Azov campaigns ( 1695 – 96 ) Azov campaigns of 1694 – 96 ( ) , two Russian military campaign s during the Russo - Turkish War of 1686 – 1700 , led by Peter the Great and aimed at capturing the Turkish fortress of Azov ( garrison - 7 , 000 men ) , which had been blocking Russia ' s access to the Azov Sea and the Black Sea . Since the Crimean campaigns of 1687 and 1689 had failed because of the difficulty of moving a large army across the steppe , Peter decided to try a river approach . The first Azov campaign . The first Azov campaign began in the spring of 1695 . Peter the Great ordered his army ( 31 , 000 men and 170 guns ) to advance towards Azov . The army comprised crack regiment s and the Don Cossacks and was divided into three units under the command of Franz Lefort , Patrick Gordon and Avtonom Golovin . Supplies were shipped down the Don from Voronezh . In 1693 , the Ottoman garrison of the fortress was 3 , 656 of whom 2 , 272 were Janissaries . Between June 27 and July 5 , the Russians blocked Azov from land but they could not control the river and prevent resupply . After two unsuccessful attacks on August 5 and September 25 , the siege was lifted on October 1 . Another Russian army ( 120 , 000 men , mostly cavalry men , Streltsy , Ukrainian Cossacks and Kalmyks ) under the command of Boris Sheremetev set out for the lower reaches of the Dnieper to take the Ottoman forts there . The main fort at Gazi - Kerman was taken when its powder magazine blew up , as well as Islam - Kerman , Tagan and Tavan , but the Russians were not able to hold the area and withdrew most of their forces . By the Treaty of Constantinople ( 1700 ) the remaining Russians were withdrawn and the lower Dnieper was declared a demilitarized zone . The second Azov campaign . In the end of 1695 , the Russians began preparing for the second Azov campaign . By the spring of 1696 , they had built the a fleet of ships to block Turkish reinforcements for the garrison . The cavalry under the command of Sheremetev ( up to 70 , 000 men ) was once again sent to the lower reaches of the Dnieper . On April 23 – 26 , the main forces ( 75 , 000 men ) under the command of Aleksei Shein started to advance towards Azov by land and by water ( the rivers of Voronezh and Don ) . Peter I and his galley fleet left for Azov on May 3 . On May 27 , the Russian fleet ( 2 ship - of - the - line s , 4 fire ship s , 23 galleys etc . , built at Voronezh and nearby locations ) under the command of Lefort reached the sea and blocked Azov . On June 14 , the Turkish fleet ( 23 ships with 4 , 000 men ) appeared at the mouth of the Don . However , it left after having lost 2 ships in combat . After massive bombardment from land and sea and seizure of the external rampart of the fortress by the Ukrainian and Don Cossaks on July 17 , the Azov garrison surrendered on July 19 . Aftermath . The Azov campaigns demonstrated the significance of having a fleet and marked the beginning of Russia ' s turning into a maritime power . Russia ' s success at Azov strengthened its positions during the Karlowitz Congress of 1698 - 1699 and favored the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople in 1700 . As Azov ' s harbor wasn ' t convenient for the military fleet , the Tsar selected another more appropriate site on July 27 , 1696 on the cape Tagan - Rog ( Taganrog ) . On September 12 , 1698 Taganrog was founded there , which became the first military base of the Russian Navy . Although the campaign was a success , it was evident to Peter I of Russia that he achieved only partial results , since his fleet was bottled up in the Sea of Azov due to Crimean and Ottoman control of the Strait of Kerch . A regular navy and specialists who could build and navigate military ships were necessary for resisting the Ottoman attacks . On October 20 , 1696 the Boyar Duma decreed the creation of the regular Imperial Russian Navy , this date is considered to be the birthday of the Russian Navy . The first shipbuilding program consisted of 52 vessels .