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.

## History

It was founded by Tsar Peter the Great. This was due to the fact that Russia did not have naval forces 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.

## Battles

The Russians would also make Circumnavigation trips, 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, 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.

## Other websites

- Russian Submarine forces history
- History of the Russian Navy
- Web site focusing on submarine history and the works of Irish-American inventor, John Philip Holland and his company which was known as The Holland Torpedo Boat Company. See Fulton and look under Russian submarines (Som Class) Type 7-P.
- Russian submarine history can be located on this site.

## Infobox (military unit)

- **unit name**: Imperial Russian Navy
- **image**: Знак на кивера Гвардейского флотского экипажа.jpg
- **caption**: Emblem of the Imperial Russian Navy
- **country**: Tsardom of Russia

- **allegiance**: Russian Emperor, Tsar of Russia
- **type**: Navy
- **patron**: Saint Nicholas, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
- **battles**: Russo-Turkish War (1686–1700),  Russo-Turkish War of 1686–1700

Great Northern War

Russo-Persian War (1722–23),  Russo-Persian War of 1722–23

Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743),  Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743

Seven Years' War

Russo-Turkish War (1768–74),  Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74

Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790),  Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790

Russo-Turkish War (1787–92),  Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92

Napoleonic Wars

Russo-Turkish War (1828–29),  Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29

Crimean War

Russo-Japanese War

World War I

Russian Civil War
- **disbanded**: 1917
- **commander1**: Russian Emperor
- **commander1 label**: Commander-in-chief
- **commander2**: _See list_
- **commander2 label**: List of heads of the military of Imperial Russia#Ministry of the Navy,  Minister of the Navy
- **notable commanders**: Peter the Great

Fyodor Apraksin

Grigory Spiridov

Samuel Greig

Vasily Chichagov

Fyodor Ushakov

Dmitry Senyavin

Adam Johann von Krusenstern, Ivan Krusenstern

Mikhail Lazarev

Pavel Nakhimov

Vladimir Kornilov

Vladimir Istomin

Vasily Zavoyko

Gennady Nevelskoy

Stepan Makarov

Ivan Grigorovich

Nikolai Ottovich von Essen,  Nikolay Essen

Alexander Kolchak
- **identification symbol**:
- **identification symbol label**: Ensign
- **identification symbol 2**:
- **identification symbol 3**:
- **identification symbol 2 label**: Jack (flag), Jack
- **identification symbol 3 label**: Commissioning pennant, Pennant
- **start date**: 1696
- **native name**: Российский императорский флот