Image source: topwar.ru
June 29 became the official date of the professional holiday for all those who work at shipyards in 2017. Then, at the initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and the joint stock company United Shipbuilding Corporation, the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 659 of May 30, 2017 was published, according to which the date of the celebration was set on this day.
June 29 was chosen as the Shipbuilder's Day for a reason. According to archival data, it was on this day in 1667 that Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree on the construction of the first Russian ship, the frigate Eagle. This is the first military vessel laid down at the Russian shipyard, located in the village of Dedinovo, then Kolomenskoye county, by state order and fully paid for from the state treasury. In addition, 2017 is the anniversary year of the 350th anniversary since the release of this decree. The Shipbuilder's Day is a professional holiday for employees of shipyards, design bureaus, trade unions and veteran organizations of the shipbuilding industry – all those who have built and are building Russian ships.
The traditions of Russian shipbuilding have a long history. One of the oldest ships discovered on the territory of Russia dates back to the 5th century BC. Deck ships in Russia began to be built in the 12th century. The beginning of marine shipbuilding is considered to be 1634, when the first ship, completely built by our craftsmen, was launched in Nizhny Novgorod.
Shipbuilding in Russia reached an industrial scale during the reign of Peter the Great . On his instructions, in June 1693, the first state-owned shipyard in Arkhangelsk was laid for the construction of warships. It was Peter I who created the Russian navy and made the country a full-fledged maritime power. The Admiralty in St. Petersburg became the main shipyard in 1703. Thanks to the master shipbuilders, by 1714 Russia had its own sailing fleet, and by 1725 the regular fleet of the country was created, numbering several hundred ships, including 111 battleships, 38 frigates, 60 brigantines, 8 shnyavs, 67 large galleys and many small displacement ships.
After the October Revolution, the Soviet Union continued the traditions of Russian shipbuilding, achieving great success and securing the firm title of one of the leaders of the world shipbuilding. Russia is still the only country successfully building and operating nuclear icebreakers.
In 2007, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the creation of the United Shipbuilding Corporation began, which was completed in 2010. Today, the USC State Corporation is a large holding company that combines the assets of civil shipbuilding in Russia. The largest centers of Russian shipbuilding are St. Petersburg, Severodvinsk, Nizhny Novgorod and the Kaliningrad Region. Every year hundreds of different civil and military vessels are launched from the stocks of our shipyards. The shipbuilding industry employs hundreds of thousands of specialists engaged in the development and production of modern ships.
The editorial board of the Military Review congratulates all Russian shipbuilders working at shipyards, in related industries, as well as veteran shipbuilders on their professional holiday. We are sure that you will continue to make every effort to ensure that Russian shipbuilding remains at the highest world level.
