Never lost and never retreated: the invincible admiral F.F.

Candidate of Naval Sciences Captain 1st Rank R.N. MORDVINOV

In 1776, Ushakov took part in a voyage from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. From the end of May 1781, he, commanding the battleship "Victor", sailed for a year in the Mediterranean Sea as part of Admiral Sukhotin's squadron, whose sending there was due to the well-known declaration of Catherine II on armed neutrality. Soon after returning from this voyage, Ushakov took a direct part in the creation of the new Black Sea Fleet and was the first educator of Black Sea sailors.

During this period, linear tactics dominated in the sailing fleets of Western Europe. Its basic principles were formulated at the end of the 17th century by the Frenchman Pavel Gost and set out in his book, published in 1697. These principles were elevated to dogma in a number of navies, and especially in the French and English, and in England they were even included in official instructions and statutes. The fleets were ordered to attack the entire enemy line at once, strictly observing alignment in the ranks, and fire only at the designated ship, not paying attention to the actions of the remaining enemy ships and their own ships fighting nearby. At the same time, ships were strictly forbidden to leave the battle line, as well as to engage in battle with an enemy who had a quantitative superiority in ships. All this fettered the initiative of ship commanders and squadron commanders, leading to stagnation of tactical thought and stereotyped actions during naval battles. In addition, this predetermined defensive tactics, since each of the opponents was afraid of finding themselves in unfavorable conditions. There was no talk of decisive battles. As a result, in the middle of the 18th century, the fleets of Western European states experienced a pronounced crisis in naval tactics.

A different situation developed in the Russian fleet, where from the very beginning of the development of tactical thought, pattern and routine were alien to it. Peter I and subsequent Russian naval commanders introduced a lot of new and original things into fleet tactics. For example, the Gangut victory of Peter I (1714) was an example of a combination of military cunning and maneuver used when a Russian galley squadron met the Swedish naval fleet. Also unique was the attack and destruction of Swedish sailing ships near Grengam by Russian galleys under the command of Golitsyn (1720). It was completely different from the tactics of the fleets of Western European countries and the tactics of the outstanding Russian admiral Grigory Spiridov. In the Battle of Chesme (1770), along with the use of a battle line in building a squadron (during the battle in the Chios Strait on June 24), he masterfully organized the maneuver of a specially designated detachment of ships, which provided (in the battle in Chesme Bay on June 26) artillery support for the firewall attack, as a result of which almost the entire Turkish fleet was destroyed.

But if under Gangut and Grengam the basis of tactics was boarding (galleys against sailing ships), and under Chesma - an attack on the enemy at anchor, then Ushakov enriched the tactics with the widespread use of maneuver in a naval battle. The creative power of Ushakov’s art lay in innovation, in the decisive rejection of outdated views on combat, in the courage of quest.

The novelty of Ushakov’s tactical techniques met with both open and hidden opposition from the reactionary representatives of the fleet, who servile before foreign countries. But the results of the battles conducted by Ushakov were the best defense of his advanced tactical views. In the fight against old, conservative views on the forms and methods of combat, with attempts by foreign naval officers serving in the Russian fleet to impose the tactical techniques of Western fleets, Ushakov’s tactics were more and more thoroughly introduced into the practice of combat operations of the Russian fleet.

Ushakov firmly remembered the warning of Peter I that when using the statutes “not to adhere to the rules, like a blind wall, for the rules are written there, but there are no times and cases.” Ushakov's maneuver tactics did not exclude the line as one of the elements of the battle formation, but the line was not the only form of formation for him; it was entirely subordinate to maneuver. Ushakov combined linear order with maneuvering and restructuring into other battle formations and showed examples of offensive tactics of the sailing fleet - enveloping the flank, dismembering the enemy’s formation, etc.

Each battle conducted by Ushakov contained new tactical techniques that corresponded to the specific situation and conditions of hostilities. Already in the battle with the Turkish fleet near the island of Fidonisi in 1788, Ushakov showed himself to be an innovative naval commander.

On June 18, 1788, Russian troops besieged the Turkish fortress of Ochakov. At the beginning of July, Suvorov was summoned to Ochakov from Kinburn, who was entrusted with command of the left wing of the advancing troops. On the same day, June 18, a Russian squadron under the command of Voinovich left Sevastopol for Ochakov. The squadron consisted of two battleships, two 50-gun, eight 40-gun, one 18-gun frigates, 20 smaller sailing ships and two fire ships.

The task of Voinovich’s squadron was to prevent the Turkish squadron from providing assistance to the enemy troops besieged in Ochakov and to assist the Russian troops in every possible way, as well as to prevent the enemy squadron from reaching the shores of Taurida. Due to headwinds, the movement of the Russian squadron was greatly delayed, and it only approached the island of Tendra on June 29. The Turkish squadron spotted here consisted of 15 battleships, eight frigates, three bombardment ships and 21 smaller ships.

At dawn the next day, with a north wind, the Russian squadron approached the enemy, who had taken a windward position, and, having lined up the battle line on the left tack, prepared for battle, expecting an enemy attack (indecision typical of Voinovich). The Turkish squadron, having approached up to three and a half kilometers, entered the battle line. At the first hour of the day there was a calm, and the ships stopped. As the wind picked up, the Russians moved closer again. Then the Turkish ships, taking advantage of the speed (they had copper plating), began to move away without taking the fight. The Russians pursued the Turks, who were leaving for the Rumelian shores, while the Russian squadron sought to take a windward position. By evening the Turks slowed down; The Russians also lowered their sails. As darkness fell, the fleets dispersed again.

On the morning of July 3, not far from the mouth of the Danube, near the island of Fidonisi, the fleets met again. The enemy still maintained a windward position. At 8 o'clock the Russian squadron tacked and lined up in the battle line on the left tack, counter-tack in relation to the enemy. At 2 p.m., the enemy, taking advantage of the windward position, began to descend in two columns, of which the first, under the command of Gesen Pasha, attacked the Russian vanguard, and the second rushed towards the battle cord and rearguard, trying to paralyze them and prevent them from providing assistance to their vanguard ( Ushakov). After 5 minutes the battle began. Two battleships and two 50-gun frigates of Ushakov’s vanguard were attacked, while each of these ships was opposed by five enemy ships. Occupying an advantageous windward position, the Turks kept at a distance that made it impossible for Russian 40-gun frigates with 12-pounder guns to fire effectively, due to which only advanced ships (i.e., the vanguard under the command of Ushakov) could operate successfully on the Russian side. .

Despite the unfavorable conditions, the ships of the Ushakov avant-garde fired effectively and accurately at the Turks who attacked him, and after 40 minutes the enemy’s attack was repulsed, and the line of his ships was disrupted. The flagship of the first column itself was forced to leave the line. The enemy's attempt to cut off Ushakov's two frigates - Borislav and Strela - also ended unsuccessfully. Ushakov, on the battleship "St. Paul", taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, himself launched a decisive counterattack and, adding sails, from close range inflicted great damage on the Turkish flagship "Kapudania", forcing it to turn back. When the enemy ship turned, the frigates "Borislav" and "Strela" fired broadsides at it, while the enemy was deprived of the opportunity to respond in kind. Other ships of the Ushakov avant-garde supported the counterattack of their flagship with heavy fire on the frustrated Turkish column.

The battle lasted until 16:00. 55 minutes, after which the enemy ships, having raised all sails, hastened to leave the battlefield, losing the shebeka sunk by the fire of Ushakov’s flagship. The losses of Ushakov's vanguard were only five killed and two wounded. The attack of Ushakov’s vanguard could have brought significantly greater results if not for the inaction of Voinovich, who did not support Ushakov and limited himself to only a rare exchange of fire with the far-flung ships of the second column of the Turkish fleet. Voinovich did not help Ushakov in pursuing the enemy leaving the battlefield. The battle was limited to a battle between the Ushakov vanguard and the numerically superior first column of the Turkish squadron.

On July 5, the Turkish fleet appeared near Ak-Mosque. The Russian squadron patrolling here did not allow the enemy to approach, and the latter was forced to retreat to the Kherson Cape, from where on July 6 it turned out to sea and went to the Rumelian shores.

On July 1, 1788, Russian troops launched their first attack on Ochakov. As a result of the successful actions of Suvorov’s troops during the second half of the year, the Turkish fortress, which was considered impregnable, was taken on December 6.

The Battle of Fidonisi is an example of successful interaction between the squadron and ground forces during operations against the seaside fortress (Ochakov). Ushakov, having taken the initiative, contrary to the canons of formal linear tactics, enters the battle with superior enemy forces and with a bold counterattack delivers the main blow against the Turkish flagship (the first column).

In the battle of Fidonisi, Ushakov violated other requirements of formal linear tactics, which ordered the flagship to be in the center of the line of his ships. Setting an example for the other ships, Ushakov walked ahead. This favorite technique continued to bring him continued success.

On July 8, 1790, Ushakov fought the Battle of Kerch. The battle was preceded by the cruising of Ushakov's squadron off the Anatolian coast, which lasted from May 16 to June 5, 1790, about which Ushakov wrote: "... Starting from Sinop, he walked around the entire eastern side of the Anadol and Abaza coasts, dominating them with a strong hand, forced two parts of the squadrons that left Constantinople this spring sought their salvation, taking refuge under the fortresses... Being at Sinop for three days, the city, the fortress and the ships were under full attack, having a contentious skirmish with them, all the time the cruising ships took the ones they came across and brought them out near Sinop merchant ships were taken almost from under the very fortresses...eight ships were taken, two of which were burned, brought out in front of the city of Sinope, and six were brought to Sevastopol...".

On the way back, on the night of June 1–2, Ushakov’s squadron had a battle with the batteries of the Anapa fortress and the Turkish ships stationed near Anapa. Ushakov reported to Potemkin about this battle: “Having launched all the rowing ships, around midnight he pulled against the enemy ships and began firing at them with cannonballs, bombs and cannonballs, but against us they fired fierce fire from all the batteries and, also firing with cannonballs, threw small bombs and frames, which, not reaching, exploded in the air, and many cannonballs flew over our ships, and from us several firebrands lay down and burned on the shore near the batteries, and bombs exploded on them.” Only the absence of fireships with the squadron prevented Ushakov from completely destroying the Turkish ships. But this battle was not the main goal of the campaign. Ushakov had long sought to inflict such a blow on the Turkish fleet that would thwart the enemy’s plan to land troops in the Crimea. Back on July 30, 1789, Ushakov reported to the then commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral Voinovich, about the preparation of a Turkish landing in the Crimea and that the enemy had designated Anapa as the point of concentration of forces, from where he intended to attack Yenikale and Kerch. Due to the unpreparedness of the Turkish ships, the planned landing in the Crimea did not take place then and was postponed to the 1790 campaign.

The need to replenish ship supplies and carry out minor routine repairs on some ships forced the Russian squadron to temporarily leave for Sevastopol. By this time, Ushakov was appointed instead of the indecisive Voinovich, commander of the naval fleet on July 2, 1790. Ushakov again went to sea, holding the flag on the battleship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo". His squadron included 10 battleships, six frigates, one bombardment ship, one rehearsal ship, 13 light cruising ships, and two fire ships. Before going to sea, an order was sent to all ships: “Announce to every single one in the fleet that the fleet, glorified by victories over the enemy, must increase the glory of the imperial flag, demand that everyone fulfill their duties without sparing their lives.”

Before going to sea, Ushakov received information from observation posts located on the Crimean coast that the Turkish fleet was visible at Tarkhanov-Kut on June 28, then passed a short distance from Sevastopol and Balaklava, after which it headed east. It was obvious that the Turkish squadron headed to Anapa to receive troops and, together with other ships stationed there, move to the Crimean coast to carry out the long-planned landing. Having assessed the current situation, Ushakov decided to leave the Sevastopol Bay to head to the Kerch Strait and take a position near Cape Takly, on the path of the most likely movement of the Turkish landing. At the same time, some of the light cruising ships were sent by Ushakov for reconnaissance. At 10 a.m. on July 8, a Turkish squadron consisting of 10 battleships, eight frigates and 36 smaller ships was spotted from Anapa. The wind was moderate, from the east-northeast. The Ushakov squadron, contrary to the routine rules of linear tactics, which required in such cases to fight not under sail, but at anchor, weighed anchor and, following under sail, lined up in a battle line. At about 12 noon, the Turks launched an attack on the Russian vanguard, commanded by captain of brigadier rank G.K. Golenkin.

The vanguard repelled the attack and threw the enemy into confusion with its fire. Due to the failure of the first attack, the commander of the Turkish squadron (Kapudan Pasha) commissioned new ships to strengthen the attack against the Russian vanguard. Then Ushakov ordered the frigates to leave the general line of formation and form a reserve in order to use it at the decisive moment in the right direction. The remaining ships of the center (corps de battalion) pulled up to the vanguard and began to assist it in repelling the enemy attack. By 2 p.m. the wind direction became north-northeast, which was beneficial for the Russians. Ushakov, taking advantage of this, approached the enemy with a grape shot, put all his guns into action and decisively went on the offensive. Unable to withstand the Russian fire, the Turkish ships that were in close proximity to the flagship of the Russian squadron began to turn and leave the battle. Two Turkish ships, whose masts were damaged, went beyond the line of Russian ships. To cover these ships, Kapudan Pasha tried to pass by the Russian formation on a counter course. The Russian ships, tacking, once again rained down their fire on the Turkish ships from close range. and inflicted further damage on them. Ushakov with particular energy attacked the Turkish commander and his second flagship, who were trying to cover their most damaged ships. By 17:00 the enemy finally gave up resistance and, pursued by Russian ships, began to retreat. In an effort to complete the strike, Ushakov ordered to quickly form a battle line and pursue the enemy, without observing the usually designated places, and he himself took a place in front of his ships.

As a result of the successful battle, the Turkish landing in Crimea was thwarted. Many Turkish ships were seriously damaged, and one messenger ship with its crew was sunk. The Turks lost a lot of killed and wounded. On the ships of the Russian squadron, losses amounted to 29 killed and 68 wounded. On July 12, Ushakov returned to Sevastopol victoriously.

In tactical terms, the Battle of Kerch is characterized by Ushakov’s pronounced desire for decisive offensive actions. Ushakov strives to get closer to the shortest distance, with the goal of using both artillery (card shot) and rifle fire and thereby inflicting the greatest losses on the landing force on enemy ships. This battle was also characterized by the concentration of fire on the Turkish flagship ships in order to deprive the enemy of leadership and steadfastness. It is noteworthy that the frigates were removed from the general formation, as a result of which the maximum density of the linear forces of the squadron was created and the efficiency of artillery fire was increased, as well as the formation of a reserve of ships at the disposal of the flagship. Finally, it should be noted that at the final moment of the battle, Ushakov, contrary to the requirements of formal tactics, in accordance with the current situation, orders the ships to get into formation, without observing the assigned places, and he himself becomes the head of the fleet.

Having made the necessary repairs after the Kerch battle and replenished the ship's supplies, Ushakov again began to prepare for a meeting with the enemy, whose ships again began to appear off the Crimean coast. Ushakov carefully monitored their movements, receiving reports from posts, and sometimes personally traveling to the coast, from where the enemy was visible. At the same time, Ushakov received detailed information from Kherson from the commander of the Liman flotilla De Ribas. who reported to Ushakov about all Turkish ships seen in the area of ​​​​the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. Painstakingly collecting intelligence data, Ushakov carefully prepared for the resumption of active searches for Turkish forces at sea. On August 6, Ushakov wrote to Kherson: “...Today 29 ships were visible... It is very necessary to find out their enterprise in order not only to prevent, but also to take advantage of it... Is it not possible, dear sir, through some means from the Danube to find out where their main fleet is now, in what place, whether they are united in one place, or will be squadrons, so that we can therefore direct our actions.”

Ushakov was allowed to go to sea again only after the completion of several ships in the Kherson port, which were supposed to strengthen his squadron. Having received information about the readiness of these ships, on August 24 Ushakov gave the order for both his squadron and the Liman flotilla to leave. On August 25, 1790, Ushakov’s squadron left Sevastopol and headed to the mouth of the Dnieper-Bug estuary, where it was supposed to connect with the Liman flotilla and ships leaving Kherson. Ushakov had 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 1 rehearsal ship and 17 cruising ships. The Turkish squadron, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 14 small ships under the command of Kapudan Pasha Hussein, was cruising off the northwestern coast of the Black Sea at that time.

At 6 o'clock in the morning on August 28, the Russian squadron discovered a Turkish squadron anchored between Tendra and Khadzhibey (Odessa). The appearance of Russian ships was completely unexpected for the Turks. Ushakov decided to use surprise and, without wasting time changing from marching order to combat order, ordered an immediate attack on the enemy.

The Turks, taken by surprise, despite their numerical superiority, hastily began to cut the ropes and at 9 o'clock in disarray they rushed to set sail towards the Danube. Occupying a windward position, Ushakov rushed in pursuit with full sail, intending to intercept the lagging enemy ships. The threat of capture by Russian sailors of the rear Turkish ships forced Kapudan Pasha to turn back and cover the lagging ships. Having descended into the wind, the Turkish fleet hastily lined up the battle line. Continuing to march towards the enemy, Ushakov also rebuilt the squadron from a marching order to a combat one, and then, turning back on course, took a windward position and set on a course parallel to the enemy’s course. At the same time, three frigates were ordered to leave the battle line, form a reserve and stay to windward at the vanguard in order, if necessary, to repel an attempt by the enemy to attack the vanguard.

At about 15 o'clock, Ushakov, having approached the enemy within the range of a grape shot, began a battle with the whole formation, especially attacking the enemy center, where the Turkish flagship ship was located. After an hour and a half of battle, the Turkish ships, having received significant damage and suffered losses in personnel, began to leave the battle line. The Russian ships intensified their fire even more and at about 5 p.m. brought the enemy into complete confusion. The Turks could not stand it and, turning to jibe into the wind, began to leave the battle in disarray. When turning, they exposed their ships to the longitudinal salvos of Russian ships.

In an effort to completely defeat the Turkish squadron, Ushakov raised the signal “Drive the enemy,” and he himself began to pursue the Turkish flagship. The pursuit of the departing enemy ships continued until nightfall. At 22 o'clock Ushakov, having sent light ships to Ochakov, anchored. At dawn the next day, the Turkish fleet was again discovered not far from the Russian squadron. As Ushakov reported later in his report, the Turkish ships were sailing in disarray in different directions.

Pursuing the enemy, the Russian squadron cut off two battleships damaged in the battle, one of which, the Meleki-Bahri, was captured, and the other, the flagship Kapudania, was on fire and soon exploded. Turkish admiral Seyid-Ali and about 100 officers and sailors from the Kapudaniya were captured. During the hasty flight of the rest of the fleet to the Bosphorus, the Turks lost another heavily damaged battleship and several small ones. Losses in enemy personnel amounted to more than 2 thousand people. The Russians lost only 41 people, 25 of them wounded. The captured battleship "Meleki-Bahri", after correction, became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "John the Baptist".

The Liman flotilla, due to headwinds, was unable to connect with Ushakov before the battle. After the battle, she was instructed to take the captured ships to Kherson.

A feature of Ushakov’s tactics in this battle was the sudden attack of the enemy without changing formation from a marching order to a combat one. Otherwise, the same techniques were used as in the Battle of Kerch, i.e. allocation of a reserve of frigates, approaching and fighting at grapeshot range, attacking flagship ships in order to disable them first.

Soon after the Battle of Tendra, Ushakov, based on the combat experience of the last battles (near Kerch and Tendra), proposed to allocate a special group of ships to attack the enemy’s flagships, which was approved by Potemkin. This group of ships was called the Keizer Flag squadron.

Ushakov’s tactical techniques cannot be considered without connection with the entire complex of techniques used in each specific battle. So, for example, in the battle of Tendra on August 28-29, 1790, Ushakov’s attack on the Turkish squadron on the move would not have had an effect in itself without timely formation of a battle line, allocation of reserves and attacks on flagship ships, pursuit of the enemy, etc.

The richness of each of the battles conducted by Ushakov with new techniques, their skillful combination with techniques already known before, clearly confirms the exceptional speed with which he navigated the situation and knew how to make the right decision, and the high degree to which he possessed Suvorov’s “eye.”

In the second half of September 1790, when Russian troops were approaching the Danube, it was necessary to send a rowing flotilla from the Dnieper-Bug estuary to the Danube. Ushakov personally developed an order for the passage of the flotilla, which was handed to its commander on September 28, 1790, and a plan to cover the flotilla from the sea from possible interference from the Turkish fleet. The general situation after the defeat of the Turkish squadron near Tendra developed quite successfully, but unfavorable winds did not allow the flotilla to leave the estuary for a long time, and therefore Ushakov himself was delayed in leaving. Only on October 16, having received information about the departure of the flotilla, Ushakov went to sea. His squadron included 14 battleships, 4 frigates and 17 cruising ships. On October 17, after a short stay in Khadzhibey, the Liman flotilla, consisting of 38 rowing ships and a detachment of transports with landing forces (800 people), reached the mouth of the Dniester, where the next day it united with a flotilla of Zaporozhye Cossacks consisting of 48 boats and headed to the Sulina arm of the Danube. Here the flotilla was blocked by a Turkish river flotilla (23 ships) and two coastal batteries (13 guns).

By decisive actions of the command of the Russian flotilla, this obstacle was quickly eliminated. The batteries were taken in battle by troops (about 600 people) landed from the flotilla ships, and the enemy flotilla, defeated in battle, having lost a floating battery and 7 transport ships with ammunition and food, hastily retreated up the Danube. Continuing to operate on the Danube, the Russian Liman flotilla occupied the Turkish fortress of Tulcea on November 6 and 7, and the Isakcha fortress on November 13. In battles with enemy flotillas located at these fortresses, a large number of Turkish ships, guns, ammunition and food were destroyed, burned and captured.

In accordance with the plan, Ushakov’s squadron approached the Danube on October 21, when the rearguard of the Liman flotilla was already entering the mouth. Ushakov’s task was to prevent enemy reinforcements from entering the Danube from the sea and thereby ensure the successful operations of the Russian rowing flotilla allocated to help Suvorov. Ushakov remained at the mouth of the Danube until November 10, after which he went in search of the enemy to the Rumelian shores, and on November 14, 1790, when it became clear that the Turkish fleet could not interfere with the actions of the flotilla on the Danube, he returned to Sevastopol.

On November 18, the rowing flotilla began a systematic bombardment of Izmail and the Turkish ships standing under the protection of the fortress. Between November 18 and November 27, the Russian flotilla destroyed 43 coastal vessels, 45 transport ships, 10 boats, a schooner and more than 40 ferries.

Immediately before the assault on Izmail by Suvorov’s troops, the flotilla (567 guns), together with the batteries of Chatal Island, bombarded Izmail, and on the day of the assault participated in the capture of the fortress. It is known that Izmail was taken by a concentric attack of nine columns: six advancing from land and three columns, composed of landing troops, storming the fortress from the river.

The flotilla operated in two lines in the assault on Izmail: in the first line there were ships with landing forces, in the second - ships that covered the landing with the fire of their guns. On the morning of December 11, the flotilla, under the cover of continuous fire from the ship's guns, landed troops. His first column quickly captured the fortifications on the shore. The second column met stronger resistance, but still captured the enemy battery. The third column went ashore in the most difficult conditions, under heavy fire from the enemy redoubt. All three columns, after fierce fighting, joined forces that stormed the fortress from land. On this day, all the fortifications were in the hands of the Russians. The assault on the city itself began, and among the troops that were the first to break into the city center were troops landed from the flotilla ships.

Suvorov's capture of Izmail and Ushakov's actions during this period in the Black Sea theater were based on a single strategic plan. With the defeat of the Turkish fleet at Tendra and subsequent actions, Ushakov ensured the safe passage of the flotilla to the Danube and covered its actions from the sea during the immediate advance to Izmail, thereby rendering a serious service to Suvorov’s troops. The actions of the Liman flotilla near Izmail were highly praised by Suvorov and Potemkin.

The campaign of 1791 was marked by new successes of the Russian troops. With the support of the river flotilla, the city of Brailov was taken by storm. On June 28, Repnin’s troops defeated an 80,000-strong Turkish army at Machin. With the loss of this army, the enemy lost his last reserves. Peace negotiations between Russia and Turkey, which had begun earlier, soon resumed. The desire of the Russian government for a speedy conclusion of peace was determined by the fact that Catherine II, frightened by the revolution that had begun in France, now saw the main content of her foreign policy in the fight against her. Turkey, having suffered heavy defeats on land, was no longer able to wage any effective war, but, relying on a still strong fleet, it delayed negotiations, trying to negotiate more favorable peace terms for itself.

The matter was accelerated by the brilliant victory of the Ushakov squadron over the Turkish fleet at Cape Kaliakria on July 31, 1791. In this battle, the Russians had 16 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 bombardment ships, a fire ship and 13 light ships; the Turks have 18 battleships, 17 frigates and 43 light ships. The Turkish fleet was commanded by Kapudan Pasha Hussein.

On July 29, Ushakov’s squadron left Sevastopol and headed for the Rumelian shores. At noon on July 31, Ushakov saw a Turkish squadron anchored near Cape Kaliakria. As at Tendra, Ushakov suddenly and swiftly attacked the Turkish squadron, without changing from marching order to combat order. In order to take a windward position (the wind was north), Ushakov went between the shore and the Turkish squadron and, despite the fire of enemy coastal batteries, at 14:00. 45 min. cut off Turkish ships from the shore. The appearance of the Russian squadron and the attack of the Turkish fleet were so sudden and swift that part of the personnel sent ashore (it was a Muslim holiday) could not return to the ships. The enemy hastily cut the anchors and retreated in confusion, trying to line up the battle line. Continuously attacking the stunned enemy, the Russian squadron continued to be in the marching formation of three columns. Kapudan Pasha managed to line up some of the Turkish ships on the starboard tack, but soon the enemy fleet lined up on the port tack. At 15:00 30 min. Ushakov, attacking the enemy when the wind was from the north-northeast, formed a battle line parallel to the Turkish fleet.

The advance detachment of the Turks under the command of Said-Ali, forcing sails, tried to take a windward position. Then Ushakov on the ship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo" broke down and attacked Said-Ali's ship. In his report to Potemkin, Ushakov wrote about this moment of the battle: “At the same time, I noticed that Said-Ali with the vice-admiral’s ship of the red flag and other large and several frigates, being himself an advanced one, was in a hurry to separate forward, winning the wind, therefore, for warning I chased his attack with the ship "Rozhdestvo Khristov" after him, following ahead of our line, and with a signal I confirmed to the fleet to carry out what had been done and close the distance. I built the line of our fleet at the closest distance against the enemy and, having caught up with the leading ship of Pasha Said-Ali, with a signal. ordered the entire fleet to descend to the enemy at close range, and the ship under my flag “Nativity of Christ”, approaching the leading Russian ship at a distance of half a cable, attacked it.” Said-Ali's ship, having received severe damage to the hull and mast, sank into the wind. Then Ushakov attacked another flagship, which was forced to turn away with great damage. The attack on the flagships contributed to the rapid demoralization of the enemy squadron.

The stubborn battle, during which the Turkish ships (especially the flagship ones) received heavy damage, lasted more than three and a half hours. The decisive attack of the Russian squadron led to the fact that the Turkish ships mingled together and began to leave in disarray towards the Bosporus. Ushakov organized the pursuit of the defeated Turkish fleet. Around 8 p.m. 30 min. Due to the darkness, the Turkish ships began to disappear from sight. Soon the conditions for pursuing the Turks became extremely unfavorable, as a calm set in, which was then replaced by a wind favorable to the enemy. Only at 6 o'clock in the morning on August 1, the Russians again saw the Turkish squadron moving towards Constantinople. Ushakov added as much sail as he could, trying to catch up with the enemy, but the increasing stormy north wind and strong seas prevented this. In addition, several ships of the Ushakovo squadron were damaged in battle, and on the battleship "Alexander" a dangerous leak formed in the hull from cannonballs, making it impossible to continue the pursuit in stormy conditions. Having sent several ships cruising to the Rumelian shores, Ushakov approached Cape Emine with the fleet and began to repair the damage. Having put itself in order, the squadron returned to Sevastopol. In his report, Ushakov wrote: “During the previous 31 days of battle, all the commanders of the ships and various ranks of the Black Sea Fleet who served on it performed their duty with extreme zeal and unparalleled bravery and courage...” In the same place, Ushakov especially notes the role of the reserves in this fight. Thus, a reserve of 24 bombardment ships and one frigate was used in the direction of the main attack, while another reserve, consisting of small bombardment ships and a large number of cruising ships, was used to pursue single enemy ships and destroy the boats with the Turks escaping on them. The report says about this: “and during the cruisers sent from me in pursuit of the ships... many enemy ships were driven ashore, sunk, and some were burned, the fleeing enemy people were beaten and sunk in large numbers...”. In this battle, Ushakov used a new tactical technique - an attack from the shore, a technique that was then adopted by the English Admiral Nelson, using it seven years later in the Battle of Abukir against the French squadron.

Ushakov's victory at Kaliakria decisively influenced the course of the entire campaign. On December 29, 1791, Turkey hastened to conclude peace on terms favorable to Russia. According to the Peace of Jassy in 1791, the terms of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty were confirmed, the new border of Russia along the Dniester was recognized, as well as the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Showing great skill in naval battles, Ushakov carried out military operations associated with the blockade of the enemy coast, landing troops, attacking fortresses, etc. with no less success. In them, just as in naval battles, he was an enemy of inertia and routine. A clear example of this is the siege and capture of the island of Corfu, which was considered an impregnable fortress.

Ushakov took possession of the fortress at a time when the large commercial and industrial bourgeoisie, which had come to power in France, intensified its aggressive policy. French expansion was directed primarily against England, but at the same time it also threatened Russia and Turkey. Having received Venetian possessions after the defeat of Austria - the Ionian Islands and several fortresses in Albania - Bonaparte tried with all his might to retain them. In his report to the Directory dated August 27, 1797, he wrote: “The islands of Corfu, Zante and Cephalonia are more important to us than all of Italy together.” Bonaparte primarily took into account the strategic position of the Ionian Islands, the mastery of which made it easier for him to advance towards Egypt, Asia Minor, the Balkans and the Black Sea possessions of Russia. In addition, having established himself in the Ionian Islands, Bonaparte became Turkey's neighbor and could exert strong political pressure on it. This is important to emphasize, because France already had quite a lot of influence in Turkey, and she was already inclined towards an alliance with Bonaparte against Russia.

It is quite understandable that these circumstances caused serious concern in Russian ruling circles. The alarm intensified even more when it became known that the French in Toulon and Marseille were intensively preparing for active hostilities. A rumor spread that the French fleet under the Turkish flag would enter the Black Sea and begin military operations against Russia. But soon the direction of French expansion in the Mediterranean became somewhat clearer. Refusing active action directly against the British Isles, Bonaparte launched his Egyptian campaign in May 1798, the main goal of which was to capture Egypt and from there threaten British possessions in India. With their invasion of Egypt, the French committed direct aggression against Turkey, of which Egypt was a province at that time, and created a direct threat to the Turkish Empire, forcing the latter to ask for help from Russia.

Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign also affected the interests of Russia. Having established their dominance in Egypt, the French could constantly threaten the Black Sea straits, and therefore the Black Sea possessions of Russia. In addition, it was completely obvious that Turkey would not be able to protect the passages to the Black Sea without Russian help.

Thus, French expansion in the Mediterranean created an extremely difficult military and political situation not only in the Mediterranean region, but throughout Europe. The complexity of this situation was further aggravated by the fact that an acute internal struggle was unfolding in Italy at that time: the power of the Bourbons was overthrown, and the king of Italy was forced to flee and ask for help from the Russian Tsar Paul I. In this situation, Russia opposed France.

To participate in the war in the Mediterranean Sea, a squadron was allocated under the command of Admiral Ushakov, which on August 13, 1798 left Sevastopol consisting of 6 ships, 7 frigates and 3 messenger ships. There were 1,700 Marines on the ships. Upon the arrival of the squadron in the Dardanelles, a Turkish squadron consisting of 4 ships, 6 frigates and 14 gunboats came under the command of Ushakov. On September 12, Ushakov sent 4 frigates and 10 gunboats under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Sorokin to blockade Alexandria and destroy the French batteries in Abukir, since Nelson’s English squadron, after the victory over the French, itself turned out to be so battered that it was no longer able to solve combat missions and planned to urgently leave for Sicily. On September 20, the Russian and Turkish squadrons left the Dardanelles. In a short time, from September 28 to November 5, Ushakov expelled the French from the islands of Tserigo, Zante, Kefalonia and Santa Mavra. Following this, he launched an effective blockade of the island of Corfu with the aim of capturing it.

The island of Corfu has long been considered the key to the Adriatic Sea. For five centuries it was owned by the Venetians, who did a lot to strengthen it. After Napoleon captured the island, French engineers significantly strengthened the fortifications of Corfu, turning it into an impregnable fortress. By the beginning of the siege of the fortress, it was armed with up to 650 fortress guns, a garrison of 3,000 people and a six-month supply of food. From the sea, the fortress was covered by two islands - Vido and Lazaretto; on the first of them there were powerful fortifications with a large number of artillery pieces.

In the twentieth of October, a detachment of captain 1st rank Selivachev approached Corfu, who, on the orders of Ushakov, began to implement the blockade. On November 9, Ushakov approached Corfu with the main forces. The squadron anchored south of the fortress. The allied fleet experienced an acute shortage of food. In addition, there were not enough landing troops to attack the fortress. The troops promised by Turkey did not arrive, and the receipt of reinforcements was delayed by lengthy negotiations.

Despite all the difficulties, Ushakov established a tight blockade of Corfu, depriving the French garrison of the opportunity to receive any outside help. In addition, in order to stop the French attempts to procure provisions for themselves by robbing local residents, a small landing force was landed on Corfu, and batteries were installed at the ends of the island. The battery, built on the northern side of the island, began systematic bombardment of French fortifications in November 1798.

On November 22, a schooner and two brigantines with food came to Ushakov from Sevastopol. On December 30, Rear Admiral Pustoshki arrived from Sevastopol with two new 74-gun ships. By January 1, 1799, Ushakov already had 12 ships, 11 frigates and several small vessels at his disposal. By January 25, additional forces arrived.

The entire period of the siege of the island of Corfu, which lasted three and a half months, was filled with numerous military clashes between the ships of the Russian squadron and the French ships stationed near the island. These ship duels, as well as systematic shelling of the fortress by Russian batteries, exhausted the enemy. However, a decisive assault on the fortress required coordinated action by all forces. Meanwhile, the Turkish command did not fulfill its supply obligations and delayed sending the promised landing force, which put Ushakov in a difficult position.

Despite this, Ushakov was actively preparing for the assault. Having studied the approaches to the island of Corfu, he made the correct conclusion that the sharp Vido serves as the key to the fortress. At the same time, he understood that it would be extremely difficult to take the heavily fortified island of Vido only by landing forces, but Ushakov was determined to take possession of it. The general signal for the assault on the island of Corfu was planned to be given simultaneously with the assault on the island of Vido. On the eve of the assault, a council of admirals and ship commanders was convened, at which Ushakov announced his decision and plan of action.

In preparation for the assault, Ushakov conducted a series of exercises, during which he paid special attention to the manufacture of siege ladders and fascines and the ability to use them. Much attention was also paid to communication issues, for which a table of 130 conventional flag signals was developed.

The attack on Vido Island began on February 18, 1799 at 7 am. The frigates, sailing, opened fire on the batteries and coastal structures of the island. This was followed by powerful fire on manpower and on the enemy’s coastal batteries and from the remaining ships that anchored according to the disposition. Several ships were assigned to a separate detachment with the task of shelling the raid and countering any supply of reinforcements to Vido Island. The same detachment was tasked with firing at enemy ships and frigates located on the western side of Vido Island.

Ushakov, on the ship "St. Paul", accompanied by the frigate, personally checked the correct placement of the ships according to the disposition, and then, approaching grapeshot range to the largest battery, together with the frigate, he destroyed it in a short time. By 11 o'clock the fire from enemy batteries had weakened significantly. The signal was raised on the flagship ship: “begin landing.” In total, more than 2,000 people were landed. The naval artillery fire continued during the landing. By 2 p.m., Vido Island was taken. Of the garrison, numbering up to 800 people, 422 people were captured.

At the same time, a general assault on the Corfu fortress began. The troops landed on the island immediately rushed to attack the outer defensive structures of the fortress. The first attack was repulsed, and only when reinforcements were received did the second attack end in success. The French commandant sent Ushakov a letter asking for a truce for 24 hours, during which he undertook to sign the surrender. The next day, the French General Chabot arrived on Ushakov's ship St. Paul and signed the terms of unconditional surrender.

The capture of the strongest naval fortress of Corfu by Ushakov was an unprecedented victory for that time. Ushakov again demonstrated high naval skill, and the Russian sailors showed excellent fighting qualities. The success of this battle was greatly facilitated by the fact that Ushakov, having correctly assessed the situation, decided to attack Vido Island first from the sea and then from land, although this contradicted outdated traditions, according to which the fleet can only block coastal fortresses.

During the siege and capture of the fortress of Corfu, Ushakov showed incomparably higher skill than the famous English admiral Nelson, who during the same period besieged the island of Malta and the much less strong fortress of La Valletta on it. If Ushakov needed only three months to capture Corfu, Nelson spent more than a year on the siege of Malta. At the same time, he himself did not wait for the capture of Malta, leaving for England.

Having received the news of Ushakov’s victory on the island of Corfu, Suvorov exclaimed: “Our Great Peter is alive! ", - that’s what we see now. Hurray! For the Russian Fleet!.. Now I say to myself: why wasn’t I at least a midshipman at Corfu?”

After the capture of the island of Corfu, the fighting of Ushakov's squadron was transferred to the coast of Southern Italy. Suvorov, the commander of the allied Russian-Austrian armies at that time, suggested that Ushakov send a detachment of ships to the Adriatic coast of Italy to blockade Ancona, since the French ships located there could intercept Austrian transport ships and thereby threaten communications important for Russia's ally, Austria. At the request of Suvorov, in May 1799, Ushakov sent 3 battleships (one Turkish), 4 frigates (2 Turkish) and 5 small ships to the shores of Ancona, entrusting the command of this detachment to Rear Admiral Pustoshkin. Somewhat earlier, another detachment was sent to Otranto under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Sorokin, which included 4 frigates, 2 light ships and 4 gunboats. On May 9, this detachment landed troops on the eastern coast of the Apennine Peninsula (between Brindisi and Manfredonia) under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Belli, who played an important role in the fighting of Russian troops in Italy. With a landing party, the number of which was increased to 600 people, Belli crossed the peninsula from east to west and, reaching the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea (June 3, 1799), took part in the capture of Naples.

Ushakov at the end of June 1799 moved with the main forces of his squadron (10 battleships, 7 frigates and 5 other ships) to the shores of Sicily.

Having expelled the French from all of Northern Italy, Suvorov in early August 1799 began preparing for an attack on the Genoese Riviera. In terms of the attack on the Riviera, Suvorov devoted a significant place to the fleet. He wrote: “and the united fleet must be notified of our intentions and assist us both in covering water transport and in providing other assistance.”

While in Messina at the beginning of August, Ushakov received a letter from Suvorov, in which the field marshal asked to dispatch a group of ships to blockade Genoa in order to stop the supply of supplies to the French army by sea.

Ushakov urgently sent a detachment of two battleships and two frigates to Genoa under the command of Rear Admiral Pustoshkin, who had previously operated near Ancona. Sorokin was now sent to Naples. Pustoshkin's detachment assisted Suvorov until the very end of his stay in Italy.

On September 13 and 14, the great commander fought his famous crossing of Saint Gotthard and the Devil's Bridge. At this time, Ushakov’s squadron continued to remain in Italy, actively preparing for the campaign against Rome. Ushakov personally developed the plan for this campaign. He formed a detachment of 820 grenadiers and 200 sailors of the squadron under the command of Colonel Skipor. The detachment was assigned 2,500 people from the troops of the Neapolitan king. During the preparation for the campaign against Rome, the English Admiral Nelson arrived in Naples. Not wanting the Russians to take control of Rome, the English admiral secretly sent a warship to the port of Civita Vecchia (near Rome) with an offer to the French to capitulate before the Russians approached Rome. Nelson's terms of surrender were extremely favorable to the French. For example, weapons were not taken away from the French and they were not deprived of the right to conduct military operations again. The British promised to transport them to France on their ships. The French, naturally, agreed to such a “surrender,” especially since France could throw these troops against the allies on the Genoese coast. Ushakov was deeply outraged by this betrayal of the English admiral, but did not cancel the campaign against Rome. The solemn entry of Russian sailors into Rome, abandoned by the French under the terms of capitulation, ended the squadron's landing operations in the campaign of 1799. In 1800, Ushakov's squadron was recalled by Paul I to the Black Sea.

Ushakov's strategy and tactics were subordinated to one goal - the destruction of enemy forces. Like Suvorov, Ushakov was always looking for a decisive battle. This gave his tactics a pronounced offensive character, and Ushakov’s offensive maneuver tactics were more complete and richer than those of Western European admirals. Ushakov was never afraid to engage in battle with a numerically superior enemy. With all this, adventurism was alien to him, he never neglected caution.

Ushakov paid exceptional attention to the issues of combat training of the squadron. Intense combat training in both peacetime and war was the style of the admiral's daily work. In the most difficult days preceding the Battle of Kerch, Ushakov did not interrupt his studies on the squadron and in his order dated July 5, 1790, he gave specific instructions to ship commanders on training gunners. The order spoke of the need to conduct daily rapid-fire exercises from cannons and practice aiming guns, for which it was proposed to attach three gunners to each cannon, changing them to perform duties one by one. On each ship, the commanders were required to arrange a personal examination for the gunners. To sum up the results of the artillery preparation, Ushakov planned to conduct a general training exercise for the entire squadron with shooting.

Ushakov achieved great success in organizing vigilant service on ships and in coastal fortresses, for which he widely used Peter’s traditions - the exchange of conditioned signals when ships met at sea and when ships approached fortresses. Ushakov paid a lot of attention to organizing reconnaissance in the theater and studying the enemy.

The flourishing of naval art in Russia in the second half of the 18th century naturally coincided with the flourishing of all Russian military art during this period. From the moment of the organization of the regular army and navy under Peter I, the development of military art went in parallel with the naval art, expressing the growth of the regular armed force of the Russian state. In this situation, Ushakov showed a correct understanding of the importance of the fleet for Russia and its place in the system of armed forces.

This allowed Ushakov to become a great master of organizing interaction between the fleet and ground forces. Ushakov attached particular importance to the organization of regular formations of ground forces (marines) within the fleet. Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov devoted his entire life to the fleet. If, thanks to Rumyantsev and especially Suvorov, the Russian army not only preserved its glorious military traditions, but also significantly increased them, then in the navy this merit belonged to Ushakov.

Ushakov did not lose a single naval battle, and he considered the main factor in his victories, first of all, the stamina and courage of the sailors of the squadron. Ushakov himself tirelessly took care of the team and often, during periods of interruptions in the squadron’s supply, spent his personal funds on food and the needs of the team. A humane attitude towards the sailor and a well-thought-out system for educating squadron personnel largely brought Ushakov in common with Suvorov. Ushakov, like Suvorov, highly valued the moral qualities of Russian soldiers.

The Suvorov and Ushakov principles of education and training of army and navy personnel at that time found a certain support only among the most far-sighted representatives of the highest court nobility, such as, for example, Rumyantsev and Potemkin. They understood perfectly well that to fight external enemies they needed a strong army, which could not rely on stick drill alone. Potemkin and his like-minded people understood that only an authoritative commander could confidently lead personnel into battle. Such a commander in the fleet was F.F. Ushakov, who had enormous authority and earned the boundless trust and devotion of the squadron personnel.

A description of the naval leadership activities of Admiral Ushakov would be incomplete without mentioning his diplomatic abilities and political outlook, which he showed with particular force in the period 1798-1800.

Ushakov’s activities in the Mediterranean were greatly complicated by the hostile attitude towards him on the part of the commander of the “allied” English squadron, Admiral Nelson. The latter sought to distract the Russians from Malta and the Adriatic Sea and send the Russian squadron to the Levant, thereby ensuring freedom of action against Malta and preventing the Russians from gaining a foothold in the Ionian archipelago. Nelson hoped in this way to free up the English forces operating in the Levant and direct them to strengthen the Maltese direction, which was more important for England during this period. Nelson tried to use any dishonest means to do this. On the one hand, he flattered Emperor Paul I as the “Grand Master of the Order of Malta” and sent him honorary reports and gifts. On the other hand, he constantly demanded that the commanders of his ships not allow the hoisting of the Russian flag in Malta under any circumstances, and tried to arouse distrust of the Russians on the part of the Turkish admiral, who acted together with Ushakov.

Ushakov did not succumb to the cunning tricks of the English admiral; he boldly and honestly expressed his disagreement to him and pursued a firm and consistent line aimed at protecting Russia’s interests in the Mediterranean.

Ushakov's naval art could have received even greater development if not for numerous intrigues on the part of individual officials and soulless representatives of the bureaucratic autocratic regime.

Upon returning to his homeland, Ushakov did not receive real recognition from the tsar and the government. At the beginning of 1802, he was appointed commander of the Baltic galley fleet, which essentially meant the removal of the famous naval commander from military affairs, since the importance of the galley fleet at that time became secondary. In 1807, Ushakov was completely dismissed, and ten years later, on October 4, 1817, he died at his estate in the Temnikovsky district of the Tambov province.

But Ushakov was not forgotten by the Russian people and the Russian fleet. His tactical skill found further development in the military activities of Ushakov's closest student and comrade-in-arms - Admiral Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin - and through him more than late period development of the Russian fleet.

The memory of the naval commander is carefully preserved by the Russian people. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 3, 1944, the Order and Medal of Ushakov were established, which were awarded to many officers and sailors of the Soviet Navy who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War in battles against the Nazi invaders.

Admiral F.F. Ushakov. Artist P. Bazhanov.

First, a short biographical information. F.F. Ushakov born into a poor noble family on February 24/13, 1745. Place of Birth village of Burnakovo(coordinates 58°00′13″ N 39°17′34″ E) now Rybinsk district, Yaroslavl region. In 1766 he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps. Participated in the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774 and 1787-1791. In 1789 he was promoted to rear admiral. Commanding the Black Sea Fleet since 1790, he won victories in the Battle of Kerch, near the island. Tendra, near Cape Kaliakria. Since 1793 - vice admiral. During the Mediterranean campaign of 1798-1800, he proved himself to be a major naval commander, a skilled politician and diplomat. He showed examples of organizing the interaction between the army and navy during the capture of the Ionian Islands and during the liberation of Italy from the French. In 1799 he received the rank of full admiral. In 1800, he led the squadron to Sevastopol, then was appointed chief commander of the Baltic Rowing Fleet and head of naval teams in St. Petersburg. In 1807 he retired, led a righteous lifestyle, and was engaged in charitable activities. He died on his estate and was buried in the Sanaksarsky monastery near the city of Temnikov. In 2001, Ushakov was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint of the Saransk diocese, and in 2004, the Council of Bishops ranked him among the general church saints - as a righteous warrior Theodore (Ushakov) of Sanaksar.

Icon of the Holy Righteous Warrior Theodore (Ushakov) of Sanaksar.

And now – 10 little-known facts and misconceptions.

1. Date of birth.

Oddly enough, but for a very long time in biographical materials about Ushakov incorrect information was provided. Thus, in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, the admiral’s year of birth was indicated as 1744; in other publications the date is 1743. The same is with the place of birth - for example, it was said about the Tambov province... Only relatively recently have historians been able to accurately establish the date and place of birth of the future naval commander: the village of Burnakovo, Romanovsky district, Yaroslavl province, February 13 (24), 1745. This data was found in the Rostov branch of the State Archives of the Yaroslavl Region.

Fyodor Ushakov on the deck of the ship. Artist N.G. Nikolaev.

2. The pedigree of Admiral Ushakov can be traced back to the 11th century.

It is believed that the genus Ushakovs comes from Roman, the son of Rededi, the Grand Duke of the Kosozh Horde, who died in 1022 in a battle with the Grand Duke Vladimir Mstislavovich. In the sixth generation, one of the representatives of the family received the nickname Ushak, from which the name of the naval commander was born.

Father of the future admiral, Fedor Ignatievich Ushakov, was a small landed nobleman. He served in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment and retired with the rank of sergeant; had nothing to do with the navy. The upbringing of his son Fedor was also influenced by his uncle, the Monk Theodore of Sanaksar (in the world Ivan Ignatievich Ushakov), who in 1764 became the abbot of the Sanaksar monastery.

Admiral F.F. Ushakov. Lithography.

3. Served on all seas.

Usually the admiral's name is associated with the Black Sea Fleet, but in fact Ushakov over the years he served on all the seas washing Europe. Back in 1766-1767, being a midshipman, Fedor Ushakov sailed around Scandinavia, sailing on the Nargin from Kronstadt to Arkhangelsk and back. In 1768-1775, he served in the Azov flotilla, then made the transition from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea and remained there until 1779, commanding first the frigate "St. Paul" and then the ship "George the Victorious". In 1780 Ushakov commands the yacht of Empress Catherine II, in 1781, as commander of the 64-gun ship "Victor", sails to the Mediterranean Sea, in 1782 commands the frigate "Provorny" in the Baltic. Next year captain 1st rank Ushakova transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, where it receives the 66-gun ship "St. Paul". From this moment a new, most glorious and most famous stage of his biography begins.

Admiral Ushakov's squadron in the Bosphorus. Artist M. Ivanov, 1799

4. Number of victories won.

In literature and the Internet you can often find the phrase: “Out of 43 naval battles, Ushakov did not lose a single one”. How realistic is this figure?

Without a doubt, Admiral Ushakov played an important role in the formation of the Russian fleet, it is not for nothing that it is compared with Suvorov. He acted boldly and decisively, under his command the fleet achieved brilliant victories at Tendra, at Kaliakria, at the island of Corfu... But even if you count minor skirmishes and actions against the Greek islands, the number of battles under the command of Ushakov is still significantly less than 43. And where this figure even came from is unclear.

5. Tactics.

Ushakova is often called the creator of the maneuverable tactics of the sailing fleet, although historians still argue about the validity of this statement. According to the candidate of historical sciences, captain 1st rank V.D. Ovchinnikova- researcher of the naval commander’s biography and author of several monographs dedicated to him - opinion on Ushakov as the founder of maneuver tactics first appeared only in the middle of the twentieth century, during the period "fight against cosmopolitanism". V.D. Ovchinnikov sufficiently convincingly proves that this statement is not entirely correct. U F.F.Ushakova there are enough real merits, and there is no need to attribute non-existent merits to him.

6. Are the ships storming the bastions?

During the fighting against Corfu, contrary to popular belief, which arose primarily thanks to the feature film "Ships storm the bastions", admiral's squadron Ushakova in fact, the bastions were not stormed. The ships fired not at the Corfu fortress, but at the few and practically unprotected batteries of the island of Vido. The shelling of the Old Fortress from the sea was symbolic and had only a moral effect. It would be simply madness for Ushakov to expose ships to the numerous coastal artillery of the most powerful citadel.

The main reason for the premature surrender of Corfu by the French was their obvious reluctance to fight. And this is understandable: after the Battle of Abukir, the island of Corfu as a strategic base of the French fleet lost its importance, and the garrison of the fortress understood perfectly well that no one would come to its aid. The French generals believed that they and their troops at that moment were more needed in France than on a distant island, and if the conditions of surrender were acceptable, they were ready to immediately surrender. And the terms of surrender they were offered were, one might say, honorable. The act of surrender stated that “The French garrison... with military honors will come out of all the fortresses and gates that it now occupies, and, having been put into formation, will lay down their weapons and banners, excluding the generals and all officers and other officials who will remain with their weapons. After this, this garrison with its own crew will be transported to Toulon on hired ships... under the cover of military ships... the generals and the entire French garrison undertake on their word of honor not to take weapons against the All-Russian Empire and the Ottoman Portes and their allies for 18 months.".

Frame from feature film“Ships Storm the Bastions” (1953, director Mikhail Romm).

7. Admiral-diplomat.

After the surrender of the French garrison on Corfu to Admiral F.F. Ushakov he had to actively engage in activities unusual for him - to arrange life on the liberated Greek islands. As it turned out, he is not only an outstanding naval commander, but also a talented politician and a good administrator! First thing Ushakov issued a manifesto that guaranteed residents of all classes freedom of religion, property rights and personality. He then formed a security regiment from local residents. At his suggestion, elections of delegates were held on all the Ionian islands, who arrived in Corfu and formed the core of the “senate”, which began to develop a draft state structure for the islands, formally under Russian-Turkish, but in fact Russian rule. At the end of May 1799 Ushakov approved “Plan for the establishment of government on the former Venetian islands liberated from the French and for the establishment of order in them”. This is how the Republic of the Seven Islands arose, uniting the islands of Corfu (Kerkyra), Paxos, Lefkas, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Zakynthos and Kythira. The government of the republic in 1803 was headed by John Kapodistrias, the future Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1816-1822), and later the head of the newly independent Greece.

It is interesting to note two points. Firstly, the Republic of the Seven Islands de facto became the first independent state on the territory of modern Greece. Secondly, paradoxically, a state with a democratic form of government was created by a Russian admiral, who was also a convinced monarchist...

Monument to F.F. Ushakov on the island of Kerkyra (Corfu), Greece.

8. Ushak Pasha.

Various books and magazine articles often say that the admiral F.F.Ushakova Turks “respectfully called Ushak Pasha”. Probably, the naval commander really had such a nickname, but it’s unlikely to be very respectful... Because "ushak" in Turkish means "servant, footman".

Monument to Admiral Ushakov at Cape Kaliakria, Bulgaria.

9. Character traits.

According to many sources, Admiral Ushakov He was distinguished by great severity both towards sailors and officers. He was a man of few words and had a “stern character.” If Suvorov liked to joke with the soldiers, then Ushakov in this respect he was his complete opposite.

At the same time, his severity towards troublemakers was combined with justice and often generosity. Documents show: he, for example, demands that the guilty officer be forgiven "for the sake of his young children" and petitions the emperor for the reinstatement of officers demoted for misconduct.

Ushakov had a negative attitude towards alcohol and, unlike Suvorov, he forbade sailors to drink, except for the prescribed portion. The admiral strictly punished the commanders for drunkenness among lower ranks. At all, Ushakov paid great attention to the health and nutrition of sailors. So, in October 1792, he donated 13.5 thousand rubles. own funds (a huge sum at that time!) for the purchase of fresh meat and maintenance of hospitals in Sevastopol. And this case was far from isolated. In 1813 Ushakov He donated almost his entire fortune to a fund to help victims of the Patriotic War.

Straightforwardness and truthfulness F.F.Ushakova often became the causes of his conflicts with his superiors and subordinates - admirals M.I. Voinovich, N.S. Mordvinov, with the famous shipbuilder A.S. Katasanov, with one of the ship commanders - the future naval commander D.N. Senyavin.

Ushakov and Suvorov. A still from the feature film “Ships Storm the Bastions.”

10. Holy righteous warrior.

Donating all your savings to charity, F.F. Ushakov in a letter to the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod A.N. Golitsyn wrote: “I have long had a desire to distribute all this money without withdrawal to the poor, the poor brethren who do not have food, and now, finding the most convenient and surest opportunity to fulfill my desire...”. And here are the words of Hieromonk Nathanael: “This Admiral Ushakov...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 was about three miles...on Sundays and holidays he came to pray in monastery... and during Great Lent he lived in a monastery cell... he stood up for every long service with the brethren in the church strictly... He spent the rest of his days with extreme restraint and ended his life as a true Christian and a faithful son of the Holy Church should".

“...don’t stick to the rules like a blind wall, because the rules are written there, but there are no times or occasions.”
Peter I

The activities of Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov left a deep mark on the development of the maritime power of our state. His military path and naval victories are forever inscribed in the tablets of the Russian Empire, and his devotion to faith, service and the Fatherland is an example for many generations of Russian soldiers. The entire strategy and tactics of the brilliant naval commander were subordinated to only one goal - the destruction of the enemy. He never neglected caution and at the same time was never afraid to enter into battle with a stronger opponent. Fyodor Fedorovich always considered the main factor in victories to be the courage and perseverance of his sailors. He tirelessly cared about the personnel of the squadrons, a well-thought-out education system and a humane attitude towards the common sailor in many ways made him similar to Suvorov, who highly valued the moral qualities of the Russian people. The admiral often repeated to his officers: “Remember the immutable rule - the commander of the ship is revered as the father of the entire crew.”

Fyodor Ushakov was born on February 24, 1745 in the village of Burnakovo, located in the Yaroslavl province. He came from a poor noble family. His father, Fyodor Ignatievich, and his mother, Paraskeva Nikitichna, were people of strict morality, deeply religious. In post-Petrine times, it was customary to assign young noblemen to the guard. He served in the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and was the father of the future admiral. Returning to his native village, Fyodor Ignatievich took up raising children and household chores. The Ushakov family was listed in the parish of the Church of the Epiphany-on-Ostrov, which stood on the banks of the Volga near Burnakovo. In this temple, little Fedor was baptized, and there, at a school for children of nobles, he learned to count and read.

In the wilderness of the village there was enough space for physical development. The boy grew up active and active, loved hunting and fishing. I went bear hunting with adults several times. The qualities discovered in childhood - fearlessness, conscious risk-taking - were later strengthened in Ushakov’s character. Modest, compliant in ordinary conditions, Fyodor Fedorovich was transformed in moments of danger.

At the age of sixteen, the future admiral was presented to the Senate Heraldry Office for a review, where he expressed an ardent desire to study in the Naval Cadet Corps, located in St. Petersburg. It was there that Ushakov was enrolled in February 1761. He was distinguished by his good studies and diligently comprehended the sciences taught. He expressed a special passion for history, navigation and arithmetic. Five years later, among the best students, Fedor graduated from the corps, was awarded the rank of midshipman and sworn in - “I swear and promise... to serve unhypocritically and faithfully, not sparing my belly to the last drop of blood...”. The entire subsequent life of Fyodor Fedorovich became proof that he did not betray this oath in anything.

After graduation from the corps in 1766, Ushakov was sent to the Baltic galley fleet. The northern seas are rarely calm, and for the still young officer this was good practice. The first years of service were spent in intense study under the mentorship of experienced sailors. Thanks to his diligence, zeal for assigned tasks, inquisitive mind and high moral qualities, Midshipman Ushakov was highly appreciated by his commanders. A couple of years later he was transferred to the Azov flotilla. Fyodor Fedorovich received his first combat experience during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. At this time he was already sailing on the Black Sea as the captain of a small vessel. Not content with participating in hostilities, young Ushakov studied in detail the actions of our fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, in particular in the Chesme and Navarino battles, as well as in the Seven Years' War. From the end of spring 1781, Fedor Fedorovich, leading the battleship "Victor", sailed in the Mediterranean Sea as part of Sukhotin's squadron.

In 1775, the Empress decided to create a linear fleet on the Black Sea. In 1778, thirty kilometers above the mouth of the Dnieper, the Admiralty was built and the city and port of Kherson was founded. Work began on creating slipways for ships, but due to great difficulties in delivering timber from the deep regions of Russia, construction was delayed. Things began to improve with the arrival of teams on the ships under construction. In August 1783, Fyodor Ushakov also arrived in Kherson - by that time he was already a captain of the second rank.

At the same time, a plague epidemic broke out in the city. Quarantine was imposed everywhere because it was believed that the disease was spread by air. In order to ward off the pestilence, people fumigated their homes and lit bonfires in the streets. However, the epidemic only intensified. Despite the need to continue building ships, an order was given to completely stop work, throwing all efforts into fighting the disease. The ship's crews were taken to the steppe. There was a catastrophic shortage of doctors; officers took on their duties. Fyodor Ushakov developed his own quarantine regime. He divided his people into artels, each of which had a tent made of reeds with trestles for airing clothes. At a distance from them there was a hospital tent, to which all sick people were immediately sent. Their clothes along with their belongings were burned. Communication between artels was prohibited, and people who communicated with sick people were quarantined. Ushakov himself monitored all this. As a result of Fedor Fedorovich's actions, the plague among his people ended five months earlier than in other teams. During the most difficult times, the captain did not send anyone to the overcrowded general hospital, which saved many from inevitable death. The efforts shown did not go unnoticed; “for skillful actions” Ushakov was promoted to captain of the first rank and awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, fourth degree.

In the summer of 1785, Fyodor Ushakov sailed to Sevastopol from Kherson on the ship “St. Paul”. And on August 11, 1787, Türkiye declared war on Russia. Two immediately deployed armies - Ekaterinoslavskaya G.A. Potemkina and Ukrainian P.A. Rumyantsev received orders to guard the country's borders. Only the Sevastopol fleet had orders to act decisively. And the first battle was not long in coming. The opponents discovered each other on June 29, 1788, and on July 3 a naval battle took place near Fidonisi. Having a triple superiority in guns, the Turks attacked in two columns, one of which fell on the vanguard led by Fedor Fedorovich, and the second rushed towards the rest of the Russian squadron, trying to paralyze it and prevent it from coming to the rescue. The enemy was the first to open fire on the Russian vanguard - two battleships and two 50-gun frigates. Since the distance did not allow our sailors to effectively fire from 12-pound cannons, Ushakov decided to perform a daring maneuver. He gave the order to the frigate captains to go around the leading Turkish ships on the windward side, placing them “in two fires.” “St. Paul” launched a decisive counterattack. “Using art and diligence”, maneuvering, Fedor Fedorovich deprived the commander of the Turkish ships of the opportunity to surround his ships and capture them on board. As a result of the close-range battle, the enemy flagship received serious damage. The Turks abandoned their original plans and chose to leave the battle area.

This battle did not have much influence on the situation of the entire campaign, but it was remarkable in other ways. For the first time, a small Russian squadron defeated superior enemy forces in open battle. Leading only the vanguard, Ushakov actually controlled the battle of the entire fleet. It was only thanks to his personal courage, skillful tactical moves and outstanding qualities as a commander that the battle was resolved in our favor. His attack could have brought much greater results if not for the inaction of the commander of the entire squadron, Voinovich, who did not support Ushakov and limited himself to a rare exchange of fire with the ships of the second part of the Turkish forces. In the report, Fedor Fedorovich attributed all the success to the actions of his subordinates:

“Everyone in the team of St. Paul, entrusted to me, performed the positions assigned to them by me with such a brave spirit and excellent diligence that I consider it a necessary duty to give them worthy praise...”

From that moment on, the true formation of the Black Sea Fleet began, its famous combat traditions began to be laid. The first year of the war ended with convincing victories of Russian sailors, who brought the Ottoman Porte “into incredible fear and horror.” At the beginning of 1790, Fyodor Ushakov received the rank of rear admiral and was put in command of the entire Black Sea Fleet. In May, he visited with a squadron under the walls of Anapa and Sinop, destroying enemy ships, reconnaissance of Turkish fortresses, causing panic in their garrisons. In the middle of the summer of 1790, a new major battle took place near the Kerch Strait, in which Ushakov again won a brilliant victory. He wrote: “I myself am surprised at the courage and agility of my people.” Perhaps such fearlessness shown by the participants in the battle speaks of the example of their commander. Russian sailors already knew: where Ushakov is, there is victory! Potemkin reported to the Empress:

“... the battle was fierce, and for us it is all the more glorious that the rear admiral attacked the enemy twice as strong as himself..., severely defeated and drove until the night...”.

After the defeat at Kerch, the Turkish ships scattered throughout the sea again began to gather into one squadron. Selim III, the Turkish Sultan, wanted revenge. He sent an experienced sailor, Admiral Said Bey, to help commander Hassan Pasha, intending to turn the development of events in his favor. But it’s one thing to assume, and another thing to come face to face with Ushakov’s squadron. On August 28, early in the morning, the sailors of the Turkish fleet, anchored between the island of Tendra and Gadzhibey (future Odessa), were surprised to discover the Russian fleet coming at them under full sail from the direction of Sevastopol. The sight of our ships threw the Turks into terrible confusion. Despite their numerical superiority, their ships began to leave for the Danube. Ushakov's squadron, coming within range of a grape shot, brought down the full power of airborne artillery on the Turks. The battle that began was striking in its grandeur. After an hour and a half of battle, the Turkish ships, having suffered losses in personnel and received severe damage, began to leave the line one after another. The pursuit of the disorderly retreating ships continued until dark and resumed the next day. Pursuing the Turks, the Russian squadron cut off and surrounded two battleships. One of them - "Meleki-Bahri" - was later captured, the other - Said Bey's flagship, the 74-gun "Kapudania", bravely defended himself until well-aimed shots from the "Nativity of Christ" knocked down all her masts. Only after this was the flag lowered on the Kapudania. Subsequently, Ushakov reported: “People from the Turkish ship, jumping up, asked for mercy and salvation. Noticing this, I ordered the battle to stop and send armed boats for rescue, because during the battle the desperation and courage of Admiral Said Bey were limitless. He did not give up the ship until it was completely broken.” Russian sailors managed to remove Said Bey and most of his crew from the Kapudania, which was engulfed in flames, after which the flagship took off. “Our people gave the Turks such a hard time,” Prince Potemkin spoke enthusiastically about this event.

The Russian-Turkish war at sea ended in 1791 with the brilliant victory of Fyodor Fedorovich at Cape Kaliakria. Turkish ships stood on the approaches to the cape in a line under the cover of coastal batteries. As before at Tendra, the appearance of the Russians was a complete surprise for the enemy. Being in the wind, Ushakov, taking advantage of the turmoil in the enemy’s camp, made an amazing decision - to lead the fleet in marching formation, consisting of three columns, between the Turkish ships and the scorching coastal battery. A battle of astonishing strength broke out. The Turkish ships were so cramped that they fell into each other. Ushakov on the flagship “Nativity of Christ” approached the ship of the commander, Algerian Seit-Ali. A cannonball from a Russian ship smashed the fore-topmast to smithereens, and a flying splinter wounded Seit-Ali in the chin. The Algerian leader, who boasted about the capture of Ushakov, was carried away bloodied to his cabin. The Russian ships at this time were completing the defeat of the enemy, and only a change in the wind, gunpowder smoke and the ensuing darkness saved the Turkish fleet from complete destruction. The enemy lost twenty-eight ships, the rest were scattered across the sea. Soon the remnants of the “glorious Algerian” flotilla reached the Bosphorus fortresses. The sight of five battleships and five small ships was terrifying. “Many were damaged without masts and would not be able to serve in the future,” the decks were littered with the wounded, and to top it all off, the sinking ship Seit-Ali entered the roadstead, asking for help with cannon salvoes. "Great! Our fleet no longer exists!” they reported to the Turkish Sultan.

The victory at Kaliakria greatly influenced the outcome of the entire campaign. The peace treaty was concluded in Iasi on December 29, 1791. For this victory, Rear Admiral Fyodor Ushakov was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. The Turks were afraid to meet on the open sea with the formidable admiral, who received the nickname “Ushak Pasha” from them. Until the signing of the treaty, they did not dare to stick their heads out of the Bosphorus Strait. In this war, Fedor Fedorovich created a new maneuverable tactics, fundamentally different from the linear one adopted in his time. Its main features were: the allocation of reserves, the use of uniform marching and combat formations, rapid approach to the enemy without changing formation for a short distance, concentration of fire on the enemy’s flagships, pursuit of the enemy until captured or completely destroyed. Each battle conducted by Ushakov contained new tactical techniques that corresponded to specific conditions. The richness of each of his battles with new tricks, their skillful combination with previously known ones, clearly demonstrates the phenomenal speed with which Fedor Fedorovich was able to navigate the situation and find the right solutions. Ushakov also attached great importance to the fire and naval training of personnel. Intense study in both war and peace was the style of the admiral's daily activities. Ushakov also paid considerable attention to studying the enemy and organizing reconnaissance.

Freed from military affairs, the famous naval commander returned to Sevastopol, over which he had assumed command at the beginning of the war. Here he immediately began repairing ships and building small vessels. With his personal participation, new marinas were founded on the shores of local bays, and barracks and a hospital were built in the healthiest, most elevated places. Fyodor Fedorovich took care of the construction of wells, markets, roads, and the supply of the city with all vital supplies. Often, government funds allocated for the maintenance of the Black Sea Fleet were received untimely. In this case, Ushakov allocated money from his own funds so that work would not stop. At the beginning of 1793, the Empress summoned him to St. Petersburg. She wanted to see a sailor who had gained such great fame, and found in him “a modest, straightforward man, new to the peculiarities of social life.” In the same year, Fedor Fedorovich became vice admiral.

In 1796, Paul I ascended the throne. This was the time when revolutionary France “turned to the enslavement of neighboring states.” Ushakov received orders to bring the Black Sea fleet to combat readiness. Some time later, Sultan Selim III, having accepted the Russian Emperor's proposal for an alliance against France, asked to send him an auxiliary squadron. In August 1798, Fedor Fedorovich was given the Highest command to “follow and assist the Turkish fleet against the malicious intentions of France.” The Turks greeted our fleet surprisingly friendly. They were amazed at the neatness and strict order that reigned on the ships. One influential nobleman noted that “a dozen Russian ships make less noise than one Turkish boat.” Having stayed in Constantinople for two weeks and “giving the Turks the experience of unprecedented discipline and order,” on September 8 the Russian squadron weighed anchor and headed for the Dardanelles, where it united with the main Turkish forces. Ushakov was appointed commander of the united fleet. The Turks completely entrusted their ships to him, their leader Kadyr Bey revered the Russian vice admiral “like a teacher.”

Thus began Ushakov’s famous Mediterranean campaign. The main task of his squadron was to capture the Ionian Islands, the most important of which, Corfu, had hitherto been considered impregnable. The local inhabitants of the islands occupied by the French were Orthodox Greeks, and Fyodor Fedorovich acted wisely by turning to them with a written appeal, in which he urged them to assist “in the overthrow of the atheists.” The answer was armed assistance from the population. No matter how desperately the French fought, the Russian landing force cleared the islands of Tserigo, Kefalonia, Zante, and St. Maura from them. On November 10, 1798, Ushakov noted in a report: “...except for Corfu, all the other islands were liberated from the hands of the French.” After this, having gathered all his forces, the vice admiral laid siege to Corfu. The tight blockade of the island deprived the French garrison of the opportunity to receive outside help. And in order to stop their attempts to procure provisions, a landing force was landed on Corfu. Batteries were built at the ends of the island, which, already in November, began systematically shelling the fortifications in order to exhaust the enemy.

And yet, for many experienced military men, storming the most powerful European fortress seemed an impossible task - Ushakov did not have siege artillery and did not have enough ground forces. The help from the Turkish squadron was also much less than the hassle and troubles. For all their willingness to cooperate, the foreigners were so wild and disorganized that Ushakov preferred to keep them behind his forces, not allowing them to get involved. In addition, interruptions began in the supply of ammunition, food and materials necessary for the repair of ships. According to the agreement, the Turkish side was obliged to provide all this, however, inconsistencies often occurred due to the abuses of Turkish officials. The Turkish landing ships, collected from the Albanian shores, brought two-thirds less instead of the promised fourteen thousand people. In addition to problems with the allies, the siege was complicated by the stubborn resistance of the defenders and the unusually harsh winter for southern Europe. The admiral, maintaining morale, gave the sailors examples of tireless activity, “working day and night, training sailors for shooting, landing and other actions of land wars.”

The siege period lasted three and a half months. The assault began on February 18, 1799 at seven o'clock in the morning. Fedor Fedorovich’s combat instructions began with the words:

“...to act wisely, with courage and in accordance with the laws.” The first blow of the Russian squadron hit the island of Vido, which covered the main fortress from the sea. Eyewitnesses reported: “...the unfortunate island was completely blown up by buckshot..., not even a tree remained that was not damaged by this iron hail...”. The Turkish ships were behind the Russians, the admiral wrote: “if they fired at the island, it was through us, and they planted a couple of cannonballs in the side of my ship...”.

Russian squadron under the command of F F Ushakov sailing through the Strait of Constantinople 1799 - Mikhail Matveevich Ivanov (1748-1823)

After the batteries on the island were destroyed, the landing of troops began, which had previously been boarded on rowing ships. Having secured themselves on the shore, the assault troops, under the cover of naval artillery, moved to the middle of the island. The Turkish soldiers who were part of the landing force, fierce with resistance, killed everyone who fell into their hands. Witnesses described the cruel scenes that took place: “For each head, Muslims were given a chervonets... our officers and sailors, seeing all their convictions as invalid, began to ransom prisoners with their own money.”
At two o'clock in the afternoon the defenses of Vido fell, and the next day the main stronghold of Corfu also fell. This was the day of the great triumph of Fyodor Ushakov, the triumph of his strong will and military talent, supported by the courage and skill of his subordinates, their trust in their leader and his confidence in their courage. The captive General Pivron was seized with such horror that while eating at Ushakov’s he could not hold the spoon in his trembling hands. Upon learning of the victory, Suvorov shouted: “Hurray for the Russian fleet! I say to myself: why wasn’t I at least a midshipman at Corfu?” For this victory, Emperor Paul I granted Fyodor Fedorovich the rank of admiral. This was the last award he received from the Russian sovereigns.

After the suspension of hostilities, Ushakov continued to carry out the tasks assigned to him. He was ordered to create a new statehood on the liberated islands. Fedor Fedorovich, as a representative of Russia and a faithful servant of the Fatherland, without compromising his Christian beliefs, managed to organize a form of government in the Ionian Islands, called the Republic of the Seven United Islands, which became the first Greek national state of modern times. Subsequently, Ushakov said that

“I had the good fortune to liberate these islands, establish governments and maintain harmony and peace in them”

At the same time, Fyodor Fedorovich had to endure considerable moral suffering. In particular, the Russian envoy in Constantinople V.S. Tomara, in a secret message, informed him of what was necessary

“What can be done to irritate France and Porto mutually and not force the Turks... Let them do whatever they want with the captured French. You should not and cannot be burdened with them.”

Meanwhile, Fedor Fedorovich’s task in the Mediterranean was not yet completed. In Northern Italy, our troops under the command of Suvorov destroyed the “invincible” French army. Alexander Vasilyevich asked Ushakov to provide him with support from the south. The two great sons of Russia, being in close cooperation, beat enemies on land and at sea, showing the whole world what the Russian army is. Swift groups of ships with landing forces, moving along the southwestern coast of Italy and along the Adriatic, terrified the French garrisons. However, the activities of our naval commander were greatly complicated by the machinations of the commander of the “allied” English squadron, the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson. He sought to prevent our troops from gaining a foothold in the Ionian Archipelago, tried in every possible way to distract Ushakov from the Adriatic Sea and Malta and direct our squadron to the Levant. To do this, he sent gifts and honorary reports to Paul I, and incited hostility towards the Russians on the part of the Turkish commanders acting together with Ushakov. Fyodor Fedorovich did not fall for the Englishman’s tricks, boldly and honestly expressed his disagreement to him and continued to pursue a firm line to protect the interests of our country in the Mediterranean. The calm politeness of the Russian admiral unnerved Nelson; in correspondence he stated:

“he carries himself so high that it’s simply disgusting..., under his polite appearance there is a bear hidden...”.

Our sailors took Bari, then Naples, and during the preparations for the attack on Rome, Nelson appeared on the scene again. Not wanting to see the Russians in the Eternal City, he secretly sent the French a proposal to surrender with extremely favorable conditions for them. In particular, the French were allowed to keep their weapons and conduct military operations again. In addition, the British promised to send them to France on their ships. Naturally, the French agreed to such a “surrender.” Ushakov, deeply outraged by the betrayal, nevertheless did not cancel the campaign against Rome. On September 30, 1799, Russian sailors solemnly entered the city abandoned by the French. They still had to capture Malta, but at the end of the year, Russia’s relations with the allies completely fell apart, and the admiral received Paul’s order to return with the squadron entrusted to him back to Sevastopol. Having prepared the ships for a long voyage, Fyodor Fedorovich said goodbye to his beloved Islands forever. The Senate of the island of Corfu presented him with a sword decorated with diamonds. And on a medal made of pure gold from the inhabitants of the island of Ithaca was engraved:

"Fedor Ushakov, chief commander of the Russian naval forces, courageous liberator of Ithaca"

No less memorable were the gifts from other Islands. And yet, the admiral, who knew too well the vicissitudes of high politics, left the Ionian Islands with a feeling of deep anxiety for their future fate.

On October 26, 1800, Ushakov’s squadron entered Sevastopol Bay. And on the night of March 11, 1801, Pavel was killed by the conspirators. His son, Alexander I, took the Russian throne, and Russian politics changed dramatically. Fedor Fedorovich was transferred to St. Petersburg. At the Court, opinions were expressed about the uselessness of a large fleet for a “land” country. Even the Minister of the Navy said that the fleet “is a burdensome luxury.” Ushakov's merits did not impress Alexander I, who appointed him in May 1802 to the secondary position of commander of the Baltic galley fleet. In 1804, Ushakov prepared a detailed report on his service to the Fatherland, in which he summarized his work:

“Thanks be to the Lord, during all the noted battles with the enemy and during the entire existence of the fleet under my command, with the preservation of the Most High Goodness, not a single ship from Onago was lost and not a single person from ours was taken prisoner by the enemy.”

It should be noted that ordinary people often came to the admiral’s house in the Northern capital with requests for help. He provided some needy people with clothes and money, while for others he worked with wealthy gentlemen. In addition, he took upon himself guardianship and patronage of his orphaned nephews. In addition to commanding the Baltic Rowing Fleet, he was the chairman of the qualification commission at the Naval Cadet Corps and the head of the St. Petersburg naval teams. Fyodor Fedorovich tried to fulfill all his duties with zeal and jealousy, as was typical of him in any business. But the years have taken their toll. Illnesses worsened, mental sorrows multiplied. The admiral followed with pain the events taking place in Europe - one of the stages of the Franco-Russian war ended, the Tilsit Peace Treaty passed, the Emperor of Russia became an ally of Napoleon, and the Ionian Islands were transferred to the French. Fyodor Fedorovich had to endure all this.

Ushakov submitted his resignation to Alexander I on December 19, 1806. Having retired from official affairs, he remained in St. Petersburg for some time, continuing to help his nephews and preparing to move. At home, in the Yaroslavl province, the admiral had several small villages, and also had a plot of land near Sevastopol. However, the soul of the famous sailor asked for solitude and peace. Fedor Fedorovich decided to go to the Tambov province, to the quiet village of Alekseevka. This place was located not far from the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery, in which during Ushakov’s military exploits his uncle-monk, the Monk Theodore of Sanaksar, lived. In 1810, before leaving the capital, Ushakov, “remembering with what suddenness the hour of death occurs,” prepared a will. The admiral, who never had a family or children, transferred all his meager possessions to his nephews, writing:

“Whom I honor as my children, and for their good I am zealous as a father.”

For the rest of his life, Fedor Fedorovich lived in the village of Alekseevka in his own house. He lived in solitude, only coming to the monastery for services on Sundays and holidays. From time to time he donated significant sums to the monastery, and also helped the surrounding tramps and beggars with alms. When the Patriotic War began, the entire Russian people rose up to fight Napoleon’s army. In the Tambov province, a militia was created to defend the Motherland. At the provincial meeting of nobles, Fedor Fedorovich was elected head of the Tambov internal militia by a majority vote. However, the sixty-seven-year-old sailor refused:

“With diligence and zeal I would like to accept this position and serve the Fatherland, but due to great weakness of health and illness I cannot accept it and fulfill it.”

Meanwhile, Ushakov participated in the construction and maintenance of a hospital for the wounded, and contributed a sum of money to the formation of the Tambov infantry regiment. And they were also given twenty thousand rubles in favor of those affected by the war: “I have long had a desire to distribute all this money to the wandering and needy, who do not have food, clothing and shelter.” And regarding the French who invaded the country, the admiral said: “Don’t despair! These terrible storms will yet return to the glory of Russia.” Ushakov lived the rest of his days “extremely abstinent,” ending his life on October 14, 1817. He was buried in accordance with his wishes in the Sanaksar monastery.

Almost two centuries have passed since the death of the famous admiral. Many generations of Russian naval commanders and sailors lived by his precepts, increasing the glory of the Russian fleet. When the time came for the persecution of the church, the monastery where Fyodor Ushakov rested was closed, and the chapel erected over the naval commander’s grave was destroyed. During the Great Patriotic War, Fedor Fedorovich's military victories were remembered again. The medal and order of Admiral Ushakov were introduced, which became the highest awards for sailors. And his name, along with the names of Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Nevsky and Alexander Suvorov, inspired the defenders of the Fatherland to new exploits.

In 1991, the Sanaksar Monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Memorial services began to be held at Ushakov’s grave, and pilgrims came to bow to Fyodor Fedorovich. The Commission for the Canonization of Saints of the Russian Orthodox Church, having carefully examined the works of the admiral in the service of Russia, did not find any obstacles to canonization. At the end of 2000, Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II gave his blessing to glorify Fyodor Ushakov among the righteous.

Based on materials from the sites http://www.st-nikolas.orthodoxy.ru and http://www.navy.ru

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For many years, the memory of Admiral Ushakov remained in the vaults of the people's consciousness. It so happened that even during the life of the invincible admiral they gave up on the navy in Russia. Emperor Alexander understood that the main battles of the Napoleonic wars would take place far from the seas. All forces were thrown into strengthening the artillery and cavalry, and the sailors were left orphans.

In addition, Britain, then an ally of Russia, threw all its diplomatic forces into undermining the power of the Russian fleet. London did not need competitors. perceived this change in imperial strategy with pain. The policy of Emperor Alexander crossed out many of Potemkin’s achievements; the offensive naval policy of His Serene Highness was put an end to. The honored sailor lived out his life in oblivion.

The Black Sea Fleet did not forget the invincible admiral. During his lifetime, he was considered the naval Suvorov, and Alexander Vasilyevich himself loved Ushakov as his few closest associates and students.

The Second Catherine's Russian-Turkish War became the golden age of the Black Sea Fleet, although at first the condition of the fleet caused concern to His Serene Highness. Potemkin was annoyed that the Turks did not give us time to complete the construction of the fleet. Another year would have been different... And so, Russia could only field two understaffed squadrons against the Turks. Türkiye, meanwhile, had a powerful fleet on the Black Sea.

Before the war, Potemkin managed to transform the army - in no small part with the help of Rumyantsev’s “Rite of Service”. His Serene Highness did not have time to build a fleet comparable to the Turkish one: at sea it was necessary to fight to the highest degree not with numbers, but with skill. But Catherine’s second Russian-Turkish war will also be far from the maxim “Everything for the front, everything for victory.” They tried to defeat the Ottomans with relatively small forces, without overexertion - taking into account the northern danger, because in the summer of 1788 the war with Sweden began.

The Turks feverishly transformed the fleet for twenty years - with French help. Russia was significantly inferior to the Ottoman Empire not only in quantity, but also in the combat qualities of ships. We could only hope for military science, for commanders like Ushakov. That is why Potemkin put forward it, regardless of the intrigues of the parquet admirals.

By the summer of 1790, the Russian admiral had already forced the enemy to respect the power of Russian weapons, and the Turks pronounced his name with horror in their own way - Ushak Pasha. As many battles as Ushakov fought, he won so many times.

That August, the Russian squadron set out on a campaign.

Huseyn Pasha dreamed of revenge. His main forces were located along the coast from Gadzhibey to Cape Tendra. This is in the area of ​​​​present-day Odessa. The force gathered there was colossal: 14 battleships, 8 frigates, more than twenty other ships.

The Turks discovered Russian ships sailing in three columns. Huseyn Pasha did not dare to attack. He believed that the Turks were not ready for battle: Ushakov managed to use the surprise factor like Suvorov. The Turks cut the ropes and hastily retreat, losing the remnants of army discipline in their haste. Ushakov was approaching them like an inevitable punishment. The Turkish vanguard managed to retreat far, but the remaining ships were on the verge of destruction. Huseyn realized this and stopped the retreat. The Ottomans began to form up for battle. The Russian ships also lined up in battle formation.

Unexpectedly, Ushakov withdraws three frigates from the line - “John the Warrior”, “Jerome” and “Protection of the Virgin”. This is an operational reserve that constrains enemy actions. Ushakov had already used such a bold novelty more than once - and each time the Turks did not have time to predict his train of thought.

The Turks had more firepower: 1400 guns versus 830. But Ushakov’s students fired with enviable accuracy. And the officers managed to create concentrated fire in breakthrough areas, which terrified the enemy. The admiral conducted the battle selflessly and calmly. He easily predicted the actions of the Ottomans - and reacted with lightning speed to any move by Hussein and his fighters.

Ushakov’s flagship ship “Rozhdestvo Khristovo” fought with three ships - and brought them out of the battle. Already at the beginning of the battle, the Turks lost dozens of sailors killed and wounded, and of the rest, hundreds of experienced warriors fell into panic.

In two hours of intense firefight, the Turks lost the squadron. Before Husein’s eyes, the stern of his own ship shattered into pieces. With considerable losses, the Turks organized a hasty retreat to the Danube. Ushakov pursued them until nightfall.

At dawn it turned out that the frigate Ambrose of Milan was in the thick of the Turkish ships. Captain Neledinsky followed the Turks for some time without raising a flag. He will find the right moment for a sharp maneuver and will return unharmed to the Russian squadron already under the St. Andrew's banner.

Two multi-gun Turkish ships were captured. Side Bey's flagship, which was surrounded, did not give up. There a boarding battle ensued, at the end of which the ship flew into the air along with the treasury of the Turkish squadron.

Thus ended the two-day naval battle off Cape Tendra. The ratio of losses is amazing: in Ushakov’s squadron all the ships remained intact, few required repairs. Twenty people died, a little more were wounded. And the Turks had more than two thousand killed. After such a slap in the face, the Turkish sailors lost faith in their own strength for a long time.

Fyodor Fedorovich was not an expert at composing lengthy reports, but he dictated an order of gratitude to the sailors who fought under his command at Tendra:

“For the battle that took place against Kochabey last August on the 28th and 29th against the enemy fleet during the defeat of another, about the blowing up of the admiral’s ship and the capture of another enemy ship and three other types of military ships, His Grace declared to me with a warrant: deigned: for brave feats and skillful orders his most grateful gratitude, which he ordered me to declare to all the companions who were with me in battle, and to assure all of them that his lordship will not leave these exploits and their service to be fully presented, about which the gentlemen of the commanders of ships, frigates and other ships, also to all the staff and chief officers and various ranks who are in the fleet with me during this battle, to declare.

I also express my most grateful gratitude and recommend tomorrow to bring a prayer to the Almighty for such a happily granted victory to everyone who is possible from the ships to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, priests from all over the fleet to be to that church at 10 o’clock in the morning and after the departure of the thanksgiving prayer fire from the ship "Nativity" from 51 cannons."

For Fyodor Ushakov, as is known, divine services were not a tribute to tradition; he felt himself Orthodox every day, and not just on Sundays.

Potemkin rejoiced. With Ushakov, he waited for his Chesma - not a single victory, but a whole series of victories over superior enemy forces. It was he who begged the empress to reward the hero with George 2nd class: for an untitled naval commander who was absent from the court layouts, this is the highest award. For Ushakov - the most expensive. Other naval officers were also generously awarded.

The strategic meaning of victory is the breaking of the blockade of the Danube. The Turks will no longer be able to rule this great river. A joint offensive of the Russian army and navy will begin in the Danube region.

Without Tendra, it would have been even more difficult for Suvorov to take Izmail.

In a friendly letter to Faleev, the emotional Potemkin did not hide his triumph: “Thanks to God, ours gave the Turks such pepper, which is nice. Thanks to Fedor Fedorovich! If Voinovich had been a coward, he would have been ... at Tarkhanov Kut, or in the harbor.” The indecisiveness of Admiral Count Voinovich, the senior naval commander, became a proverb in the navy.

Ushakov will see the results of his victories: Yassy Peace, strengthening Russian Empire, acquisition of Crimea and the entire Black Sea coast. It was not in vain that the sailors went into the fire, it was not in vain that they devoted all their strength to naval science, which Admiral Ushakov knew like none of his contemporaries.

The famous Russian naval commander Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov was born on February 13, 1744. Died October 2, 1817, aged 73. During his years of military service he showed extraordinary tactical abilities. In 1789 he received the military rank of rear admiral. In 1793 he was awarded the title of vice admiral. In 1799, the talented naval commander was awarded the rank of admiral. This man made a great contribution to the development of naval combat tactics of the sailing fleet. He did not act according to patterns and stereotypes, but was always guided by the specific situation and specific local conditions.

In battle he showed extraordinary courage and determination. He ignored the generally accepted rule of placing the command ship in the middle of the battle formation. The flagship was always ahead, and in the very dangerous place. Thus, the commander set an example of courage to the commanders of other warships.

Fedor Fedorovich instantly assessed the combat situation and made the only right decision, ensuring the complete defeat of the enemy. This man entered the annals of history as the founder of the Russian tactical school of naval art. The memory of the courageous naval commander has not faded over the centuries. His name is well known not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Childhood

A glorious naval commander was born in the village of Burnakovo. Nowadays, these lands belong to the Yaroslavl region, and there are no permanent residents in the village itself. In the 17th century it was a large settlement of 2 thousand peasant souls. It belonged to the noble family of the Ushakovs.

Immediately after birth, the baby was enrolled in military service. The boy's father Fyodor Ignatievich once served in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. But he assigned his son to the naval department. In 1766, the young man graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. Was sent to serve in the Baltic Fleet.

Glorious deeds

In 1769, the young officer was transferred to the Azov Fleet. He took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. The main goal of this company was access to the Black Sea. The war ended with the signing of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Treaty on July 21, 1771. According to it, the Russian Empire firmly established itself on the northern Black Sea coast.

Our hero also made his contribution to the victory. He commanded a flat-bottomed artillery sailing vessel (pram). His task included military operations near the enemy’s coastal fortifications. In 1773 he received command of the 16-gun warship Modon. In 1775, he became the commander of a three-masted warship with two gun decks. Such sailing ships were called frigates.

In 1780, Ushakov was awarded the highest honor. He was appointed commander of the imperial yacht. But in the character of the military officer there was no servility and desire for a well-fed, carefree life. Therefore, after 3 months of such service, our hero achieved a transfer to a battleship.

Battleships were larger than frigates. They were armed with up to 135 military guns and a crew of up to 800 people. These were real floating fortresses. This is the ship that the future famous naval commander received under his command. It bore the name "Victor" and constantly cruised in the Mediterranean Sea, accompanying Russian merchant ships.

In 1783, our hero was sent to Kherson (a seaport on the Dnieper), where he dealt with the construction of warships. In the same year, a plague epidemic broke out in Kherson. Military sailors took an active part in the fight against it. They built and guarded tent cities, where they took the sick and provided active medical care. For the fight against the plague, the future admiral Ushakov received the Order of St. Vladimir, IV degree.

Russian-Turkish War (1787-1791)

The quiet life ended in 1787 with the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War. Our hero received under his command the battleship of the Russian fleet "St. Paul". It was laid down at the Kherson shipyard and launched in 1784. With the outbreak of hostilities, as part of a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral M.I. Voinovich, the ship made a raid towards Varna. Got into a strong storm and lost the mainsail and mizzen masts. Using only the foremast, he returned to the port of Sevastopol.

On July 3, 1788, "St. Paul" took part in the naval battle of Fridonos as part of Voinovich's squadron. The Turkish fleet was defeated, and Russian ships pursued enemy ships for 2 days. At the beginning of 1789, Fyodor Fedorovich was awarded the rank of rear admiral. He was given command of a squadron, and St. Paul became its flagship.

On July 8, 1790, the Battle of Kerch took place. The forces of the Turkish and Russian squadrons were approximately equal. In this naval battle, our hero fully revealed his military talent. He has proven that he is capable of thinking creatively and out of the box. The flagship was in front and took the brunt of the enemy's attack. At the same time, the rear admiral controlled other ships, without in any way infringing on the initiative of their commanders. This battle showed that Russian sailors were superior to the Turks in fire training, discipline and training. The Turkish fleet was defeated. Thus, the seizure of Crimea was thwarted.

On August 28, the battle took place at Cape Tendra. This time the Turkish forces were almost 2 times greater than the Russian ones. But Ushakov’s tactics were fearless offensive in nature. The Russian fleet effectively used the factor of surprise. Forces were competently and skillfully concentrated in the direction of the main attacks. The firepower of the ships was used to the maximum. To do this, we had to significantly reduce the range of the salvo, which had never been done before.

The naval commander himself took an active part in the battle. He was always in the most dangerous and critical places. Thus, he was an example of selfless courage, courage and bravery. As a result, the Turkish fleet was destroyed. The enemy lost more than 2 thousand people killed and wounded. The losses of the Russian fleet amounted to only 2 killed sailors and 30 wounded.

On July 31, 1791, the battle took place at Cape Kaliakria. The enemy forces exceeded the forces of the Russian flotilla by almost 2 times. The Turkish fleet included desperate Algerian corsairs. Of the 18 battleships they owned 7.

The battle lasted all day and ended in victory for the Russian fleet. But the winners did not pursue the vanquished. This was prevented by the darkness that fell on the sea surface. The next morning, not a single Turkish ship was visible on the horizon, and soon an order came to stop hostilities, as the Turks requested a truce.

In this battle, active offensive tactics were again used. The surprise factor played a decisive role in the victory. A powerful blow was dealt to the flagship and the ships accompanying it. This disrupted the battle order of the Turkish fleet, causing confusion and panic in the actions of the people. A powerful fire attack from a short distance completed everything. At the same time, the enemy suffered huge losses both in manpower and materiel.

Service in the Mediterranean

In 1798, our hero was appointed commander of all naval forces in the Mediterranean. This appointment was not only military, but also political in nature. The point was that France was shaken by revolutionary wars from 1792 to 1802. In 1798, France took control of Switzerland. In contrast, European countries created a coalition that included England, Russia, Sweden, Austria, Southern Italy (Kingdom of Naples) and Turkey.

On land, Russian-Austrian troops defeated the French under the command of Suvorov. And Admiral Ushakov stood at the head of the naval forces. His military talent was in no way inferior to the talent of the famous generalissimo, only it manifested itself on the surface of the water, and not on the terra firma.

Fedor Fedorovich became the head of the united Russian-Turkish squadron. Its main task was to capture the island of Corfu, occupied by the French invaders. They concentrated large land and naval forces on the island. The allied squadron blocked the island from the sea, and early in the morning of February 18, 1799, the assault on the French fortifications began. On February 20, the invaders threw out a white flag. For this victory, our hero received the rank of admiral.

The talented naval commander's further actions consisted of strengthening the military and political power of the Russian Empire in the Mediterranean. It should be noted that Fedor Fedorovich coped with this task brilliantly. He supported the British in the siege of Malta. But in June 1800, Austria made peace with France. The coalition has ceased to be a single and monolithic force. Therefore, the presence of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea has become impractical. At the end of October 1800, the squadron returned to the port of Sevastopol after 2 and a half years of sailing.

Decline of a career

After the assassination of Paul I, the Russian throne was taken by his son Alexander I. He treated the brilliant naval commander without due respect. Fyodor Fedorovich was removed from all posts and given command of the Baltic Rowing Fleet. In 1807, our hero was dismissed.

He went to the Tambov province to the village of Alekseevka. Here they bought an estate back in 1805. In 1812, the great naval commander did not participate in any military operations due to health reasons. Died October 2, 1817. He was buried on the territory of the Sanaksar Monastery, 3 km from the city of Temnikov.

Canonization

In August 2001, the glorious Russian naval commander was canonized as a locally revered saint. In 2004, he was canonized as a righteous saint. He is revered as the patron saint of the Russian naval forces.

Alexander Arsentiev