Imperial Russian Navy

The Imperial Russian Navy (in Russian: Российский императорский флот) was the navy of the Russian Empire (and its predecessor: Tsardom of Russia), from 1696 until the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Imperial Russian Navy
Российский императорский флот
Emblem of the Imperial Russian Navy
Founded	1696
Disbanded	1917
Country	Tsardom of Russia  Russian Empire
Allegiance	Tsar of Russia
Type	Navy
Patron	Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Engagements	Russo-Turkish War of 1686–1700 Great Northern War Russo-Persian War of 1722–23 Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743 Seven Years' War Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74 Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790 Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92 Napoleonic Wars Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29 Crimean War Russo-Japanese War World War I Russian Civil War
Commanders
Commander-in-chief	Russian Emperor
Minister of the Navy	See list
Notable commanders	Peter the Great Fyodor Apraksin Grigory Spiridov Samuel Greig Vasily Chichagov Fyodor Ushakov Dmitry Senyavin Ivan Krusenstern Mikhail Lazarev Pavel Nakhimov Vladimir Kornilov Vladimir Istomin Vasily Zavoyko Gennady Nevelskoy Stepan Makarov Ivan Grigorovich Nikolay Essen Alexander Kolchak
Insignia
Ensign
Jack
Pennant

History

Frigate Oryol in Soviet Stamp.

Goto Predestinacia (flagship of Oryol Flotilla).

It was founded by Tsar Peter the Great. This was due to the fact that Russia did not have naval forces^[1] and the inexperience of its inhabitants in naval architecture, after a visit to Amsterdam, Tsar Peter would learn naval construction in detail, the first ship would be the Frigate Oryol (Eagle in English), after the victory against the Ottomans in Azov, the Black Sea Fleet would be created, over time the Fleet would grow. In 1740 the Baltic Fleet based in St. Petersburg would be founded after several victories against the Swedish Fleet. This was during the Russo-Turkish Wars the Black Sea Fleet would be the main fleet against the Ottoman Influence in this Sea. Near the end of the 1700s, the Caspian, White Sea and Okhotsk Flotillas would be created.^[2]

Battle of Russian Frigate Vladimir and Ottoman Frigate Pervaz-i Bahri.

Headquarters of Imperial Russian Navy in St. Petersburg.

Battles

The Russians would also make Circumnavigation trips,^[3] from the Pacific Coast of Russia to the north of the Hawaiian Islands, They would participate in the Napoleonic Wars against the Ottoman Navy, During the Crimean War, they would suffer a serious defeat against the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and Sardinia,^[4] then over time the fleet would increase in naval size becoming one of the largest existing fleets, During the War Against Japan, they would suffer a serious defeat which would make Russia look like a less strong country From what it appeared to be, the fleet would finally be dissolved after the Russian Revolution where it would be succeeded by the Soviet Navy in 1920.

Russian battleship Poltava.