Russian Navy Founding Day
October 30 · Level 10 · #212 of 2238
Russian Navy Founding Day recalls the Boyar Duma's decision in 1696, traditionally treated as the starting point of Russia's regular navy. Following Peter I's Azov campaigns, building ships became part of a sustained effort to establish a naval service.
How it is celebrated: naval museums and libraries arrange exhibitions, talks and historical events. Sailors, veterans and history enthusiasts revisit the early shipyards and the people who worked in them.
One major centre of this shipbuilding effort was Voronezh, far inland. Vessels built there travelled towards the Sea of Azov through the Don river system.