Shtandart (frigate)

[Anatol]

The frigate Shtandart ( Russian : Штандартъ ) was the first ship of Russia's Baltic fleet . Her keel was laid on April 24, 1703 at the Olonetsky shipyard near Olonets by the decree of Tsar Peter I and orders issued by commander Aleksandr Menshikov . The vessel was built by the Dutch shipwright Vybe Gerens under the direct supervision of the tsar. She was the first flagship of the Imperial Russian Navy and was in service until 1727.
The name Shtandart signifies Peter the Great's desire to gain access to the Baltic Sea, which at the time of the Shtandart's construction was dominated by the Swedish Empire . A plan to take control of the Baltic Sea away from Sweden was revived after Peter's Grand Embassy ended in 1698. The name refers more directly to a naval ensign created for the new Baltic Fleet, of which the Shtandart was the first ship. Peter's goal was finally realized after he decisively defeated Swedish forces at the Battle of Poltava in 1709, a turning point for Russia in the Great Northern War (1700–1721).
The Shtandart's design combined techniques from English and Dutchshipbuilding schools. The frame of the ship is wide, almost square, and the ship's double bottom is flat, reducing the draft . The high rigging of the sails is in the English style. The frigate was launched on August 22, 1703 and set sail on September 8, 1703 for St. Petersburg .
The Shtandart was built in only five months, and Tsar Peter I's personal involvement may have expedited the construction. Peter had learned shipbuilding techniques from the Dutch during his Grand Embassy tour of western Europe (1697–98), and he sailed on the Shtandart as its captain under the pseudonym Peter Mihajlov on its maiden voyage from Olonets to Saint Petersburg in September 1703.
In the great cabin there is a compass hanging over a table which can only be read from its underside. A Russian legend relates that this compass hung over Peter'shammock and that when he woke up, he always checked the compass to ensure that the frigate was on course.
The Shtandart was overhauled in 1710 and four cannons were added to her armament, making her a 28-gun frigate. The ship was laid up in drydock in 1711 to have several beams replaced. In 1727 Catherine I ordered a survey of the frigate to determine if she was sound enough for another refit. During an attempt to raise the ship above the watreline, the hull was cut in half by cables used in the process. TheShtandart was broken up, and Catherine ordered a replacement to be built. This order was finally carried out in 1994.
In 1994 a small group of sailing enthusiasts led by Vladimir Martus started construction of an exact replica of the ship. Martus developed a new layout of theShtandart wherein she was built with four bulkheads, dividing her into five compartments. The "Shtandart Project" (a non-commercial organisation dedicated to youth development) launched an exact replica of the frigate on September 4, 1999. The replica frigate has three masts and her displacement is 220 tons.She is 25 metres (82.0 ft) long at her centre line, 27.5 metres (90 ft) long on deck and 34.5 metres (113 ft) long overall. The Shtandart is 6.9 metres (23 ft) wide with a draft of 3.3 metres (11 ft). The ship is designed for speeds between 8-9 knots under sail, and under auxiliary engines required by modern standards up to 15 knots (28 km/h). The original crew complement in 1703 was between 120 and 150, and the modern crew consists of 30 trainees and 10 officers.

The modern Shtandart has two zones: The historically accurate area above the gun deck : the steering wheel and helm, all decorative carvings, the furniture, and all of the masts , spikes , guns , gangways and hatches are carefully reconstructed. The "modern" area built to modern standards and in compliance with safety regulations: This includes two Volvo PentaTAMD 122P engines and a generator. On September 4, 1999 the Shtandart was launched at the Petrovsky Shipyard in St Petersburg. In June 2000 the Shtandart set sail on her maiden voyage. The frigate retraced the route taken by Peter I , during his Grand Embassy . Since 2005, the Shtandart has played the part of the "dream ship" at the Scarlet Sails festival, an annual celebration of the end of the school year in St. Petersburgfrom a novel by Alexander Grin . Over the last ten years the Shtandart has sailed approximately 55,000 nautical miles (102,000 km) in the Baltic, North, Norwegian and Barents Seas. She has visited fifty ports in eleven European countries.
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Source:Wikipedia.org/wiki/Shtandart_(frigate)

[aukepalmhof]

A replica of Peter the Great’s flagship, the SHTANDART, is facing serious trouble after being caught up in EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ship, which has been working in European ports for the last 15 years, was banned from entering EU waters in April 2022. The sanctions specifically target Russian-flagged vessels and those reflagged after the invasion.

The SHTANDART, built to resemble the first ship of the Russian Imperial Navy, changed its flag to the Cook Islands in June 2024 to try and get around the ban.
But, weeks later, the EU extended the sanctions to include historical ship replicas like the SHTANDART. Captain Vladimir Martus, a Russian national of Ukrainian descent, explained that the ship had been working in European ports for years without issue. He and the ship’s owner have been fighting the ban in court, but this week, their request to lift the ban was rejected.

Now, Martus is waiting for a full court ruling, hoping it will allow the ship to return to EU ports. But things are looking bleak. “We’ve had no income since July 2024, and are living off savings,” Martus said.The ship was even barred from attending the Brest International Maritime Festival in July, a major event that is struggling to stay afloat. They are stuck on the ship, anchored off La Rochelle, France, and can’t dock anywhere for supplies. The crew, now just eight people, is having to ration water.

Despite the challenges, the SHTANDART continues its mission of training young people in maritime skills. The crew is dedicated to teaching youngsters aged 16 to 30, even though getting them on board has become harder.Martus says
that none of the crew supports Russia’s war in Ukraine. “We’re not for Russia, but we are here to help young people learn skills they can use in the merchant navy,” he said.

Built in 1999 in St. Petersburg, the SHTANDART is now owned by a Finnish citizen. With no clear end to the sanctions, Martus is considering taking the ship to the UK, which has its own sanctions policy.For now, the future of the ship is uncertain. Martus and his crew are just hoping they can hold on long enough to hear a better court decision.

Source : SHTANDART