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Spirid naval commander. Spiridov Grigory Andreevich - biography. Participation in the Seven Years' War

, Russian-Turkish War (1768-1774). He became famous for the defeat of the Turkish fleet during the Battle of Chesme.

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✪ Aty-Bati. Issue 41. Battle of Chesme

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Biography

Origin

Grigory Spiridov was born into the family of nobleman Andrei Alekseevich Spiridov (1680-1745), who served during the time of Peter I as commandant of Vyborg recaptured from the Swedes, and his wife Anna Vasilievna Korotneva.

Start of service

Gregory joined the navy as a volunteer in 1723; received the rank of midshipman at the age of 15 after passing exams in the course of navigational sciences. He began to carry out active service in the Caspian Sea, where, under the command of Alexei Nagaev, a hydrographer and subsequently an admiral, he commanded, in particular, the hookbots “St. Catherine” and “Shah-Dagai”. I walked from Astrakhan to the shores of Persia. In 1732 he was transferred to Kronstadt and promoted to midshipman ahead of schedule; every year he sailed in the Baltic Sea.

In 1754, he received the rank of captain of the 3rd rank and was sent to Kazan to organize the supply of wood to the capital's Admiralty. In 1755 he became a member of the commission, the purpose of which was to review the regulations for Navy, and in 1756 he headed with the rank of company commander

Grigory Andreevich Spiridov

Grigory Andreevich Spiridov- outstanding Russian naval commander, admiral(1769), made a great contribution to the construction of the fleet and the development of Russian naval art.

G.A. Spiridov was born in 1713 in the city of Vyborg into the family of nobleman Andrei Alekseevich Spiridov (1680 - 1745), who served as commandant in the city of Vyborg during the time of Peter I - died on April 8 (19), 1790 in Moscow, was buried in his estate - the village Highlands of Pereslavl district in the crypt of the Transfiguration Church, previously built at his expense.

In 1723, Spiridov began serving in the navy as a volunteer, at the age of 15, after passing exams in navigational sciences, he was promoted to midshipman and sent to the Caspian Sea, commanded the hookboats “St. Catherine”, “Shah-Dagai”, sailed from Astrakhan to Persia, studying with A.I. Nagaev, later a famous admiral, hydrographer and compiler of nautical charts. Nagaev was very pleased with the diligence of the capable sailor. Since 1732 G.A. Spiridov served in Kronstadt, where he received the first officer rank of midshipman ahead of schedule, and was constantly on voyages in the Baltic Sea.

Kronstadt raid

In 1738, becoming an adjutant to Vice Admiral P.P. Bredal, participated with him in the Azov expedition of the Don military flotilla, which, together with the land army, waged war with Turkey, in this war Spiridov acted bravely in all naval battles, received combat training.

In 1741, he was sent to the port of Arkhangelsk, from where he made the transition to Kronstadt on one of the built ships. Within ten years, commanding court yachts and battleships, he became famous in the Baltic Fleet and in St. Petersburg. In 1754, he was promoted to captain of the 3rd rank and sent to Kazan to organize the delivery of scaffolding to the St. Petersburg Admiralty. In 1775, he became a member of the commission for reviewing regulations for the fleet, and the following year he was appointed company commander in the Naval Gentry cadet corps. The measured course of service was interrupted by the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. The dominance of the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea contributed to Russia's successful fight against Prussia in the land theater of war. Taking part in the battles of the Baltic Fleet G.A. Spiridov commanded the ships “Astrakhan” and “St. Nicholas”, sailed to Danzig and Sweden, to Stralsund and Copenhagen. In 1761, with a landing force of 2,000 people, he came to the aid of the generalP. Rumyantsev, who besieged the seaside fortress of Kolberg, and deserved highly appreciated by your actions. Rumyantsev characterized him as an exceptionally “honest and brave officer.”

In 1762 G.A. Spiridov was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. Commanding the Revel squadron, he covered Russian communications in the Baltic. After the war, he was the commander of the Kronstadt and Revel ports, then commanded the entire Baltic Fleet. In 1764 he was promoted to vice admiral.

Talent G.S. Spiridov as a naval commander was fully demonstrated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, when Russia fought for access to the Black Sea. Catherine II decided to reinforce the land campaign against Turkey with actions in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and sent an expedition of the Russian fleet to the Greek archipelago. Spiridov, who had just been promoted to admiral, was appointed at the head of the first squadron. On July 17, 1769, Catherine II visited the ships preparing to sail, awarded Spiridov the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and, blessing him for the campaign, placed the image of John the Warrior around his neck. She ordered the officers and sailors to be given a four-month salary “not counted” and demanded that the squadron immediately set sail. Spiridov was faced with a very difficult task - to pave the way to the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, making the first passage from the Baltic Sea in the history of the Russian fleet.

Ships G.A. Spiridova on a hike

The transition was complicated by the lack of our own bases along the route, difficult weather conditions, and Spiridov’s illness at the beginning of the journey. Due to damage to ships and forced stops for repairs, the squadron moved slowly. In February 1770, Spiridov's squadron arrived at the Morea Peninsula (Peloponnese), and soon the second squadron under the command of D. Elphinstone also arrived there. Under the general direction of the countA.G. Orlov's squadron began fighting, complicated by friction between Orlov and Spiridov, as well as Elphinstone’s indiscipline. In February - May, the squadrons landed several troops on the Morea and captured the Navarin and Itilon bases. Türkiye was forced to redirect its fleet from supporting ground forces to fighting at sea, and at the same time divert part of its ground forces from the Danube theater of operations.

Count A.G. Orlov

After an active search for the enemy, the Russian squadron (9 battleships, 3 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 17 auxiliary vessels and transports, a total of 820 guns) under the command of Chief General Count A.G. Orlova discovered a Turkish squadron (16 battleships, 6 frigates and up to 50 small ships, a total of 1430 guns, under the command of Kapudan Pasha D. Hasan Bey). The Turkish ships, formed in two battle lines, with the ships of the second line standing in the gaps between the ships of the first line, were anchored in the Chios Strait (Aegean Sea) 0.5 miles from the coast.

Battle of the Chios Strait

The first to be discovered by the Turks was the battleship “Rostislav”, sent on reconnaissance along with two small ships, commanded by captain 1st rank V.F. Lupandin. The signal he sent “I see enemy ships” was noticed by the Russian squadron in the afternoon. The almost double superiority of the Turks in strength did not shake the steadfastness and courage of the Russian sailors. They were eager to fight the strongest enemy, believing that they were fighting not with numbers, but with skill. At the suggestion of Admiral G.A. Spiridov Chief General A.G. Orlov decided to attack the Turkish fleet. The following battle plan was adopted: first strike the Turkish vanguard and part of the center, sending one Russian ship against each enemy ship, and then strike the remaining enemy ships. At noon on June 24, 1770, Russian ships began to approach the enemy. Volleys of Turkish cannons were heard. However, Russian officers and sailors, showing restraint and composure, did not respond to enemy fire and continued to approach until the “musket” shot(about 1st cable). Unexpectedly, an unpleasant incident occurred. The leading ship “Europe” missed its assigned place in the battle line. Turning to starboard tack and going behind the ship “Rostislav”, he again entered the battle.

Battleship “Rostislav”

Admiral Spiridov, angry with this maneuver of the commander of “Europe”, Captain 1st Rank F.A. Klokachev, having caught up on the “Eustathia” with the “Europe”, which had received damage, shouted: “Mr. Klokachev!” “I congratulate you as a sailor,” thereby, as it were, accusing the commander of cowardice. But in fact, Klokachev’s maneuver was caused by necessity and dictated by the conditions of the battle. In the subsequent course of the battle, Klokachev and the crew of his ship demonstrated courage and true heroism.

The feat of the battleship “Eustathius”

When the fire of three enemy ships fell on the flagship battleship “Eustathius”, its commander, Captain 1st Rank A.I. Cruz ordered not to return enemy fire. And only after the distance had noticeably shortened did the Turkish admiral ship Real Mustafa decisively attack. Admiral G.A. also showed a worthy example of courage and fearlessness. Spiridov. Carried away by the battle, he, disregarding the danger, walked along the upper deck with a sword in his hand, giving the necessary commands, and ordered the musicians to “play to the last.” The cannonballs of the Turkish ships damaged the sails and rigging of the Eustathius, which, having lost control, fell on the Turkish flagship, engulfed in flames. The Russian “Hurray” thundered, the sailors and officers climbed onto the deck of the “Real Mustafa” and entered into hand-to-hand combat with the Turks, during which the Russian sailors tore down and captured the stern flag of the Turkish flagship. As soon as Admiral G.A. Spiridov was convinced that he could save“Eustathius” was no longer possible, he ordered his flag to be transferred to the ship “Three Saints”. The fate of both ships was decided by an unforeseen event: the burning mainmast of the Real Mustafa collapsed and sparks hitting the Russian ship caused an explosion of gunpowder and ammunition. Following the Eustathius, the Turkish flagship also took off. This explosion and the successful Russian attack caused panic on the Turkish ships. Turkish squadron, having lost control, hurried to get into Chesme Bay under the protection of coastal batteries, but could no longer get out of there, as it was blocked.

At the military council on June 25, Count Orlov adopted Spiridov’s plan, which consisted of destroying Turkish ships in their own bay. Considering the crowding of enemy ships, which excluded them from the possibility of maneuver, Admiral Spiridova proposed destroying the Turkish fleet with a combined strike of naval artillery and fire ships, with the main blow to be delivered by artillery. To attack the enemy on June 25, 4 fire ships were equipped and a special detachment was created under the command of junior flagship Rear Admiral S.K. Greig consisting of 4 battleships, 2 frigates and the bombardment ship “Grom”

Rear Admiral S.K. Greig

The plan of the attack, developed by Spiridov, boiled down to the following. The ships allocated for the attack, taking advantage of the darkness, were supposed to secretly approach the enemy at a distance of 2-3 cables on the night of June 26 and, anchored, open sudden fire: battleships and the bombardment ship “Grom” - on ships, frigates - on coastal batteries.

“Three Saints” in the Battle of Chesma

bomber ship "Grom"

The feat of Lieutenant D.S. Ilyina

Battle of Chesme

At midnight, when all preparations for the battle were completed, at a signal from the flagship, the ships assigned for the attack weighed anchor and headed to the places indicated for them. Having approached a distance of 2 cables (less than 500 m), the Russian ships took places according to the disposition established for them and opened fire on the Turkish ships and coastal batteries. “Thunder” and some battleships fired mainly with guns(incendiary bombs). Behind the battleships and frigates, in anticipation of the command to attack, 4 fire ships were deployed under the command of captain-lieutenants R. Dugdal, F. Mekenzi, lieutenant D. Ilyin and midshipman V. Gagarin. At the beginning of the 2nd hour, a fire broke out on one of the Turkish ships from a hit firebrand, which quickly engulfed the entire ship and began to spread to neighboring enemy ships. The Turks were confused and weakened their fire. This created favorable conditions to attack fire ships. At 1 hour 15 minutes, all 4 fire ships, under the cover of fire from battleships, began moving towards the enemy. Each fireship was assigned a specific Turkish ship with which it had to engage. Three fire ships various reasons did not achieve their goal and only the fire-ship of Lieutenant D. Ilyin completed the task. Successfully maneuvering, under enemy fire, he approached the 84-gun Turkish battleship, grappled with it and set fire to his fireship. The fireship crew, together with Lieutenant D. Ilyin, got into the boat and left the burning fireship. Soon a powerful fire broke out on the Turkish ship and an explosion occurred. Thousands of burning debris scattered throughout Chesme Bay, spreading the fire to almost all the ships of the Turkish fleet. At this time, Chesme Bay became like the crater of a huge active volcano and was illuminated with a crimson-red glow for a long time. One after another, the Turkish ships exploded and flew into the air. “It is easier to imagine than to describe the horror, stupor and confusion that took possession of the enemy: entire teams threw themselves into the water in fear and despair.” At 4 o'clock the Russian ships ceased fire. By this time, almost the entire Turkish fleet was destroyed. Of the 15 battleships, 6 frigates and 50 auxiliary ships, only one battleship “Rhodes” and 5 galleys survived and were captured by the Russians. The Turks lost over 10,000 sailors and officers, while the losses on the ships of Greig’s detachment amounted to only 11 people.

Victory in the Chesma naval battle was achieved thanks to the high combat training, perseverance and courage of the Russian sailors. The Chesma battle was of enormous military and strategic importance. The Turkish command, having lost its fleet, was forced to completely abandon offensive actions against the Russians in the Archipelago and concentrate its efforts on the defense of the Dardanelles Strait and coastal fortresses.

In memory of the Chesma victory, a medal was struck and awarded to all participants in the battle. Count A.G. Orlov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree and received an honorary addition to his surname Chesmensky (Orlov-Chesmensky), Admiral G.A. Spiridov received the highest order Russian Empire- St. Andrew the First-Called, Rear Admiral S.K. Greig was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, which gave him rights to hereditary Russian nobility, Lieutenant D.S. Ilyin was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and promoted to captain-lieutenant. In Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin) a monument was erected - the Chesme Column.

Layout of ships in the Battle of Chesma

After the victory at Chesma G.A. Spiridov during three years dominated the Greek archipelago. He not only carried out the blockade of the Dardanelles, but also began to systematically control enemy communications in the Aegean Sea in order to prevent the supply of food and raw materials to Istanbul from Greece. The island of Paros was used as a base for the Russian fleet, where an admiralty and a shipyard were built, as well as shops, hospitals, and a church. Between the blockade detachment of ships and the main forces of the fleet, several cruising detachments were constantly operating, completely blocking the Aegean Sea in its narrowest part. In 1772, the Russian admiral extended his actions to the entire eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, starting from the Ionian Islands and to the coasts of Egypt and Syria. Together with expeditionary ground forces, Spiridov's fleet carried out active operations against Turkish coastal fortresses and ports of the Aegean Sea.

In June 1773, the 60-year-old admiral submitted his resignation for health reasons. In February 1774, he received permission to leave his post, as well as the right to a pension in the amount of his full admiral's salary. Returning to Russia G.A. Spiridov lived another 16 years. He died on his estate in the village of Nagorye. He was seen off on his last journey by local peasants and his faithful friend, Stepan Khmetevsky, commander of the “Threehierarchs “in the Battle of Chesma.

Chesme Column in Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin)

Monument to D.S. Ilyin

Feat Russian fleet, including Admiral Spiridov, were forever crowned by the Chesme Column in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, now the city of Pushkin, and the Chesme Church in St. Petersburg. Together with Spiridov, the glory of the heroes of Chesma was shared by Count A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky, Russian-Scottish admiral S.K. Greig, officers and sailors of the crews of “Eustathius”, “Three Hierarchs”, “Europe”, “Three Hierarchs”...

Grigory Spiridov, who discovered the galaxy of famous Russian naval commanders, was born into the family of a nobleman who served as commandant in Vyborg during the time of Peter the Great. In 1723, Spiridov Jr. began serving in the navy as a volunteer; at the age of 15, after passing exams in navigational sciences, he was promoted to midshipman and sent to the Caspian Sea; commanded the hookboats “St. Catherine” and “Shah-Dagai”, sailed from Astrakhan to the coast of Persia, studying with A.I. Nagaev, later a famous admiral, hydrographer and compiler of nautical charts. Nagaev was very pleased with the diligence of the capable sailor.

Since 1732, Grigory Andreevich served in Kronstadt, where he received the rank of midshipman ahead of schedule, and annually sailed in the Baltic Sea. In 1738, becoming an adjutant to Vice Admiral P.P. Bredal, participated with him in the Azov expedition of the Don military flotilla, which, together with the land army, waged a war with Turkey; in this war, Spiridov acted bravely in all naval battles and received combat training. In 1741, he was sent to the port of Arkhangelsk, from where he made the transition to Kronstadt on one of the newly built ships. For ten years he commanded court yachts and battleships, and became famous in the Baltic Fleet and in St. Petersburg. In 1754, Spiridov was promoted to captain of the 3rd rank and sent to Kazan to organize the delivery of scaffolding to the St. Petersburg Admiralty. In 1755, he became a member of the commission for reviewing regulations for the fleet, and the following year he was appointed company commander in the Naval Gentry Cadet Corps.

The measured course of service was interrupted by the Seven Years' War of 1756 - 1763. The dominance of the Russian fleet in the Baltic contributed to Russia's successful fight against Prussia in the land theater of war. Participating in the campaigns of the Baltic Fleet, Grigory Spiridov commanded the ships "Astrakhan" and "St. Nicholas", went to Danzig (Gdansk) and Sweden, to Stralsund and Copenhagen. In 1761, with a landing force of two thousand, he came to the aid of General P. Rumyantsev, who was besieging the seaside fortress of Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), and earned high praise from him for his actions. Rumyantsev characterized him as “an honest and brave officer.” In 1762, Grigory Andreevich was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. Commanding the Revel squadron, he covered Russian communications in the Baltic. After the war, the authoritative military sailor was the main commander of the Kronstadt and Revel ports, then commanded the entire fleet on the Baltic Sea.

The most difficult and responsible period military biography Spiridov fell on Russian-Turkish war 1768 - 1774 Catherine II decided to support the land campaign against Turkey with actions in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and send an expedition of the Russian fleet to the Greek archipelago. Spiridov, who had just been promoted to admiral, was placed at the head of the first squadron. On July 17, 1769, Catherine II visited the ships preparing to sail, awarded the admiral the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and, blessing him for the campaign, placed the image of John the Warrior around his neck. She ordered the officers and sailors to be given four months' pay "not counted" and demanded that the squadron immediately set sail. The admiral was faced with a difficult task - to pave the way to the eastern part of the Mediterranean, making the first passage from the Baltic Sea in the history of the Russian fleet.

The transition was complicated by the lack of our own bases along the route, severe weather conditions, and Grigory Andreevich’s illness at the beginning of the journey. Due to damage to the ships and their forced stops for repairs, the squadron moved slowly. This displeased the Empress, who demanded from Spiridov: “...do not allow yourself to be put to shame in front of the whole world. All of Europe is looking at you and your squadron.” Chief General Alexei Orlov (brother of the Empress's favorite Grigory Orlov), who was appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition and was waiting for the Russian fleet in Livorno, was also nervous.

In addition to the trials that befell Spiridov’s squadron during the passage around Europe, he also suffered personal grief: one of his two sons, who sailed as part of the Archipelago expedition, died from illness. In February 1770, Spiridov arrived at the Morea Peninsula (Peloponnese), and soon the second squadron under the command of D. Elphinstone arrived there. Under the general leadership of Count Orlov, the squadrons began hostilities, which were complicated by additional circumstances - friction between the count and the admiral, as well as Elphinstone's indiscipline. In February - May, the squadrons landed several troops on the Morea and captured the Navarin and Itilon bases. Türkiye was forced to redirect its fleet from supporting the ground army to fighting at sea, and at the same time divert part of its ground forces from the Danube theater of war.

The main events of the Archipelago expedition were the Battle of Chios and the Battle of Chesme. On June 24, 1770, in the Chios Strait, the following picture was revealed to the eyes of Russian sailors: Turkish ships were anchored, forming a double arc-shaped line. The Turkish fleet was almost twice as large as the Russian fleet in terms of the number of ships; the Turks had 1,430 guns, while the Russian ships had 820 of them. The timid Orlov chose to cede the development of the action plan to Spiridov. The battle plan proposed by Admiral Spiridov involved a complete abandonment of the classical linear tactics then used by European fleets. In the wake column, the Russian vanguard ships under the command of the admiral went towards the enemy perpendicular to his battle line and attacked the vanguard and part of the center of the Turks from a short distance. In fact, the Russian naval commander was the first to use the method of conducting naval combat. which only 35 years later is used in the Battle of Trafalgar by the English Admiral Nelson, who became a celebrity. The speed of approach, a concentrated strike, fire, pressure - and the Turkish fleet began to lose control. His second line, with a headwind, could not help the attacked first line. Spiridov commanded the battle in full dress uniform, with his sword drawn. music sounded on his ship "Eustathius".

Best of the day

At the height of the battle, "Eustathius" and the Turkish flagship "Real-Mustafa" grappled with boarding, the set fire to the Turkish flagship exploded, and the Russian ship died along with it, after which Grigory Andreevich moved to the "Three Hierarchs". Soon the Turks fled from the Chios Strait and hid in the cramped waters of Chesme Bay under the cover of coastal batteries. “It was easy for me to foresee,” Spiridov recalled, “that this would be their refuge and their grave.”

On the night of June 26, Chief General Orlov and Admiral Spiridov decided to attack and destroy the Turkish fleet. According to the admiral's plan, a combined attack was launched with fire ships (incendiary ships filled with fuel and gunpowder) and powerful artillery fire from close ranges. The first to strike such a blow was S. Greig's vanguard detachment, which quickly entered the bay and anchored near the Turkish ships. A heroic feat was accomplished by Lieutenant D. Ilyin, whose fireship blew up a Turkish ship. By three o'clock in the morning the fire engulfed almost the entire Turkish fleet, and by ten o'clock in the morning 15 battleships, 6 frigates and more than 40 small enemy ships were burned. The Turks lost about 11 thousand people killed and wounded, the Russians lost 11 killed.

Spiridov reported to St. Petersburg: “Glory to God and honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From the 25th to the 26th the enemy fleet was attacked, defeated, broken up, burned, and sent into the sky.” In honor of the Chesme victory, Catherine II ordered the erection of a special column and church, as well as a commemorative medal with an image of the burning Turkish fleet and an eloquent inscription above it: “Was.” The Empress granted Spiridov a high award - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. A. Orlov received special favor, receiving an honorary prefix to his surname - “Chesmensky”.

After the victory at Chesma, Spiridov dominated the Greek archipelago for three years. He not only carried out the blockade of the Dardanelles, but also began to systematically control enemy communications in the Aegean Sea in order to prevent the supply of food and raw materials to Istanbul from Greece. The island of Paros was used as a base for the Russian fleet, where an admiralty and a shipyard were built, as well as shops, hospitals, and a church. Between the blockade detachment of ships and the main forces of the fleet, several cruising detachments were constantly operating, completely blocking the Aegean Sea in its narrowest part. In 1772, the Russian admiral extended his actions to the entire eastern part of the Mediterranean, starting from the Ionian Islands and to the coasts of Egypt and Syria. Together with expeditionary ground forces, Spiridov's fleet carried out active operations against Turkish coastal fortresses and ports on the Aegean Sea.

In June 1773, the 60-year-old admiral asked to resign for health reasons. He was also tired of clashes with Count Orlov. In February next year Spiridov received permission to leave his position, as well as the right to a pension in the amount of the full admiral's salary. Returning to Russia, Grigory Andreevich lived for another 16 years. Only once over the years did he put on his ceremonial uniform - when he received news of the victory of Fyodor Ushakov’s fleet at Fidonisi. Spiridov died in Moscow and was buried on his estate - the village of Nagorny, Yaroslavl province, in the crypt of a church previously built at his expense. He was seen off on his last journey by local peasants and his faithful friend, Stepan Khmetevsky, commander of the “Three Hierarchs” in the Battle of Chesma.

Main events

Russian-Turkish War 1735-1739; Seven Years' War 1756-1763; Russian-Turkish War 1768-1774; Chios battle; Chesme fight.

Top career

Admiral

Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Introductory part

Outstanding Russian naval commander, full admiral (1769). The admiral's long naval career led him to the Mediterranean Sea - to his main battle at Chesma. Then, in one night, the Turks lost 63 ships in Chesme Bay - battleships, caravels, galleys, and galliots. Turkish losses amounted to more than 10,000 people. The losses of the Russian combined squadron amounted to 11 people: 8 on the battleship "Europe", 3 on the battleship "Don't Touch Me".

Biography

Origin.

Start of service.

Gregory volunteered for the front in 1723; received the rank of midshipman at the age of 15 after passing exams in the course of navigational sciences. He began to carry out active service in the Caspian Sea, where, under the command of Alexei Nagaev, a hydrographer and subsequently an admiral, he commanded, in particular, the hookboats “St. Catherine” and “Shah-Dagai”. I walked from Astrakhan to the shores of Persia. In 1732 he was transferred to Kronstadt and promoted to midshipman ahead of schedule; every year he sailed in the Baltic Sea.

In 1738, he took the position of adjutant under Vice Admiral Peter Bredal and, under his command, participated in the Don Military Flotilla in the Azov expedition against Ottoman Empire, fought in all naval battles of this war.

In 1741, he was transferred to service in the port of Arkhangelsk, making the transition from there to Kronstadt on one of the newly built ships. Then he led the crews of various battleships and court yachts; He held similar positions for ten years, during which he gained relative fame in the Baltic Fleet.

In 1754, he received the rank of captain of the 3rd rank and was sent to Kazan to organize the supply of wood to the capital's Admiralty. In 1755, he became a member of the commission, the purpose of which was to review the regulations for the Navy, and in 1756 he headed the Naval Gentry Cadet Corps with the rank of company commander.

Seven Years' War.

During the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, he served in the Baltic Fleet, commanded the ships "St. Nicholas" and "Astrakhan", and made several passages with them to Sweden, to Danzig (now Gdansk), Copenhagen and to Stralsund. In 1761, he led the landing of two thousand troops near the fortress of Kolberg (now Kolobrzeg), as reinforcement for General Pyotr Rumyantsev, who was besieging it. The latter then noted him as an "honest and brave officer." In 1762, he received the rank of rear admiral and appointment as commander of the Revel squadron; his task was to protect Russian communications throughout the Baltic Sea. After the end of the war, he headed the Kronstadt port from 1764, and the Revel port from 1766, and later became commanders of the Baltic Fleet.

Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774

When in St. Petersburg, according to the project of A.G. Orlov drew up a bold and broad plan for combined actions on land and at sea off the Turkish coast, with the goal of raising the population of the Balkan Peninsula and the Archipelago against the Turks; Spiridov was entrusted with command of the squadron.

<< We have entrusted our Vice Admiral Spiridov with a certain expedition, for the sake of which the Administrative Board has to provide him with all kinds of assistance at his request.>>

The goals of the campaign were kept secret; tipsy sailors on the shore talked about a campaign to Azov. On June 4, 1769, Spiridov was promoted to admiral and officially appointed commander of the fleet equipped for the campaign.

Trekking across the Mediterranean Sea.

In February 1770, despite numerous difficulties that arose along the way and slowed down progress, including bad weather conditions and the admiral's illness, the squadron reached the Morea Peninsula in the Peloponnese, where it soon joined up with the second, led by John Elphinstone. A little later, Chief General Count Orlov arrived from Livorno, leading both squadrons, after which military operations began. In February - May, several troops were landed on the Morea, Arcadia, Mystras (Sparta), and the military bases of Navarin and Itilon were captured, which is why the Ottoman Empire had to transfer a significant part of its forces to the naval theater of operations.

Battle of Chios

Before the Battle of Chios on June 24, 1770, Count Orlov entrusted Spiridov, with whom he had previously had a tense relationship, with developing a plan for the future battle. Spiridov, who commanded the ships from the Eustathia in full ceremonial uniform, used what is believed to be a fundamentally new tactic naval battles, ordering the vanguard of his ships to move at right angles to the enemy’s battle formations and begin an attack on his center and vanguard from a short distance. After the death of the Eustathius from an explosion in a boarding battle with the Ottoman flagship Real Mustafa, which also exploded, Spiridov moved on board the Three Hierarchs ship. Victory in the battle went to the Russian fleet, despite the fact that the Turks had almost twice as many more ships and 1320 guns versus 820 for the Russians.

Chesme fight.

On the night of June 25-26, Spiridov commanded the Russian fleet in the victorious Battle of Chesma, for which he developed a plan for a simultaneous attack with close-range artillery fire and a fireboat attack. Thanks to the successful actions of the latter, it was possible to set fire to most of the Turkish fleet. Russian losses amounted to only 11 people, while Turkish losses amounted to about 11 thousand, including the wounded. For this victory, the admiral was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and Empress Catherine II ordered the erection of a church and a memorial column in honor of the Battle of Chesme.

After the victory, Spiridov reported to the Admiralty Board in St. Petersburg to its President, Count Chernyshov:

<<Glory to God and honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From the 25th to the 26th, the enemy fleet was attacked, defeated, broken up, burned, sent into the sky, drowned and turned to ashes, and left in that place a terrible disgrace, and they themselves began to dominate the entire Archipelago of our Most Gracious Empress.>>

Control of the Aegean Sea.

Over the next three years, Spiridov was in the Greek archipelago, using the island of Paros as a base for the Russian fleet, where a shipyard was built, as well as a small settlement. From here it was possible to control a significant part of the enemy supply lines, primarily supplies of provisions from southern Greece to Constantinople, as well as to carry out a blockade of the Dardanelles. The Aegean Sea in its narrowest part was virtually completely blocked by Russian cruisers. Since 1772, coordinating his actions with ground forces, Spiridov launched a series of attacks on the coastal fortresses of the Turks in the Aegean Sea basin, and also began to go on raids in the Eastern Mediterranean, from the Ionian Islands to the coast of Syria and Egypt.

Resignation

In February 1774, Spiridov, having handed over the squadron to Vice Admiral A.V. Elmanov, left for Russia. The resignation was honorable: for many years of impeccable service and exceptional merits, the admiral was given “the full salary of his rank” until the day of his death. Returning to Russia, Grigory Andreevich lived for another 16 years. Over the years, he only put on his ceremonial uniform once - upon receiving the news of F.F. Ushakov's victory at Fidonisi. The old admiral could rightfully be proud - Ushakov’s victory was brought about by a deliberate repetition of the maneuver that he himself performed at Chios - disabling the enemy flagship. But if for Spiridov himself this happened largely due to chance, then for Ushakov this became the main method of achieving victory in battles with the Turks! Spiridov died 2 months and 18 days before the Kerch victory of Ushakov’s squadron. The admiral was buried on his estate, the village of Nagorny, Yaroslavl province; for many neighbors, by that time he was just a seedy landowner from a retired military man. He was accompanied on his last journey by his old faithful friend Stepan Khmetevsky, commander of the “Three Hierarchs” at Chesma.

Family

He was married to Anna Matveevna Nesterova (b. 1731) and had 4 sons and 2 daughters:

Andrey(1750-1770), father's adjutant.

Matvey(1751-1829), senator, famous genealogist.

Alexey(1753-1828), admiral.

Gregory(1758-1822), brigadier.

Daria(1761-1805), was not married.

Literature and sources of information

History of the Russian Army and Navy / Ed. A.S. Grishinsky, V.P. Nikolsky, N.L. Treasure. M., 1912. Issue. 8

Yunga E.S. Admiral Spiridov. Hero of Chesma: A brief sketch of life and work. M., 1957

Image gallery

Battle in the Chios Strait. Artist I.K. Aivazovsky. 1848

Battle of Chesme. Artist I.K. Aivazovsky

GRIGORY ANDREEVICH SPIRIDOV, 1713-1790, son of the commandant in Vyborg under Peter I, Major Andrei Alekseevich, from his marriage to Anna Vasilievna Korotneva, born on January 18, 1713. Having entered midshipmanship at the age of 16, he was sent to Astrakhan, from where he sailed to Persia, and then transferred to Kronstadt, he sailed to Lubeck. In 1732, Spiridov was promoted to midshipman, in 1737 he was appointed adjutant to Admiral Bredal, in 1740 he participated in the Azov expedition, and in 1742, already with the rank of lieutenant, he sailed in Arctic Ocean. In 1749 he was ordered to be present at the Moscow Admiralty Office, in 1750 he was appointed commander of the Imperial Yachts and in 1754, with the rank of captain 5th rank, company commander in the Naval Cadet Corps. During the Seven Years' War, Spiridov took part in 1760 and 1761. on an expedition to the shores of Prussia, he commanded a landing detachment and in 1762, upon promotion to rear admiral, was appointed commander of the active squadron.

A vice admiral since 1764, Spiridov was the chief commander first of the Revel port, and then of the Kronstadt port, and the head of the “sheathing fleet.” When visiting this fleet, Catherine II personally placed the insignia of the Order of St. on its commander. Alexander Nevsky. In the summer of 1769, Spiridov, on the occasion of the war with Turkey, was sent to the Mediterranean Sea and on September 22 of the same year was promoted to admiral. At the beginning of 1770, his squadron was already off the coast of the Morea and caused a Greek uprising against Turkish rule. Disagreements between Spiridov and admirals Greig and Elfiniston forced Count A.G. Orlov to take over the main command of the fleet, and on June 26, 17 70, the Russian fleet won a brilliant victory over the Turkish fleet at Chesma. Spiridov was awarded the Order of St. for Chesma. Andrew the First-Called and 1060 souls of peasants. In 1775, one of the ships of Spirndov’s squadron ("Asia"), along with its entire crew, died, after which he submitted a petition for dismissal from service “due to weakness and illness,” and on November 26, 1774 he was dismissed. According to family legend, Spiridov retired, not satisfied that the main honor of the victory at Chesma was attributed to Orlov. He died in Moscow on April 8, 1790 and was buried in the village. Highlands, Pereslavl district, Vladimir province.

G. A. Spiridov, according to Bantysh-Kamensky, combined generosity and experience with courage. The Academy of Arts owes him many fragments of ancient marble statues and bas-reliefs sent to him from the islands of the Archipelago. Spiridov was married to Anna Matveevna Nesterova (b. 1751) and had 4 sons and 2 daughters: Andrei (b. 1750, + 1770; father’s adjutant), Matveya (b. 1751, + 1829 .), senator, famous genealogist), Alexei (b. 1755, + 1828; admiral), Gregory (b. 1758, + 1822; brigadier), Daria (b. 1761, + 1805) and Alexander, behind Lieutenant General Gustav Christianovich Zimmerman.

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(From a portrait that belonged to Count I.I. Chernyshev-Kruglikov, village of Yaropolets, Moscow province).

Orders of the Russian Empire(1)