Ushakov F. F.

Of all the Russian military leaders of the past, we especially single out Generalissimo Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. He spent 60 fights and battles, he won all of them. The commander defeated any enemy: Turks, Poles, Prussians, French ... He won, as he himself said, not by numbers, but by skill. His army outnumbered the enemy only in two or three cases.

We know less about Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov. Meanwhile, the illustrious Suvorov, admiring the skill of Ushakov in capturing the Mediterranean fortress of Corfu, exclaimed, far from being a red word: “Hurrah! To the Russian fleet!.. Now I say to myself: why wasn’t I even a midshipman at Corfu?”

Suvorov and Ushakov lived at the same time, participated in the same wars. Much in their fate was similar. Both were never defeated, both Turks, out of respectful fear, called pashas: Ushak Pasha and Topal Pasha (Topal means lame. Suvorov limped a little). At the end of their lives, both the generalissimo and the admiral were removed from military affairs, as they did not please the monarchs. The Generalissimo and the Admiral equally believed in soldiers and sailors, they knew that the Russians could accomplish such feats in the name of the Motherland that other troops could not do. The only difference was that one led infantry and cavalry into battles, the other - ships. But here, too, there was a similarity, perhaps the most important thing - both Suvorov and Ushakov were innovative military leaders, improved the forms of combat, and made their own amendments to the established rules.

The Russian general Dragomirov said: "They work for someone who works himself, and they go to death for someone who does not shy away from it." Suvorov only once, during the assault on Izmail, was not in the thick of the battle - he watched the course of action from the hill. And Ushakov was always in the hottest place of the battle. Just one of the innovations that he introduced was that the flagship of the squadron, led by the admiral himself, engaged in battle with the enemy's flagship.

The flagships were the strongest, the best in the squadron. If it was possible to sink such a ship, set it on fire, board it or force it to leave the battle, then this immediately gave a tangible result. The death of the flagship frightened, the squadron was left without a leader.

Of course, the Russian flagship was also in increased danger. The Russian squadron was also threatened with trouble in the event of his death or the death of the flagship admiral. But one cannot win a war without risk, without audacity. It is only important that they are justified, that there are reasons to take risks and dare.

And what reason did Ushakov have for this? First, he had the gift to instantly assess the situation and see the weaknesses of the enemy position. Secondly, the crews of his ships were trained by him and perfectly owned sails and guns, they could quickly and accurately perform a maneuver and hit the target in cold blood. Thirdly, Ushakov knew the enemy very well, his fighting techniques, his psychology and habits. For example, Ushakov knew that the Turkish admirals demanded from their captains the absolutely precise execution of orders given for the entire battle. This means that it was worth destroying the battle plan planned by Pasha, as the enemy captains did not know what to do. Or something else - boarding was considered the main thing in the tactics of Turkish ships, artillery was intended mainly for preparing a boarding battle. Knowing this, Ushakov boldly led the ships to the enemy and, from a distance of 50-70 meters, destroyed the Turkish sailors crowded at the side for a boarding throw with grapeshot.

So, Ushakov won victories in battles near the island of Fidonisi (36 Russian ships against 49 Turkish ones), near the Kerch Strait (32 ships against 54), near Tendra Island (5 ships of the line and 11 frigates against 14 ships of the line and 8 frigates of the Turks).

The year 1791 again brought Ushakov a brilliant victory. At Cape Kaliakria (northeast of Varna), on the last day of July, 34 Russian ships defeated the Turkish fleet, which consisted of 78 ships.

Eight months before this battle, Suvorov's troops stormed the fortress of the Turks Izmail, which blocked the mouth of the Danube. The fortress fell after a nine-hour battle. From the land it was attacked by infantrymen, from the Danube the ships of the rowing flotilla; Ushakov's squadron was cruising at sea, preventing the Turkish fleet from helping the besieged.

After the fall of Ishmael, peace negotiations began between Turkey and Russia. It seemed that the Turks, having lost their last stronghold on the northern coast of the Black Sea, should have become more accommodating. But they delayed the signing of the peace treaty. Why? Because they still had a pretty strong fleet; to help their Black Sea ships, they constantly transferred the ships of the Mediterranean squadrons. (The Turks owned the territories of modern Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Syria.) If the Sultan had lost faith in the power of his fleet, the treaty would have been signed and the war would have ended, exhausting for both countries. Here it fell to the lot of Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov to say his weighty word.

The Turkish fleet was commanded by Kapudan Pasha Hussein. To help him, the Sultan called in a squadron of the Algerian Pasha Said-Ali, an old, experienced naval commander who won many victories over European admirals, nicknamed the "thunderstorm of the seas", "the lion of the crescent." Said-Ali, leaving Istanbul, promised the Sultan "to bring Ushak Pasha with a rope around his neck." At that time there was no telegraph, but the boastful words of the Algerian admiral reached the Russian admiral.

Ushakov's squadron, in search of the enemy, marched along the western shores of the sea. At Cape Kaliakria, the Russians unexpectedly discovered the Turkish fleet. There were a lot of ships: 18 battleships, 17 frigates, 43 light ones. They stood near the shore under the protection of several batteries. The wind was blowing from the coast, so that the Turks had an advantageous windward position. Hussein and Said-Ali considered their position absolutely invulnerable; only a madman could attack them. Therefore, part of the crews was released ashore to celebrate the religious holiday of Ramadan Bayram.

Ushakov's squadron consisted of 16 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 bombardment ships, a firewall and 13 light ships.

What was Ushakov to do? The enemy has finally been found. In the event of victory over him, the war will end - to the benefit of Russia. But there are much more Turks ... And they cost according to all the rules of maritime art. That's what Ushakov is famous for, that he, it would seem, in an invulnerable position was able to discern a flaw. Ushakov decided immediately, while the enemy was not ready for battle, to attack him.

Watching the attack, come on, reader, count how many times the Russian admiral will violate the rules of battle. He has already made the first violation - with smaller forces he attacks larger ones. A second violation followed immediately. He launched an attack on Turkish ships, being in marching order. His squadron was marching in a three-keel column. (See diagram A.) It is supposed to line up in one column so that all the firepower of the ships, all the guns of one Borg (remember Reiter and Rupert) are directed at the enemy. And here are three columns - two-thirds of the guns are closed from the enemy by their own ships.

So it is. But otherwise, Ushakov will not use the weakness of the Turkish position, so far visible to him alone. Ushakov intends to take a windward position, which both pashas did not expect. The squadron enters the narrow space between the coast and the enemy fleet. If she entered in a classical column - avant-garde, center, rear-guard - it would take a lot of time, sailing ships are coming, not torpedo boats are rushing. The Turks from the coastal batteries and from the ships would have shot the Russian ships going one after the other like slow geese.

The guns of the starboard side of the right column with several volleys suppressed the coastal batteries of the Turks. Ushakov's squadron took up a windward position.

Hussein and Said-Ali were stunned by what had happened. They ordered to raise the sails and cut the anchor ropes. There is no time to choose anchors, to wait for the sailors to come running from the shore. It is necessary to leave seaward as soon as possible in order to build ships in a line in the distance and take the fight. (Scheme B.)

Leaving to the leeward side is easy. The Turks have retreated, and now they are already lining up a wake column. Ahead is the ship of Said-Ali and the ship of the second flagship, Vice Admiral. Ushakov at this time eliminates his temporary weakness - he also builds one of the three columns. He himself is on the 80-gun ship "Christmas". The Russian flagship, true to its principle, has already set its sights on the flagship of the Turks, the ship of Said-Ali. This is the third violation of the rules: the commander of the entire squadron is supposed to be in the center.

Diagram B shows us a very important period of the battle. Large ships - both Russian and Turkish - lined up in battle lines, as in a classic battle. Well! Classic doesn't mean bad. There is a reason for the classic. But what then did Ushakov achieve? The Russians have a windward position before the fight, they are the masters of the battle.

However, it was not for nothing that Said-Ali was called the “thunderstorm of the seas”. With his vanguard, he is trying to outrun the Russian ships and go out into the wind. The diagram shows how advanced Turkish ships have already turned 180 degrees. Ushakov understood in time what the Algerian wanted to achieve. Then he wrote about this moment in the report: “... I noticed that Said-Ali with the vice admiral's ship and other large and several frigates, being advanced, was in a hurry to separate forward, winning the wind, therefore, to prevent his attack, I chased with the ship" Merry Christmas" behind him, following forward our line ... Building the line of our fleet at the closest distance against the enemy and catching up with Pasha Said-Ali's advanced ship, he signaled the entire fleet to go down to the enemy at close range, and the ship under my flag "Christmas" , approaching the advanced Pashinsky ship at a distance of half a cable, attacked it.

How many meters in the cable? 185.2 meters. So, Ushakov approached Said-Ali's ship at 90 meters. Most likely, the "Christmas" was even closer to the Turkish flagship. According to the stories of the participants in the battle, Said-Ali and Ushakov saw each other. The Russian admiral shouted to the Algerian: “Said, slacker! I will wean you from making such promises!”

The threat of the Algerian admiral to capture Ushakov was not empty. As you can see, he boldly approached the Russian flagship, and the Turks had already prepared boarding ladders to get to the deck of the Nativity of Christ.

But then came a broadside salvo of Russian guns. The cores broke the Turk's mast, yards, turned the stern. New volleys inflicted new damage. And Said-Ali himself would have been captured, but then two battleships and two frigates of the Turks, saving their admiral, literally wedged between his ship and Ushakov's ship. (Diagram G.)

A fierce battle was fought by the Russians with the second flagship of the enemy - the Vice Admiral and with other ships. Those with broken masts, with torn sails, with torn sides, one after another, left the battle. Ushakov's favorite technique - a blow to the flagships - led the enemy to a loss of morale. By evening, having lost faith in their pashas, ​​having lost the ability to resist, the Turkish ships mixed up in a heap. A stampede began. It is shown in D.

You and I, reader, have not yet touched on the actions of small vessels of the Ushakov squadron. In schemes C and D, they are shown in two flocks: one flock is dense, the other has only four ships. Four (two frigates and two bombing ships) is the reserve that Ushakov keeps in the direction of the main attack, that is, in the most critical place. The battle of the flagships was decisive: the reserve at the right time with fresh forces entered into action and helped to disable the strong Turkish ships.

Prior to Ushakov, the naval commanders did not allocate a tactical reserve: they did not guess about its usefulness, considering it more useful to bring all the ships into battle at once. Only later, studying the victories of the Russian admiral, did they begin to borrow his military discovery. You and I will no longer call violations of the deviation from the rules that Ushakov allowed. In fact, these violations are discoveries in naval art.

The stern of the Russian 64th cannon ship "Ingermanland". 1713.

Stern of the 100-gun ship "Emperor Peter I". 1825

Sailing and rowing ship Fusta.

The attack from the side of the coast, which began the battle at Kaliakria, is also the discovery of Ushakov. Seven years later, the famous English admiral Nelson repeated it - he attacked a strong French squadron off the coast of Egypt and won.

But we are somewhat digressed from the battle, which ends at Cape Kaliakria. So, what do the small ships, depicted in an unchanged position in diagrams C and D, do? Their position changes only in Scheme D. This is still a reserve - 17 cruising ships. It is designed to finish off and pursue single enemy ships leaving the battlefield, as well as to destroy boats that are sailing to the shore. Ushakov wrote about the actions of the reserve in a report: “And during the cruisers sent from me in pursuit of ships ... many enemy ships were driven ashore, flooded, and some were burned, the fleeing enemy people were beaten and sunk in a multitude ... "

Suvorov said: "The enemy is pushed back - failure, the enemy is exterminated, captured - good luck." And one more thing: “The uncut forest grows again ...” The commander himself always pursued the fleeing enemy in the most decisive way and destroyed or captured him. Ushakov did the same, although it can be difficult for people exhausted in battle to find the strength to pursue. This time, the ships of the Russian admiral also pursued the enemy. But the Turks were lucky. At first they were hidden by the night, then a storm began. Ushakov temporarily suspended the pursuit. And when he resumed, he received a message about the end of hostilities. Ushakov's squadron, having lost 17 men killed and 27 wounded in the battle, returned to Sevastopol.

The last straw that broke the stubbornness of the Turkish Sultan was the arrival in Istanbul of part of the ships of the Algerian squadron (many ships sank on the way due to damage received in battle). The battered flagship Said-Ali anchored in the Bosphorus. There were 450 dead and wounded on board. The sailors were the first to bring the wounded admiral ashore, put him in a closed stretcher and carried him to the Sultan's palace. And then, in front of the eyes of the whole city, the flagship began to sink. The arrival of the crippled ships, the defeat of the squadron had such a depressing effect on the people of Istanbul that no one gave help to the ship, and it drowned.

The victory of the Russian fleet at Kaliakria dispelled the last hopes of Turkey, and she went to peace.

The Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 ended. On December 29, 1791, a peace treaty was concluded in Iasi. Russia became the master of the northern shores of the Black Sea.

Order of Ushakov.

Ushakov medal.

You and I, reader, have been comparing Suvorov and Ushakov all the time. Their military glory is equally appreciated by our people to this day. During the war against the Nazis, the Soviet government established the Order of Suvorov and the Order of Ushakov in recognition of services to the Fatherland. They are awarded for outstanding victories to military leaders of the army and navy. The Ushakov medal was also established - to reward sailors, foremen and sergeants for the courage.

Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov, like Suvorov, did not know defeat - despite the fact that he devoted decades to exercises and battles. The Russian archangel did not tire of admiring the exploits of the sea bear. When an Austrian officer once mentioned “Admiral von Ushakov” in a report, Suvorov abruptly interrupted him: “Take your “background”, and the Russian admiral, the hero of Kaliakria and Corfu, if you please, call Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov!”. Suvorov's indignation is understandable: Ushakov was, as they say, from a cross-Russian to Russian, his manners resembled a commoner and behaved not at all like a cosmopolitan aristocrat. In those years, a few brilliant Russian aristocrats could often be found in the temple of God. Bogomolny Ushakov, like Suvorov, was known as an exception to the rule.

A unique naval commander, the only one in Russian! But even from his brilliant succession of victories, Kaliakria stands out. This naval battle significantly influenced the course of the Russian-Turkish war, consolidated the worldwide glory of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and became decisive in the campaign. The Ottoman Empire after Kaliakria showed compliance, went to peace negotiations, which ended with the Iasi peace. And, if this date is forgotten, we should be ashamed, because Kaliakria is the finest hour of the Black Sea Fleet. Alas, during the years of confrontation with Napoleon, when Fyodor Fedorovich was retired, in Russia they underestimated the importance of the fleet and, to a certain extent, lost their victorious traditions. Yes, and Kaliakria was rarely mentioned. Artillery, cavalry, infantry - that's what broke the invasion of twelve languages. And a strong navy, as it seemed to Emperor Alexander, was not much needed by the empire. The bitter lesson of the Crimean War showed the recklessness of such an attitude towards the fleet. A nation that spans an entire continent cannot afford to forget about the seas. Peter the Great and Potemkin created Russian naval power - in the Baltic and the Black Sea. How else could the empire protect itself from the encroachments of the most annoying opponents - Sweden and Turkey?

This was in 1791. Cape Kaliakria (Kaliakra) is located in Bulgaria, in Greek its name means "beautiful cape". It is well known to connoisseurs of local resorts: Golden Sands and Albena are within easy reach from here. A thin cape - for a reason the Bulgarians call it the "nose" - crashed into the sea for two kilometers. For Bulgarians, Ushakov is an Orthodox saint and a hero-liberator. The Battle of Kaliakria is considered by the Bulgarians as a prologue to the liberation from the Ottoman yoke.

It was there that the Turkish ships were concentrated, packed with troops. Reinforcements from Africa arrived in time to help the Turkish squadron. The "African" ships were led by the skillful naval commander Seit-Ali, a native of Algeria, a very ambitious person. The winner of the Italian fleet! He rallied his sailors with proud statements in which he swore to cruelly teach the Russian Ushak Pasha a lesson. “I will bring him to Istanbul, chained! I’ll take him around the city in a cage!” the Algerian shouted. No, he was not a crazy bawler and braggart. Here you can see the psychological calculation: loud threats returned self-confidence to the “warriors of Allah”, who, after several defeats, began to be afraid of Ushakov. Turkish commanders diligently supported the fire of religious fanaticism in the troops.

The huge Ottoman fleet was noisy off the Bulgarian coast. Kapudan Hussein Pasha, who had already been beaten by Ushakov more than once, remained in command, but the ambitious Seit Bey did not obey anyone except the Sultan. The Turks did not have unity.

Hussein Pasha also had coastal fortifications with artillery at his disposal. But the main thing is 18 battleships, 17 frigates, armed to the teeth. 1600 guns on capital ships. And also - 43 auxiliary ships, also well armed. The power is quite impressive for those times. An impregnable fortress on the sea. As long as the Turkish fleet and coastal batteries remained a single fist, this force was invulnerable.

We admit: those were not the best years of the Brilliant Porte. It was not easy for the Turks to keep in submission the vast territory conquered during the military heyday of the Ottomans. Russia pressed Turkey. But let's not underestimate the power of the Turkish fleet. Both in the construction of ships and in the education of sailors, they were assisted by European allies, primarily France. Russian sailors could envy the qualities of Turkish ships ... Turkish ships were faster, more maneuverable. It remained to show their own trump cards, and Fedor Fedorovich had them: decisiveness, bold decisions, speed, brilliant training of gunners, skillful actions of sailors in close combat. Fedor Fedorovich was a true educator of the army, the sailors of the Ushakov school were miraculous heroes.

Potemkin understood that a fight with the superior forces of the Turks could end tragically for the fearless Russian admiral. “Pray to God! The Lord will help us, rely on Him; cheer up the team and create in them the will to fight. The mercy of God is with you! ”, - he wrote to Fedor Fedorovich, his favorite. Of course, this instruction was superfluous: Ushakov, even without Potemkin and not only in the days of fatal trials, was sincerely devout.

How long, short, it was necessary to return Russia's power over the Black Sea. Ushakov's squadron consisted of 18 battleships, two frigates and 19 auxiliary vessels. Less than a thousand guns! Compared to the Turkish forces - almost a trifle. It remained to rely on the Suvorov principle: win not by numbers, but by skill. And also - to the confusion that will arise in the Turkish ranks, if you manage to surprise, stun the enemy.

And Ushakov, seeing the Turkish squadron, decided on a quick onslaught, not showing respect for the established rules. The Turks, watching the approach of the Russians, at first did not even believe that Ushakov would dare to attack.

And Ushakov did not even reorganize the ships in the line of attack, as required by traditional regulations. The Russian rear admiral hurriedly led the ships in three columns between the coast and the Turkish squadron - under fire from coastal batteries. If the Turks were ready to meet uninvited guests, the Russian sailors would have to retreat. But they could not even imagine that Ushakov would decide on a recklessly bold attack. The Turkish artillerymen overslept the Russian maneuver. “Add sails!” Ushakov ordered, anticipating a bloody battle with the main forces of the Turks. He achieved his goal: panic already reigned on the Turkish ships, Seit-Ali lost control of the ships ... They did not have time to clearly line up in the battle line, did not have time to organize an artillery rebuff.

Having endured the first - sudden - Russian attack, the Algerian tried to rebuild the ships for a counterattack, to catch the wind. Unlike Hussein, the Algerian overcame the confusion of the first minutes of the battle and remained a dangerous opponent. Ushakov read this plan of the enemy - and attacked the Algerian on his own flagship "Christmas of Christ". For the third time in this battle, Ushakov forgot about the rules of naval combat. He left the line, rushed to the attack with one goal: to deprive the Turks of the "head". In this episode, one of the best students of Ushakov, the commander of the Nativity of Christ, captain of the first rank Yelchaninov, did not lose his temper.

A legend has survived: in close combat, Fedor Fedorovich shouted to the enemy: “Hey, Seit-Ali, slacker! I will wean you from making boastful promises! This is too romantic to be true, but there were enough Russian intelligence officers in Turkey during the time of Potemkin and Ushakov could well have known about the impudent statements of the Algerian.

In the hour-long battle, the qualities of Russian sailors of Ushakov's training affected - their valor and accuracy.

And soon the ship of the brave Seyid-Ali lost its sails, its deck caught fire - and he was forced to retreat. Seid-Ali himself, covered in blood, was brought into the cabin. The defeat of the Algerian predetermined the collapse of the Turkish squadron. But Ushakov's flagship "Christmas" was in a desperate situation: the ship was surrounded by four Turkish ships. Ushakov rushed into the thick of the battle, attacked. "Christmas" was supported by other ships - and only the impending storm saved the Turks from a complete catastrophe. Ushakov wrote to Potemkin: the Turkish fleet was "very defeated, involved and constrained so that the enemy ships themselves beat each other with their shots."

The Turks retreated in horror to Constantinople. Alas, the French ships were faster, Ushakov could not catch up with them in order to uproot the uncut forest. And Fedor Fedorovich started repairing his squadron. Two days later, the patched Russian ships were ready for new battles, which Ushakov reported to Potemkin.

In the fiery hell, Ushakov did not lose a single ship.

In the battle, 45 Russian sailors were killed and seriously injured. Only on one Turkish ship - on the flagship Seit-Ali - there were ten times more wounded and killed.

“Oh great! Your fleet is no more!” the Algerian reported to the Sultan. In Istanbul, wounded, frightened sailors were received with horror. Seit-Ali was arrested, Hussein Pasha considered it good to disappear altogether. The Sultan seriously feared that Ushakov would turn the squadron to Istanbul and then - the grief of the great empire. Turkey had to become more accommodating - and Ushakov would visit Constantinople after the start of peace negotiations. Not in a cage, but at the head of a squadron. And the Turks will be amazed by the meek disposition of Russian sailors, discipline and military skill.

Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin was seriously ill in those days. Before the signing of the Jassy peace, he will not live. With excitement, he followed the campaign of his favorite, his victorious naval commander. Kaliakria was the last triumph of the all-powerful prince of Tauride - a victory as beautiful as the Black Sea. “The Turks do not even know where their scattered ships have gone; many were thrown onto the Anatolian coast. Six ships entered the Constantinople Canal at night, very damaged. The admiral's ship was sinking and asking for help. Their cannon shots alarmed the Sultan and the whole city. In the afternoon, the sultan saw their broken ships without masts with many dead and wounded, ”prince Tauride triumphed in a letter to the empress.

Potemkin did his best: for Kaliakria and Ushakov, and his officers were generously awarded. Fedor Fedorovich received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, one and a half dozen heroes - George and Vladimir of the second and third degrees.

We rightly call the glorious Admiral Suvorov of the Russian fleet: Ushakov was an educator, a father-commander for officers and sailors. Fedor Fedorovich revolutionized the tactics of naval battles, broke patterns, choosing the shortest path to victory, Ushakov's piety surprised his contemporaries. Finally, Ushakov, having served in his hands for four decades, remained invincible. How is it Suvorov!

All his life he served in the Navy and was not brought up by Suvorov. And yet Ushakov is the brightest student of Suvorov.

And the innovative moves that Ushakov used under Kaliakria were diligently mastered by the greatest naval commanders of the world. Admiral Horatio Nelson, who admired Ushakov, seven years later, under Abukir, would attack French ships both from the coast and from the sea. He will repeat the tactics of Ushakov and in another seven years, at Trafalgar.

Unbending in the smoke of battles, Ushakov remained a modest, humble person in life. And society underestimated him for a long time. The greatest naval commander did not have the first degrees of the orders of St. George and St. Vladimir. He was not promoted to prince, earl, or baron... For Ushakov, there was no place either on the St. Petersburg monument to Empress Catherine and the great figures of her era, or on the Novgorod monument dedicated to the millennium of Russia - and, alas, this did not surprise anyone. The exploits of Ushakov did not interest artists, poets. Yes, and military historians were not too zealous: I will only mention the book by R. Skalovsky, published in 1856. Ushakov undeservedly stayed in the shadow of the glory of other heroes of Russian history - for the time being, for the time being. Oddly enough, true fame came to the invincible admiral in the twentieth century.

... At the beginning of 1944, the People's Commissariat of the Navy of the USSR turned to Stalin with a proposal to establish orders and medals of Ushakov and Nakhimov. The question arose: who to put higher? In those years, both in the army and among the people, Nakhimov was much more popular. The Sevastopol epic and the feat of Nakhimov, according to pre-revolutionary tradition, were considered (and quite rightly!) The apotheosis of heroism. But Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov, who knew the history of wars well, understood that there was simply no one to put next to Ushakov in the history of the Russian fleet. Kuznetsov's arguments convinced Stalin - and the leader of the USSR opened the way for scientists, artists, writers, filmmakers to study and sing the exploits of Ushakov. Even during the war years, the Supreme Commander devoted time to the issue of recreating the portrait of Admiral Ushakov. Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov, having studied the admiral's skull, presented his version of the portrait. Connected to the work and experts from the Academy of Arts. Books, paintings, sculptures...

Of the many publications dedicated to the naval commander and published after 1944, we single out a magnificent three-volume edition edited by R.N. Mordvinov, in which the life and work of Ushakov is shown in detail, on the basis of documents, and the popular historical novel by Leonty Rakovsky, which was read to the ground by boys in all libraries of the USSR. Well, the pinnacle of fame is Mikhail Romm's film dilogy: "Admiral Ushakov" and "Ships storm the bastions." Ushakov - Ivan Pereverzev! This actor devoted all the power of his talent to the fleet: he played a major role in the films "Ivan Nikulin - Russian Sailor", and there were also sailors in the films "Home", "The Tale of the Furious", "Midshipman Panin", "Treasure of the Republic", "Day Angel"…

But it was Ushakov, the Russian sea bear, invincible and meek, strong and merciful, who became the crowning role for Pereverzev. But he played exactly the “righteous warrior”, pay attention to the eyes of Pereverzev in the role of Ushakov, to the attentive, compassionate look.

After Pereverzevsky "Excellent!" Ushakov forever took a well-deserved place in the host of the innermost heroes of the Fatherland, known throughout Russia. From now on, Ushakov is loved and revered. Who knows, without this film, the miracle of Ushakov's canonization as a locally revered saint of the Saransk and Mordovian dioceses in 2001 would have happened? Director Mikhail Romm treated this work of his somewhat dismissively, as a burdensome order. And it turned out a miracle - an ageless canvas ...

Many people remember October 2004, when the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church ranked Ushakov among the church-wide saints in the face of the righteous. The righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov is the heavenly patron of the navy and strategic aviation of Russia.

You can talk for a long time about the modesty of the invincible admiral. After all, even the portraits of Ushakov did not really remain. We judge his appearance by Gerasimov's attempt to restore the face from the skull, and by the same Pereverzev, whose image is repeated by modern monuments to Ushakov. The admiral and poets did not sing. Derzhavin once mentioned Fyodor Fyodorovich in the notes to his poems, and nothing more.

Ushakov was not worried about loud fame. Holy admiral...

Feats, loneliness, righteousness, oblivion, glory, an icon - such is the path of a warrior, inscribed from above. Truly a unique path.

All the turning point battles of the sailing fleet. From the Great Armada to Trafalgar Sergey Petrovich Makhov

Battle of Cape Kaliakria (1791)

Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov

Throughout the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, Russia and Turkey waged uninterrupted wars. Russia rushed to the coast of the Black Sea, while the Ottoman Empire, for which the Black Sea was an inland lake, did not want to let it go there. By the next Russian-Turkish war (1787–1791), the situation was as follows: in 1783, Russia liquidated the Crimean Khanate and occupied the Crimean peninsula. The newly annexed possessions began to be called Tauris. The favorite of the Empress, Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, the Most Serene Prince of Tauride, had to take care of their settlement, economic development, construction of cities, ports, fortresses. The Russians began to create a fleet in the Black Sea, the main base of which was Sevastopol. On July 24 (August 4), 1783, an agreement was concluded on the patronage and supreme power of Russia with the united Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti (otherwise the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom, Eastern Georgia), according to which Eastern Georgia came under the protectorate of Russia. The treaty sharply weakened the positions of Persia and Turkey in Transcaucasia, formally destroying their claims to Eastern Georgia.

In 1787, Empress Catherine II made a triumphant tour of the Crimea, accompanied by representatives of foreign courts and her ally, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, who was traveling. This event greatly stirred up public opinion in Istanbul, wild rumors arose from scratch: the empress wants the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of Byzantium on its ruins, for which Catherine's grandson Constantine is already tipped to be king. On the site of Wallachia, it is planned to create the kingdom of Dacia, where Potemkin will rule. In compensation for participation in the war, Austria will be given Bosnia and Dalmatia, and Venice - Morea, Cyprus and Crete. Revanchist sentiment was fueled by the British ambassador's statement that Britain would support the Ottoman Empire if it went to war against Russia.

In 1787, Turkey, with the support of Great Britain, France and Prussia, put forward an ultimatum to the Russian Empire demanding the restoration of the vassalage of the Crimean Khanate and Georgia, and also sought permission from Russia to inspect ships passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles. On August 13, 1787, the Ottoman Empire, having received a refusal, declared war on Russia.

The war for Turkey was unsuccessful: the Ottoman landing was repulsed near Kinburn, Russian troops took Ochakov, Bendery, and Khotyn, defeated the Muslim armies at Rymnik and Fokshtany, and in 1790, under the command of Suvorov, they stormed and captured the strongest fortress of Izmail. At sea, the Turks were defeated by Russian sailing and rowing fleets in Liman, near Fidonisi, in the Kerch Strait and at Cape Tendra. The Russians seized the initiative and confidently marched to victory. To turn the tide at sea from the end of April

In 1790, the Ottoman fleet was qualitatively and quantitatively increased, and a year later there were 19 battleships, 17 frigates, 43 small ships. In 1791 sailors from North Africa appeared in the Ottoman fleet. Russian historians have an opinion that they arrived "squadrons of ships from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, etc.", however, this is fundamentally wrong. The Algerian fleet, the largest in North Africa, in 1787–90 had as many as ... nine shebeks (the armament of ships - from 10 to 36 light cannons) and as many as two rowing galliots, while in 1790 there were only 4 small ships armed, on which there were only there were 36 guns. Another frigate was under construction, the Sultan promised 2 more frigates; the rest of the "fleets" of North Africa were smaller than the Algerian. Only in 1792 did a squadron of Algerian ships go to Istanbul. However, in the fleet of 1791, 2 Algerian and 1 Tunisian shebeks are mentioned.

Large losses (and desertion) in the crews of the Ottoman ships in 1788–1790 forced the Sultan to turn to the Africans for help. It must be said that the Turks did this because of urgent need, the African corsairs were poorly disciplined, acted without permission, often rebelled and killed their officers.

In early May, the Muslim fleet (20 ships, 25 frigates, 6 shebeks, 5 bombing ships, 10 Kirlangichs, 15 transports) went to sea, with the task of bringing reinforcements to Anapa, which was surrounded by Russian troops, and not blocking this fortress from the sea. In June, the Russian Black Sea Fleet received a message from General Gudovich, who was besieging Anapa, that a large Turkish fleet had appeared near the Dniester Estuary, on June 10, Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov put the ships to sea (16 ships, 2 frigates, 3 bombardment ships, 9 cruising ships, 13 brigantines , 3 firewalls). Well, then the fun begins. The fact is that our reader is familiar in all details only with the Russian version of the events that took place near Anapa and at Cape Kaliakria. Turkish sources were either ignored completely or were not available. Now it is possible to use them thanks to the fact that in Turkey there are finally researchers studying the history of their fleet. Therefore, we will continue to give two versions of the state before the battle and the battle. The Turkish version that we present is based on the books of Turkish historians Bostan, Zorlu, Isipek. Russian data - on documents from the MIRF, books by Ovchinnikov, Anderson, articles from the Marine Atlas. So, let's begin.

Battle of Cape Kaliakiria

According to the Russian version, on June 11, 1791, Ushakov noticed the enemy fleet at Cape Aya, but the Turks did not accept the battle, and headed south, Ushakov chased them for four days, but did not catch up. According to Isipek, both sides began to prepare for battle, but a complete calm descended, which stood for four days. Then the wind blew from the side of the Russians, Ushakov had the opportunity to get close to the enemy, but did not dare (he estimated the enemy’s forces at 18 battleships, 10 heavy and 7 light frigates, 22 small ships - a total of 57 units). The Russian commander explains his decision by the fact that at that moment, after a four-day chase, he had only 10 battleships out of 16 (6 were carried to the sea due to breakdowns in the spars and overgrown bottoms). The Turks believe that the Russian fleet was scattered, while the Ottomans kept compact, which forced Ushakov to retreat.

On June 16, the Russians returned to Sevastopol, Ushakov unsubscribed to Potemkin about the campaign, saying that in 5–7 days he would repair the damage and again go out in search of the enemy. Repair meanwhile dragged on for a month. On July 23, Count Voinovich, commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet and the port of Sevastopol, was dismissed, Ushakov became the sovereign leader of not only the squadron, but the entire fleet. On the 29th, Ushakov reports to Potemkin that the repair of the ships has been completed and he is ready to go to sea. In the morning, 16 ships of the line, 2 bombardment ships, 2 frigates, 1 fire ship, 1 repetitive ship and 17 cruisers left the port and went in search of the Ottoman fleet.

The Turks, after the maneuvers in June, withdrew to Cape Kaliakria, where they dropped anchor. At noon on July 31, Ushakov discovered the Turkish fleet. The Ottomans were commanded by Kapudanpasha Giritli Hussein, and Seydi-Ali (in Russian sources Said-Api) was appointed his assistant (the main "patron").

The first thing that can be noted looking at this list is a too large collection of ships of different ranks and different combat values, moreover, flavored with a large number of irregular crews, who also conflict with regular sailors (Barbary pirates were Shiites, while the main population of the Ottoman Empire, from which was completed by the fleet - Sunnis).

This can be seen at least by the fact that the Turks themselves estimate their squadron at 20 ships, 25 frigates, 6 shebeks, 5 bombing ships, 10 Kirlangichs, 15 transports, while Ushakov, in his report to Potemkin dated August 5, 1791, reports 18 ships , 17 frigates and many small craft. In principle, there is no particular discrepancy, given that the Turks refer to the Kelem-Bahri and Tunus Ibragimkapudan as battleships, although most likely they were chartered large Turkish private ships.

What can be said about the Turkish squadron and Turkish ships? By far the strongest in it were the 74-gun Mukkaddime-i Nusret and the 72- or 82-gun Bahr-i Zafer. The first of those mentioned was launched in Istanbul in 1787, built according to French drawings by French shipbuilders. It was a standard 74-gun, two-decker ship with (most likely) the standard armament of this type of battleship. The second was a completely new ship, launched in 1789, but its dimensions (first of all, the keel length given in Turkish sources is 42 meters) for some reason were less than the Mukkaddime-i Nusret (keel length 45.1 meters ), and corresponded to the length of the standard Turkish 72-gunner. For example, the 72-gun "Feyz-i Huda" (built in 1789 in Sinop) - 41.7 meters, "Ankayi Bahri" - 41.7 meters. This suggests that the Bahr-i Zafer was either a 72-gunner, or it was overloaded with guns, making it an 82-gun flagship. Of the frigates, only the first six carried standard weapons, the rest had from 20 to 30 guns.

In general, despite the large number of ships, the real strength of the Hussein and Seydi-Ali squadron was small.

But back to the description of the battle. The north wind was blowing, Ushakov went backstay to the west in three marching columns, the Turks stood behind Cape Kaliakria with three columns from the southeast to the northwest.

The Russian admiral did not line up and at 14.45 passed Cape Kaliakria led his columns between the Turkish batteries on the coast and the Ottoman fleet still at anchor. This decision plunged the Turks into a panic - some of the ships began to cut the ropes and fall out into the wind, trying to build a line. Seydi-Ali's "Mukkaddime-i Nusret" was the first to follow, Hussein tried to hold on to him, but "Bahr-i Zafer" had a shortage in the crew and soon fell behind. Ushakov on the "Christmas of Christ" passed in front of the nose of the Algerian, fired a longitudinal volley, damaged the bowsprit of the enemy, went astern and smashed the rudder to smithereens. The two ships following the Mukkaddime-i Nusret covered their admiral and helped Seydi-Ali escape into the wind. Soon several more Ottoman ships approached, and the Nativity of Christ had to fight on both sides with four battleships. Gradually, other Russian ships entered the battle - "Saint Alexander Nevsky", "John the Baptist", "Fedor Stratilat". "Navarikhiya Ascension of the Lord" under the command of Senyavin kept a little distance, but hit three enemy frigates with full volleys. The 66-gun "Mary Magdalene" fought with two Turkish ships.

At about 15.15 Ushakov again attacked Mukkaddime-i Nusret, but he was able to leave. The Turks were still able to line up, the Russians also reorganized into a wake column by 16.30 and the battle flared up with renewed vigor. During this time, the "Christmas" tried to knock out of the line and sink the "Mukkaddime-i Nusret", the most powerful ship of the Turkish fleet, which Ushakov considered the flagship ("kapudaniye"), By 20.30 on the "sultan" they were able to shoot down the fore topmast, grotto-ray , the Seydi-Ali ship fell out of the line, went under the protection of two frigates and began to move away from the battlefield, thereby giving a signal to the rest of the Turkish ships to flee; the Algerian admiral himself was badly wounded.

Ushakov, carried away by the battle, found himself with his ship in the middle of the Turkish fleet, with the left side he fought off two large frigates, and from the stern and starboard side he was attacked by two Turkish battleships, but soon lagging forward ships came to his rescue - "Saint Alexander Nevsky" , "John the Baptist" and "Theodore Stratilat". At 20.00 in the thickening darkness and smoke, the defeated Turkish squadron hastily left the battlefield. At 20.30 smoke enveloped the entire place of the battle, the battle stopped.

Well, now the Turkish version.

When Ushakov discovered the Ottoman fleet, he blew the NNE, which was unfavorable for the Turks. Hussein wanted to win the wind and ordered to cut the ropes, while Seydi-Ali with Tunisian and Algerian ships, not listening to the orders of Kapudan Pasha, drifted to the south, and thereby split the fleet into two groups. Hussein immediately raised a signal to the corsair, ordering him to return and attack the enemy together, but Seydi-Ali, most likely following the favorite tactics of the corsair, decided to attack the Russian vanguard and cut him off. But it turned out that the Russian avant-garde was made up of the strongest courts, and soon Seydi-Ali himself was surrounded and cut off from the main forces. Part of the Turkish ships came to the aid of the Algerian and were able to save him, however, due to the rash act of Hussein's “patron”, the Ottoman fleet broke the battle formation.

Nevertheless, by 15.00, they managed to build some semblance of a line, and although Ushakov, with the help of Seydi-Ali, cut the Ottoman squadron in two, none of the Turkish ships left the battlefield and they were able to repulse the Russian attack, albeit with heavy losses for themselves. Twilight parted the fleets, Hussein ordered to be repaired and the next day to continue the battle, but Seydi-Ali played a destructive role here too. The fact is that the Mukkaddime-i Nusret was seriously damaged, Seydi himself was seriously wounded, the loss of killed and wounded in the crew amounted to a third of the crew, and the captain of the ship (from Algerians) arbitrarily headed for Constantinople. The example of the "patron" was followed by 7 or 8 Ottoman ships, Hussein's attempts to stop them with signals and return them to the squadron were simply ignored. Nevertheless, Kapudan Pasha planned to attack the Russians with the remaining ships on August 1, believing that they were also badly damaged after the battle, but the storm that had begun prevented these plans. The Turkish squadron headed for Constantinople.

Sultan Selim III was furious with the results of the battle. In response to Hussein's request to put the ships out to sea again, he replied: “My fleet commander and the captains of my ships simply insulted me. I did not expect such behavior from them. Woe to my respect that I had for them!” Potemkin, having received news of this victory, tore up the already signed treaty and dictated to the Turks a new one, more beneficial for Russia.

After the battle at Kaliakria, the Ottoman Empire realized that the war was lost. Couriers were urgently sent to the Turkish representatives at the peace talks in Iasi to sign a truce with Russia on any terms. They frantically began to strengthen the approaches to the Bosphorus and the fortresses of the Straits - they were seriously afraid of Russian landings.

Turkish naval power was finally broken.