Shtandart (frigate)

In 2007 in Poland Shtandart under sail in Baltic Sea, 2007
Career (Russian Empire)
Name:	Shtandart
Namesake:	Imperial Yacht ship
Owner:	Imperial Russian Navy
Ordered:	1703
Builder:	Shipyard of Olonets city
Laid down:	April 24, 1703
Launched:	August 22, 1703
Acquired:	September 8, 1703
Commissioned:	September 8, 1703, 1999
Decommissioned:	1727
In service:	1710
Out of service:	1711
General characteristics (typical)
Class and type:	24-gun (after 1710 28-gun) three-master frigate
Displacement:	220 tons
Length:	34.5 m (113 ft) (Overall), 25.0 m (82.0 ft) (Length deck center)
Beam:	6.9 m (23 ft)
Height:	33 m (108 ft) mainmast
Draft:	3.3 m (11 ft)
Decks:	Berth, Gun, Spar
Propulsion:	Sail (three masts, ship rig), 1999: add 2 х Volvo Penta TAMD 122P, 560 hp (420 kW)
Sail plan:	620 m2 (6,700 sq ft) on three masts
Speed:	11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement:	1703: 120 seamens, 1999: 40 seamen
Armament:	24 guns (after 1710 28 guns)

The frigate Shtandart (Russian: Штандартъ) was the first ship of the Baltic fleet. The kiel was laid down by the decree of Peter I and according to orders of governor Aleksandr Menshikov on April 24, 1703, at the Olonetsky shipyard near Olonets. The vessel was build by the Dutch shipwright Vybe Gerens by Tsar Peter design under his direct supervision. She was first flagship of Russian Navy. Shtandart took part in many military operations, and was in the Navy till 1727. On 4th September 1999 the "Shtandart Project" (a non-commercial organisation dedicated to youth-training) has launched an exact replica of frigate Shtandart. The Replica was built by naval architect and sailor Vladimir Martus, with help of hundreds of volunteers.

Ship of 1703

Historians associate the name "Shtandart" with the creation of a new trade route to and from Russia via the Baltic sea. The ship was launched on August 22, 1703, and on September 8, 1703, the frigate set sails for St. Petersburg.

Shtandart in the 18th century

Shtandart combined two shipbuilding schools, Dutch and English. Frames are wide, almost square, the ship bottom is flat, reducing the draft, a high rigging of the English style.

She has three masts, her displacement is 220 tons, length is 25.0 m (82.0 ft) on length deck center line, of 27.5 m (90 ft) on the deck and 34.5 m (113 ft) the overall, width of 6.9 m (23 ft) meters, draft of 3.3 m (11 ft) meters, a designed speed under sails of 8-9 knots, under auxiliary engines «Volvo Penta» to 15 knots (28 km/h) (modern "Shtandart" equipped with engines). Her crew in 1703 was 120 to 150 people, in 1999 the crew consists of 30 trainees and 10 officers.

In 1710 the ship was repaired and got four more cannons installed, making her a 28-gun frigate; in 1711 the ship was put on timbering works (to repair with replacement of several frames). Original Shtandart was build of green timber. Another extencive repair took place on winter 1710-1711.

In 1727 Catherine I gave an order to survey "Shtandart" and arrange for restoration if possible. However the ship hull was damaged, so that in the attempt to lift the ship she was literally cut into halves by cables. The desision by Catherine I was to take old Shtandart apart and build a replica. This order had not been fulfilled until 1994.

The name "Shtandart" was given to the Royal Yachts of Imperial Russian Navy till 1917 revolution. Nikolas II Royal yacht was last of them.

Emperor Peter I on building of the next ship. 1708

Peter I and Shtandart ship

Peter I took personal part in building of it, probably, for this reason the ship was constructed in so short term is all for 5 months.

Peter I went to sailing by a frigate as the captain, taking a pseudonym Peter Mihajlov, he command the ship in her maiden voyage from Olonets to Saint Petersburg in September 1703.

In the Great cabin there is a compass hanging over a table which indications can be seen only from below. There is a legend according to which this compass hung over Peter I hammock and when that woke up, he looked at a compass hanging over it to check if the ship navigete by correct a course.

Modern Replica of Shtandart build in 1999

In 1994 the small group of sailing enthousiasts led by Vladimir Martus start construction of an exact replica of the ship. Martus developed a new layout of Shtandart, she now got four bulkheads, dividing her into 5 compartments. Modern Shtandart has two zones:

• The historical zone above the gun deck. Here the historical authenicity is preserved: the steering wheel and the steering arrangements, all decorative carvings, the furniture, all masts, spikes, guns, gangways and hatches are carefully reconstructed.
• The modern zone made according to safety regulation, to comply with of modern shipbuilding standards. Two engines Volvo Penta TAMD 122P installed, along with a generator.

Shtandart playing a key role of Scarlet Sails holiday of alumnus

Milestones of "Shtandart"

• On September 4, 1999 "Shtandart" was launched at shipyard "Petrovsky Admiralty", on Orlovskaya emb. in St Petersburg.
• In June 2000 Shtandart set sails for her maiden voyage. Her route went through those cities and countries which were visited by Peter I, during his Grand Embassy of Peter I.
• From 2005, Shtandart played a role of the "dream ship" from a novel by Alexander Grin a holiday of alumnus Scarlet Sails in St. Petersburg.
• In last 10 years Frigate Shtandart sailed about 55 000 nautical miles in the Baltic, North, Norwegian and Barents Seas. She had visited 50 ports in 11 European countries. In 2009 she sailed around North Cape.

After 2007 all sailing vessels in Russia start experiencing problems with certification: newly established body of the State sea and river supervision refuse to issue certificates for sailing yachts. Shtandart was one of most noticeable sailig vessels, so her dispute with official bodies became most known. There were quire large number of publications on this: .

At some stage The Northwest directorate of Rosmorrechnadzor was cancelling the seaworthiness certificates of Shtandart, but later the State Court of Appeal made a decision in favor of Shtandart, and such cancelling was recognized as "illegal" (http://www.cityspb.ru/goto/140693 ).

Events of 2009

• On July 24, 2009 Shtandart obtained the permit to operation and planned to go to the Tall Ships' Races Baltic-2009 to Kotka and Klaipeda, whence will begin a next stage. But bureaucratic problems of a frigate on it have not ended and actually he left port on August 1, 2009.

• On August 25, 2009 Shtandart was in Norway, sailing around North Cape.

• During the winter 2009-2010, the ship is located in Oslo harbour, Norway, for winter quarters.

External links

"Official Site" (in ru). Shtandart.RU. http://www.shtandart.ru/. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[[Commons: Category:Official English Language site

| Official English Language site

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• Official Shtandart English language website

• Media related to Frigate named Shtandart at Wikimedia Commons