Cossack Navy in 18th Century
Ukrainians in Russian Navy
The constant raids in the early 17th century resulted of Turkey accepting a peace treaty with the Zaporozhian Cossacks in 1649. The treaty gave cossack a free trading hand in the Black Sea provinding they won't attack the Ottoman merchants. Some of the main points of the treaty were:
1. Cossacks and the Ukrainian people are free to sail in the Black Sea, dock in all coastal cities of the Ottoman Empire and do so in other countries and even reach the Christian states.
2. Ukrainian merchants have the right not to pay any taxes for the next 30 years and mantain wahrehouses in the coastal cities on Black and Meditharenian Seas.
3.To protect the Ukrainian people, a representative of Cossack Zaporozhian Army will mantain an embassy in Istambul and Sultans representative will in turn set up an ambassy in one of Cossack cities.
4 In order to secure the trade in the Black Sea, the cossacks will built few coastal cities and will make sure none of independent cossack ships would continue with the piracy. Cossack are also supposed to send their help when the Ottoman navy will engage with the pirate boats of Don cossacks.
5.In all the other occasion no cossack gallys or ships will be used by the Sultan, on matter what the reason might be. (The last point is of interest, since it contradicts such Russian authors as J. Tyshin who believed that Cossacks lacked larger vessels).
Another era of Ukrainian Navy began to develop towards the end of 17th century and in the 18th century. In 1656 the Treaty of Perejaslav was signed between Cossacks and Moskovite Tsar and Ukraine accepted Moskovite protectorate. With this, the cossacs were asked to participate with Tzars war with the Turks and Tartars, and this gave push to another series of naval warfare in the Black and Azov Seas. The forterss of Azov was a key to the control of the Azov Sea, and therefor it was vital in the Moskovite interests to posses it. Although stormed few times earlier, Azov was finally captured in 1696 by the army of Peter the Great and cossacks of hetman Mazepa.
Hetman Mazepa's fleet consisted of 42 large galleys which were built on his docks in Briansk (Belarus). Besides aiding Russians in the capture of Azove, he also used the galleys to plunder the Crimean land and prevent the Turkish fleet from reinforcing Azov.
Of interesting fact is that cossacks were using grenades and other explosives to blow up the Turkish ships.
Types of Ships
During the 18th century new types of ships were also constructed. One of the new types of ships was called "dyb". Primarily used for transportation, dyb was about 20 meters long, had a deck and two masts and was built similarly to Western European ships of this type.
Another type of ship was a large galley which included a deck and large cabin. This type of galley was introduced to the Russians by the Dutch and since it was ideal for coastal and river warfare this design was also copied by the cossacks.
In the second hald of the 18th century, the Crimean Tartars were mostly supressed and now the entrance to the Black Sea has been permenantly secured. This allowed for construction of larger ships, which could be stationed at the coast. City like Mykolaiv became a centre of shipbuilding and began to produce large warships. One of such warships can be seen on the Cossack naval banner or 1740's. This is a large galleas, 80 meters long, with two decks, three masts, large hulk, rich carved decorations twenty cannons and could fit up to 400 marines and soldiers.
Dnipro Dyb
Cossack warship of the 18th century
With the destruction of Sich in 1765 by Catherin the Great, the cossack authonomy has been licvidated and with it the idependent navy. Already before this incident Ukrainians began to join the Russian Navy. As more naval basses were established around Crimea and the sea coast more marines were needed. In the Russian navy Ukrainians occupied all kind positions, from regular marine to the rank of captain.
Captain Juri Lysiansky
Captain Juri Fedorovych Lysiansky (1773-1833) was one of the most famous Ukrainians. Born in the marine town of Nizhyn he finished the Sea Cadets Corps in Krondstadd in 1786. In 1788-90 he took part in the naval battles at Hochland, Eland and Revell (Tallinn). Lysiansky was the organizer of the first Russian around the world expedytion. In 1803-1806 kommanding two ships, "Nadezhda" and "Neva" he travelled to Hawaii and all the way to Kanton. During his voyages he discovered and nammed after himself such places as one of Hawaian islands (Lysiansky Island), a peninsula at the Okhotsk Sea and a mountain on island of Sakhalin.
Published his numerous works, which became the materials for future voyages.
Capt. Yuri Lysiansky