature. If in the two previous battles the Black Sea Fleet initially carried out defensive actions with a transition to a counterattack, then in this case there was initially a decisive attack with a clear tactical plan. The factor of surprise was skillfully and effectively used, and the principles of concentrating forces in the direction of the main attack and mutual support were skillfully implemented.

During the battle, Ushakov used the so-called “reserve corps”, which justified itself in the Battle of Kerch, which would subsequently receive further development. The firepower of ships and frigates was used to the maximum extent by reducing the range of the salvo. Considering the fact that the combat stability of the Turkish fleet was determined by the behavior of the commander and his flagships, the main blow was delivered precisely to the enemy’s flagships.

Ushakov actively participated in all episodes of the battle, being in the most responsible and dangerous places, showing his subordinates an example of courage, encouraging them to take decisive action by personal example. At the same time, he provided junior flagships and ship commanders with the opportunity to act “to each according to the ability of chance,” without hindering their initiative. During the battle, the advantage in naval training and artillery training of Russian sailors clearly showed. In addition, their tenacity and courage contributed significantly to the achievement of victory.

As a result, the Turks lost 2 thousand people wounded and killed, the Russians - only 21(!) people killed and 25 wounded. Such a huge difference was explained by the exceptional courage and decisiveness of the attacks of the Russian ships, which forced the Turks to become confused and shoot without proper restraint and aiming.

Battle of Cape Kaliakria occurred on July 31, 1791. The Turkish fleet consisted of 18 battleships, 17 frigates and 43 smaller ships anchored off the coast under the cover of coastal batteries.

The Black Sea Fleet under the command of F. F. Ushakov consisted of 16 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 bombardment ships, 17 cruising ships, a fire ship and a rehearsal ship. The ratio of guns was 1800 versus 980 in favor of the Turks. The composition of the forces of the Turkish fleet has undergone changes. It was strengthened by the Algerian-Tunisian corsairs under the command of Seit-Ali, who successfully operated in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1790 campaign against the detachment of the Russian armorer, Major Lambro Kachioni. For these purposes, by order of the Sultan, he was allocated 7 battleships from the Turkish fleet, from which a squadron was formed, independent of Kapudan Pasha.

To reduce the time to approach the enemy, Ushakov began to move closer to him, remaining in the marching order of three columns. As a result, the initial unfavorable tactical position of the Black Sea Fleet became advantageous for the attack. The situation began to develop in favor of the Black Sea Fleet. The unexpected appearance of the Russian fleet led the enemy “to confusion.” The Turkish ships began to hastily cut ropes and set sails. Having lost control on a steep wave and gusty winds, several ships collided with each other and were damaged.

The Algerian flagship Seit-Ali, dragging along the entire Turkish fleet, with two ships and several frigates, tried to win the wind and, as in previous battles, go around the lead ships of the Black Sea Fleet. However, having unraveled the maneuver of the Algerian Pasha, Rear Admiral Ushakov, completing the restructuring of the fleet into a battle order, on the fastest flagship ship "Nativity of Christ", contrary to the established rule in naval tactics, according to which the commander was in the center of the battle formation, left the wake column and went forward, overtaking his leading ships. This allowed him to thwart the plan of the Algerian Pasha and inflict significant damage on him with well-aimed fire from a distance of 0.5 kbt. As a result, the Algerian flagship was wounded and forced to retreat inside its battle formation.

Around 17:00, the entire Black Sea Fleet, having approached the enemy at an extremely short distance, “unitedly” attacked the Turkish fleet. It should be noted that the crews of Russian ships, following the example of their flagship, fought with great courage. Ushakov's flagship, having become the leading one, entered into battle with four ships, preventing them from developing an attack. At the same time, Ushakov ordered with a signal “John the Baptist”, “Alexander Nevsky” and “Fedor Stratilat” to approach him. But, when they approached the Nativity, all four Algerian ships were already so damaged that they moved away from the battle line and opened their pasha. The Nativity of Christ entered the middle of the Turkish fleet, firing from both sides, and continued to hit the Seit-Ali ship and the ships closest to it. With this maneuver, Ushakov completely disrupted the battle formation of the advanced part of the Turks. By this time, all the forces of both fleets were involved in the battle. Carrying out sustained fire defeat of the enemy, the Black Sea Fleet successfully developed the attack. At the same time, the Turkish ships were so cramped that they fired at each other. Soon the resistance of the Turks was broken and they, turning their stern to the Russian fleet, fled.

The thick powder smoke that enveloped the battlefield and the ensuing darkness prevented the continuation of the pursuit of the enemy. Therefore, at half past eight in the evening, Ushakov was forced to stop the chase and anchor. At dawn on August 1, there was no longer a single enemy ship on the horizon. On August 8, Ushakov received news from Field Marshal N.V. Repnin about the conclusion of a truce on July 31 and the order to return to Sevastopol.

As in the previous battle, Ushakov’s tactics were of an active offensive nature, and the use of tactical techniques was determined by the specific situation. The passage between the shore and the enemy fleet, approaching in a marching order, placing the corps de battalion (the central squadron of the fleet) and the flagship at the head of the wake column allowed the Russian commander to make maximum use of the factor of surprise, attack the enemy from a tactically advantageous position and thwart his plan. The main blow was delivered to the advanced, most active part of the enemy, in the wake of which the rest of the Turkish fleet walked along with Kapudan Pasha. This made it possible to disrupt the formation of Turkish ships and, despite the enemy’s significant advantage in artillery, to carry out effective fire damage from short distances, as a result of which the enemy suffered heavy losses in manpower and materiel.

In 1793 he was promoted to vice admiral.

In 1798-1800, Emperor Paul I appointed commander of the Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea. F. F. Ushakov’s task was to support the actions of the anti-French coalition troops at sea.

During Mediterranean campaign of 1798-1800, Ushakov proved himself to be a major naval commander, a skilled politician and diplomat during the creation of the Greek Republic of the Seven Islands under the protectorate of Russia and Turkey. He showed examples of organizing the interaction between the army and navy during the capture of the Ionian Islands and especially the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), during the liberation of Italy from the French, during the blockade of Ancona and Genoa, and during the capture of Naples and Rome. During the campaign, he had disagreements with the British Admiral Nelson regarding the blockade (Nelson's proposal) or the assault (Ushakov's proposal) on Fr. Malta.

In 1799 he was promoted to admiral. In 1800, Ushakov's squadron returned to Sevastopol.

From 1802 he commanded the Baltic Rowing Fleet, and from September 27, 1804 he was the head of naval teams in St. Petersburg. In 1807 he was dismissed with a uniform and a pension. In 1810, he settled in the village of Alekseevka, acquired by him, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province, near the Sanaksarsky monastery. During the Patriotic War of 1812, Ushakov was elected head of the Tambov province militia, but due to illness he resigned from the position.

In the last years of his life on the estate, F. F. Ushakov devoted himself to prayer and extensive charitable activities.

The naval commander died on October 2 (14), 1817 on his estate in the village of Alekseevka (now the Republic of Mordovia). He was buried in the Sanaksar Monastery near the city of Temnikov.

As of June 13, 2014, the ashes from both graves were removed and placed in the cathedral in crayfish, the grave site was filled with concrete - preparations are underway for the construction of a chapel. The ensemble of the admiral's tombstone was temporarily reproduced on the site, while the bust was removed from the tombstone. The adjacent burial site is completely missing.

On August 5, 2001, Admiral Ushakov was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a locally revered saint of the Saransk and Mordovian diocese (which was successfully promoted by the brethren of the Sanaksar monastery and Valery Nikolaevich Ganichev). The solemn service took place in the Sanaksar Monastery. The act of his canonization stated: “The strength of his Christian spirit was manifested not only by glorious victories in battles for the Fatherland, but also in great mercy, which even the enemy he defeated was amazed... the mercy of Admiral Feodor Ushakov covered everyone.”.

On October 6, 2004, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church ranked Fyodor Ushakov among the general church saints in the ranks of the righteous. The memory is celebrated (according to the Julian calendar) on May 23 (Cathedral of Rostov Saints), July 23 and October 2. Fyodor Ushakov (not to be confused with his uncle and namesake monk Theodore of Sanaksar) is revered as the patron saint of the Russian Navy (since 2000) and strategic air force (since 2005).